19.95km +1492m -368m
[The original version of this post got lost in the shitty reception out here somewhere somehow. Here’s an artist’s recreation:]I’m just going outside, and I may be some time…
Lawrence Oates
The 1500m climb was accurate. And don’t call me Shirley!
A huge elevation gain takes me from mountain ash and tree ferns up into snow gum, and suddenly there were patches of snow on the ground!
Snow!
The track ran with rivulets of ice-cold snow melt, which I had to walk through. After an hour or two of this, the waterproofing of my boots gave up and my toes became wet and cold. I’m not impressed; Lowa and Gore-Tex! Guaranteed to keep you dry my arse!
The evening was very cold and I felt more than a bit dispirited. Eventually I was able to get warm and even dry my socks out, but even so, as I went to bed I found I was reassuring myself that all I had to focus on was getting to Mount Hotham; that everything beyond that was too distant to worry about. I may have been unconvinced that I’d be able to complete the whole track.
