25.68km +1780 -2372
No storm overnight. Hopefully I’ll be as lucky again tonight.
Rod was dead weight so I left him on the approach to Crosscut and continued on alone.
(This is terrible storytelling; you should never have two characters with easily confused names, such as Rod and Ron.)
Storms forecast for this afternoon/evening. I need to make distance while the sun shines.
The trimmed down rations from last food drop doesn’t leave me with a heap of wiggle room, though I do appreciate the lighter pack.
Next photo: Mount Buggery (left), beyond that, Horrible Gap, to the right, Terrible Hollow, above that Mount Speculation (formerly Mount Precocious, but they thought the name was too snobbish) and Mount Despair.
Onwards!
I just caught a whiff of myself on the breeze. Oh dear gods.
I’ve started to get the slightest twinge in my right knee on the downhills, so I finally broke out the trekking staff, which helps.
Topped up on water and had a quick lunch of jerky and scroggin at Camp Creek. We’re into the Dry Barrie’s now, and even with the storm warning I need to be careful of water.
I’ll make for Viking Saddle, then depending on how I feel and the weather, maybe push through to Barry Saddle.
I’ve met a few people doing this track so far, and as near as I can tell the one defining feature is that you’d have to be some sort of weirdo to want to do it.
I passed Matt who was stopped having lunch. He’s trying for Barry Saddle too, aiming to get to Hotham the same day as me, with accommodation in the same lodge.
All hail the track clearing crews!
A dozen chainsaws perished in the clearing of this track. There’s a monument somewhere.
From Viking saddle I took a trip down the gully to fetch water, leaving my pack at the top. When I got back, Matt was waiting, as I’d half expected, and I had some water for him.
While filtering water a split developed in the seam of my water bladder. I only use it to hold dirty water for filtering, and I’ve got 3l of bottles besides it, and I can kinda make it work by pinching the split closed. Lucky it’s only two days to Hotham where I can source a replacement.
After a long hard climb up the side of the Viking, we got to the famous chimney. It’s optional, but why would you want to go around?
At the top we stopped to catch our breath. Matt said he was half considering stopping there for the night. I pointed out it might be a tad exposed in a storm. I was bound for Barry Saddle or bust. I set off down the hill with five kilometres and 700 metres of descent still to go. I didn’t see him following.
It was a scrabble and slide down the other side of the Viking. I pressed on, even though my feet were sore and my body really didn’t want to.
Eventually I made it to the saddle. There was a tent already there; Hannah, who’s heading in the opposite direction and ten days out from finishing the National Trail: 4000ish km from Cooktown to Melbourne. I set my hammock up and had dinner, and just as it was getting dark and thunder grumbled in the distance, Matt walked into camp. He made it down off the mountain after all.
As I write this in the hammock there’s a fantastic lightning and thunder show going on, and rain in waves.
It’s been an amazing day which has taken me across some of the most spectacular mountains in the country. A hell of an effort, and a lot closer to Hotham and a hot shower and hot food.
