…it is well known that a vital ingredient of success is not knowing that what you’re attempting can’t be done.― Terry Pratchett, Equal Rites 29/12/2025:I developed an ingrown/infected toe nail during the club Thredbo > Tharwa walk earlier in the month. Surprisingly, it wasn’t much of an impediment to hiking, but I really wanted to get it sorted and I was kinda...
Distance: 7.7kmElevation: +259m -499mTime: 2:22Total Distance: 241km We made a lot of birds very unhappy.-Inga, cryptically We’d agreed on a 7:00am start to beat the heat. We’re all ready to go by 6:45. It’s not that we wanted the walk to be over; I think we all would gladly have gone another week. It’s just that by now we were a well-oiled machine built for the simple...
Distance: 20.3kmElevation: +504m -552mTime: 6:15Total Distance: 234.1km Upwards and upwards… I’m sitting on the grass at five minutes to seven with my cook kit still spread out in front of me, when it suddenly dawns on me that the troops are going to be ready to go at seven despite the previous night’s agreement, and I’ve still got stuff to do. So I hastily smear on some sunscreen and brush my...
Distance: 22.7kmElevation: +427m -1017mTime: 7:00Total Distance: 213.8km I could eat a whole BBQ chicken. – Inga Tastes like cayenne pepper Back in the ACT we descend along a track that frequently crosses boggy ground east of the saddle. Down to Cotter Flat. Somebody has built a pair of small rock weirs that are doing a good job of raising the level of the crossing. The day is warm. Really warm...
Distance: 18.1kmElevation: +680m -380mTime: 5:20Total Distance: 191.1km An absolutely gorgeous morning. The kangaroos were grazing and the foxes were sneaking. When I went to bed I briefly thought “this car campers yapping away is annoying” then immediately fell asleep. But the early rising hikers have the campsite to themselves. Swiper, no swiping! The walk out of Blue Waterholes climbs steadily...
Distance: 22.2kmElevation: +193m -361mTime: 6:00Total Distance: 173km What’s brown and sticky? A stick. The thermometer dangling from my pack says the temperature fell to -2° this morning. I vaguely recall somebody saying that black sallees grow on the edge of frost hollows. There was frost. I roused myself from the snuggly warm cocoon of my hammock to go and light a fire in case anybody had...
Distance: 22.8kmElevation: +314m -318mTime: 7:00Total Distance: 151.1km The sky was the colour of Television, tuned to a dead channel. – Neuromancer We set out under a grey sky with the promise of sunshine ahead on our longest day so far. About 22km to Hainsworth hut. The group flies along when given a decent track to walk on, and the first half of the day was this. Good morning, how are you? The...
Distance: 21.78kmElevation: +396m -464mTime: 6:17Total Distance: 128.3km Looks like the storm is passing to both sides and we should be in the clear. – Robyn Another beautiful morning, though the previous night’s rain and the total lack of wind made for a lot of condensation, even in the hammock, which usually resists it owing to the large amount of airflow. Today is resupply day, and our packs...
Distance: 16.5kmElevation: +420m -460mTime: 5:40Total Distance: 106.5km Distant thunder rumble Rumble hungry like the beast Tuplelo bound Nick Cave – Tupelo From Happys Hut’ we cut straight up to the track. With how popular this shortcut is, I felt sure we’d find a footpad, but no such luck. We began seeing the first real sign of horse activity so far, and the flies also became a menace. Leek...
Distance: 17.7kmElevation: +250m -290mTime: 6:15Total Distance: 90km Happiness is mandatory Woke to a hut shrouded in fog. Today will be our last serious bit of off track walking. Scott is nursing a strained leg muscle and has elected to do a road walk instead and meet us at Happys Hut. Blue sky despite a dire forecast The rest of us made our way across button grass to Boobee Hut. The walking...
Distance: 17.6kmElevation: +430m -680mTime: 8:20Total Distance: 72.3km Mary had a little clock She swallowed it one day. She took a dose of epsom salts To pass the time away… A lovely night at a surprisingly good campsite, especially since the wind died down finally. There was dew overnight and I hadn’t bothered to put the tarp up, so I woke up to a damp outer shell on my quilt, but it soon dried...
Distance: 19.7kmElevation: +486m -348mTime: 8hrsTotal Distance: 54.7km Keep rolling, rolling, rolling on (your ankles) A beautiful sunrise to start the day, with my customary coffee from the hammock. As leader, I can choose what time we start walking each day and 8am has been feeling very comfortable. We started with an easy walk on dirt road up to Schlink pass, and then to the hut known...
