25.22km +874m -923m A terrible night’s sleep on the ground. Rose at 4am as planned just as the full moon set behind the ridge. Still an hour or so until sunrise. Breakfast by headlamp light. Stars shining through patches of dark cloud and the twin black crags of mounts Anton and Anderson, and a smear of brightening red on the horizon like a threat of violence. Photo by Rod Photo by Rod Photo by...
21.92km +720m -814m Waiting around for the post office and chairlift to open at a leisurely 9am when we’ve both been ready to walk since 7. I’m feeling like I may have eaten a little too much over the last two days. Up the chairlift! At this point I have to make an apology for the way today’s post goes. The last time I was up here I was ten, and frankly I was blown away by the splendour today. So...
So far: 515.82km +24,432m -23,624 Did some boot maintenance. I’ve got a whole day to kill and not a lot to fill it with. The Lowas have developed two small holes in the leather on one foot, probably from rubbing on the eyelet or laces. And all waxed up: I use a wax of my own making, consisting of beeswax, mink oil, clove oil and cedarwood oil. I’m not sure I’d buy Lowas again. They’ve been fine...
Hotham > Thredbo: 262.92km +10,115m -10,474m I woke up at 5am out of pure habit. Another day for maintenance and organisation. Goodbye to the terrible softdrink bottles I’ve been using since Hotham to filter my water, hello to a new Platypus bladder. I’ll have to be gentle with this one, and when I get home look into a better replacement. With all the crinkles and creases, I think capacity has...
16.37km +505m -585m It blew a gale all night again, worse by far than last night. I was worried the tarp would pull free of its stakes, but it never did. Fifteen fairly easy kilometres into Thredbo today. South Ram’s Head in the middle there, marking the start of the main range. Finally, after days of boring walking, some nice views and aspects. Even though the last few days have been shortish...
19.16km +718m -504m Horses were very close to camp when I woke up. A bit intimidating. I heard them neighing and when I looked, they were about 20 metres away. A few km into the walk, I decided to detour and check out Tin Mine falls. Rod saw the indistinct track and decided to continue to Cascade Hut, presumably anxious to secure the best campsite and lay claim to the tin of spam he heard was on...
17.9km +592m -517 Not a long day today: about 16km to Tin Mine Huts. A very foggy start. It would not have been a good day for climbing The Pilot, even if I were in the mood for it. Saw some horses, then some deer: Then some more horses; possibly a stallion, mare and foal, grazing on the path we were walking down. We also heard the helicopter not far off and the sound of rifle shots as they...
23.01km +975m -734m My pants no longer stay up by themselves. I’ve had to fashion a belt from a piece of cord. 21km to Cowombat Flat today and the VIC/NSW border. Rain last night and more rain forecast today. I’ve heard from southbound walkers that the cowombats are numerous and in their mating season at the moment and care must be taken. Right after leaving camp, the creek needs to be forded. In...
16.65km +735m -889m Lots of noises in the night. An angry possum went down one of my trees and up the other, then played Marco Polo with another possum for half an hour. Something big and grunty stomped around some distance away. They said I’d lose weight on this walk, but this is ridiculous! We had to walk quietly through the middle of the school kids’ tents since they were between us and the...
26.75km +643m -1132m Dawn comes early up on Johnny’s Top. So do the flies. I could get used to this coffee-from-the-hammock thing There is no track for a good latter part of the walk down to Buenba creek from Johnnie’s Top. There is the odd trail marker or pink ribbon, but little to suggest a trail between them. The creek itself is lovely. Walking along it is a pain in the arse. The ground is...
25.29km +1632m -566m Coffee from the hammock on a foggy morning. Macropods! Ahh, the good old 585 model. Shame about the axle problems that plagued it. We got honked at by a deer. It sounded like an angry Mac truck in heat. Morass creek (more-arse). Don’t drink the water here. I had my towel threaded through my shoulder strap loops and it must have got hooked on a branch while we were bush...
21.72km +859m -1519m Bloody chilly overnight. Nobody told me the alps would be cold. And while we’re on the topic, what’s with all these bloody mountains, I’d like to know? Something stumbled on my camp around midnight. Sounded like something large and bipedal heavily stomping up from the old gold town. It was either a yowie or a small wallaby. I’ll make for Taylor’s Crossing today. A fairly easy...
