AAWT [2023]

This morning I leave for three days and 1700km of driving around the alps, hiding food caches in the bush. I’m beginning to get the feeling that it might be too late for second-guessing. I’ve teamed up with two other solo hikers to do our food drops together and share the fuel costs. Ron gave me his caches last week (with all the trepidation of a man handing over his beloved first born) and set...

A chilly night with a full moon lighting up the clearing and a foggy morning filled with birdsong. I’d say it probably dipped down to near freezing, but I was plenty cozy in my down quilts, which is reassuring. I’m starting to think this might be a cold walk and in my mind I’m cramming extra warm clothes into an already full pack. Doug and I had a hurried breakfast and quickly packed up in order...

…and I’m freaking out, man! The wind blew unrelentingly all through the night. I stayed warm without issue, which reassured me that my gear is trail worthy and ready to go, but the ceaseless bluster made sleep difficult and patchy. I was surprised not to hear the crash of trees falling in the night. There was little time for pleasantry in the pre-dawn light; tents and bellies were hastily packed...

Too late now to sweat the petty things… The train pulls out of Kingston station in Canberra. Blackberry bushes, graffiti, and saplings pushing up between the rusting rails of a disused line. I’ve chosen it over flying for a number of reasons. Partly a distaste for the pseudo-fascist theatre of airport security, party a distrust of baggage handlers, and partly the unlikely romance of diesel and...

13.2km +478m -473m “When guys in camouflage pants and hunting hats sat around in the Four Aces Diner talking about fearsome things done out-of-doors, I would no longer have to feel like such a cupcake. I wanted a little of that swagger that comes with being able to gaze at a far horizon through eyes of chipped granite and say with a slow, manly sniff, “Yeah, I’ve shit in the woods.” A Walk in the...

19.95km +1492m -368m I’m just going outside, and I may be some time… Lawrence Oates [The original version of this post got lost in the shitty reception out here somewhere somehow. Here’s an artist’s recreation:] The 1500m climb was accurate. And don’t call me Shirley! Tyers River. You will not find more leech-infested hive of bloodsuckers. Some weird proto-snail Silly lyrebird...

28.54km +666m -1658m (Edit: sorry if you got this in your emails. I just realised it didn’t come over in the migration and had to do it manually) Morning: things are looking up. The fog that blanketed everything all of yesterday lifted overnight, and this morning the sun is rising bright and clear through the snow gums. Chapman’s book gives the 25km to Thompson River as taking 12 hours, but...

24.07km +1709m -1045m I do miss my hobbit hole. Why did I ever get it into my head to go on an adventure? The Hobbit (poorly paraphrased) I put my still-damp clean clothes in my hammock’s underquilt before retiring last night. This morning they are perfectly dry. A tantalising glimpse of sunlight, but I can’t tell if it’s coming or going. I am ashamed to say that I then wished the cloud would...

30.1km +1565m -1421m Farewell, Bob’s Hut, you creepy fucker. I’m going to head to Black River, and then make a decision whether to strike out for Rumpff Saddle or leave it as a short day. A cold start. I wonder if the clouds will pass as they did yesterday? The blackberries have taken Australia. We merely live here at their whim. Usnea? I hardly know ‘er! I am informed that the track down to...

20.5km +745m -1144m Had a nice sleep in and reorganised my food from the comfort of my sleeping bag. Onwards! Into the wild… (grey?) yonder! I’m beginning on the section that includes Mount Buggery, Crosscut Saw and The Viking. There should be some amazing views assuming it’s not all cloud. Oh no! Not my vehicle! I told you water wasn’t going to be a problem. A better warning than the sign. Swim...

18.05km +1432m -1013 I’ll have to be more careful with my phone usage. Uploading blog posts with poor reception in particular is a big battery drain, so I’ll ration those out or wait until I get to Hotham. When we awoke there was a third tent in the campsite. Neither of us heard him get in at the late hour of 8pm. He’d left Walhalla at 3pm the same day I started. He’s trying for Chester’s Yards...

25.2km +1611m -1375m Distant thunder rumbles, rumbles hungry like the beast, Tupelo bound. Sage? Rod was walking slower than I needed to be going, so I left him behind and pressed on up Mount Clear. Many of these names will pop up later Spooky! The day has cleared up, but there’s more weather on the way later. King Billy one and two. I’m about to pass over or around the two King Billy mountains...

25.68km +1780 -2372 The view from the toilet at vmumble gmumble hut. No storm overnight. Hopefully I’ll be as lucky again tonight. Crosscut Viking 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.) Rod disappearing in my dust Storms forecast for...

25.61km +1684 -1499 Huge storm last night. Just as it was starting a possum came down one of the trees I was hanging from and made angry noises at me. But the hammock weathered both the storm and possum. My first fuel bottle finally ran out. Considering I’d budgeted three to Hotham and I’m nearly there, that’s pretty good. Ron said he nearly used a whole one before Rumpff. I guess a windshield...

22km +1155m -826m The road goes ever on and on Down from the door where it began Now far ahead the road has gone And I must follow, if I can Pursuing it with weary feet Until it meets some larger way Where many paths and errands meet And whither then, I cannot say Tolkien Back to some nice views and off fire trails for a bit. I’m really not in the mood. Looks like gold diggings I’ve been curious...

A day for going over gear, repacking food, and making adjustments. I waxed my boots, patched the hole in my food bag, decided which food to pack and which to leave, and did innumerable little chores for the section ahead. I went through everything and tried to find stuff I could send home. I cut another strap off my backpack that hasn’t been used. I’m heavily tossing up whether to send my...

25.1km +793m -830m Are you a horse? Yay or nay? Rod I did some foot maintenance before leaving. The entire soles of my feet are starting to callous up. Called into The General for one last delicious latte. I’m going to miss their food. Mt Feathertop I wonder why they call it that? Farewell Mt Hotham, you were lovely. Thank fuck, I’m back on walking tracks. Derrick Hut And I thought this was...

18.45km +325m -307m Rod’s plan for the day was to head for the crossing of Big River, while I would take the side road towards an upstream crossing of the same river and do Mount Bogong tomorrow. Wallace’s Hut Wallace’s first attempt at a hut And then it started pissing down; cold, hard and sideways. We were both pretty wet before long, and getting cold, so we decided to head for Roper’s Hut...

23.3km +1083m -1014m It’s a bright clear morning, if a bit frosty. I’m going to do the Bogong loop, and probably finish up at Cleve Cole Hut. Rod is heading north across the Big River crossing and then around to Big River Saddle, so we’re parting ways for now. It’s a bitter parting, as neither of us feel the other pulled their weight collecting firewood yesterday, and Rod chose to spend the night...

29.22km +1255m -1877m Passed a very pleasant night in Cleve Cole. Cut some firewood for the hut in the afternoon for lack of anything better to do, then had a merry little fire to warm the old stones. Seems to be shaping up to be a nice day. I’m tempted to detour to Howman’s Falls, but I’m vaguely considering making for the disappeared ghost town of Sunnyside, which would be a longish day on its...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

The rain started lightly around 8pm last night. Shortly before midnight it ramped up to downpour levels and the wind kicked in. It settled in like that and stayed that way until after sunrise. Around 9am it eased back into a steady shower with occasional gusts and made every indication that it plans to continue with variations on this theme for most of the day. We’ve pretty much resigned...

22.31km +630m -833m 4am: A hut rat stole all my toilet paper in the night. I will have to improvise until Kiandra. 5am: It rained through the night again. We have to decide whether to attempt crossing the Valentine and then possibly other swollen creeks further north for 12km of slow, wet walking, or go back 4km to Valentines hut (also slow wet walking) and rejoin the official AAWT as it follows...

46.53km +1248m -1227m 14hrs The infant Tumut river I got mobile reception this morning received fantastic news from home: Henry Kissinger, the Forest Gump of war crimes, has finally released his talloned grasp on mortality and fucked off to hell. Celebrating the death of another human may make me ghoulish, but I’ll never be callously-responsible-for-the-deaths-of-millions ghoulish. Swings and...

27.34km +536m -781m Just a short walk to Kiandra. We decided to cut across country and shave 3km or so off the distance back to the trail. Resupply at Kiandra. Being the last one through has its perks: Thanks Ron and Jimmy for all the uneaten treats! Also in the hut last night were hikers Cameron and Jane from Dunedin in NZ. Jane is doing the AAWT southbound and her husband Cameron is supporting...

29.86km +544m -578m The sun is out! Photo by Rod We tried crossing the Murrumbidgee at the regular spot, but quickly decided nahfuckthis. We walked upstream a few hundred meters to these rapids: Which we tried to cross, but quickly decided it wasn’t worth dying for. Fuck you for making me get my boots wet for nothing, you overgrown creek We diverted across country to the Snowy hwy, then down Long...

33.31km +884m -736m Another foggy morning. Things are starting to look familiar. Starting to look suspiciously like the old tramping grounds. And once the fog burned away, the first real day of clear skies and sun that I can remember in forever. I decided that even though I won’t do my planned loop, I will do an out-and-back to check out Blue Waterholes since the weather is so nice. It adds an...

38.33km +1390m -1777m Two paths diverged in the woods, and I took the one with the clearly defined trail markers and cairns, because the other one is like, probably a wombat trail and goes through blackberries or some shit. I woke at 3:30 to climb Mount Bimberi by moonlight and head lamp. The track is fairly indistinct in the dark, and the rocky footpad doesn’t make for the easiest walking, but I...

16.52km +336m -803m A clear, mild night with the stars all shining bright, and the moon didn’t rise until late, and a chorus of birdsong to bring in the morning. Some friendly campers loaned me a phone charging cable last night, averting disaster. Mount Tennent, the last peak on the walk (we go over the saddle) beyond which lies the visitors centre and their freezer of assorted ice creams. The...

Coros watch: 777.16km +31,594m -32,096m GaiaGPS: 761.2km +33,673m -33,404m (including Hotham hitchhike and Thredbo chairlift) It’s simple really. You put one foot in front of the other. As much as possible, you make sure your body has the food and water it needs to keep doing that day after day. You protect the body from injury and disaster so that it can keep doing it. You do this until you...