Day 7 – Ronny Creek to Windermere Hut

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I fight off a couple of possum incursions during the night, but the enemy is successfully routed and flees.

The zip bird is back. And one with the dawn chorus that sings “mip mip mip mip maaah”.

I wake early and the shower block is mine alone. I put my new buff on the counter, which automatically dispenses a stream of soap foam onto it. I am ready to leave the trappings of civilisation again.

I wash my pegs and poop trowel with soap in the sink to ensure I carry no phytopthera into the park. And so that they’ll be lemony fresh.

Over breakfast I go to charge my power bank from the wall socket one last time. It’s stuck at 39% and won’t budge. I guess that answers the question of what’s been going wrong. I no longer recommend the Klarus K5 power bank. Pity; it was only slightly heavier than the Nitecore, but has a percentage charge display instead of four stupid lights that read the same at 76% as they do at 100%. Did I say that already? I reset it by plugging by it into itself, and it starts to take a charge again. Not happy, Jan.

I could theoretically get by on less power. It’s the blogging that uses the most. Especially uploading photos from mountaintops.

Most people will have heard of the Overland Track. Possibly Australia’s most popular multi-day hike, more than nine thousand people a year walk it. For some people, it may be the only multi-day hike they ever do. Lonely Planet lists it as one of the best treks in the world. Most people take about six days, though one bloke did it in a bit less than 7.5 hours. 

In 1931, a fellowship of nine walkers first traversed what is now the Overland. These days it’s about eight or nine thousand people a year. The booking cost more than with of my flights. Since the 1980s the walk has killed more people each year, on average, than smallpox.

As I walk past the pile of backpacks waiting for the first safety briefing of the day and board the shuttle bus, I watch waves of cloud break against the ragged hull of Cradle Mountain, and have to admit that I’m excited to see what all the fuss is about.

I ask the ranger whether she’d do Cradle or Barn Bluff if she had to choose. Without a moment’s hesitation she says Barn Bluff. Despite the forecast of cloud, it’s starting out as a bluebird day and there are shambling hoards of day walkers making their way to the iconic peak. She says it reminds her of the photos of people waiting to summit Everest. I reaffirm my vow never to wait in line to climb a mountain.

It’s good to be walking again, though the climb up to Kitchen Hut with a fresh seven days of food is a bit of a slog.

Near Marion’s Lookout I run into Kathy from Mornington, who yesterday kindly took the stuff I don’t want to carry but didn’t like to throw in the bin. We walk together for a bit. Her husband doesn’t like hiking so she brought her sister to Tassie instead.

I have a choice to make at Kitchen Hut. As it stands, Cradle is in a sea of blue sky, while Barn Bluff is wreathed in cloud. I waver, but ultimately decide to stick with the plan, on the basis that the cloud might burn off by the time I get there.

No sooner am I around the back end but Cradle shows her moodiness by summoning a heavy shroud.

It’s a bit of a hike out to Barn Bluff. I leave my superfluous gear near a sign warning that currawongs will undo the zips on your pack and steal your snacks.

I do side trips by putting the bulky and heavy stuff in my pack liner and taking the rest of the pack. It’s lighter than carrying an extra day pack, and more comfortable than a thin nylon bag.

Once you reach the bottom of the dolerite boulder field, it’s a challenging series of rock hops and scrambles, sometimes exposed, to reach the top. And once you get up, you’re on the far end of the mountain from the summit cairn and need to rock hop across to there. So worth it though.

The lady at the desk was so right. I passed a bunch of people coming down as I was going up, but I had the peak entirely to myself.

Okay, it does look a bit like a gold prospecting cradle from this angle.

Climbing that mountain in the unexpected warmth has left me with about 300ml of water to last me probably to waterfall hut. Luckily it’s all downhill.

Waterfall Hut is well built and well appointed, putting me in mind of the accommodation on the Hump Ridge track, but without the concessions, alcohol and $20 hot shower. There’s nowhere to put a hammock, though, and I’d really wanted to push through to Windermere Hut, so after filling up on water I continue on.

Now the track really starts to let its beauty shine. The sky is enormous, and the mountains are magnificently carved.

I push on at a decent speed, and make the hut with plenty of time to find a tent platform with trees, get set up, and head back to the hut for dinner.

I meet Chris and Wendy from Wollongong, and Lachlan who recently moved to Hobart and got a place on the Overland only a couple of weeks ago, and is also walking solo. It seems like everyone here is on their second day, having spent last night at Waterfall.

The hut is fantastic. Insulated, well built, clean and comfortable.

After dinner I go for a walk to try and capture the after-sunset colours of the sky a bit.

Tomorrow is supposed to bring about 8mm of rain. I don’t really want to walk in that, but I’d like to position myself for doing Ossa when the weather is good, so I might try for an early start and get in front of it if I can.

Right as dark falls and everyone retires, a behemoth of a possum comes to have a sniff around. I have cleverly left all my food inside the hut for the night, and it wanders off in the direction of the next platform. Good thing too; I don’t think I could have won this battle.