G'day,
Already a couple of months into my planning and would like to get some input from those who have actually walked the track (I don't know anyone personally who has been near it).
Myself and a good friend will be walking 2/3 of AAWT southbound from Tharwa to Hotham from Mid OCT 2022 to raise money for an Emergency Services charity.
We are both rather experienced bushwalkers (both grew up in the Blue Mountains, hiked peaks and tracks in Australia, Japan, NZ and Europe, myself Army trained and with good risk management and nav skills through my line of work), and I have spent a considerable amount of time hiking in the Victorian alps, especially around Falls and Hotham. However, our longest thru hike is about 9 days and am looking to get some advice on certain aspects of logistics and what to realistically expect out on the track regarding terrain and adverse weather whilst I await for my copy of the Chapman bible to arrive.
Please bear with me as some of these questions might sound naive or like I haven't done my research (trust me I haven't stopped reading up on the track for the past 3 months), but I would really like to hear about walkers first hand experiences.
For two fit (but not superathletic) 30 year olds, is 30 days Tharwa > Hotham southbound too little or too long to expect?
Generally speaking for that section of the track, what is the climate doing between mid OCT > mid NOV? well aware of how unpredictable things have been in recent years.
If walking southbound and deciding to take on the Cobberas what is the best point to deviate from the AAWT and link back up with it afterwards? How long will this side trip reasonably add to the walk?
My work is likely able to hook me up with a fair bit of equipment like GPS, sat phone etc. is this overkill?
Recommended supply drop points for this section of the track?
Popping into Thredbo for a rest day, does it kill the magic and the challenge or the trip or will it be a big morale boost?
Any other advice, tips, insights and anecdotes would be hugely appreciated. I am really looking forward to this next year and giving the track the full respect of a years worth of planning and prep it no doubt deserves.
Regards,