First 100km in a Day Walk

[Allchin09]

Hey,

This friday I am planning to do a 100km walk around the Royal and Heathcote National Park, with a friend. I am planning on starting at 7pm, walking through the night and finishing just after dark the next day. This is my first continuous, long distance walk and I was looking for some tips and guidance on a few things from those who had done trips of a similar style before such as:

no cook meals and snacks,
night vs morning start,
blister prevention and
general advice/guidance.

[Wollemi]

Pre-tape your feet at those places where you have had blisters or hot-spots previously.

Take a small container of vaseline for places such as just aft of your armpits and around your waist, especially above your pelvic wings where the lower part of your backpack straps will rub.

A tiny bottle of Betadine could be useful. 15 drops to a 1/4 cup of water for gargling a sore throat. 4 to 6 drops for litre for dodgy water. Apply neat to any wounds.

Take a spare pair of dry socks. Take your shoes and socks off at significant water crossings.

Do a search of the runners forum - probably important that you think more like an ultramarathoner than a bushwalker.

http://www.coolrunning.com.au/forums/in ... owforum=20 From elsewhere on this website I found this story that I was not aware of - http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western ... 6453235952 - goes on to say;
'...suffered a seizure after becoming dehydrated and contracting hyponatremia - a severe salt deficiency and electrolyte imbalance...'

http://ws100.com/pguide.htm#vii - read no.3 of part IIV - pertains to low sodium and chloride counts, but it is terribly important that you read the other medical indicators of the body shutting down.

If you are pushing on through tiredness, be aware of delirium/inability to focus attention, and don't stagger into trouble - over a drop of any height or into traffic. I have on occasion pushed through such tiredness, only to find a second wind later - but it always seems so risky, during and after.

[Pteropus]

This is an interesting challenge for you. I would be curious as to your planned route. The last few times I have been down the Royal NP there is a lot of vegetation overgrowing some of the less used tracks, so nav might become a little difficult in the dark. Just a thought.

I have walked the Coast Track from Bundena to Otford in approximately 8 hours. That is 28 km and there are no navigational difficulties. If I walked it for a day I still would not have completed 100 km. I don't think I could do 100 km in a day, but I am not saying you can't. Will you be jogging for some of this? It will be a challenge though and I am keen to hear how it goes.

[MrWalker]

Have you done any very long walks before? I did 46 km on the southern end of the Overland Track in 11 hrs, so I suppose 100km in 24 hrs is only a brisk walk, but keeping it up for that period will be challenging.

I take gatorade on long walks for salt replacment because I sweat a lot, but I also have plenty of plain water and switch between them depending how I feel. I eat my meals (sandwiches) without stopping because I get stiff after a break of more than about 5 minutes. As long as I keep moving I am OK, but once I stop for long, that's it.

It took quite a lot of long walks to get to that stage, working up through 20 to 40km every second weekend over quite a few months. So make sure you are reasonably well prepared. If you have a backup team it is easier if you can't keep going, but if you are in bush and the nearest car park is 10km away you just have to keep going.

[Allchin09]

Wollemi - Thanks for the suggestions. I will have to have a browse through that forum and I'll have a read up on dehydration and salt loss.

Pteropus - The track is a mixture of fire trail, walking tracks and an old abandonded train tunnel near Helensburgh! It starts at Otford, heading North through Helensburgh and through into Heathcote National Park. It then follows the Bullawarring Track all the way to Heathcote Road where it crosses and follows the pipeline along the Woronora River, making its way into the top end of the RNP through Loftus. It then snakes through the recently back burnt Temptation Creek area and crosses the Hacking River at Audley, where it follow the Winifred Falls and Anice Falls Tracks to Mainbar, and then Bundeena. From there, it's just the Coastal Track back to Otford, only with two extra loops along the Marley Track and Curra Moors Trail, bringing the total distance to just over 100 Km.

I've attached an image of the route, as well as the Google Earth KMZ file.

Mr Walker - I haven't done 100km in one slog before, but I have done it over two days. I did have a proper backpack and load then and it was relatively difficult terrain. This time I'm just taking food and the bare essentials and it's pretty flat overall. In saying that, I still have doubts about how I'm going to fair, it's just more a test to see how long I can last for, hopefully leading to bigger and more adventurous undertakings.

I was thinking mainly sandwiches and bread rolls, maybe a meat and rice meal the first night. I'll probably take a powder of some sort, whether it's gatorade, tang or another for the salt issue. The good thing about the area is that there is plenty of road access points, meaning that there are pull out points all over the place.

Attachments

New RNP Circuit.kmz

KMZ Google Earth File

(38.61 KiB) Downloaded 439 times

Track Image

RNP Circuit Image.JPG (102.84 KiB) Viewed 24269 times

[johnw]

Alex, Good luck with it. It looks like an interesting challenge. I know Royal and Heathcote NPs very well. Royal in particular is a regular haunt - actually did a walk there on Saturday. Be interested to hear about the railway tunnel, I know of it but have never investigated.

There has already been some good advice offered. FWIW my contribution is by way of recent experience completing the 100km Oxfam Trailwalker event 2 weeks ago. Logistically a completely different scenario to yours as we had the luxury of support available at checkpoints e.g. first aid, and could get things like hamburgers and egg & bacon rolls on occasion to supplement what food we carried. I took mainly high energy and high carb snack things like muesli bars, breakfast bars, lollies and so on. We also had our support crew bring us pizza at the 45km mark.

We started at 9am rather than at night, A brief summary:

I was the only member of my team to finish the 100km. I completed it in 31 hours 18 mins, so a fair bit outside the goal for your challenge (we had been aiming for 28 hours). That said I believe I could have improved my time to under 30 hours using a slightly different strategy. Unfortunately I lost all three of my much younger teammates at checkpoint 4, approximately the 60km mark, at around 2am. Due to a combination of fatigue and blisters they each felt that they couldn't continue. In hindsight inadequate training was an issue for two of them. Losing the rest of the team at that point was somewhat soul-destroying, and my indecision about continuing alone lost a me bit of time, as well as the strategy I followed for the next 2 stages (walked alongside a much slower team). The first 4 stages of the course were the hardest - the course followed the Great North Walk south from Brooklyn, through Berowra Valley RP, then Kuring-Gai Chase, Garigal and Sydney Harbour NPs - a mixture of bush tracks, fire trail mainly. Overall more challenging terrain than most of Royal/Heathcote, although similarities in places. The morning start meant that we only got about 35km done before dark and headtorches and thermals then became the order of the day (or night). For me the hardest time psychologically was between 2:30 am and sunrise. Once the sun came up fully and I had a hot breakfast I felt re-energised and had no problem pushing on.

I felt OK at the end and able to walk further if necessary, although pretty drained of energy and getting a bit stiff and sore. I had several small blisters by then but they didn't start to develop until about 80 km. I neglected to treat them properly then as I was keen to make up for time lost earlier. I had been using Lanacane Anti-Chafing Gel on feet and any other areas where I anticipated rubbing. I feel that it did help prevent the blisters. I took shoes and socks off at each checkpoint and re-applied it. Wore lightweight all-terrain joggers/trail runners and changed into fresh socks at 60km. I note that I'm 58, so no spring chicken, but I've kept myself pretty fit for many years through distance running, bushwalking and cycling.

It looks like you've thought things through very well and answered many of your own questions. I agree that there are many bail out points in your planned route but it's still possible to get stuck in some relatively remote spots. I used parts of both parks for Oxfam training - if you haven't used the Bullawarring track recently I found it becoming quite overgrown and unmaintained in places compared with last time I walked it, several years ago. I actually had some nav problems around the southern end approaching the junction with the Mooray track. Also as Pteropus said Royal is getting a bit overgrown - on another training circuit I walked the Couranga track in the dark and was tripping up every few metres.

Fitness levels will have an impact for all participants, something worth keeping in mind. You've set yourself a bit of a mission, but it's a good mission. Take all sensible precautions and let us know how you go.

[Pteropus]

Looks pretty straight forward with no off track, so yeah, there shouldn't be any difficulties finding your way. Good luck with this! You might want to check that there is no track work or something...would hate to get to the end and find there are no trains running!

[clarence]

Last time I did the Oxfam Trailwalker, they had a lot of helpful literature on preparing and completing a trip of this distance. It would be a very good point of reference generally. We completed Trailwalker Sydney (mainly walking) in just over 20 hours, so 100km in 24 is very possible at walking pace- but make sure you know the route well beforehand, especially any parts you plan on doing at night. Food and water and pacing are critical. Be aware of all you potential pull-out points, especially along the coastal side.

Some of the ultramarathon sites have useful tips and information generally (eg Cradle Mountain Run) and may be worth a look. I won't rehash what is on such sites. I have done a few of these type of events so feel free to PM me if you want specfic info.

Clarence

[puredingo]

I suppose the beauty of this route is that if things don't go to schedual and time is your enemy you have plenty of corner cutting options. personally I would drop down behind Engadine train station and follow the track directly to Audely (good opportunity for a swim in a great pool about half way down) and maybe even cut out jibbon point as the stretch along the beach would be a real energy drainer at that point of the trip.

[climberman]

Tape well. Have no gaps of skin when you tape as they swell over time and then become a point which rubs.

Spare socks - and remember to change them.

Think about where you refill water.

Try and eat regularly and small.

[johnw]

Last time I did the Oxfam Trailwalker, they had a lot of helpful literature on preparing and completing a trip of this distance...

Yep, we had all that too. Pretty much all of it available on line as well, including nutrition and so on:
http://trailwalker.oxfam.org.au/sydney/planning/

[kanangra]

Mate I hate to be negative but if you're walking you don't stand a chance. Now if you were doing some jogging it may be different depending on your experience and fitness. 100k in a day is not easy even when well trained and experienced.

I'd have plenty of exit strategies if I were you.

K

[Turfa]

Mate I hate to be negative but if you're walking you don't stand a chance. Now if you were doing some jogging it may be different depending on your experience and fitness. 100k in a day is not easy even when well trained and experienced.

I'd have plenty of exit strategies if I were you.

K

I like to be positive and would say that 100km in 24 hours is very achievable. Yes, you will need to be well trained & some experience with very long day hikes (40km +) also helps, but it is certainly possible. 3 months ago I did the North Face 100 in the Blue Mountains..... 100 km unsupported. and I finished in 20 hours 16 minutes, and that was all walking, no running at all...And I am certainly no athlete

Yes, have contingency plans, but good luck & have a great time..... But be careful, long distance walking can be very addictive !

[ninjapuppet]

I'd love to hear more about this turfa. Sounds like a real adventure! Which tracks did you use to train up?

We did a 20.5 hour climb in a NZ mountain and felt that I had never worked so hard in my entire life. Its nowhere near 100km but there was no spot to just sit down and rest most of the time. The harder you work, the greater the memories

[ninjapuppet]

Take some Gu chomps! Very yummy and works for me esp water melon flavour

I'd love to hear how this 100km walk goes. The coast walk is very do-able in 8 hours for complete beginners. I jog it in 3, and power walk it in 6-7 hours. Doing it 3 times should be possible in 20 hours.

[skibug]

Good luck with this - I admire your ambition, I'm sure you realise the challenge you've set yourself.

My main advice would be to have trusted friends or rellies meet you at designated spots to conduct an informal assessment of your health - if you're alone and highly fatigued/sick/dehydrated/cold etc. you'll start making poor decisions. and in any bushwalking scenario that's risky. I would recommend meeting your assessor at (say) 40, 70, & 90 km points, as well as at the finish, or something like that. Even get friends to walk "legs" with you, especially the second half.

I would have a discussion with them beforehand, deciding what criteria you're both happy with to cancel, or take a rest, and give them the final veto to stop, as again your decisions may not be rational.

Also: take more clothes than you'll think you'll need - if you have to stop during night time, you need to keep warm enough eg. jacket/fleece, raincoat, beannie, thermals etc.). Obviously, carry a phone to contact your support team if necessary. A lot of those trails, including the coastal section, do not have drinkable water - even where there are taps - so think through the water strategy thoroughly. Two head torches, spare batteries for both. Pre-advise the National Parks as to your plans, so if they get a call they have a heads up. Don't attempt this in poor weather - wind, rain or low temps - reschedule.

Remember, if you don't complete it safely, you fail.

All the best, please post afterwards to let us know what you learnt,

skibug

[Turfa]

I'd love to hear more about this turfa. Sounds like a real adventure! Which tracks did you use to train up?

We did a 20.5 hour climb in a NZ mountain and felt that I had never worked so hard in my entire life. Its nowhere near 100km but there was no spot to just sit down and rest most of the time. The harder you work, the greater the memories

That is so true !!!!!!

The North Face 100 is an ultramarathon event that is held in the Blue Mountains each May. ( www2.thenorthface.com.au/100/ ) It is really a trail runnning event, but i figured I could walk it in less than the cut-off time of 28 hours as I have completed OXFAM Trailwalker a few times in well under this time. It seemed to be more of a challenge as it has much more vertical than Trailwalker & as a solo event you can push yourself as hard as you are able. It is a great event & is a good way to test yourself on a 100km hike as there is some safety organisation. The course starts & finishes at the Fairmont Resort in Leura and takes in many of the popular tracks around Katoomba. It ranges as far out as Ironpot Ridge out past Dunphy's Camp and to Kedumba Valley Rd up onto Kings tableland. (the course map in on the website)

Most of my training was near home on the Harbour to Hawkesbury track that runs from Manly to Berowra (connects with the GNW)

20 hours on a mountain climb...now that sounds like hard work !!!

[johnnyt]

Looks I'm a little late to this party...but for anyone else considering the 100km I highly recommend this taping method. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHxLjumvd0M Take time to do it well and it will save you a lot of pain. I am otherwise very prone to blisters but this seems the best way to prevent them.
Other extremely important consideration is nutrition. You can be very fit but without proper nutrition you won't last very long. I have used Hammer Nutrition Perpetuem Solids and bars as a primary food source for endurance events and they seem to do the job very well, although I can understand not everyone finds them very palatable. Don't eat too much fibre!! And of course, hydration with adequate electrolytes. Keep to a steady pace that is comfortable to maintain and don't take long breaks.
Hope you've had fun Allchin09!

[Sparx]

I've done quite a few 100km events and a couple of 100 mile runs. My longest race was 175km in 28hrs. 100km in a day is very doable if you are able to maintain a consistent pace and minimise rest stops.

A few random tips.

Get used to eating 'on the hoof'. This is help you minimise stopping. Easily digestible things are the best - your stomach may start rebelling if you eat too much protein. As a running I try to eat a small amount (80-100 calories) every half an hour. This sounds a lot but it helps to maintain energy. Keep eating even when you dont feel like it.

You will feel very low at 2-4am. Be prepared for this, just push through and you'll feel better when the sun rises.

For most the challenge is mental. Break the distance up into manageable chunks - say 20km. Give yourself a small break after each leg. You will experience lows - but usually you will be able to push through and feel better.

Taping feet - most ultramarathoners don't tape. I lube my feet with Body Glide. This and changing socks if they get wet works for me.

Caffeine - the endurance athletes friend!! Try stay off it for as long as possible though - certainly would not have any before 14hrs.

If you start feeling low - try and break out of the negative mindset. Sing, grab a leaf and rub it between your hands, stop and look at your surroundings. Bring yourself back into the now rather than dwelling on negative things.

Training! If you can try and do at least a couple of 12hr walks and some night walks too. Get used to your gear and nutrition.

[Allchin09]

Thanks everyone for the information and advice!

I did attempt the walk on the 14th as planned. It went as follows.

Walk Start

I started from Otford Station with my Cousin at 1916h after a few quick photos and set off North along train line fence. There was a defined track which eventually lead down to an unsealed road which we followed for some time. Eventually the road left the train line so we left it and stuck to the train line fence. The going became tougher and slower as there was no real path, only overgrown bush to push through. Luckily it wasn't too bad as the fence there to follow. We reached what the map said was the turn off to Lilyvale, and we headed West, for what we thought was a bright orange street light. As we came closer, it turned out to be a fire on someone's property, so we skirted around it, hitting a fire trail soon afterwards.

Descending from Lilyvale Road

This fire trail was followed for a few k's until we came in line with the Colliery, when we left the trail and bush bashed North into a steep valley with a few slips and trips and back up the other side, eventually reaching the Colliery road, which after avoiding the trucks and cars, lead us into suburbia. We then walked through the quite town of Helensburgh, making our way North along the roads until we crossed the train line at the station at 2130h. From there is was a short walk along the road until we crossed the train line again at a bridge and followed it West a hundred or so metres along the fence until we hit Southern portal of the abandoned train tunnel we were to travel through.

The tunnel entrance

I had been through it a week or so before when scouting out the area, and this time to my surprise it was full of glow worms on the roof and walls. It was very spooky as everything, including your foot steps, echoed. Eventually at 2200h, we made it out of the tunnel, a good 350m in length, only to be faced with a thick red sludge at its end. Thankfully there were submerged wooden plancks to tread on, and my new Gortex shoes meant that my feet made it out dry.

The red sludge

We then followed an old road which lead us over the Prince's Hwy where we had our first little food break at 2220h (12.3km), and continued to the Old Prince's Hwy. From there it was only a short trip East until we reached the fire trail which lead us into the Heathcote NP. We followed this fire trail which followed some high voltage powerlines, until we reached Heathcote Creek at 2320h (16.6km).

Start of the Bullawarring Track

Heading West along the Bullawarring Track we made good progress past Kingfisher Pool all the way until it splits and a track leads off to Lake Eckersley. The last k or so from here to Battery Causeway seamed endless and the track meandered up and down the hill slope. We finally reached the Causeway at 0100h (22.6km) and after a quick rest stop, met the dirt service road and water pipe we were to follow for hours to come.

[Allchin09]

Mist over the track

It was an interesting walk along the pipe line, but I was thankful that it was on a road as I was becoming tired, having been up since 0630h didn't help. We eventually climbed up to Heathcote Road at 0215h (27.3km), crossing to the other side where we had our first extended break (about 15 mins) to stretch and eat the still warm fried rice we had bought before setting out. This really woke me up and I believe it is what got me through to day light. We set off, following and at times walking along the pipe line as we snaked our way through the bush, following the Woronora River, eventually climbing steeply out to Bundanoon Road at 0400h (32.8km), which we crossed at continued along the pipe line at the other side of the road. This then took us down to Maandowie Creek where we finally left the pipe line and had a spot of confusion over the maze of fire trails in the area. After retracing a hundred or so metres, we set off in the right directions, following a fire trail all the way out to Loftus. We reached the train station at 0530h (39.0km) as first light broke. We rested at the station for a good 20 mins or so, had a small snack and headed across the railway line and up the Prince's Hwy.

First light

After 500m or so, we crossed the Hwy and entered the Royal NP via its most northern fire trail, through an area that had been subject to back burning only a week before. It was quite strange to see the landscape devoid of greenery as we made our way down the steep slope leading to Temptation Creak, crossing the to other side and plodding up the hill.

Burnt bush

It was at the top where we reach the 42km mark, my first marathon! We took a photo and continued on, following the fire trails around to just before Bungoona Lookout where we bashed our way down to the Hacking, following a steep creek on the way down. It was here that we hit an old walking track which we followed along to the picnic area before the causeway at Audley. It was here at 0715h (45.0km) that we had breakfast as we watched 30 or so people from a fitness group run, jump and crawl around. Much to our surprise, they insisted on running up and over the very picnic table that we where eating on!

The Hacking River

My Cousin rested and I munched down on some dry Crunchy Nut Corn Flakes while I waited. We eventually left at 0800h. From here we headed South across the causeway and up to near the new Visitors Centre where we started the track to Winifred Falls. This was our first lot of bush track walking in a while and it was a pleasant change, but it was more overgrown that what I had experienced in previous trips. We made good progress, crossing Warumbul Road where we began the long decent along a fire trail to the falls. We eventually reached them at 0915h (50.3km). There was less water that what previous visits, so we crossed and headed up the steep track on the other side.

South West Arm Creek

This eventually dropped down to Anice Falls and rose again, which after passing through a few muddy sections, we reached Maianbar Road at 1010h (52.8km). By this point my walking partner had started to slow up as his feet had become saw, so the trip along the Road into Maiabar was slow, made worse by the cars zooming past at 100km/h. Eager to get to Bundeena, we descended down what we through was the trail leading to the bridge across Cabbage Tree Basin, only for it to come to a dead end. We could see the bridge, so we forced our way down the steep slope and around to the crossing. It was here that my Cousin decided that his feet and knees were too sore to go on past Bundeena. We continued through Bonnie Vale Camping Ground and followed the rocks around to a local Fish and Chip shop near the Wharf. I rang my Dad, explaining the situation. He said that it would be unwise to try and complete the trip on my own, but he would be happy to meet me at Wattamolla, walking the rest from there with me. I had a great burger for lunch, and left my Cousin who was to catch the Ferry back, at 1245h (61.1km).

[Allchin09]

Crossing to Bundeena

Food at Bundeena

I walked through the street of Bundeena, eventually hitting the start of the Coastal Track at 1305h (62.6km). From here the walk was straight forward as I had walked this stretch many times before. I came across many tourist on what I presumed were day walks and made good progress, only leaving the track descending from Marley Head, all the way to Wattamolla at 1450h. It was here that I waited nearly 50mins in the shade of a low hanging tree for my Dad to arrive. After he turned up, headed off though the car park and onto the Coastal Track once again. I once again made good pace with my Dad's fresh legs keeping me from lagging behind, and we only stopped shortly at Curracurrong for a few photos of the Falls and Eagle Rock. We then made our way along the cliff-top to where we descended the worn and eroded steps leading down to the Northern end of Garie Beach at 1710h.

Looking South

After walking for quite some time, the stretch along the sand was quite draining, made worse by the fact that the sand had been aerated and each step sunk into the ground. We eventually crossed it and unfortuatly due to the high tide and large seas, we were forced to head up and over instead of around, Little Garie Point, Thelma Head and Mid Ear Point, stopping briefly at each top, before continuing through the South Era Community and up Semi Detached Point to the Burgh Ridge. It was here that we spotted a small Echidna, the first that I have seen in the RNP.

An Echidna

It was only a short time that I put on my head torch for the second time in the trip at 1815h, as the sun disappeared. We then followed the Garawarra Ridge Fire Trail after reaching the Farm and it was this leg that was probably the slowest of the trip. We eventually rejoined the trail of the Coastal Track and finally made it down to Lady Wakehurst Drive. After stopping briefly, we set off down the steep road to Otford Train Station, eventually reaching the platform at 1942h, one day and 26mins after leaving the same spot, a reasonable 86km journey later.

The end

All in all, I am pretty stoked with what I had completed. It may not have been a 100km in lenght as an extra loop or two was left out, and it wasn't within the 24 hour time period I had set out to achieve it in. Saying that, I did waste some time at Bundeena and then again a fair bit at Wattamolla.

I believe that starting just after dark was a big advantage as you are able to walk the most tiring section during the day, when you feel less like going to sleep. It would have been better however to start after sleeping during the day, as opposed to waking up at 0630h like I had. This would have avoided being awake for over 38 hours at the finish! I also believe that I had carried too much weight for the walk. My pack weighted nearly 12 kg and this was mainly due to carrying an excess of food and water, something that I will reduce in future walks. Another thing I will be mindful for future overnight walks is the moon phase. Unfortunately for my walk, there was no moon and this meant that it was quite dark during the night, require the constant use of head torches. Back on the food front, I found the chocolate and honey covered nut bars I had bought were quite enjoyable and I consumed one roughly every hour. Violet Crumble Cubes were also quite good and gave me a nice boost when I needed it. Finally, the burger I had at Bundeena was great, and I will keep take away in mind, as odd is it may sound, when walking through built up areas as it saves weight and it very nourishing.

Once again, thank's for the advice from everyone. I will definitely be looking to do this again in the future, hopefully successfully completing the full length in a day, then on to bigger challenges, namely the Three Peaks or k2k2k without sleep one day. I'd also love to complete the Southern Blue Mountains Traverse (SBMT) one day, that seems like a real challange!

[MrWalker]

Congratulations on keeping going for the 24hrs, even if you were a bit short of your planned distance. You did well considering the bush-bashing and beach walking, etc. Next time try to pick a slightly easier route that allows you to keep up a good 5kph all the way, rather than the 4kph you were doing a lot of the time.
I didn't think of suggesting that for a 7pm start you needed an afternoon nap beforehand, because it was obvious you would do that.

[wayno]

fantastic effort
i think you're wasting energy carying a walking stick that heavy. it would have slowed you down, multiply its weight every time you lifted it, you would have been raising hundreds or even thousands of kilos over the course of the walk just spent on that stick.... weight counts on the long walks....

[kanangra]

Yes well done. Some lessons learnt. Perhaps you have the makings of an ultramarathoner. Go for it I say. Another you might be interested in one day is the Coast to Kosi.

K.

[Pteropus]

Good work Allchin09! Will you be trying it again someday?

[Allchin09]

MrWalker - I would have liked a nap before hand, but a late finish from school (Last day ever!) and last minute packing prevented that.

Wayno - I understand where you are coming from. I just seem to be attached to walking with a long, sturdy walking stick. It was quite useful on some of the steep descents, giving me something to lean against on the way down, but it's not very useful on the flats. I might just use one on the descents and accents in the future.

Kanangra - The Coast to Kosi sure looks like a challenge, maybe a bit too much road running for my liking. Hopefully I will come around one day and venture past walking pace.

Pteropus - I definitely will be! Not quite sure when though. I'm dedicating a month or so to bush walking after the HSC, so I might squeeze it in then. I have a Three Peaks walk, M2K and a scout out of all the known and achievable passes of Narrow Neck planned so far.

[wayno]

a proper walking pole is a lot lighter than your wooden stick,

[MrWalker]

If you do another overnight walk try to time it close to a full moon. I've done night orienteering and you can get a much better all round view if you don't turn on your torch at all, but just adapt to moonlight and starlight. On a good track this should be no problem.

You chose a most unusual way of celebrating your last day of school.

[Allchin09]

I'm sure having the moon around would make a big difference! I went down to the local beach with a bunch of mates before hand, but I'd miss a party for a good bushwalk any day!