650km walk along The Australian Alps Walking Track
From April to June 2009 I embarked on a solo bushwalking adventure across the high country of Victoria, NSW and the ACT. The Australian Alps Walking Track has extreme terrain and unpredictable weather, and the track ranges from fire trails, to faint foot pads, to trackless forest. Navigational skills and self sufficiency are a pre requisite for the trail and many months of preparation were involved. I dehydrated all my own food and had to make 11 food drops prior to beginning the walk, carrying up to 6 days worth of food with me at a time. Although the 2 month walk was a huge challenge both mentally and physically, the rewards in experience and awesome scenery made it worthwhile.
Some of the highlights for me were encounters with the wild brumbies and lyre birds mimicking outside my tent. Other memorable moments included being caught in deep snow at the end of April as well as having to have a massive dreadlock cut out of my hair when I returned! A hair brush is not a necessity when mountain walking!