Going Solo.

Today I pushed my boundaries. I set off for a solo overnight walk. The fact that I am writing this might elude to the fact that it was a failed overnight walk but none the less, that was my intention.

The plan.

My goal was Mt Field West, overnighting at K Col/ Peterson Memorial Hut. The weather was sunny on the way up but as soon as I reached the ski fields and left the four wheel drive track behind the mist set in, the wind picked up and the rain clung to my coat. I pushed on. I rock hopped my way to the hut, getting there in 2 hours at 2pm. I tried settling in, I had some tea, made my bed, read my book... but perhaps a bit too quickly. I soon realised that I wasn't going to summit Field West, partly due to the weather which was forecast to be worse the next day but also because I was doubting myself and feeling pretty lazy. I realised that if I kept reading I'd be done by 4pm, with nothing to do. So I packed up and walked home with my tails between my legs.

So, today I learnt that I can bushwalk alone but I'm probably not cut out for the down time when solo. The other thing about solo walking that I'd considered a lot when planning was how a relatively minor injury can pose a much bigger threat to a solo walker than one in a group. For instance, my notoriously shitty left ankle went for it's biannual roll just when the car was in sight, so I hobbled there, cursing but no worries. If that had happened at 4:30pm on top of the Rodway's then I'd probably still be there. Other injuries from the day include a blood blister under the callus on my big toe, an egg sized lump on my shin and a badly bruised ego.

The day wasn't a complete failure though. I walked up a big hill and back again so at least my pack carrying fitness will be better for my next walk and more significantly I listened to the entire 55 Josh Pyke songs on my iPhone and it was bliss. I have and will always love him and his amazing lyrics, full of melancholy and desire.

Here is the single photo I took on my walk, when the cloud cleared for a moment.

Dee.