This morning feeling great although haven't slept much as my body was tired but mind still wide awake til about 1am.
Had my coffee and hot oats with protein and said morning to a French guy walking past.
Up and at 'em and making great ground eventually catching up with the same bloke, Stephan, hiking and chatting with him for a few hours before he headed to a hut and lunch and on to climb another mountain. He's backpacking and hitchhiking around Australia for a year. Nice guy and fun to chat. We even spotted a Bandicoot and a couple of Wallabies roaming along next to the Overland Track.
I kept going and made it to the base of Mt Ossa, Tasmania’s highest peak at 1,617 meters high. It looked grim and covered in fog but Cradle was as well so I went for it. The climb was all good until I became engulfed in a field of mist, I couldn't see where the hell I was going. About 30 or 40 meters from the top I could see a metre or so in front of my face and had no idea which ridge was the top one let alone a path or markings. I pressed on anyway and slipped on a mossy covered rock, managed to catch myself then tried another route scrambling up and over the boulders, which were jammed together to create the top of the mountain. Slipping a second time I knew the top was beyond me today, it was a white out, I just couldn't see anything.
Got a little scared when I slipped and got disoriented on the way down as I ended up coming down another side before realising and scrambling back across. Like I said I couldn't see shit.
Felt the pang of fear though, solo, wet, slippery, no vision... probably not the safest of climbs. But still, it's the first mountain I have tried and not completed. Hmmmm I was pretty quiet for a few hours after this. I got to the bottom just hoisted my bag on my back and went hiking again, totally forgetting I hadn't had lunch or a break. Just got on with it.
Feeling knackered about 5:30pm I eventually stopped for some food and a coffee.
Listened to some Above & Beyond and just chilled and tried to take stock of what happened, perhaps that was a lesson I needed to learn at this time?
After half hour of hiking onwards my right back, left shoulder and more importantly my right ankle became so sore I wanted to stop and find somewhere to sleep but everywhere was wet or a miserable camping spot so I kept on towards Windy Ridge and the Bert Nichols Hut. Using the walking pole as a walking stick and trying to keep my right ankle flat and not lean on it or put too much pressure.
I found 6 or 7 different camping spots but all soaked due to the rains and I didn’t want to bed down on a cold damp spot.
Eventually, I stopped at the camping spot just before the hut and cooked dinner, undid my socks and my feet looked like they had been in the bath for a day. I was going for near 13 hours today in those wet socks and hiking through puddles, they simply looked yellow and wrinkled and rank.
Talc'd them and got into bed, did some stretches and took an anti-inflammatory to help the swelling on my right ankle go down.
Checked the route, tomorrow is at least 12km til I get in the Packraft. I know I can hobble that I just hope the ankle heals a little, as I need to hike later in the trip.
Looking forward to resting and getting off my feet and onto the water and the next stage in the adventure.
Feeling the ups and downs of an adventure today.
“I'm a little crazy, but that’s o.k cause I like crazy”
Night all :)
Cheers - TazMania
