Hume & Hovell Track, New South Wales.

Overview:

The Hume & Hovell Walking Track stretches from Yass near Canberra to Albury on the Murray River.  It is over 430 km in length and is often derided as a 'road walk' and 'not worth the effort' (actual quotes people used to my face to describe what they had heard of the HHWT before I walked it)...

Well I say fuck that. 😜
True; there is a fair amount of road walking.  And meandering through pine plantations.
But I reckon it's absolutely worth the effort and remains one of Australia's least walked long trails possibly because of the lack of swanky huts and soft resupply options for hikers that are becoming prevalent elsewhere.

I saw more fauna, both native and feral than I can remember ever encountering on an Australian trail, some spectacular eucalyptus forests and the resupply trail towns of Tumut and Tumbarumba were highlights with friendly helpful locals and good services.  So there!

Map picture sourced from www.davebyrnes.com.au

I took 15 days walking the HHWT from Yass to Albury in South Eastern New South Wales,

Friday 12 October- Friday 26 October 2018.

The HHWT loosely follows the direction and some of the landmarks of the legendary 1824 expedition that occurred nearly 200 hundred years ago by a bunch of hardcore colonial explorers lead by Hamilton Hume and William Hovell.
Their discoveries and encounters with local Aboriginal peoples opened up the area to settlement and industry.

These days the landscape is mostly very different from the rich, verdant forests the early Europeans passed through but it's still a buzz mooching along a similar route over 430 km and catching random reminders of that expedition and the era of uncertain frontiers.

Maps & Info:

• I used the official map pack available here 

• I purchased John & Lyn Daly's 'Take A Walk in Southern NSW' guidebook which features an indepth description of the trail found on their website. 

          I photocopied the relevant pages and binned them over the course of the hike as I
          advanced.

• The official Hume and Hovell Walking Track website is https://www.humeandhovelltrack.com.au/

          It's worth checking their facebook page for current trail condition reports and
          recent detours.

• I found the trail journal entries by Dave Byrnes from his 2013 HHWT really useful.

          https://www.davebyrnes.com.au/Hume&Hovell/H&H.html

Safari Track Rating:

Mostly easy.  All over the show surface wise but mostly undulating fire trails, lush open farmland and country roads with many good stretches of fun single track and the necessary sections of asphalt road to connect this path together.

There are some sweaty steep climbs and boring clear cut pine plantations that kick one's morale in the nuts.
But for the most part the signage was great and the variety of landscape and terrain keeps things interesting.

There is definitely a fair bit effort going into maintaining the trail and by far the best kept section was the stretch between Buddong Falls and Henry Angel where the Hume & Hovell 100 mile Ultramarathon is held annually.  My original intent was to go over and run the event but then I decided for the effort required to travel there I should hike the whole kaboodle.

Shame about the chronic infestation of blackberry constantly sighted in the valleys and creeks but that's the way it is right.

Logistics & Supplies:

I flew from Tasmania to Sydney and took the early train to Yass Junction (around 3.5 hrs) where I was dropped off in Yass town 4 kilometres away by 2 lovely ladies.

I located the Yass Camping Store and procured a gas canister for my cooker. Website.

I decided against starting the hike at the traditional Eastern terminus; Cooma Cottage about 5km away.  The notion of 10 km return road bash on busy highway for the sake of tagging a sign didn't rev my engine so I started in Yass.
However many end to end hikers do start at Cooma Cottage where explorer Hamilton Hume lived from 1840 onwards.  Your call, be a purist or start where you want.

I carried 5 days food on the plane from Launceston to get me to Tumut,
I purchased 4 days food in Tumut to get me to Tumbarumba
and I purchased 6 days food in Tumbarumba to get me to Albury.

Tumut is a large country town with a number of hotels and major supermarkets and the Riverglade Caravan Park where I pitched my tent. Website. $20 a night, great facilities.

I grabbed another gas canister at Toms Outdoors and chatted with Chris one of the owners, cool shop, cool people.  I also buy a bit of stuff online from their website here.


I accessed Tumut by calling the Tumut Taxi Service 02 6947 1666 from the Snowy Mountains Highway. It's 10km North of where the HHWT pops out and costs around $30.
Alternately you could stick your thumb out or walk.

A kind local who shall remain nameless shuttled me out of town the next morning back to the trailhead.  Thanks mate!

I stayed at the Tumbarumba Creek Caravan Park Website in a Jangugal Cabin for $93.  It was a good stay and the laundry facilities were welcome.

Supplies can be sourced from the large IGA supermarket on the main street.

I had lunch at one of the pubs- $10 for fish & chips, $6 for a pint of tasty IPA.
Old school prices circa 2008. 😏

I accessed Tumbarumba (or 'Tumby' as the locals call it) by calling Ria at the caravan park for a pickup.  I initially tried hitching but gave up due to lack of traffic.
Town was calling...
Ria's husband Peter facilitated my return to the Henry Angel Trackhead the next morning, I paid them $20 for 2 rides.

The Great Aussie Holiday Park is a well set up place with grassy tent sites.  I paid $25 for a campsite and bought some lamb rissoles from the basic shop. Website.
Make sure you fill up your water bottle before heading off, I forgot and hiked 23 very warm kilometres to the Ettamogah Pub.

I sent a package to the Great Aussie containing non hiking clothing and snacks and a book which they kindly held for me.

The Ettamogah Pub is a fantastic place to smash some beers, get a good feed and charge up the phone.  Kitsch and touristy but very useful.  Only a couple of kilometres from the Table Top Reserve.
Website.

Across the dam:

The HHWT leaves dry land for a 6km section between Burrinjuck Waters Holiday Park and Cathedral Rock.  The Holiday Park operates a boat transfer and Wendy & Dean are friendly, helpful folks.
The boat ride cost me $30 and I was scooted across immediately even though I rocked up a day early and was booked to travel the following day.

Website here.

Daily distances:

Friday 12 October
Yass to Captain Campsite 28 km

Saturday 13 October
Captain Campsite to the ridgeline above Wee Jasper (campsite) 31 km

Sunday 14 October
Ridge line campsite to Micalong Swamp campsite 36.5 km

Monday 15 October
Micalong Swamp campsite to Tumut (Riverglade Caravan Park campsite) 42 km

Tuesday 16 October
Tumut (Highway 18) to The Flats campsite 30 km

Wednesday 17 October
The Flats campsite to Buddong Creek Picnic Area 35 km

Thursday 18 October
Buddong Creek campsite to Junction campsite 38 km

Friday 19 October
Junction campsite to Henry Angel campsite (pick up and cabin in Tumbarumba Creek Caravan Park)
6.5 km

Saturday 20 October
Henry Angel Trackhead to Mannus campsite 22 km

Sunday 21 October
Mannus campsite to Horse Creek campsite 20 km

Monday 22 October
Horse Creek campsite to Woomargama National Park campsite 28 km

Tuesday 23 October
Woomargama campsite to Samuel Bollard campsite 34 km

Wednesday 24 October
Samuel Bollard campsite to Great Aussie Resort campsite 25 km

Thursday 25 October
Great Aussie Resort campsite to Table Top Reserve campsite 25 km

Friday 26 October
Table Top campsite to Albury (Best Western Hotel) 26.5 km

Total: 427.5 km


*I estimated my daily mileage from the distances given on the maps.  I'm not too fussed as what I actually did, these figures just give you an idea of my impromptu itinerary.

What I wore & carried:

The weather was mid 20's at this time of year so I rolled along in shorts and shirt mostly.
I wore Bedrock sandals on the flat easy firetrails and Topo MT2 trail runners on the bumpy parts.

I used a 3 season quilt and merino leggings and long sleeve top during the night when things got cold but mostly it was fairly warm.

My 60 litre Gossamer Gear Mariposa pack was more than ample.

Best parts:

• Finding no ticks on me the entire time. 
• Buddong Falls.  Quite sensational.
• The crazy diversity of landscapes the trail meanders through.
• Going for 4 days at a stretch without seeing and speaking to another human being.
• Sitting out a heavy thunderstorm on The Flats alongside Blowering Lake. Electric skies and that slightly rattled but invigorated feeling.

The Campsites:

Every 10 to 20 kilometres are purpose built covered picnic shelters with tables, sometimes a water tank (if not then there is a creek or lake nearby) and a flat area to camp.

There is always a nearby road, in fact some are right on sealed roads.  One I stayed at, Mannus; was a tad rundown and painfully close to the road.   However I slept 13 hours straight through and didn't hear a peep.

No one ever disturbed me and I only encountered kangaroos, brumbies and fantastic birdlife.

Things I would do differently:

Water filter-

I took a shitty little Sawyer Mini.
Woefully inadequate, I should have packed a Sawyer Squeeze instead.
The bag ripped first, so I hooked it up to a large Platypus then the filter got very clogged and I hadn't chucked in the back wash syringe when I packed up my kit in Launceston because...well it's bulky and I rarely use it.
And  I'm a nuff nuff sometimes and I neglect to bring things I probably should but hey, who's perfect?!

Good trick: I purchased an overpriced bottle of 'sports water', whatever the heck that is, and utilised the sipper top to backwash the Sawyer Mini when needed with clean filtered water.
This was painstaking as getting clean, filtered water initially from a blocked filter in order to then clean it, required patience and this back-flush method doesn't do a great job, just an adequate one.

The sipper cap on this brand of sports water slips snug over the top of the outlet pipe of the Sawyer Mini and allows water to be flashed back into the filter and push out the junk.

When the squeeze bag hopped the twig I screwed the Mini onto my water bottle and drank straight out of the piping outlet.  I prefer to faff around and do things the hard way and stop and squeeze filtered water into the bottle and glug it down as required like a man rather than a child sipping from a straw but I purposely brought along a BPA free bottle with the cap screw thread that I knew would partner with the Mini in case the standard squeeze bag crapped out.

Toilet paper-

Hard to believe but I forgot to bring toilet paper.  I had a few wet wipes but luckily I don't mind the 'back country bidet' method and (fortuitously) all of the campsite outhouses had tissue roll in them.

Pen-

Yup, a simple pen that worked would have made signing the sporadic trail registers a tad easier.  Instead I had fun & games attempting to write with the flogged out pencil stubs and duck taped broken biro's tucked inside the rolled up register forms. I grabbed a decent one in Tumut but probably should have bought a packet and left them in the plastic screw cylinders where the registers were located as well.  Anyway.

Done after 2 weeks of solitude and ready for a shower at the Hovell Tree in Albury.

The Larapinta Trail. Northern Territory, Australia.

The Larapinta Trail is around 231 kilometers/ 144 miles in length, a swish little point to point walking path in the desert mountains of West McDonnell National Park, situated slap bang in the Red Heart of Australia.

The Western terminus is Mt Sonder accessed via Redbank Gorge, the Eastern terminus is the Telegraph Station, 3.5km from downtown Alice Springs.  Between them are plenty of easily accessible entry points to jump in or off the trail if you aren't doing the whole kaboodle..

'Larapinta' is an Aboriginal word for the Finke River which starts at the confluence of the Ormiston & Davenport Creeks in the Western portion of the Park.  So there you are.

I took 7.5 days walking West to East from Saturday 23 June to Saturday 30 June, 2018.

                                               Map sourced from www.wikivoyage.org

Safari Track Rating: Easy- Moderate, very well groomed trail, a mixture of sand, rocks and dry creek beds.  Some steep climbs but mostly undulating and well marked.  Views are compulsory and stupendous.  It is a desert environment so I went in the popular Winter peak time to avoid high temperatures.  It averaged 20 degrees Celsius during the day down to freezing most nights.

I used John Chapman's 'Larapinta Trail' Guidebook 2015 & the free downloadable maps from the NT.Gov.au website here

Also highly recommend Cam 'Swami" Honan's  the hiking life & Erin Saver's walking with wired website's which give detailed accounts of logistics and their experiences on the Larapinta.

Campsite in Redbank Gorge.

View while climbing Mt Sonder on dusk.

The last time I had the good fortune to visit the Northern Territory was way back in 2010 when I ran the inaugural Ayers Rock Marathon. Before that I worked and lived in the remote resort communities of Kings Canyon and Ayers Rock for a time- both are a 5 hour drive from the main town of Alice Springs and spending any extended time out there gives you an idea of what 'isolated' truly means.

The trail was being constructed in the Western McDonnell's at the time I was living in resort world but I was keen to get out of the desert so I ran away and hiked the Bibbulmun Track in Western Australia in 2007 instead.  Over the last few years the Larapinta has popped up on my radar again and so on a sunny Saturday in late June I found myself touching down at Alice Springs airport at midday and being scooped up by a local guy named Peter.
Peter had kindly purchased a gas canister for my MSR Pocket Rocket cooker and took me straight out to Redbank Gorge, the starting location for my thru hike.  The trail can be walked either direction, I chose West to East as it meant I was heading towards Alice Springs and didn't require a pickup or hitch back to town.

Many people take weeks to complete the trail and have food drops sent to intermittent locations along the route, however I was planning on banging it out in 8 or 9 days and I am way too much of a tightarse with my moolah to pay someone for that service so schleping the lot was my mode of operation. My pack weighed around 15 kilos all up including a litre of water and dropped everyday until it was around 6.5 kilos empty of food and water cruising into Alice. As you can tell I, ah...eat a bit of chow!

Mt Sonder.

Mt Sonder, the starting point of my trek, steadily increased in size as we drove West.  Soon I was shaking hands with Peter and thanking him and putting my tent up in the riverbed near quite a few others and heading off up Mt Sonder to tag the summit and 'start' my hike proper.

I left at 3:15pm, arriving 2 hours later as the sun floated down on the horizon and scooted into camp via headlamp 2 hours after that. It was a bit touch and go as I hadn't really moved more than half an hour at a time over the past 10 days and was suffering a touch of soreness due to a vasectomy procedure (Ouch!!) a week and half earlier.  Not great timing but all went well and the body performed.  And endured.
Yes, that's right ladies and gents; no mini Safari's in the future for this 43 year old outdoor junkie, ha ha!

One of the many shelters on the trail.

What a buzz!  I was hiking the Larapinta Trail!  I woke early most mornings to freezing temperatures.  My water bottles were completely solid one morning.  The sun would pop up over the mountains around 8am and it was like a heater had been turned on.  All the down layers and merino came off and hat and sunscreen was slapped on. Chugging water and eating miles.

Waterhole in Hugh Gorge.

Holly Grevillea.

The trail is well marked with metal pickets and blue triangles pointing the way.  Water is available from tanks filled by the Parks and Wildlife department about every 15 kilometres and to say the Larapinta is popular would be a sight understatement...there are a number of guiding companies leading people round and I ran into these large groups everyday.  Other walkers utilise the support of a certain organisation that disperses food drops and runs equipment out to them if needed.  Most people seem to camp near or in the shelters which feature prominently along the trail.  

I dry camped at whatever spot I was when the sun went down and basked in my solitude and the vastness of the desert.

A full moon blazed away overhead for the duration of my week on the track and the weather was clear skies the entire time.  There is a certain smell that you drag through your nostrils in the Australian desert that cannot be described so I won't!  But I urge everyone to try it at least once.

Intoxicating and invigorating.

One thing struck me as odd; I saw very little wildlife.  All those big red roos and snakes I remember so vividly from my previous time lurking in the desert just didn't materialise. I spotted one dingo, one snake and a few birds. That's it.  On the other hand, the flies were very friendly from 1pm to 4pm and the spinifex (a short prickly plant) and ghost gums were prevalent and kept things interesting. The spinifex meant I kept my long hiking pants on for most of the walk and to be honest I don't remember being so dirt and sweat encrusted, absolutely filthy on a hike, as I was on this one with 8 days and no shower.

The combination of dry air and freezing nights may have helped produce my first ever nose bleed.

The trail was never hard to follow.

There are a couple of kick arse climbs, especially heading the West to East direction I did.  But even the short, easy pinches got me up onto some cracker view points.  Views everywhere on this pathway.  The most memorable was on top of the Heavitree Range and wandering through the Alice Valley.

My favourite campsite was in lovely Pocket Valley on day 5.  I filled up my water containers on dusk at Hugh Gorge shelter and wandered into the canyon, leaving the yelling, shouting campers behind.  Under a complete full moon I chucked my tent up and cooked up a delicious meal courtesy of my girlfriend Ree who went to a fair bit of trouble dehydrating the tasty dishes she whipped up for me for this hike.  The lush plant life and chattering birds sent me into a feel good mood of peace and I tipped over 10 hours sleep straight through that night. Magic.

View from Euro Ridge overlooking Alice Springs in the distance on the last section of trail.

There are 2 kiosks serving rather good and reasonably priced chow, at Ormiston Gorge and Standley Chasm. Standley is on Aboriginal land and there is a $12 entry fee payable at the cafe. Ormiston is open 10am to 4pm, Standley 8am to 5pm.  I smashed a huge breakfast at both establishments and needed little else the rest of the day.

Done! Covered in sweat, dust & filth, a great hike ends at Alice Springs terminus.

Rolling towards Alice Springs after Standley Chasm involved pushing through terrain that was flatter, dustier, burnt out and really not as wondrous as the other 170km.  Still though I was stoked to be out there and I had really found my trail legs, my pack was far lighter and the endorphins bounced around my brain.
All too soon I was back in the 'other world'.
Alice Springs can seem a little sketchy and run down when first encountering 'civilisation' after an extended period but it's a friendly place with a tight somewhat itinerant community (forget wandering round solo after dark though) and it has some reasonably priced hotels and great pubs and cafes for recovery. I padded into town on the 3.5km connector trail along the dry Todd River, dumped my pack at the Aurora Hotel and attacked a scrumptious burger and tasty craft beers at Montes Lounge.

What a blast.  A week wandering the desert. That was fun!

Travel log:

*23 June- 8km (16km) mark.  Campsite in Redbank Gorge. 16km total going up and down Mt             Sonder.

*24 June- 35km mark. Campsite along Ormiston Creek a kilometre from Finke River Shelter.

*25 June- 70km mark. Campsite near Pioneer Creek.

*26 June- 100km mark. Campsite 5km before Ellery Creek Campground.

*27 June- 139km mark. Campsite in Pocket Valley, Hugh Gorge riverbed.

*28 June- 166km mark. Campsite 2km before Standley Chasm.

*29 June- 201km mark. Campsite 6km before Simpsons Gap.

POSTSCRIPT: Trailhead access & logistics...blah blah rant blah.

This trail was on the 'to-do' list for quite a few years.  The cost of accessing both Alice Springs via air transport and getting to the Western trailhead at Redbank Gorge initially put me off hiking the Larapinta Trail (LT) but the desire was always there ticking away in the background.

When a suitable chunk of time emerged in the (Southern Hemisphere) Winter of 2018, I resolved to stump up for the pricey Qantas flights from Launceston to Alice Springs, and plugged away on alternatives to the unappetising options of paying one of the rip off shuttle operators for a transfer to Redbank, or taking a chance hitch hiking out there.
Neither looked a pleasant option to me... so I chucked an advertisement in a Northern Territory Facebook Buy/ Sell group and received 3 replies in 5 minutes.
I didn't specify what sum of money I would be happy to 'donate' for fuel costs but the 3 guys who replied all suggested $150.

So I went with the first bloke who seemed keen and honest and also kindly offered to grab me a gas canister for my cooker and scoop me up from the airport (saving a transfer into Alice Springs, faffing around in town and a pointless night in a hotel) and then drive me straight out to Redbank Gorge.

I am wording all of this carefully as I posted similar details of my logistical adventure getting to Redbank with minimal fuss and minimal cost on an online Larapinta Trail page, something of which I wouldn't normally waste time doing, especially on the Facepage.

However I thought it important to demonstrate to other like minded travelers out there that there is an alternative to getting stitched up by the tour companies and ponying up big bucks.
It was information that I was looking for before I hiked the trail. 

That's why I write up my trip reports on this blog... to help and advise.

The reaction to my post was unexpectedly venomous and angry, the typical echo chamber toxic Facebook rants by upset crazy people easily offended by everything and anything. 

Except this was...hiking??

I am surmising that quite a few operators and their lackeys themselves belong to the group and my post was attacked by a keyboard warrior bullyboy mob and belittled in a petty school yard manner for spruiking an alternative logistical option and actually doing so outside the parameters set down by the Larapinta Trail Trek Support organisation.
How dare I suggest finding my own way out to Redbank Gorge....

Amusing how much time and pent up anger these keyboard warriors with an agenda have right?!!
Easily triggered little trolls. 😉

Therefore to protect Peter, (the gentleman who graciously trotted me out to the trailhead), and any backlash he may experience as an Alice Springs local from the shuttle bus & taxi mafia of the Northern Territory, I have decided not to upload a picture of him or his vehicle.

I have no problem with the LTTS and whatever other shuttle provider exists out there, only the steep prices they charge for solo hikers and the inflexible schedules.
If someone wants to utilise their services go ahead and enjoy, I couldn't care less.
I chose not to.

Which brings me to the main point of all this blithering on and sooking; there is a weird vibe on the trail (socially that is) I couldn't put my finger on whilst out there encountering the other hikers.
Different, less friendly than other trails perhaps?

Not being judgmental (except I know I am) but I felt there were many cashed up punters, not your usual suspects, walking the track very, very slowly and the LTTS was praised and revered like a rock star- god type entity.  One they couldn't do without and that could do no wrong.
I didn't feel the usual buzziness & happiness.  Only bristling attitudes and curt greetings.
Or maybe it was just me.

People also asked me often how many days it was going to take me to hike the trail, to which I replied 7 or 8 and they got defensive.  They asked, I answered.
They didn't appear to like what they heard.

Much like the presence of the huts on the Overland Track; if it wasn't for the food drops at Ormiston, Ellery & Standley, the shelter toilets complete with paper and the pampering from the tour companies then I doubt most of the walkers would have considered walking the trail.

Not right or wrong, it is what it is.  See for yourself.

Would I hike it again?  Nah. But I'm glad I did.
I like my space. Plenty of desert out there minus the crowds and amenities.

😉  Hike your own hike. 

The track to nowhere; Sri Chinmoy Sydney 24hr 2017

Saturday 8/ Sunday 9 July 2017.

Campbelltown Athletics Stadium, New South Wales.

*Safari track rating: Dead flat, no changing scenery, a mental trudge.  See why I love this event!

It was Saturday 10am and the freaky fringe element of an already fringe dwelling sport lined up on the starting line of the 400 metre track at Campbelltown Athletics Stadium for a weekend of rotating around an artificial turfed surface for as many times as possible in a 24 hour period.

The difference between timed track events and point to point or looped distance Ultra-marathons is that you can pull the pin any time and you do not have a set distance to gauge your result.  The goal of many, myself included, is to go the whole 24 hours on the trot and see how many laps of 400 metres you can slog through and not blow up.

I was having a second bash at the Sri Chinmoy Sydney 24 hour track race.  A permanent Winter fixture on the Ultrarunning  calendar in the South West of Sydney, I had set the bar lowish at 160 km (100 miles) last year & easily reached that target.  I was punting for roughly 185 km this year or at least a finish if that goal went to shit.
2 and half laps is 1 km so that meant many, many tedious laps of Campbelltown Athletics Stadium.

No 'race' as such for me this year though, I was only competing against myself and enjoying the camaraderie of other Ultra nutters.  Mostly over 40's and not fussed with fashion or style.
My run did indeed go to shit but I hung in there gutting it out and here's what happened.

I cracked on at about 10 km an hour pace for the first couple of hours under a shining sun and blue skies until the 6 hour runners kicked off at 12 pm.  Some of the boys and girls participating in this category were hard out sprinting, making those of us doing the big dance look a tad geriatric.  I know from hard earned and at times, miserable experience, that going out too hard in a 100 mile race or 24 hour event can yank the wheels off later on.  It's about conserving energy and holding back a bit.  And thinking of that hot shower and cold beers at the end.

The Sri Chinmoy volunteers put on a fantastic aid station (every 400 metres!) with great vegetarian food stuffs and cheering aid station crew.  As in cheering: Every. Single. Time. I. Went. Past. 

For the whole event.  Serious energy and good vibes from these lovely folk while we kept spinning around the oval while cars droned by on the highway and the train from Sydney rattled past occasionally.

A super large TV displayed my name and number laps and total distance, under the supervision of legendary Aussie Ultrarunner Martin Fryer.  Look him up, this guys the real deal.

The 6 hour punters finished up at 6 pm and the rest of us that were left charged on.  A chill crept into the air and the heavenly 17 degrees we enjoyed during the day switched to single digits and the flood lights sprang to life and the full moon and stars beamed down.  I was feeling a bit rubbish with the runny shits and and for the first time ever; an upset stomach.  I never have this issue that messes with so many other runners but a few quick trips to the toilet were needed.

Then my right hand glute played up and the calf started to twinge.  Brilliant.  

I work a fairly physical job at present in a vineyard that leaves me aching most days.  I can only surmise my running was affected by all the repetitive tasks I do 5 days a week.  Bloody work.

I haven't got any night time pics so that's me brushing my teeth the next morning as I keep on keepin on.  

A few mad buggers cracked on at 10 pm as we approached half way through our run, they were contesting the 12 hour race.  In my book that has to be one for the diehards- starting a run at 10 pm. Much respect. 

After a while I found it far too painful to run so I swapped out shoes.  That helped for brief period where I rocked out 12 km an hour for 90 minutes then was forced to a demeaning walk for the remainder of the event. 

It sucked. And it was crazy cold.  I seemed to cope better than most for some reason, maybe my Tasmanian lifestyle helped?!  Many runners rugged up like the Michelin man and jumped in a sleeping bag and rested for a period to warm up.  I was severely tempted to do the same but realised that if I did it was game over and I would never get going again.  It was fight the fatigue and embrace the minus 2 temperature on a Saturday night.

The 2 leaders keep up their unbelievable pace while most of us shuffled/ walked/ tried to run until the sun popped up and melted the thick frost covering almost everything in the stadium. 

This is from last year, 2016.  I was cutting through the fog and actually sort of running.  It was painful and I didn't learn a thing and I signed up again for more of the same.  Sucker for punishment.

10 am Sunday morning rolled around and the support crews had pulled down their tents and packed away the chairs.  I bowled around a the last few laps with a bloke named Arthur and we finished with the same total distance; 154 km.  Quite a bit less than hoped for but I never stopped or sat down.  Except to poop.

A brilliant badass event that asks everything of you and has the coolest atmosphere and organisers on the planet.  The volunteers even sang 'Congratulations' to all of us at the award ceremony.  After staying up all night cheering us on, feeding us, encouraging us and dealing with our roller coaster of emotions.  Legends.

I cried a little.  I felt invincible at times.  I was sick of the sight of the brown/ orange track.  I looked forward to the thrill of changing direction every 4 hours.

Thinking I might do the 6 hour or 12 hour next year and let the legs fly a bit. See how I go.

https://au.srichinmoyraces.org/events/24hour