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2020 Australian Alps Walking Track

Day -150
Day -150 Concerns
Namadgi Park closure map
Namadgi Park closure map

At the time of publishing this post I’m now down to 150 days before the designated start day for my thru hike on the Australian Alps Walking Track (AAWT). For me the planning isn’t the difficult bit however there are a number of concerns associated with this hike that in all honesty, I’m not sure can be overcome or that I have any control over.

  1. First and foremost there are two areas of the AAWT that were closed because of the Summer fires and I don’t know whether they will be open in time for me to start the trip. I’m working on the basis that the track will be accessible but it is a gamble. The recovery plan for Namadgi National Park in the ACT sets out a three year recovery for the park and all I can do is pay attention to the changes as they occur. Over the past few days I have firmed up alternative options just in case!
  2. My knees are the next big concern. On our 2019 Hume and Hovell Track walk I had issues with Bursitis which surprised me. How could I walk 1000 km the year before with no physical issues apart from blisters early on but on a hike less than half the length I came unstuck? I eventually managed to work out what my issues were and I’m confident I have them sorted but I won’t know for sure until I start walking.
  3. My weight. For most of my life my love of food and love of exercise have balanced each other out. I know from personal experience that my ideal hiking weight is 93 kg. I will usually start a hike about 5 kg heavier at around 98 kg to provide a bit of a buffer given I lose around 3.5 kg per week on a hike. However, I’m currently the heaviest I have ever been at 110 kg, but thankfully not my unfittest. I can’t totally blame the COVID lockdown but it has contributed. I still have five months to go and I need to lose at least 10 kg before the start of my hike. That’s a big chunk of weight and I need to get as close to my preferred starting weight before my hike.

Five months sounds like a long time but it really isn’t. We’ll see how I go!

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At the time of publishing this post I’m now down to 150 days before the designated start day for my thru hike on the Australian Alps Walking Track (AAWT). For me the planning isn’t the difficult bit however there are a number of concerns associated with this hike that in all honesty, I’m not sure […]