2020 Australian Alps Walking Track
Eucumbene River Crossing
Given that the Australian Alps Walking Track takes in the Australian Alpine region you could be forgiven for thinking that water won’t be an issue on this track and in most cases you would be right. In 2019 I walked the 112 km section from Kiandra to Tharwa and based on my water expectations and my first hand experience over the previous five years; this turned out to be a mistake.
Ultimately what it comes down to is quality and quantity. Quantity wise while the main rivers and large streams along the 650+ km track are usually pretty reliable it’s the smaller creeks that you can’t be depended upon. Given my need to identify workarounds if I have any hope of doing this walk in late 2020, I now need to clearly identify where the water sources are likely to be when I go off trail. This trip, if it goes ahead, will be one where I top up frequently ‘just in case’.
Water quality is the other variable on the AAWT. Due to the large number of wild horses, the quality of the water in the Australian Alps is questionable and there is no way I would drink without filtering. On my 2019 taste test trip, I was forced on one occasion to drink water from a dam that could be best described as gelatinous cow saliva! I was very glad I was carrying a filter.
Given that the Australian Alps Walking Track takes in the Australian Alpine region you could be forgiven for thinking that water won’t be an issue on this track and in most cases you would be right. In 2019 I walked the 112 km section from Kiandra to Tharwa and based on my water expectations and […]