Solo trips

I awoke after a night of intermittent sleep. It was still raining. No wonder why they had declared state of emergency. Inside the car, I got ready for the day ahead. With more determination than clarity, I headed out. My sights were set on Mount Bogong, the highest mountain in the Alpine National Park of Victoria, Australia. A bad breakup had landed me on these parts, and I thought I'd make the best out of the trip.

As I've mentioned it had been raining badly and it continued to do so while I pursued the “Staircase Spur Trail” to the summit. I chose it, instead of its alternative, because it was faster and shorter. And, hence, steeper. Which together with the rain, and the mud, made for a very cautious (read slow) ascension.

I took special notice of how the flora was affecting my game plan. The ubiquitous eucalyptus trees (Alpine Ash variety) had such narrow, and sparse, canopy that it was impossible for me to find a place where to shelter from the wind and the rain. First lesson. Carry a tarp and a way to hang it. This meant I had wait for the rain to break just so I could rest, and get a handful of trail mix down my throat.

The next big lesson came in the form of an unexpected consequence of rain running down my leg. For some unknown reason I thought I wouldn't need rainproof overpants, and that a jacket and a pack cover would do. But my lightweight pants had been completely soaked since hour 2 of the trip. They became heavy with water and I would keep having to pull them up. Meanwhile my feet were drowning inside my shoes. Every 20 or 30 minutes I would stop to take them off and pour the pour rain out of them. Next time, bring cover pants.

I still didn't let any of this drown my spirits! I kept going, and eventually broke past the tree line. Now it was getting serious. The wind seemed to have picked up tenfold now that I was out of the tree cover. And even worse, the cold wind had turned the rain drops into something more akin to coarse sand. I kept going.

But not for long. The whole landscape was covered in mist. I never even saw the summit. Blindly following the trail, I huddled next to a rock. Hiding from the cold wind and rain. Shivering. Should I put on my dry back-up clothes, and push for the summit, despite all else? I decided it was enough. It was time to get back. I had expanded my comfort zone enough for one day. I had a long, steep and slippery way back down waiting for me. Keep it safe. Keep it worth it. Keep it coming.