Day 3
8 images Created 19 May 2019
After much clatter from the 6am early risers pre-dawn, we emerged at first light around 7am from our warm cocoons and began the ritual of dressing in our mostly damp trek gear, packing up, then having brekky. The resident ranger advised the weather for our long hike today would be more of the same strong winds but having descended to some lower altitudes the snow was now replaced by rain. At least, we figured, the track would be clearer and easier to traverse – but how terribly wrong we would be.
Letting the masses go before starting our packing proved a good move, giving us lots of room in the otherwise small confines of the hut to sort our gear and importantly, make sure we didn’t leave anything behind – something we found regularly happening to those packing and leaving in the dark. And even on long days there was still plenty of light to get to the next hut.
We left Windermere around 9am and the open grasslands, while from time to time being more visible, still allowed the strong winds to regularly pummel us sideways on (and off) the duckboard. When not trying to stay on the duckboard that had now become bridges over shin deep water, we were picking our way through the best of the worst of the mud in an effort to keep the dampness level of our boots manageable. On entering the forest in the shadow of Mt Pelion West our next trial began. The trail became a mix of slippery tree roots, rocks, creeks and waterfalls that for the most part only vaguely resembled something of a trail. Many falls slips and close calls with heavy packs required maximum concentration on the feet, much assistance from trekking poles and therefore minimal chance to enjoy anything that might have been remotely interesting or enjoyable. Our moods had turned very dark after three days of this and of having not enjoyed so much as simply survived many of the kilometres that had so far passed us by.
We did finally fall out of this bad place at Frog Flats at around 1.30pm, which is the lowest part of the Overland and with the River Forth and some very pretty scenery that could finally be enjoyed, our spirits were just a little restored. A necessary respite given the two hours of uphill on a mix of duckboard and muddy rocky trail that awaited us before we could de-pack at Pelion Hut. After enduring some 6.5 hours of challenging trail over 17.5km, the trail levelled out and the lovely Pelion Plains and the even lovelier Pelion Hut appeared before us.
Pelion Hut is large and with packs off, coffee on the go and having found a room (almost to ourselves) where we could spread out and collect our frazzled thoughts, we were quickly renewed. An early dinner and some time strolling around the wide verandah of the hut spotting wildlife and we were done and snuggled in our warm sleeping bags looking forward to a rest day in Pelion.
(Day 3: 17.5km, 6.5hrs, 671m ascent, 857m descent.)
Letting the masses go before starting our packing proved a good move, giving us lots of room in the otherwise small confines of the hut to sort our gear and importantly, make sure we didn’t leave anything behind – something we found regularly happening to those packing and leaving in the dark. And even on long days there was still plenty of light to get to the next hut.
We left Windermere around 9am and the open grasslands, while from time to time being more visible, still allowed the strong winds to regularly pummel us sideways on (and off) the duckboard. When not trying to stay on the duckboard that had now become bridges over shin deep water, we were picking our way through the best of the worst of the mud in an effort to keep the dampness level of our boots manageable. On entering the forest in the shadow of Mt Pelion West our next trial began. The trail became a mix of slippery tree roots, rocks, creeks and waterfalls that for the most part only vaguely resembled something of a trail. Many falls slips and close calls with heavy packs required maximum concentration on the feet, much assistance from trekking poles and therefore minimal chance to enjoy anything that might have been remotely interesting or enjoyable. Our moods had turned very dark after three days of this and of having not enjoyed so much as simply survived many of the kilometres that had so far passed us by.
We did finally fall out of this bad place at Frog Flats at around 1.30pm, which is the lowest part of the Overland and with the River Forth and some very pretty scenery that could finally be enjoyed, our spirits were just a little restored. A necessary respite given the two hours of uphill on a mix of duckboard and muddy rocky trail that awaited us before we could de-pack at Pelion Hut. After enduring some 6.5 hours of challenging trail over 17.5km, the trail levelled out and the lovely Pelion Plains and the even lovelier Pelion Hut appeared before us.
Pelion Hut is large and with packs off, coffee on the go and having found a room (almost to ourselves) where we could spread out and collect our frazzled thoughts, we were quickly renewed. An early dinner and some time strolling around the wide verandah of the hut spotting wildlife and we were done and snuggled in our warm sleeping bags looking forward to a rest day in Pelion.
(Day 3: 17.5km, 6.5hrs, 671m ascent, 857m descent.)
