A Heysen Trail story
I’m here! It all feels a little surreal as I look around at where I am. A rock strewn campsite, dwarfed by mountains. Not even a bird calling. Remote and ancient. Wild and mine.
I sit under the mountains contemplating my next few months. 1200km. It’s a hell of a long way. And put into perspective by the several hours of driving to arrive here. The challenge is daunting. But I’m excited! Really excited! I think I can do this.
My plan over the next couple of weeks is to take it slowly. Ease into it. I didn’t get to do my training hike remember? And these mountains are no joke. I read somewhere that to walk the Heysen is to walk the equivalent elevation as ascending Mt Everest two and a half times. Yep….daunting alright. But legs can get you anywhere if you give them the opportunity. And I intend to look after mine.
It’s so quiet. So, so quiet. A crow calls in the distance. A kangaroo silently lumbers though the campsite before bounding away. It’s warm. The sun about an hour away from setting. I’m looking forward to that. All the pinks and oranges lighting up the rocky escarpment.
I see plants I recognise. Bush tomatos, the mighty river red gums, delicate fan flowers. And spinifex. I’m back in tjampi country. It feels so familiar to me. Even though I’ve never been here before. It’s comforting. And I’m suddenly so excited I could burst. Tomorrow. Tomorrow, I’m on my way.
I watch the sunset and make my dinner. Go for a half hour night walk up the track using my torch. The trail markers glow in the dark. I startle a couple of roos. The sky is brilliant with stars.I get back and fall into bed dreaming of tomorrow…it’s a good sleep too…until disaster. Time for my first gear review…
Gear Review – Sea to Summit Flame IV Sleeping Bag.
I had been looking forward to using this bag. I forked out big bucks for it in preparation for the PCT. Between $600-700 dollars from memory. This was to be one of my big, new items. Super light, but super toasty warm, rated at -10 degrees celcius.
Because of this, I hadn’t actually used the bag. All the walks I’ve done in the meantime haven’t required that level of warmth. So it’s been sitting pretty in my cupboard at home.
Sliding into the bag for the first time on the trail was a thrill. A signal that I was attempting something major. I zipped it up and drifted off to sleep. I woke at 3am needing to go outside. I pulled the zip to undo the bag. And just like that, the zipper broke. Just let go of one side of the zip. No way of fixing it. To say I am livid is an understatement. Not even one nights use. That’s just not good enough.
And I’m a Sea to Summit girl. Well, I have been. I like to support an Australian company. Amongst my current possessions I have a S2S long handled spork, little pillow, mattress protector, stow away backpack, towel. The list probably goes on.
I also had a women’s Etherlite bed matt. Also expensive ($250) and it also failed me. Remember how I said my matt had a hole in it that I couldn’t find? I’ve swapped it out now. It had less than 500km of use.
All of this has made me realise that S2S may be great at the small stuff…price point under $50. But the big, expensive stuff….I’m going to actively avoid the company from now on. Not even one use…there’s no excuse for that.
It’s not the end of the world for this trip. But it does mean that I now need to wear my thermals to bed. Something that I hadn’t wanted to do. But I’ll still be warm enough and ok. Just frigging disappointed.
Track notes, people and other things.
I got a ride to the start of the track with Genesis touring. They were great to deal with and even dropped me all the way to the track head. It was $140 for the trip – which was just in a car rather than a bus – and at the moment they only depart on a Thursday.
Driving the car was Matt, whose wife served me the day before at Paddy Pallin. There was Mal, an old diesel mechanic from the area, who was very interested in Norfolk Island. Issi is French and here on a work visa. She was headed inland to volunteer at a company doing camel expeditions for a month. And there was Dave. Dave was a fellow walker who, it turns out, was actually supposed to start the PCT last year just after me. He had already completed the first several hundred kilometers, and was going back for a crack at another 500km. It was great to talk to him about the trail before he stepped off.
I stayed at the walkers camp, about 500m from the starting point. There are no tables or toilets, but a small water tank is available. I was the only person at the campground. Seems to be turning into a habit with me….
