Along the trail, you must continually push yourself to place one foot in front of the other—a battle of persistence over monotony. Chew through the tough times to arrive at …
Read More
24 hours marooned at the Go-Cart Track Shelter on Day 20 was enough inactivity for my ‘hiking legs’ to suffer unbearable ‘itchiness’. My body had grown used to constant movement …
Read More
For the most part, the terrain throughout the Flinders Ranges was immaculately untamed. While there were bursts of groomed vegetation en route to Wilmington on Day 14 and alongside the rain-soaked paths …
Read More
At times on the trail, I felt truly isolated. Despite the constant support and steady stream of encouraging messages, there were moments I couldn’t help but feel emotionally separated on …
Read More
I’m not sure you’ll find anybody who believes long-distance hiking is easy. In fact, it stretches every fibre of your being. You are pushed mentally, physically, emotionally and even spiritually. …
Read More
At times on the trail, you can do little else but ponder your existence. On any given day you can think about the direction of your life, food, potential career …
Read More
Suffering aches and pains are part and parcel of life as a long-distance hiker. Whether it’s your legs, feet, arms, back or bum, you will inevitably pick up niggles somewhere …
Read More
Before commencing the Heysen Trail, I made the slightly controversial decision to keep some hiking details a mystery. Other than setting out my basic itinerary, I knew little else about …
Read More
Imagine not seeing another human for an entire day—no talking, no witty banter, no face-to-face communication whatsoever. Now, multiply that by a month. For large stretches along the Heysen Trail, …
Read More
There’s a point, somewhere along every long-distance trail, that a hiker’s natural state of concern deteriorates. Somehow trekking 20 kilometres becomes casual, surviving off limited rations is commonplace and carrying ones livelihood …
Read More