Last week I decided I wanted to walk a section of the great north walk from the Congewai east trackhead to Watagan Forest Motel via Forestry HQ Campsite. Only an overnight run but hey, it's better than sitting at home.
My wife dropped me off at the trackhead yesterday at 1:00pm and it was quite warm at around 33 C. When driving in we didn't know what was going on, The nice quite country valley was full or cars and then groups of runners with light packs. At the track junction it was very clear they were all coming down the track. Oh well so much for a quite 24 hours alone in the bush so off I treked.
I managed to get a few grunts and comments out of the runners and they were doing a race called the great north walk 100 or something like that.
The mad buggers do 100km's non stop on the track and had started at 6am that morning, The trackhead was about 45km's in for them. Good on them but I'm into a more relaxed pace and like to look around a bit. One guy said it took him 22 hours last year with only a 1 hour break
Anyway I walked to Hunter Lookout last night and set up there. Lovely sunset and took a great 30minute picture overlooking Cessnock last night, the pictures deceiving but it was actually pitch black with very little moon. The hammock was great in the warm weather. I just used a summer TeWa UQ and a small fleece blanket but didn't really need the blanket at all. Lowest temp was only 22.5 C so it was quite warm.
Thismorning I just walked the remainding 12 km's out enjoying the views and cooler valleys. Took some more nice pictures at a creek junction about half way through, I think it was Wallis Creek going of the notes. Then after climbing back out of the valley the climb down Heaton gap. That bit's always a killer after doing 20km's the day before.
So that was my 29 km walk from 1:00pm 13.11.10 to 11:30am 14.11.10.
Cannot wait for another chance.
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