Mount Manfred, Waratah flowers
Posted inBushwalking

Horizontal, Manfred, Cuvier & Goulds – Part One

Dolerite cliffs of Mount Manfred with waratahs flowering below Five days off in January - what a treat! While Kylie was focused on her Overland Track with side trips speed mission (There’s a story for another day!), I set my sights on some Abel adventuring. Over the past year I’ve had the opportunity to skipper the little ferry (Ida…
The Blade and Tasman Island
Posted inTrail Running

Cradle Prep on the Capes

Tasman Island from The Blade In a couple of days I will be lining up for my third Cradle Mountain Run. On the first Saturday in February each year, 60 privileged individuals gather, pre dawn, at Waldheim Chalet (just up the hill from Ronny Creek) and run, amble, skip and trip their way to Cynthia Bay, some 78 kilometres…
Snow at sunrise
Posted inTrail Running

Overland Snow from Go to Whoa

Overland Track in Snow Last week I was working at Lake St Clair when Kylie came to visit. In typical Kylie fashion she arrived via an Overland Track trail run on what may turn out to be the best snow day of the winter. Sun rises over Cradle Plateau Good snow had fallen overnight Friday and intermittent flurries continued…
Couple on mountain summit
Posted inTrail Running

Pindars Peak-a-boo

Summit selfie Early in Kylie’s 50 mountain marathons in 50 weeks project I was privileged to join her for a couple either side of Christmas. Pindars Peak out and back is a neat 42km which fitted the criteria beautifully. What better way to spend Christmas Eve 2023? Sunrise ascending Moonlight Ridge Sunrise ascending Moonlight Ridge Proximity to the solstice…
Moon and stars before dawn
Posted inTrail Running

Red Hot Go on Rufus

Mount Olympus reflections Early this year I had the opportunity to work as relief skipper on the Overland Track ferry, Ida Clair. I’d often thought doing laps of Australia’s deepest lake on the nation's highest ferry service would be a hoot. Sure enough, I’ve now had dozens of conversations with hikers stoked to have completed their hike or excited…
Aurora australis
Posted inTrail Running

Overland Track with the Works – Single Push – FKT

Since our winter Overland Track side trips missions last year (Take One and TakeTwo), Kylie went on to complete the track with all 12 side trips, not once but twice!  Amazingly the track reopened after bushfires the very day of Kylie’s February ticket and she completed all side trips in three days of fast packing. Another ticket became available…
Overland with the Works – Take Two
Posted inTrail Running

Overland with the Works – Take Two

Kylie with Overland Track sign at Ronny Creek I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again…  If at first you don’t succeed… Barely days after our first attempt at Overland Track with all Classic Side Trips, Kylie announced another thumping great high was heading our way following a good dumping of snow.  Reluctant to succumb to the ice…
Sunrise lake reflections
Posted inTrail Running

Overland Track with the Works – Take One

The Overland Track with all the Classic Side Trips mission was born out of Kylie’s 50th birthday project – 50 Mountain Marathons in 50 Consecutive Weeks which ran until August 2024.  With work and life in general preventing marathons in some weeks, it was inevitable that attention turned to missions that could deliver multiple marathons in a week, sometimes…
Cradle Mt sunrise
Posted inTrail Running

Cradle Mountain Run – February 2018

Cradle Mountain sunrise Sunday morning, Derwent Bridge Hotel. Breakfast.  I joined a stiff, sore but very satisfied group of ultra-trail runners to celebrate 82 kilometres of remote, undulating, unforgiving and wild trail running.  Only open to 60 runners it was a rare privilege to compete in and complete the official race along a walking track that has been part…
Approaching Pelion Gap in the snow
Posted inTrail Running

Lap of Pelion East – August 2020

Approaching Pelion Gap in the snow In 2011, on an autumn mission to Kia Ora Falls and Castle Crag, I was walking the Overland Track just past Kia Ora hut around 11am. An unlikely group of runners approached from the south. The foursome had light packs and were moving freely and quickly compared with me and my full multi-day…