Mt Barney unforgiving

[Pegusus]

Hello to all. My wife and myself enjoyed an o/n Mt Barney (SE Queensland) hike last weekend and nearly ended in not so good circumstances. We are experienced adventurers. However, that little miss calculation could potentially be our last. We had planned our hike to Barney summit via the SE Ridge. We commenced our ascent around 3pm on the Saturday. I was carrying 40kg and my wife 6kg. I am a bit of a pack horse.....All was fantastic, some great scrabbling and awesome views. We found a coasy flat to chill for some hours before first light and the final summit climb. Notice to all experienced or not so experienced walkers. Take some form of communication, ample water and at least 15m of rope. After reaching the summit and taking some awesome happy snaps we started our descent. Legs now feeling a bit jellified and half way down the SE ridge, my backpack is now giving me self inflicted torture. With enough water for the descent and apart from aching joints and muscles all is good. But then........Ummmm honey are we on track??????? We look around...damn. We are not where we are supposed to be. (Blame the wife time) You were leading honey...hahahahaha.
Anyway...I hate to admit it but we were not were we should be....a very unstable ground on 135degree decline totally knackered and I have 40 kg of kit on my back. And guess what all water had now been used. It is 12noon and the sun is hot. ummmmm...what to do. After a frolic around the location, we decided that we did not know of our current location. It was very unstable ground to descend any further, our decision was to drop the pack and ascend back up the Mountain to our last known position. It was not possible to take my pack...exhaustion had already settled in. Ok ... a mistake was made, now a sensible exit plan had to be made...Survival. We took what we needed in a day pack, First Aid kit and rope. It was a real effort to get back up the mountain. After scrabbling for two hours back up, we found our last known position. 4 hours had passed in our error...without water, hot weather and a rugged terrain its an element for disaster. We finally made it to the river and just bathed and drank lots of mountain water....apart from our little miss adventure it was a fantastic show of endurance. Mt Barney...I will be back for my pack...

[davidm]

40kg? I don't know what else to say!

Glad you made it out ok- maybe take a friend or 2 in to carry out your pack.

[alanoutgear]

I agree with davidm - 40kg. How can you get that much in your pack for an overnighter?

Even on winter walks over a week duration I've never carried more than 20-22kg, and even then I thought that was too heavy.

Years ago a friend and I met the late Nigel Ainsworth on a bushwalk, and he was carrying, 40+kg, but then 25kgs were bricks. He had run a marathon the previous weekend, and was in training for an adventure race and didn't want to waste a training opportunity.

[Empty]

So it was 40 kilos PLUS food and water? Or was the 6 kilos you wife was carrying just the food and water? It is just that from what you say the 40 KG was a static weight for the entire trip.

Personally I'd leave it there. If it rains it will probably sink down and form its own crater.

[DarrenM]

Glad you made it down safely in the end, and thanks for being open and honest about it. These types of incidents are how I learnt a few things over the years

We are experienced adventurers.

This is my favourite part of the story.

Notice to all experienced or not so experienced walkers

Hopefully the experienced ones wont be concerned about a similar scenario.

[perfectlydark]

You didnt bring a weberq or something in that pack right? I dont want to judge but how on earth do you get 40kg exl..water for an o/n lol?

[ErichFromm]

Nice story. Good decision making too.

I had a similar experience once off Howqua - going up a peak and then losing my way coming down amongst all the false trails. Got to the valley and everything looked the same and every step a struggle due to prickly bushes. Like you I eventually decided just to climb to the peak again. It's hard to get lost when all you need to do is ensure you are still going up!

I too am curious about your 40Kg load - any chance of some details of what you carried. I'm assuming you were carrying the bulk of your wife's stuff as well?

I once carried a 40kg pack but that was mainly due to more than 8 litres of water I was carrying for me and my partner as I wasn't sure we'd find water on the way. Buggered my knees though and I wouldn't be in a rush to do it again....

[slparker]

Even if it was 20kg (not 40kg) why carry it up the mountain? My memory of Mt Barney was an overnighter with a climb to the peak with a daypack and then back to the campsite...

[ofuros]

Alarm bells should have been ringing...40kg is obviously way to heavily laden for an overnight trip and a strenuous mountain goat scramble. Cringe.

[Pegusus]

Hi guys..A majority of the 40kg was static weight and (environmentally sound) for personal goals. A considerable amount was reduced for the descent.... My focus is that no matter how experienced your are things can go wrong. I am admitting to my mistake, as silly and foolish as it was. We had a back up plan and it was successful. My post was to identify that Mt Barney and other trails alike can catch you unawares no matter what your experience or levels of fitness.
Now..due to my error I have to return this weekend to retrieve my pack......grrrrrr. Mt Barney is a treat. However, not to be underestimated.

[ofuros]

Thanks for sharing your tribulations, Pegusus....just try to leave the paraglider or whatever you had tucked away in your pack
at home next time.
..and look after those of knees of yours.
See you on the track.

[Pegusus]

HaHaHa....ofuros...A paraglider would of come in handy....as for the knees they are still rocking and ready for the next challenge.

[earthgrace]

How much water did you actually take and what period of time were you budgeting for?

[Pegusus]

Hello Earthgrace.....15ltrs of water was taken for a 18 hr period...

[drewmac]

....A majority of the 40kg was static weight and (environmentally sound) for personal goals. A considerable amount was reduced for the descent.....

If you reduced the weight for the descent....

What did you leave on the mountain?
Not trying to be difficult.
Cannot understand why you would take 40 kg up Barney.

I can understand if it was a family thing.
I too have someone I carry with me on each walk or mountain climb...but only a small amount each time.

I am glad you got down and the worst is you have to go back for your pack.

Maybe one of those "it seemed like a good plan at the time" situations? Maybe?

[TheLifeAquatic]

As a tip, you really don't need that much water up Mt Barney. In the saddle between East and West peak there is a pretty reliable stream that you can top up at when you get to Rum Jungle / Old Hut. If you link up your ascent via SE ridge and descent via Peasants ridge (which makes a very nice little circuit) then you shouldn't need to carry more than 2-3L of water each.

[Champion_Munch]

Interesting story... scary to think you lugged 40 kg up Barney.

Am wondering though, how are you going to find your pack when it is 2 h off-track, and are you going to be able to get off the mountain with it this time??