Re: AAWT FKT (3rd attempt) Departing 4 December 2022

[Mark F]

Just reaching Dairymans Creek at 2pm. Should be at Oldfields Hut or Murray Gap when he stops for the night. Tharwa Visitor Centre for a late lunch tomorrow knocking about 10-12 hours off the record and just missing potential thunder storms tomorrow afternoon.

[neilmny]

He's gone cross county?? Through Dairymans Gap??

[Lophophaps]

Neil, I saw that and wondered where Dairymans Gap was. At or about Dairymans Creek he went east instead of north to the Port Phillip Trail. I wonder whey he went east. He may not have a paper map and the GPS may have died. Weather is good, open vistas between the Murrumbidgee and the Port Phillip Trail.

He is now in scrub going north to meet the Port Philip Trail east of Ghost Gully, or east to have a swim. It will be a long afternoon to reach Oldfields Hut, the best spot for starting the last day, 50 kilometres. If he does not reach Oldfields or nearby he will struggle to break the record.

[Mark F]

I suspect he is following an old ft/vehicle tracks that go past Millers Hut. They will bring him out just to the west of the bridge over Bally Creek. As long as you stay out of any swampy bits it is just as open and fast as the marked aawt route.

oops - just updated the track and it is not as I thought. He appears to heading fro the causeway across Tantangara Dam which is currently open (dam level 15%) but hasn't been for the past couple of years.

[crollsurf]

He's ended up on the Dam(n) Trail. I wonder if he knows about the trail across to Old Currango or if he'll cut his loses and head back to Mosquito Creek Trail. I guess we will know soon enough.

[north-north-west]

Weird. I could understand if he followed the track to Old Currango and then cross country to Pockets - that's not bad walking apart from a few boggy bits, but he seem to be following Mosquito Creek north. Is he trying to pick up the Old Currango Trail? There was sod-all of it visible last time I was in that area.

[Baeng72]

Port Phillip Trail to Pockets Saddle road to Murray Gap trail to Oldfields Hut?
I know less about this region than Google Maps, so I'm blaming Google if that's nonsense.

[north-north-west]

From where he is, I'd head east to the junction on Pockets as soon as I was clear of the reservoir. From there he'd easily make Murray Gap tonight.

[Mark F]

I reckon he will head NE cross country to connect with the end of the Murray Gap f/t. Should be clear, easy terrain on the dry dam base

[Baeng72]

I reckon he will head NE cross country to connect with the end of the Murray Gap f/t. Should be clear, easy terrain on the dry dam base

He's heading NE. Damn you google maps!

[north-north-west]

Nope, he's picked up the track south of the Blue Waterholes junction. Which may be slightly easier walking but is a lot further. Really strange bit of navigation this.

[Lophophaps]

On 22 November I said:
"The consensus is that providing one walks or skis from Walhalla to Tharwa or southbound, nearly any route is acceptable. This is especially the case in NSW, with the first variation just taken, Cowombat Trail."
He is now back on the AAWT, having missed about 16 kilometres of the AAWT, Dairymans Creek circa 580 to the Currango junction 596. If he finishes before 11 pm tomorrow, will this be an AAWT fastest time?

He's about 11 kilometres from Oldfields, a long punishing day but he should make it.

[north-north-west]

I don't have a problem with the validity of the record claim, just can't make sense out of his navigational decisions. There are places where he's gone cross country when the track would have been quicker, and places where he's hit the track when continuing cross country would be quicker.

[Baeng72]

I don't have a problem with the validity of the record claim, just can't make sense out of his navigational decisions. There are places where he's gone cross country when the track would have been quicker, and places where he's hit the track when continuing cross country would be quicker.

It looks a bit baffling that he was nearing Murray Gap, then turned away and went to Mosquito creek trail.
But not being there I have no idea it it was intentional, accidental or a pack of wild dogs changed his mind.

[crollsurf]

six maps has that shortcut to Pockets as swampy so that's probably why

[Lophophaps]

John left very early and is now over Murray Gap. There are two relatively easy climbs and the one to Orroral Ridge being the last major obstacle. Late arvo in Tharwa, a cup of tea, and then he can walk back. It's only 12 days!

[GBW]

Amazing to watch. I did see parts of Blue Waterholes area was closed for horse control until 30th November. Maybe that's the reason for the change of route.

https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/ca ... cal-alerts

[north-north-west]

10:45 approx, at the Orroral Rocks turnoff. That leaves 18km to Tharwa. He's going to romp it in - even I could do that well before dark.
Hope there's a big welcoming committee and somewhere he can have a long, hot shower.

[Baeng72]

*&%$#! close now. Baroomba Rocks carpark at roughly 12:40pm.

[crollsurf]

5km to go!!! I'm getting excited, I can only imagine how he is feeling now. Although he's probably trying to hold it all back and staying focused to make sure nothing goes wrong. It's quite a steep downhil to the finish line.

[Mark F]

He has just crested the ridge running north from Mt Tennant - downhill all the way to the finish.

[north-north-west]

We should have had a sweep on his finishing time.

[bigwallclimber]

2.5km to go

[Baeng72]

At visitor center!
Is that the official end of hike?
Anyway, amazing effort!

[north-north-west]

The Eagle Has Landed.

[Mark F]

The visitor centre is where you get your stamp but I think the official start is at the aawt sign board on the edge of the car park near the gate - but I'm not quibbling - a great achievement.

[Lophophaps]

No quibbling - it's just a few minutes from the bitumen to the visitor centre. There's rather a lot of regulars watching this, with considerable justification. He was at Oldfields at 4.02 am, finished at 3.08 pm, near enough to 50 kilometres in 11 hours, 4.55 km/hour. This is after 610 kilometres from Walhalla! He broke the record by eight hours. A brilliant feat of endurance.

[Mr Bean]

Impressive, a stunning walk!

[davidn3875]

Congratulations.

[crollsurf]

Just added up the vert and John ascended around 27,655 m. I guess he descended a similar amount.

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