How do you choose your next walk?

[Kainas]

I am sitting here with a half dozen "perfect" (for us) walks opened in browser tabs, we could do this one or that one - but which one. We will probably do them all eventually but by then we will have discovered twice as many more. Not to mention the grand walks that we dream of (from the Great North Walk, to a tramping holiday in NZ). I am thinking of starting a list... but that could get very long.

So a topic with no purpose, just some light conversation ... How do you pick your next walk?

[neilmny]

Good question. I found that the desire to do a fancy schmansy walk was stopping me walking because fitting in the
top or distant walks takes some time, effort and planning. So eventually I realised the most important thing was to just do a walk where ever I could when ever I could. After all it's really all about the walking and getting out there.

[stepbystep]

Try living in Tasmania....

I use this method. Mark them in red when you've done them Trouble is, I keep going back to the red ones! Still lots of yellow to explore...

[GPSGuided]

Layout a map, close your eyes, put your finger (only one) down... That's where you go!

Seriously. It all depends on who is coming along, weather, desire and something different to the last one. But seriously, does it matter?

Otherwise I also chose depending on what new/old gears that I want to try out.

[Hallu]

It's a tough one. At first I used to check all the "famous" areas. Say, for Victoria, The Prom', Mornington Peninsula, the GOW. But then I got hooked to obscure and wilder places : Croajingolong, the Mallee, etc... How ? By reading about them basically. I buy a huge number of guidebooks. About a third of them turn out to be useless unfortunately (lack of info, lack of pictures to motivate you, or a mainstream selection of walks). Also, many "famous" books have a lot of walks that don't interest me at all. John Chapman Victoria book for example, shows too many walks that lack wildness : quite a bit of them are focused on the mining history of the state, and although it is interesting, it's less pleasant than to have walk that focuses on mountains, lakes, coastal vistas, flora or fauna.

The problem with guidebooks is that they're simply afraid to rate the walks (not by difficulty, but by wildness, interest in case of bad weather, and popularity to avoid crowds). That's why I usually cross examine both books and blogs, where people tend to be more honest. Another way to choose a walk is to look at a map : big patches of green (parks) can spike my interest, as well as a small patch of green with the name of a reserve/park featured in no book and seemingly hard to reach by car. Once I've done a number of walks in a given region I ask myself "what general area haven't I explored yet" or "where am I the most likely to see that type of bird/mammal that I've never seen before" or even sometimes "it rains here this week-end, what's the closest place where it doesn't rain and what's there to see".

I realize that it's a lot harder to pick where to go on vacation (like in a foreign country) than where to bushwalk less that 3h drive from where you live. The money involved in a real vacation is so daunting that you tend to overthink it.

[Travis22]

After high school we got started on our own by following the "bushwalks in the Vic alps" guide book and simply started working through it.

Travis.

[ErichFromm]

Great Topic.

For me it's always dependent on:
* How many days free I have
* Whether I'm in the mood for a relaxing trip, or a "come back half dead after trying to achieve the impossible" one

If I can't do multiple days then a 4-6 hour drive seems a little unjustified so limit myself to something closer. I also hate doing return trips - prefer the way back to be different to the way in: which limits the walks considerably.

Of course there is always: let's try that walk that I didn't quite manage last time.....

[ofuros]

Views....with all that clambering & scrambling through the bush I do, it's got to have a payoff !
Hopefully, my first mooch up Mt Barney flanks via Barrabool long, West Peak & returning by Midget ridge circuit has
what i'm looking for.

But in general, if my walks can include any of these.. a sense of adventure, caves, natural hot springs, crashed aircraft,
waterfalls, aboriginal history, trout fishing, sunrises/ sunsets on mountain peaks, coastal waves crashing, early morning animal encounters,
big bad weather changes, etc,...they usually get the thumbs up....and if I can capture any of it with my camera
it's a bonus !

I enjoy the research part too... tide tables, weather charts, books, history, map reading, googling etc

P.S.
Now I have a fast growing almost 2 year old boy, with seemingly endless energy,
(I just wish he'd stop chasing the chickens around the yard with a stick, they hardly have time to catch their
breath & lay some eggs !)...car camping, camp fires & short walks will be in the mix too.

[perfectlydark]

Usually transport and time available are the main things for me (both are usually lacking!) Also I tend to go for more medium/high grade on track routes. Not quite.up for the bushbashing thing just yet but one of these days I will get around to making my own 'route' somewhere.

[phsculpture]

For me it's a combination of remoteness, interesting scenery, and lack of vertigo-inducing tracks. A bonus if I can catch some fish or see some wildlife. Snakes in particular. I don't like busy campsites, and try to reduce the probability of ending up near fellow campers who are happy making noise well into the night. That's a dealbreaker. As are heights. Currently writing this in New York City, having been here for a month. Flying back to Sydney tomorrow, and will resume planning an October road trip to the Flinders once the jet lag subsides.

[wildlight]

I select my walks by determining what's achievable within the time I've got in the bush- that usually is governed by partner's "leave", as I am self-employed. The next element to come under scrutiny is the weather, which has an affect on the light. Generally if we look like getting clear afternoon(s) or morning(s), we go for mountain tops, and if it's overcast / rainy- we seek out the valleys, gorges and waterfalls. Some locations warrant repeat visits, others are still begging to make the list.
A bit of solid bush bashing can make things interesting too- we allow time for this as the regrowth can be interesting in places...
Cheers
WildLight

[north-north-west]

In Tassie - find somewhere with a not-too-bad forecast for the time I'm planning to be out. Which is easier said than done . . .

[Mechanic-AL]

If your young and fit then pick one of the more challenging ones on your list. When your old and crusty you will regret not having done a few of the harder ones when you had knees that still worked!!

AL

[farefam]

Views are my top priority. Whilst I enjoy walking through a nice stretch of rainforest, for me it's really the prospect of great views along the way or at the destination that make the effort worthwhile (especially if travelling interstate or overseas). A secluded atmosphere or a place that has many spots that you can explore from a central base camp is also an attraction.

Avoiding campsites frequented by noisy bogans is important.

Although it is great to do a circuit rather than backtracking, with Tassie and NZ weather being so variable I don't mind doing return walks, as It gives you another chance to see the sights if you were rained or clouded out on the way in.

Sometimes a walk will be planned simply to cover the remaining spots in an already partially visited area.

As I get into middle age and the osteoarthritis (from all the bushwalking) is taking it's toll on my knees, increasingly, I am more attracted to areas that I haven't visited before, rather than revisiting the classics. On the other hand, digital photography has been a strong incentive to revisit the classics places that I haven't seen for a long time.

As an example my wish list for my next few visits to Tassie are:

Prince of Wales Range excluding the Yop-Yop section (a new one but I have visited several of the nearby ranges)
Arthur-Pieman coast walk (a new one and it's sometimes nice to have a break from the mountains)
Tarkine rainforest walk (a new one)
Eldon Range (have never managed to complete it for various reasons)
Olympus/Cuvier/Du Cane circuit (there are parts I still haven't visited)
Western Arthurs/Eastern Arthurs/Mt Anne circuit (mainly to rephotograph them in digital)

By way of comparison my last visit was:
King William Range (a a new one)
Frenchmans Cap (to rephotograph and to explore spots off track)
Southern Ranges (had not been as far as Pindars Peak or Precipitous Bluff)
Freycinet circuit (to rephotograph and as an easy break from the mountains).

[Avid Hiker38]

I go on whether or not it is challenging, views are great but a difficult climb or tough track is best

[Snowzone]

Often its a follow on from a previous walk. Something I may have seen in the distance such as a peak that looks interesting with an interesting looking spur or line to get to it. Or looking out into an area that I havn't set foot in. Looking further afield on the map that I have with me and something catches my attention, maybe a hut ruin or waterfall marked. So I file these thoughts away in the memory bank which keep popping back up from time to time so I sit down, look at the map again and a new walk develops.

[DanShell]

I like to have several potential walks in the pipeline based on the weather, the time I have to do the walk and the potential to get family or friends to come alone with me.

Next weekend for instance Im hoping to wander around the back of Cradle if its not too wet and windy as I have a friend who wants to get into overnight walking so its a good introduction

[mikethepike]

So a topic with no purpose, just some light conversation ... How do you pick your next walk?

I went to Tasmania a few years ago with two sets of maps but with only the time to do one walk! I just couldn't decide. (Needless to say I was going solo.) In the end I chose the one that was logistically easier to get to. During the last few months and because of an injury, I've had a lot of time to plan some quite adventuous walks at places rarely walked and this has really brought home to me that the planning can be as much fun as the execution.

[geoskid]

I am sitting here with a half dozen "perfect" (for us) walks opened in browser tabs, we could do this one or that one - but which one. We will probably do them all eventually but by then we will have discovered twice as many more. Not to mention the grand walks that we dream of (from the Great North Walk, to a tramping holiday in NZ). I am thinking of starting a list... but that could get very long.

So a topic with no purpose, just some light conversation ... How do you pick your next walk?

Hiya Kainas, I remember you from the days when you were planning and did your NZ walking. At the time we were fitting out young kids with gear and doing what we could given the time we had.

We already had family in NZ. and had been there 4 or 5 times (but not bushwalking). Your talking about it, coupled with an Aunt in NZ sending info /encouraging me to bring the rest of the family conspired to make it happen.

It was ,and still is the best holiday our family has ever had.(so far ). So thanks.

In answer to your question, one(that is the bushwalking keen leader of the family) chooses the next walk by being in tune with the rest of the family, thinking ahead to where the family might be ready ability/gear wise, preparing them with gear, and telling them (with appropriate stories about adventure) that they are too young to stay at home so they have to come anyway.

Yeah, may not win father of the year with my methods, but kids only know what flavour of icecream they like really,
not what opportunities may turn out to be meaningful life moments.

Anyway, good question, good thinking - your kids are lucky

[geoskid]

So a topic with no purpose, just some light conversation ... How do you pick your next walk?

I went to Tasmania a few years ago with two sets of maps but with only the time to do one walk! I just couldn't decide. (Needless to say I was going solo.) In the end I chose the one that was logistically easier to get to. During the last few months and because of an injury, I've had a lot of time to plan some quite adventuous walks at places rarely walked and this has really brought home to me that the planning can be as much fun as the execution.

Ah, Mike, you sound like you have it all sorted out - if you get down here again, drop me a PM - you will be looked after.

[jjoz58]

I choose my walks for what I haven't seen yet that is supposed to be worth seeing and doing. How hard has no bearing as some of the best walks I have done were walks in the park, so to speak.
If I want solitude or herds of walkers.
A bit of adventure is always good.

[north-north-west]

Try living in Tasmania....

I use this method. Mark them in red when you've done them Trouble is, I keep going back to the red ones! Still lots of yellow to explore...

Wouldn't it make more sense to turn them green when they're finished?

[mikethepike]

Ah, Mike, you sound like you have it all sorted out - if you get down here again, drop me a PM - you will be looked after.

With regards to your first comment geo. - I wish! With regards to your second - Thanks for your very kind invite to drop by. That's a definitely maybe but I'm giving Tassie a miss this next 12 months and actually my walk plans (out of mainstream but very worthwhile and likely to be a bit demanding for me anyway) were mainly for next autumn in the Flinders Ranges. Interested? Eventually I may post the walk plans here under SA or Partners Wanted if I get no local response to make up a small party.