South Coast Track Report

Please note this is a work in progress

I had previously stated my intention to walk the South Coast Track. I have now completed this walk and now want a space where I can collect all my thoughts.

Photos: Google Photos album

The sections I’m referring to here come straight from the guide book. Due to the walking weather and tides all being in our favour, we managed to do the walk in six days. We flew in late on the first day and did not finish section one of the walk, on the second day we finished section one and then completed section two and three. On day three it was just the Ironbound range. On day four it was just section five. Day five we completed section six and the tiny section seven. Day six was section eight and day seven was cockle creak (TODO something’s not adding up here)

The hardest day, not surprisingly, was day three where we tackled the Ironbound range, 900m up, then down. The surprising bit was how easy the ascent was and how god damn hard the descent was. The guide book says there are three rest camps on the descent, with one just below the peak, a perfect spot for lunch. Either this camp is hidden (e.g. you have to look behind you) or it’s overgrown, as we all missed it. This meant we ended up skipping lunch and were slipping down the wed, muddy awful descent side for hours. When we came across the mid rest camp stop, because we’d been walking for so long, everyone assumed we were at the lower camp stop and that we were therefore only an hour or so away from camp. Another three hours later or so we actually came across the lower camp site, and the by that time all sense of proportion was lost and I was starting to get worried that somehow we’d gotten lost and were not on the right trail and that we’d run out of light. In the end I got into camp about an hour before sundown (approx eight) and B&R got in about half an hour before sundown. I was utterly exhausted, got some water, pitched the tent, collapsed in it and fell asleep. Woke up close to midnight, realised I hadn’t had any lunch or dinner, still wasn’t actually feeling hungry. I forced myself to eat a hot meal, then collapsed in bed again.

TODO: very easy to follow trail.
TODO: just about everything worked.
TODO: spork
TODO: solar panel
TODO: not eating properly
TODO: needing more warmth

I could not have asked for better walking companions, Richard and Bec.