Australian Alps Story

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Australian Alps Story

Postby andyszollosi » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 4:50 pm

G'day folks,

Today, I completed writing the story of my 74 day solo walk that I undertook to the Australian Alps in the spring of 2014.

The project began nearly 4 years ago, when I decided I would walk the 650km AAWT, in the early spring, and experience the transition of the High Country from winter to summer.

The walk was a game changer for me. I came back feeling stronger, healthier and with a strong determination to share my experience with as wide an audience as possible.

Since the completion of my walk in 2014, I have been steadily compiling content for my website. Through hundreds of hours of labour and love, the story of this walk is now complete.

There are 17 chapters, with hundreds of photos on my site, Mountains of Australia.

My site is ad free and doesn't promote any products. I created it purely to share the experience and inspire others to undertake adventures for their own growth.

I will include the first chapter of the story as part of this post, including photos, so you may all get a taste for the writing style and see if you would like to continue reading.

If you dig it, here is the link to the site, you can enjoy the full content.

http://mountainsofaustralia.com/

If you like the content, please help by spreading the love and sharing the link so others have a chance of finding Mountains of Australia, too.

I hope you enjoy the journey.

Andy Szollosi



"The call of the Australian Alps

It was only last year that I fully succumbed to the call of the mountains. I was 26 and the promise of the unknown was beckoning me towards discovery.

Through chance I learnt about a remote and rugged walking route, the Australian Alps Walking Track (AAWT). The route is notoriously difficult and only attempted by about 100 people every year, roughly half of whom succeed in walking it end to end. Walkers need to be prepared to deal with extremes in weather, including bush fires as well as snow storms.

P9180639.jpg
Mt McDonald, with twisted snowgum in foreground, Victorian Alps


Upon reading about the AAWT, I was instantly hooked. Here was a challenge that I could really sink my teeth into. I began to research the walk more carefully, planning down to the last details.

I soon learnt that the key difficulty of the walk lies in its provisioning. Due to its remoteness, the AAWT does not pass by any towns where re-supply is possible. There are a few alpine ski villages encountered, but their shops are more suited to stocking up on sugary snacks than proper backpacking food.

The solution to the provisioning problem is to place food drops along the route prior to commencing the walk. This way, only about a week’s worth of food needs to be carried at any one time, which is manageable. However, considering the food portions needed to fuel a hungry hiker, even the weight of a single week’s worth of food becomes considerable. Preparing the correct food for my proposed 10 week walk was a major task.

During my research I also discovered that most of the access roads to the AAWT are closed over the winter due to snowfall. Since I was to commence my walk in early spring, before these mountain roads are re-opened, I had to stash my food drops in autumn, prior to the seasonal road closures. Therefore, all my food had to be prepared and packaged about 4 months before I actually started the walk.

P9170478.jpg
A typical 4WD track along the route of the AAWT


Acquiring the correct equipment needed to deal with the wild weather conditions in the Australian Alps was another element of the preparation. After much advice from fellow hikers and online forums, I purchased my shelter, sleeping bag, boots, backpack and all other gear required to be comfortable in the mountains for the duration of my walk. When my rucksack was finally packed, it was heavy but I was satisfied that it contained everything that I required to complete the walk safely and comfortably.

Physically, I felt ready for the AAWT. Having spent the better part of the summer walking as a guide on Tasmania’s Overland Track, I felt strong and confident that my body was ready for the challenge of an extended walk with a heavy pack.

As my day of departure got closer and closer, there was no nervousness, only elation. I was about to trade my complex city comforts for a much simpler, nomadic lifestyle.
Instead of hot showers in a steaming bathroom I would enjoy swims in ice cold mountain streams; instead of a comfortable bed, I would sleep on the peaks of mountains, where I’d watch the birth and death of the sun, as it rose and as it set; instead of waking up to the sound of an alarm bell, I would let the birds wake me up with song; and instead of sinking into a couch, I would walk on lonely ridge tops and feel the solitude of a million years.

When the day finally came and I swung my pack on, I was answering the call of the mountains. I was finally going home."

P9220956.jpg
Sunset on The Bluff, Victorian Alps


To continue reading, click here. http://mountainsofaustralia.com/?page_id=180
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Re: Australian Alps Story

Postby sim1oz » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 6:37 pm

Hi Andy, Your website looks amazing. I'm looking forward to reading through the entire thing later tonight. We have started talking about doing the AAWT so I'm always interested to read about others' experiences. Love the photos, you have a real gift. Thanks for sharing :-)
Carpe diem!
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Re: Australian Alps Story

Postby Lizzy » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 8:18 pm

Nice work! Enjoyed you story :)
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Re: Australian Alps Story

Postby brettwl » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 8:32 pm

Lovely photos and enjoying your story! Thanks for sharing it.


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Re: Australian Alps Story

Postby ofuros » Thu 17 Mar, 2016 12:40 am

Enjoyed your journey, Andy.....once I got started I couldn't stop reading.

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Re: Australian Alps Story

Postby Supertramp » Thu 17 Mar, 2016 5:55 am

Very well done mate,

I can't wait to get home to have a good read.

Cheers,
Glenn.
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Re: Australian Alps Story

Postby neilmny » Thu 17 Mar, 2016 9:27 am

Great work Andy, if it were a printed book my comment would be "I couldn't put it down".
Congratulaions on all counts.
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Re: Australian Alps Story

Postby coastie » Thu 17 Mar, 2016 4:46 pm

Read through your whole story and enjoyed it all. Your writing is very entertaining. Your photos are superb, and having done parts of the walk, it makes me want to do it all...
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Re: Australian Alps Story

Postby Lindsay » Fri 18 Mar, 2016 8:22 am

Great work Andy, thanks for sharing it.
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Re: Australian Alps Story

Postby Bushwalker99 » Fri 25 Mar, 2016 4:19 pm

Hi Andy,
What a fantastic story - you have put a huge effort into it! I also walked the full AAWT in 2014 with 4 others and the memories came flooding back today as I read your story and gazed at your great photos. The average age of our group was 67 so a different set of issues but heaps of satisfaction.
Well done
Tony
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Re: Australian Alps Story

Postby jakeyarwood » Thu 07 Apr, 2016 9:30 pm

Wonderful work Andy!! I'll be sure to read it in its entirety before tomorrow is out. Edit: read it all. So eloquent and joyous is your story!
Last edited by jakeyarwood on Fri 08 Apr, 2016 12:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Australian Alps Story

Postby GBW » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 8:24 am

Fantastic Andy. What an adventure. It's a great read and awesome photos.
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Re: Australian Alps Story

Postby simjo » Wed 25 May, 2016 5:25 pm

Hi Andy, thanks for sharing your journey and story. I stayed up way too late reading it - I'll go to bed after the next chapter...

Love the photos too.
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Re: Australian Alps Story

Postby sloz » Sat 16 May, 2020 8:54 am

Heya,

Thanks to all who have checked out and read my Australian Alps story!

If you wish to see more photos and and read more stories from me, please check out my new blog,
http://www.mountainsoftasmania.com

I send out a weekly newsletter, so if you like the content on the page, please subscribe to the mailing list to receive new posts to your mailbox.

Please help by sharing with friends and family!

Step softly and tread lightly.

-Andy Sz.
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Re: Australian Alps Story

Postby Petew » Sat 16 May, 2020 3:42 pm

Just read your account of your journey. Thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it. Thanks for sharing.
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