This weekend I did something slightly different to normal, I moved my long run and bike forward one day giving me time to go on my first solo hike, I had just brought all the new gear I needed and planned a route, although I did muck up my route slightly I still got where I planned on staying just with a different route there than expected.
I walked in and out of one hut then continued down another track to Dalys Clearing Hut where I stayed the night, the hut continued to fill up as the afternoon went by until it was full and there were plenty of tents put up outside, so lucky I managed to get a bed.
The first day it was about a 4:15 hour hike, over 17km but not too much elevation. The next morning I woke up and was the first out of the hut with the plan to hike up the back of the mountain I live under then continue up and over.
Others who did this walk the day prior told me it took them 6:30 hours and that the track was damaged in areas due to storms. So I knew it wasn’t going to be as easy as the day before.
I set off and straight away came across slips and many fallen trees I had to climb over and under, I came across a few sections that I trailed off of the track and had to back track to re find it. Luckily never getting to lost.
Some of the slips were a bit too effective and caused me to have to scramble down sides of small cliffs and did fall down a bank once I lost my footing, but nothing too bad as it’s all apart of the hiking adventure.
I finished the hike in 5 hours so quicker than I expected but was definitely glad to sit down and take my boots off at the bottom of the mountain. Hiking has always been a hobby of mine but haven’t always been able to fit it in around other commitments but will definitely keep trying to find areas to fit them in.
My body definitely isn’t used to the type of impact, and weight I had to carry and definitely felt it on my muscles that night and the day after, but it’s all strength that will build up and help my running and training overall.
– Jessica Bray