Written by Chloe Debono
This trip was hands down one of the coolest things I have ever done. I’ve never experienced anything like it before, and am so incredibly grateful I was able to share it with two of my closest friends.
Our trip officially started when we departed Newcastle with a 5-hour drive to Yass where we stayed the night to break up the journey. The next morning we continued our drive for another 4 hours, heading south to Bright, Victoria. When we first arrived at Bright, we explored the town, grabbed some supplies, and set up camp, at Smoko campground.
The next day started bright and early, making sure we were fuelled with breakfast and that our hiking packs were ready to go. The first part of our hike consisted of a 3km flat, a nice start to the hardest hike I have ever done. We then continued for another 9km with an elevation of 1200m.
We hiked through freezing cold rivers, steep ledges, and knee-deep snow. It was a hike that consisted of such different terrain and beautiful views. After 6.5 hours of hiking, we finally reached our stop for the night. I have never been so excited yet so physically and emotionally depleted. We raced to the hut and took in the amazing view of the sun setting over the mountains. We made sure to stay warm with plenty of layers and warm sleeping bags.
The following day started with an amazing sunrise that overlooked the mountain range. We then continued our hike toward the summit of Mt Feather top. Some parts of this hike were so steep and snowy, at one point it took us 1 hour to climb 300 metres. It wasn’t until we looked back that we fully realized just how steep our hike had been.
The view from the summit was so surreal and so beautiful. Once we reached the top, we heated up some soups and baked beans for a warm lunch. After soaking in the views, we began our decent to the little town of Harrietville. After 8 hours on our feet, we finally made it.
A couple of days later we completed a 22km day hike up Mt Buffalo, which was beautiful. Throughout the hike we were lucky enough to see some beautiful waterfalls, rock faces, and once again snow!
For the rest of our trip we continued to explore Bright with lots of walks, waterfalls, rivers, trails, and the town itself.
This trip was definitely a great way to spend the mid-semester break. It was an amazing experience, and definitely one I will not forget.
Charlie blog is a SSAF funded initiative.
