Your worst walk

[PedroArvy]

Any New Zealand great walk - their popularity spoils their charm.

[Old Fart]

like a few others have already posted, I haven't had too many bad walks, unpleasant yes, floundering around in south-west slop in the dark, dropping off some forsaken range in the fading light through tassie scrub. 30 odd mozzie bites camping at the loden river, 10km walk back along scotts peak road in the rain But they have all ended up being enjoyable . I suppose the only really bad walk is the one you don't get to do.....

[taipan821]

not a specific walk, but walking through China Apple trees for any length of time. we were searching for a missing hiker (hopefully not of this forum)

[Lindsay]

Can't say I've ever had a bad walk, not one that I could say I would never do again anyway. Probably the closest would be walking up Black Range fire trail on the Six Foot track after taking some medication that knocked me for six. When I got to the top I collapsed for about an hour and slept off the effects.

[DaveNoble]

Not one of my walks, but completed by friends of mine many years ago (a guy, his wife and a friend) - They walked from the west coast Of Tasmania and ended up climbing onto the Wilmot Range and ending up at Serpentine Dam. Needles to say - they encountered a fair bit of scrub. And bad weather - it rained just about every day (and they were out two weeks or so). At one stage on their trip - they spied a hut in the distance. Probably an old hydro hut, and they headed towards it - eager for some good shelter from the rain. Many hours later when they were getting close, they heard a helicopter flying overhead. Attached to the helicopter was the hut! It was being taken out. They pressed on....

The leader told me, that when they got home, they got the slide film processed, but did not look at the slides until about 8-9 months later. Then the guy's wife started crying.... they reminded her of how terrible the trip was. I remember asking the other guy on the walk what the country was like - and he described it at as a good place for an atomic bomb test.

[north-north-west]

At one stage on their trip - they spied a hut in the distance. Probably an old hydro hut, and they headed towards it - eager for some good shelter from the rain. Many hours later when they were getting close, they heard a helicopter flying overhead. Attached to the helicopter was the hut! It was being taken out. They pressed on....

How you know that karma hates you.

[roopass]

Not sure about the premise of this... are we talking about a bad experience due to toughness, scrub... weather? Some of the best walks have been in less-than-favorable conditions, and just being scrubby and/or hard doesn't make it a bad walk. I'd judge "worst walks" by ones that I wouldn't do again under any conditions, eg. the views weren't worth the scrub/fire trail bash, the walk didn't live up to expectation, even in fine weather the walk still would've been cr@p etc.

The 6 Foot Track gets my vote. What a waste of time.

Really!, that was one of my must do walks, give it a miss u reckon?

[roopass]

Tararua ranges in NZ, highly recommended for off track bush bashing up and down the mountains, through leatherwood and supplejack vines and post holing up to hip deep in snow ten hours a day. climbing and over hand out of a river gorge, running out of food. forty hours walking in four days, 40k's covered.[/

I'm sure you meant to post this in the "Best walk " thread Wayno No walk into the Tararuas could ever be considered a bad trip, maybe character-building at worst...

My worst trip was only a weekend long. It was on a pretty popular loop track and I was staying the night at a large and initially empty hut. I was settling in for a quiet night when the hut door was flung open and in walked 30 very loud and obnoxious teenagers playing "music" and complaining about the lack of signal for their cellphones and how "F.." cold the hut was. A couple of supposedly adult supervisors wandered in some time later and did very little to control the rabble even after I pointed out some people (me) were trying to get some sleep for an early start.

Very early the next morning, some "w....er" decided to rattle his spoon inside a billy as an alarm, and 30 teenagers all swore in union. It turns out the party wanted to stat early like me. The thought of having to walk with this party terrified the snot out of me, so I raced to get packed and out the door to get a buffer between me and them. I now understand how a fox feels when being chased on a hunt, you do anything and everything just to stay ahead.

Worse, when I got home and unpacked, I found that I had left behind my expensive headlamp, so one those noisy teenaged "...ers" probably claimed a nice little gift as well.

That's the worst Bazza, I've had the same scenario with a hord of scouts, there might of been about 20 of em, but sounded like 200!

[Ant71]

Not sure what the walk is called but it is the start of the OLT and then down to dove lake circuit. It was early January poring rain and blowing at 120KM winds we did not have the right gear my two teenage girls were getting blown across the top plateau. The spray jackets we bought kept the rain out for about half an hour so we were soaked through and bordering on hypothermia by time we got back to camp. Lessons learnt we did the same walk 6 months later in winter in the snow with the right gear and it was great

[nq111]

Mt Kaputar on a whim and without doing any research. Get very near to the summit thinking we'd done alright and only then see the sealed road. Then a mini-bus of tourists arrive and get out to see the view.

Kinda killed the sense of achievement and hopes of an isolated summit camp for that night.

Any sensible person would have checked a map or asked a local first, but we were young and it looked good from the angle we went at it.

[Happy Pirate]

Jan 2007 I did a day walk along the Tarn Shelf loop from Dobson's Huts. Climbing the boulder fields at lunch on the way to The Watcher one of my Hi-tec (grrr) boots shed its sole and shredded the leather inner. On the way down the other boot followed suit (followed boot?)
The gaffer tape solution didn't work so I did the last 6km of the walk barefoot.
Great to boast about now
Steve

[north-north-west]

Jan 2007 I did a day walk along the Tarn Shelf loop from Dobson's Huts. Climbing the boulder fields at lunch on the way to The Watcher one of my Hi-tec (grrr) boots shed its sole and shredded the leather inner. On the way down the other boot followed suit (followed boot?)
The gaffer tape solution didn't work so I did the last 6km of the walk barefoot.
Great to boast about now Steve

I did that loop barefoot once deliberately, in lovely weather. But thinking what it would be like with my feet as they are now - unused to that long without protection - I feel your pain.

[Happy Pirate]

Jan 2007 I did a day walk along the Tarn Shelf loop from Dobson's Huts. Climbing the boulder fields at lunch on the way to The Watcher one of my Hi-tec (grrr) boots shed its sole and shredded the leather inner. On the way down the other boot followed suit (followed boot?)
The gaffer tape solution didn't work so I did the last 6km of the walk barefoot.
Great to boast about now Steve

I did that loop barefoot once deliberately, in lovely weather. But thinking what it would be like with my feet as they are now - unused to that long without protection - I feel your pain.

Yeah, I was lucky I'd come from 7 years in FNQ where barefoot was pretty natural. And had just finished a Vipasana meditation retreat where you learn that pain is as much about association as it is about experience.
Still....ouchy gravel....
...

[paul_gee]

Worst walk was probably my first go at Cape Jervis > Victor Harbor on the Heysen Trail. Day 1 had me coming far too close to no less than 7 brown snakes. If I was required to contribute to a swear jar that day, I'd be bankrupt.

Definitely not the worst, but it was unexpected and proved unpleasant. The Rees Dart in NZ in 2009. Weather wasn't crash hot, but I set off anyway expecting to be holed up in Shelter Rock or Dart for a day. Got to the trailhead not expecting to see a soul. There stood a nice big school bus with 13 teenagers and their teachers, ready for a spot of outdoor education.

As unpleasant as it was sharing huts for 4 nights with a tribe of kids, they were good enough kids. I think it was more the fact that it was 13 others!

[whitefang]

Worst walk was probably my first go at Cape Jervis > Victor Harbor on the Heysen Trail. Day 1 had me coming far too close to no less than 7 brown snakes. If I was required to contribute to a swear jar that day, I'd be bankrupt.

I had a very similar experience on that section my first go. It was supposed to be my first overnight trip, but I was inexperienced and terrified of snakes at the time so pulled out. The next time I attempted it I didn't see a single snake and happily (read: painfully) completed the section in two days.

[paul_gee]

What, you got from Cape Jervis to Victor in 2 days? :O

It must be an inherently snakey place indeed. Between Cape Jervis and Blowhole Beach was where I saw most of them.

[whitefang]

What, you got from Cape Jervis to Victor in 2 days? :O

It must be an inherently snakey place indeed. Between Cape Jervis and Blowhole Beach was where I saw most of them.

That's where I saw all of them too.

Day 1 we walked to Balquhidder campsite. The section from Tunkalilla beach to Balquhidder campsite was probably the most gruelling, exhausting walking I've ever done. On day 2 we finished at Victor Harbour and had a horrible walk from the bluff back into the town centre to get some well earned food.

[paul_gee]

That's a pretty good effort. Now I feel slack. I've always done it in 3-4 days.

[puredingo]

Yadboro river....you just made the list!

[clance]

Worst walk? Tough question

When I was a kid I walked the Douglas river from north to south - I got food poisoning along the way, it was still a good walk!

I walked up Mt Picton, went the wrong way.... It raining flat out.... Wound up camping in the only viable spot I could find- very muddy with some water flowing under the tent- had an apple crumble form "backcountry cuisine" which to this day still rates as one of the most delicious meals I've ever had.... Walked back out the next morning, to this day I've never summited Mt Picton, one day I'll get back and rectify that!

For the record both of these walks beat Westfield's shopping centre in December!

Sent from my D5833 using Tapatalk

[weeds]

Green Gully.....although I'm only picking from two walks......

[flyfisher]

[quote="clance"]Worst walk? Tough question

had an apple crumble form "backcountry cuisine" which to this day still rates as one of the most delicious meals I've ever had....

Made my son a chocolate mousse after a long day fishing in the Western lakes and he talked about for ages after.

Made him same one at home and he wouldn't eat it all. Definitely food tastes better out there, if you're really hungry.

FF

[north-north-west]

Definitely food tastes better out there, if you're really hungry.

Did you ever read SoB's Western Arthurs simulation? I held it together until the line "...repeat until hungry enough to eat boot. Eat boot."
Probably been days like that for all of us.

I can't say I've ever had a bushwalk I wouldn't repeat except maybe Mt Elephant and that disastrous New Years trip some 34 years ago along the Old Port Davey and South Coast tracks. Days or parts of days I'd rather forget, but there are few that sucked in their entirety. Or maybe they were so traumatic I have forgotten them and just don't remember it . . .

[Walk_fat boy_walk]

Yadboro river....you just made the list!

Care to elaborate? Are you referring to the pad upstream from Long Gully or down from Snedden Pass?

Not disagreeing btw, just curious as I've contemplated that route in the past

Green Gully.....although I'm only picking from two walks......

From Carlons Farm... or the much-hyped Green Gully track up in Oxley?

[puredingo]

G'day fat boy....The walking pad upstream from long gully really only lasts a couple of klm's after that it's brutal bank bashing, fighting nettles, vines and all the usual weeds. No real decent camping spots nor views to be had.
I came down the Sneddon pass which really took some finding in places as the hill it begins with has been burnt out and the track on the ridge basically isn't there, the last part I ended up dropping into a creek and following that down to the river. After awhile I gave up on walking the bank and walked straight down the guts of the river.

One thing, I'm glad I came down Sneddon as I was considering doing the loop the other way finishing coming up The river...I doubt I would of ever found the correct ridge and ending the walk with the bank bashing rather than the Monolith valley ect would of tarnished a fun walk.

[weeds]

Yadboro river....you just made the list!

Care to elaborate? Are you referring to the pad upstream from Long Gully or down from Snedden Pass?

Not disagreeing btw, just curious as I've contemplated that route in the past

Green Gully.....although I'm only picking from two walks......

From Carlons Farm... or the much-hyped Green Gully track up in Oxley?

The much hyped Green Gully Track.....day three was a brilliant creek walk, second 1/2 day 2 was off track ish. The three hits and the history was very enjoyable. The 2 1/2 days on fire trail, steep fire trial was testing.

Max. Six walkers starting each day was good.....not seeing any other walkers for four days was also good.

It's pretty much 100% booked on school holidays.

[Walk_fat boy_walk]

G'day fat boy....The walking pad upstream from long gully really only lasts a couple of klm's after that it's brutal bank bashing, fighting nettles, vines and all the usual weeds. No real decent camping spots nor views to be had.
I came down the Sneddon pass which really took some finding in places as the hill it begins with has been burnt out and the track on the ridge basically isn't there, the last part I ended up dropping into a creek and following that down to the river. After awhile I gave up on walking the bank and walked straight down the guts of the river.

One thing, I'm glad I came down Sneddon as I was considering doing the loop the other way finishing coming up The river...I doubt I would of ever found the correct ridge and ending the walk with the bank bashing rather than the Monolith valley ect would of tarnished a fun walk.

Thanks for that. From memory I think the 1:25000 map shows a track along the length of the river, and it is described in Doughton's book (could be wrong on both counts as I don't have them in front of me). Good to know that it's not really a viable route, without a lot of "fun" at least
I've read of some people using it as access to Wirritin Ridge and other areas south, which looks nice. Maybe one day.

Yadboro river....you just made the list!

Care to elaborate? Are you referring to the pad upstream from Long Gully or down from Snedden Pass?

Not disagreeing btw, just curious as I've contemplated that route in the past

The much hyped Green Gully Track.....day three was a brilliant creek walk, second 1/2 day 2 was off track ish. The three hits and the history was very enjoyable. The 2 1/2 days on fire trail, steep fire trial was testing.

Max. Six walkers starting each day was good.....not seeing any other walkers for four days was also good.

It's pretty much 100% booked on school holidays.

Hmmm... another one to slip down the "to do" list

[puredingo]

Don't take my word for it, I was probably just a bit cranky because of the creek I ended up in on the way down. I had that much stinging tree/nettle action going on it felt like there were 3 electric eels in my sleeping bag that night.

And that track shown on the Northern side of river is definitely NOT there. In fact the further upstream I was I found myself on the other bank more often then not....it really should be stricken from the map.

[Son of a Beach]

I must be special, or something. I don't think I've ever had a walk that I wouldn't call a good walk.

In the Western & Eastern Arthurs, it rained for 11 out of 12 days, but it was still a great walk. We had some bad moments, that's for sure - cold wet and miserable, even - but overall, I still rate it as a great walk. (This was the walk on which we wrote up the South West Walking Simulation that NNW referred to earlier.)

Another walk, at the end of a 15 hour day I failed at crossing a river due to the water being chest deep before I got half way across... twice... in the dark. That was not at all fun, and just a tad scary. But the first half of that same day was fantastic - I'd even given away my spare shoes to a stranger I'd met at a camp site who'd broken her boots and had nothing else to where (mine just happened to fit her). The previous couple of days were also great days. And overall, it was a fantastic walk.

Yesterday, I spent the entire day off-track on my own and the scrub bashing was only broken periodically by wet and slippery boulder/scree scrambling. And it rained most of the day. It did get me down at times, but overall, it was still a great walk. The previous two days were not as difficult and the weather was better, but even yesterday, I got a lot of satisfaction out of bashing through.

I once had to carry two full packs walking through deep snow (taking turns with others) when another member of our group fell badly and tore the ligaments in his knee and could just barely limp out slowly if he used a stick and carried no pack. Still a great walk... great company, fantastic scenery, and watching the more assertive (than I) people go into action/care/planning mode in the face of what appeared to be near disaster at first was fascinating.

I've been lost, wet, cold, etc. I've had plenty of bad moments when walking, but not as bad as others have posted here, and none bad enough to make me feel like it was a bad walk. Perhaps the worst is yet to come?

So not having ever had a bad walk, I find it impossible to pick a worst walk.

[slparker]

Mt Arthur, NE Tas. The new track is fire trail all the way to he scree line. Not a bad walk, just disappointing after my previous effort up the old walking track.