Jan 21, 2024, Starveall Hut to Old Man Hut, 13,56 km, km 1788,08, 8:29 hrs
I wake up early as usual. Quietly, I bring all my stuff outside. The freeze-dried dinner I left outside of my Nylofume bag on a bench had a hole and was clearly tampered with by mice. I empty it completely.
I start walking at 7:30. It's uphill. At least today, I won't be walking that much in the forest, and I get a lot of views.
I reach the next hut after 3 hrs., 30 min more than the sign said it would take. I have a break at this hut (Slay hut).
Up and down the path continues with many views and a climb up the "Old Man Mountain".
I get very exhausted while climbing down that mountain. There are many dangerous passages, up and down, climbing with hand and feet while right and left of me there are steep drops. I don't like that at all. Progress is very slow.
One of the scary climbs up. One had to get around that bush at the top on it's left side:
Finally there is the junction to the hut.
I still need half an hour for a very short distance through the forest, since it is another very steep and slippery descend.
I reach the hut after about 8,5 hrs since I left Stearveall Hut. I am very tired, set up my tent and try to dry my shoes and socks. There was still mud and water along the way.
I feel nervous about tomorrow. There are two high peaks to tackle that have very steep and dangerous parts, and it should not be done in bad weather. A Swiss guy tells me that there will be rain but not before the afternoon. I hope he is right.
I asked people along the way who took me over if they had seen X and where. He is there, somewhere behind me. But he does not arrive at the Old Man Hut tonight. I ponder if I should wait for him here the next day, but since the hut is off-trail, he might not even get here and instead pass by further up, depending on where he started before. In that case, I would miss him. So I decide to walk to the next hut after the two Mt. Rintoul peaks tomorrow.
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