Tomorrow I set out with excitement and some trepidation on a walk across the vast state of South Australia as I seek to hike the entirety of the 1200km Heysen Trail. Mobile reception permitting, I plan to upload daily trail journals and photos about my journey. Please feel free to follow me and lend some encouragement along the way. The Heysen Trail is promoted as the longest dedicated walking trail in Australia (https://heysentrail.asn.au/assets/articles/OutdoorMagWALK_PROFILEv3.pdf). Unlike the three great long distance “Triple Crown” trails in the US (Appalachian Trail / Pacific Crest Trail / Continental Divide Trail) that have exploded in popularity, the Heysen Trail remains not that well known within Australia and it seems that few people actually walk it end-to-end in one go. Perhaps this is because the trail is not a groomed and contoured single track like the great US trails but follows a mixture of tracks, roads and even trackless fields (“follow fence”) and creek beds (“follow creek”). Some argue that the word “trail’ is a misnomer and the Heysen Trail would more appropriately named a route or way. Regardless, the Heysen Trail criss-crosses its way northwards across the majestic state of South Australia, traversing spectacular coastline along the southern Fleurieu Peninsula, up through the beautiful Mt Lofty Ranges and Adelaide Hills, into the Barossa wine region, across the farmlands and wind farms of the mid-north and finally into the stunning Flinders Ranges and SA outback. My planned 53-day journey will start in the south at Cape Jervis at the tip of the Fleurieu Peninsula and end in the North Flinders Ranges near Parachilna and Blinman. The Heysen Trail walking season normally begins in autumn, carries through winter and ends in late spring once fire season resumes. Bushfire danger, snakes, limited access to water and private land closures means that much of the trail is off limits over summer. This year, a record dry autumn season meant that the fire season was extended until mid-May, delaying my start for several weeks. Fortunately, the last couple of weeks have brought some widespread rain, greening the landscape, lessening bushfire risks and hopefully partially filling water tanks along the trail! Frustratingly, once fire season ended, I was forced to delay my start again due to a park-wide closure across Deep Creek Conservation Park as they carried out feral animal control activities. After all my preparations, it is a relief to get started even though I’m setting off nearly three weeks later than planned. So why am I doing this? I’ve always felt connected to the outdoors and enjoy physical activity as well as the sense of accomplishment a physical challenge brings. I first started thinking of walking the entire Heysen Trail in 1999 & 2000 when I participated in the endurance Trailwalker hiking / fundraising event, where a team of four seeks to complete a 100 km section of the Heysen Trial in under 48 hours (Here's looking at you, Shazza, Sparky and Chippers!). However, given toddlers and massive career commitments, it was simply the wrong time of my life to take on such a big commitment. Fast forward nearly 20 years and I’m in a completely different space – children raised, semi-retired, successfully recovered from a debilitating back injury (a glimpse of the retirement I don’t want to have!) and looking for my next challenge. Walking the complete Heysen Trail quickly came to mind given it is right on our doorstep! The “epicness” of attempting a long distance solo hike appeals to me; a journey on foot forces one to slow down and appreciate each moment as you traverse the changing landscapes. As one wise thru-hiker stated, “Everyday life is complex yet easy, while thru-hiking is simple yet hard”. A long journey on foot also raises the commitment stakes and increases the likelihood that this will become a transformational journey - my brother likes to tell me that I’ve chosen to embark on a pilgrimage! I’m hoping that my (obsessive, claims my wife Lisa) planning and preparation will lead to an enjoyable hike and a successful outcome. For future aspiring thru-hikers, I will seek to make my planning resources available (see section below for some overview tips) and I will, of course be happy to answer questions. I’ve had the good fortune to have been mentored by a couple of previous thru-hikers and there is nothing better than first-hand knowledge! Let the adventure begin! ================================= Resources for aspiring Heysen Trail thru-hikers: 1) First stop for should be the Friends of the Heysen Association, https://heysentrail.asn.au/. They have a great deal of key information available online and will happily answer questions. Please join their association and consider volunteering. Big shout out to this excellent organisation!! 2) Maps: I’ve purchased both paper and digital copies (through the Avenza app) of the official mapsheets. I’ve went back and forth whether to even bring the paper copies due to their weight but I’ve finally decided to bring them as paper maps are reliable low tech and provide a much better overview of the trip ahead compared to squinting at a phone screen. 3) Gear: List at https://lighterpack.com/r/eo3eax. As I hadn’t backpacked in several decades, I basically had to start from scratch rebuilding my backpacking kit. Given my age and back history, I knew it would be wise to aim to be lightweight as possible. My initial goal was achieving a 6 kg base weight (pack weight minus consumables such as fuel, food and water) although this wasn’t to be. I researched gear intensely, with a focus on value over cost. Ultimately, my base weight target ended up 7.5 kg (tip: get a scale and obsessively weigh everything; don’t believe published manufacturer weights and recognise that L and XL sizes like I wear generally come with a weight penalty over published weights). Adding food, water & fuel for a typical five-day stretch means my pack will generally have a maximum (and diminishing with consumption) weight of a bit under the 15kg that I carried during my pack training. 4) Training: Given my awful experience with an injured back a few years ago, I put a lot of effort into physical preparation for this walk. Perhaps too much as I am suffering from a minor foot problem! I have been walking regularly for exercise for several years but I ramped up my walking as the hike approached until I was doing ~75 km/week. Over the last three months, this included twice-weekly long pack training trail walks where I would walk 20 to 25km with a fully loaded pack. I don’t expect this will totally prepare me for 50+ days on end of 20 to 35kms distances, but I am hoping it will prevent serious injury and make gaining my “trail legs” much more pleasant. 5) Water: Water availability is an overall concern that has to be managed. The Friends of the Heysen Trail Association has done a fantastic job of installing water tanks for hikers along the way but they cannot guarantee that water will be available, particularly in the northern reaches where surface water and rainfall can be meagre. Water availability generally increases through winter given late autumn into winter is the rainy season within South Australia. It is worth asking the Heysen Trial Association about current water availability. However, obtaining information on water tank levels is problematic, particularly early in the season when trail reports are scarce. Distances between water sources and availability risks have to be considered when you decide how much (heavy!) water to carry along the way. I’ve looked at BOM rainfall maps to try to get an idea of rain distribution over the past month; recognising this does not guarantee water availability but this information will inform my risk assessment. I decided to have the ability to carry up to nearly 5 litres but plan to generally carry ~2 litres in the south and increase my carried water as appropriate as I reach the drier north. 6) Hiking Season & direction: The walking season for the Heysen Trail is generally from late autumn when the fire season bans are lifted (typically 30 April but this can be delayed weeks if SA experiences a dry autumn as it has done in 2018 and 2019). The fire bans resume in late spring which is again weather dependant. If you need to walk to a fixed schedule (ie arranging leave from work or similar), you are probably better to avoid the shoulder seasons by 2-4 weeks given fire season dates are not fixed on either end. Many hikers such as myself chose northbound for an autumn start. This means they can minimise the chilly wet rainy weather in the southern sections and finish in the drier north. Spring thru-hikers often travel southbound to avoid walking into the hotter outback in late spring. 7) Other resources: I created a Pinterest board where I curated links to online information that I thought was useful (https://www.pinterest.com.au/carlgreenstreet/heyson-thru-hike/). In particular, I have created a sub-section listing all the online trail journals I could find from previous Heysen Trail thru-hikers as there is much to learn from others’ experiences.

Hiking/Backpacking

South Australia, Heysen Trail, Thru-hike

The District Council of Yankalil, South Australia, Australia

time : May 16, 2019

duration : 0h 0m

distance : 1033.9 km

total_ascent : 2126 m

highest_point : 690 m

avg_speed : N/A

user_id : gstreet

user_firstname : Carl

user_lastname : Greenstreet

Tomorrow I set out with excitement and some trepidation on a walk across the vast state of South Australia as I seek to hike the entirety of the 1200km Heysen Trail. Mobile reception permitting, I plan to upload daily trail journals and photos about my journey. Please feel free to follow me and lend some encouragement along the way. The Heysen Trail is promoted as the longest dedicated walking trail in Australia (https://heysentrail.asn.au/assets/articles/OutdoorMagWALK_PROFILEv3.pdf). Unlike the three great long distance “Triple Crown” trails in the US (Appalachian Trail / Pacific Crest Trail / Continental Divide Trail) that have exploded in popularity, the Heysen Trail remains not that well known within Australia and it seems that few people actually walk it end-to-end in one go. Perhaps this is because the trail is not a groomed and contoured single track like the great US trails but follows a mixture of tracks, roads and even trackless fields (“follow fence”) and creek beds (“follow creek”). Some argue that the word “trail’ is a misnomer and the Heysen Trail would more appropriately named a route or way. Regardless, the Heysen Trail criss-crosses its way northwards across the majestic state of South Australia, traversing spectacular coastline along the southern Fleurieu Peninsula, up through the beautiful Mt Lofty Ranges and Adelaide Hills, into the Barossa wine region, across the farmlands and wind farms of the mid-north and finally into the stunning Flinders Ranges and SA outback. My planned 53-day journey will start in the south at Cape Jervis at the tip of the Fleurieu Peninsula and end in the North Flinders Ranges near Parachilna and Blinman. The Heysen Trail walking season normally begins in autumn, carries through winter and ends in late spring once fire season resumes. Bushfire danger, snakes, limited access to water and private land closures means that much of the trail is off limits over summer. This year, a record dry autumn season meant that the fire season was extended until mid-May, delaying my start for several weeks. Fortunately, the last couple of weeks have brought some widespread rain, greening the landscape, lessening bushfire risks and hopefully partially filling water tanks along the trail! Frustratingly, once fire season ended, I was forced to delay my start again due to a park-wide closure across Deep Creek Conservation Park as they carried out feral animal control activities. After all my preparations, it is a relief to get started even though I’m setting off nearly three weeks later than planned. So why am I doing this? I’ve always felt connected to the outdoors and enjoy physical activity as well as the sense of accomplishment a physical challenge brings. I first started thinking of walking the entire Heysen Trail in 1999 & 2000 when I participated in the endurance Trailwalker hiking / fundraising event, where a team of four seeks to complete a 100 km section of the Heysen Trial in under 48 hours (Here's looking at you, Shazza, Sparky and Chippers!). However, given toddlers and massive career commitments, it was simply the wrong time of my life to take on such a big commitment. Fast forward nearly 20 years and I’m in a completely different space – children raised, semi-retired, successfully recovered from a debilitating back injury (a glimpse of the retirement I don’t want to have!) and looking for my next challenge. Walking the complete Heysen Trail quickly came to mind given it is right on our doorstep! The “epicness” of attempting a long distance solo hike appeals to me; a journey on foot forces one to slow down and appreciate each moment as you traverse the changing landscapes. As one wise thru-hiker stated, “Everyday life is complex yet easy, while thru-hiking is simple yet hard”. A long journey on foot also raises the commitment stakes and increases the likelihood that this will become a transformational journey - my brother likes to tell me that I’ve chosen to embark on a pilgrimage! I’m hoping that my (obsessive, claims my wife Lisa) planning and preparation will lead to an enjoyable hike and a successful outcome. For future aspiring thru-hikers, I will seek to make my planning resources available (see section below for some overview tips) and I will, of course be happy to answer questions. I’ve had the good fortune to have been mentored by a couple of previous thru-hikers and there is nothing better than first-hand knowledge! Let the adventure begin! ================================= Resources for aspiring Heysen Trail thru-hikers: 1) First stop for should be the Friends of the Heysen Association, https://heysentrail.asn.au/. They have a great deal of key information available online and will happily answer questions. Please join their association and consider volunteering. Big shout out to this excellent organisation!! 2) Maps: I’ve purchased both paper and digital copies (through the Avenza app) of the official mapsheets. I’ve went back and forth whether to even bring the paper copies due to their weight but I’ve finally decided to bring them as paper maps are reliable low tech and provide a much better overview of the trip ahead compared to squinting at a phone screen. 3) Gear: List at https://lighterpack.com/r/eo3eax. As I hadn’t backpacked in several decades, I basically had to start from scratch rebuilding my backpacking kit. Given my age and back history, I knew it would be wise to aim to be lightweight as possible. My initial goal was achieving a 6 kg base weight (pack weight minus consumables such as fuel, food and water) although this wasn’t to be. I researched gear intensely, with a focus on value over cost. Ultimately, my base weight target ended up 7.5 kg (tip: get a scale and obsessively weigh everything; don’t believe published manufacturer weights and recognise that L and XL sizes like I wear generally come with a weight penalty over published weights). Adding food, water & fuel for a typical five-day stretch means my pack will generally have a maximum (and diminishing with consumption) weight of a bit under the 15kg that I carried during my pack training. 4) Training: Given my awful experience with an injured back a few years ago, I put a lot of effort into physical preparation for this walk. Perhaps too much as I am suffering from a minor foot problem! I have been walking regularly for exercise for several years but I ramped up my walking as the hike approached until I was doing ~75 km/week. Over the last three months, this included twice-weekly long pack training trail walks where I would walk 20 to 25km with a fully loaded pack. I don’t expect this will totally prepare me for 50+ days on end of 20 to 35kms distances, but I am hoping it will prevent serious injury and make gaining my “trail legs” much more pleasant. 5) Water: Water availability is an overall concern that has to be managed. The Friends of the Heysen Trail Association has done a fantastic job of installing water tanks for hikers along the way but they cannot guarantee that water will be available, particularly in the northern reaches where surface water and rainfall can be meagre. Water availability generally increases through winter given late autumn into winter is the rainy season within South Australia. It is worth asking the Heysen Trial Association about current water availability. However, obtaining information on water tank levels is problematic, particularly early in the season when trail reports are scarce. Distances between water sources and availability risks have to be considered when you decide how much (heavy!) water to carry along the way. I’ve looked at BOM rainfall maps to try to get an idea of rain distribution over the past month; recognising this does not guarantee water availability but this information will inform my risk assessment. I decided to have the ability to carry up to nearly 5 litres but plan to generally carry ~2 litres in the south and increase my carried water as appropriate as I reach the drier north. 6) Hiking Season & direction: The walking season for the Heysen Trail is generally from late autumn when the fire season bans are lifted (typically 30 April but this can be delayed weeks if SA experiences a dry autumn as it has done in 2018 and 2019). The fire bans resume in late spring which is again weather dependant. If you need to walk to a fixed schedule (ie arranging leave from work or similar), you are probably better to avoid the shoulder seasons by 2-4 weeks given fire season dates are not fixed on either end. Many hikers such as myself chose northbound for an autumn start. This means they can minimise the chilly wet rainy weather in the southern sections and finish in the drier north. Spring thru-hikers often travel southbound to avoid walking into the hotter outback in late spring. 7) Other resources: I created a Pinterest board where I curated links to online information that I thought was useful (https://www.pinterest.com.au/carlgreenstreet/heyson-thru-hike/). In particular, I have created a sub-section listing all the online trail journals I could find from previous Heysen Trail thru-hikers as there is much to learn from others’ experiences.