Overland Track, Tasmania - Day 1

"The Overland Track is Tasmania's best known walk and has become a mecca for walkers from all parts of the globe. The track winds its way through Cradle Mountain- Lake St Clair National Park crossing exposed alpine plateaus, passing through dense forests and alongside tranquil lakes and tarns. The track passes many of the highest peaks in the state of Tasmania which is one of the world's most mountainous islands."

elevation levels throughout the track

Day 1 Craddle Valley to Waterfall Valley Hut
Distance Hiked 10.4 km/6.5 miles

I will have to say this adventure was the hardest, greatest, most memorable thing I have done to date. It was absolutely fabulous to have been given the opportunity to travel to Tasmania and hike the Overland Track. I went into the hike expecting to not enjoy myself to much, just wanting to get it over with to say I did it. But pretty much right away I was hooked and in love- it was far harder then I imagined it would be, I mean all the pictures show people walking on nice boardwalk paths, how hard could that be, right? About the time I was scaling a rock wall with my pack on, hanging onto a chain link railing to hoist myself up- I knew this would not be that easy. But is was far more enjoyable also.

Our first day of hiking started out pretty late in the day- 1pm- due to having to take a bus from the backpackers hostel we stayed at the night before- it took a while to get to the start of the track. It was rainy and cold the entire first day of walking, quite miserable by most standards but very exhilarating at the same time.

first days journey
The red dot I am pointing at is where we slept the first night- Waterfall Valley Hut

My Pack- all 18kg/40lbs of it
complete with everything I would need to survive for 6 days

It was a rainy, cold day

A Spotted Quoll we saw at Kitchen Hut

View of Cradle Mountain the day we were suppose to climb it- of course the weather preventing us from climbing that day

Walking on a section of boardwalk along the trail

Me climbing up a steep rock section, hoisting myself up
with the help of a chain link railing to grab.
Crater Lake in the background

An old hut at Crater Lake

By one of the many waterfalls we encounter on the track

Waterfall Valley Hut- our first night
there were 4 platforms, sleeping 6 on each one- you are no longer shy about sleeping next to strangers after that- and even less shy about nudging them when they snore.

The eating area where we cooked our food
(the pics of the hut are foggy because the camera was a little cold)

On that first day, in all the rain, I had to get over the fact that my boots were not only going to get a little wet but my boots were going to be wet the entire six days of hiking. and muddy (more picks on the mud on day 4).

So that's a wrap up of day 1, stay tuned for tomorrow for day 2 wrap up.