With our previous failed attempt echoing at the back of our minds, combined with a challenge issued regarding a cache unfound since placement on Mt Latrobe 800 days ago, we realised that we had less than four weeks before we left the country for quite some time – leaving the cache wide open for others to collect it before us. We spotted a window of good weather at the Prom, and the decision was made – this time, we were getting that peak (and the cache with it).

Having learnt our lesson from our previous attempt however, this time we came properly prepared. *cue dramatic music*

GARDENING GLOVES!

They were our secret to success. Other important ingredients included light packs – we were going fast and light to make it to the cache and back in a day (although we did have enough extras that we were prepared to stay overnight if we had to), and it made the acrobatic manoeuvres required when scrub bashing on steep slopes oh so much easier. We carried plenty of water, M&Ms, jelly beans, as well as some other more boring food (and the emergency tube of army ration condensed milk).

Spending Sunday night at Tidal River, we woke up early and drove to the Oberon carpark for breakfast, before finalising our packing, donning our scrub-proof hiking attire, and setting off finally as the sun rose. There was an early scare as my large dinner the night before combined with a muesli breakfast obviously hadn’t been enough: with plummeting blood sugar I struggled to walk the graded path to Windy Saddle. This problem was solved with an impromptu second breakfast, and all was fine again, the mission could begin.

With memories of thick impenetrable scrub from last time, we found this time round it was comparably easy going. The light packs helped, and we were a bit more canny when it came to picking the best route through the scrub, and the best line up the mountain. In general it was a bit less damp than last time as well, which helped as well.

Having reached Mt Ramsay in about an hour, we quickly admired the view, then set off again. We only made the mistake of sitting down in leech territory once – the saddle between Ramsay and Latrobe is a BAD resting spot people, even if reaching it does feel like a significant milestone. We didn’t feel the scrub in the saddle area was particularly bad. From memory (repressed though they are) the worst scrub patches we hit were near the summit of Ramsay, with a few nasty bands coming up Ramsay from Windy Saddle, and a few more unpleasant bands coming up on the south side of Mt Latrobe.

Finally we reached the summit of Latrobe shortly after midday, the cache about 30 seconds after that. There was much rejoicing, photo taking, lunch eating, and claiming of the mountain for the great pirate nation

Our return journey was relatively uneventful, as we passed by the site of the Great Leech Battle of 2007 (where we had fought of the two leeches Megan had somehow acquired, and there was much singeing of leg hairs), and by the Campsite of the Great Cache Attempt of 2006.

By the time we got to the summit of Mt Ramsay, we felt like we were almost on a graded path it was all so familiar. As the scrub finally spat us out into Windy Saddle there was much rejoicing and consumption of jelly beans. As we walked back to the carpark, the sun sunk lower in the sky, and we had a lovely sunset to watch, silhouetting the burnt tree trunks. We reached the van just before the sun started tipping the edge of the horizon. Aaaahhhhh.

The statistics

Return time from Mt Oberon carpark: 11 hours 20 minutes
Attached leeches found on person: 3
Unattached leeches found on person: Innumerable

Telegraph Saddle departure 06:30
Windy Saddle arrival 07:10
Windy Saddle departure 07:30
Mt Ramsay 08:45
Ramsay/Latrobe Saddle 10:45
Mt Latrobe 12:10
Latrobe Summit departure 13:00
Ramsay/Latrobe Saddle again 14:20
Mt Ramsay again 16:00
Windy Saddle again 17:00
Telegraph Saddle again 17:50

The madness that is thousands of mostly men skating around in tight fitting lycra (even better when the man in question has a beer gut). The Kangaroo Hoppet at Falls Creek – Australian link of the World Loppet series.

 
Beautiful day, but the pleasant warmth made for porridge-like snow.

With the final dreadlock now removed, the ceremonial weighing of the dreadlocks could be undertaken.

They didn’t even tip the scales at 400 grams! I’m thinking I may have to do a reweigh on a set of scales that were made some time after 1930.

We prepare the whale for our alpine whaling expedition at Mount Stirling.

We have a whale. His name is William the Third. Also known as Willie the Whale.
 

We take the whale down some gentle slopes. Getting the correct balance takes a bit of practise.
 

Then we take the whale on some steeper slopes. He gets up quite some speed, and the foot braking mechanism can lead to tumbling falls if misapplied.
 

Now whaling off into the sunset.

The things you find when you clean out your cupboards. Why I have five opened and partially used containers of peanut butter is anybody’s guess.

Yesterday I spent nine hours in airports and aeroplanes. For the sake of flying from Melbourne to Canberra in the morning, and back again in the evening. The first culprit was the ice. As we sat in the plane at 0730 we waited for the de-icing equipment (a man with a ladder, a bucket of warm water and a credit card) along with a lot of other planes. Then came the good news! Thanks to a security breach (some contractor passed their keys around the security barrier) the entire domestic terminal was being cleared. Including us lucky folk already on planes. We all had to file out to wait to go through security again, while staff wandered around poking things in shops in the secure area with sticks.

After passing through security again at 0930 and finally boarding, we naturally once more experienced the joy of queuing as our plane waited to be allowed to take off. This required some waiting, and some manoeuvring of other planes which had arrived but had not been allowed to disembark.

[insert fun part of the day where I ride around Canberra on my bike visiting people]

And then I checked in and found out my flight back to Melbourne was pushed from 2030 to 2200, no wait, make that 2235, and I’d just missed being bumped to the earlier Melbourne flight. *mutter*

THE THESIS HAS BEEN SUBMITTED.

(And they gave me a pen)