Do you kill the dream or guide it?

[ErichFromm]

Can someone point me toward the thread or update for this guy? was following for a while and was curious to see how it turned out - sounds like not well.....

http://www.bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=19655&p=261369#p261369

http://www.bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=21339&p=281565#p281565

https://m.facebook.com/GarethOzHike

thanks chris. damn, that's disappointing after all that preparation... hope he tries again

[jackattack]

I have huge dreams. I have caught the walking bug big time. I sometimes think I am crazy. I am a shift worker, have basically no funds spare and it would be pointless joining a club as shifts don't allow time off for club walks and I wonder if id ever be allowed on the more adventuresome walks as I am always going to be slow and I will always suffer up hills.. I am going to pay to do a nav course, my partner and I agreed I need a PLB so have one coming from Santa. I have made huge mistakes wasting money on second hand gear and by buying gear like boots and a pack only to have them not fit due to me losing a a heap of weight.

I in some ways foolishly set my mind to doing The Great North Walk in sections. Heaton Gap to Teralba was hard at 135 kilos, I misjudged the tide on smelter beach and finished the walk in my boxer shorts, and Mt Kuringai to Berowra induced a large amount of swearing up the ridge but so rewarding seeing wild Waratahs for first time. I will finish it even if I have to crawl up the ridges and turn day walks into over night walks. I will do the Mt Solitary and Jamieson Valley circuit and due to shifts I most likely be solo. I may pay a guide for Katoomba to Kanangra but I will do it.
I am both challenged and determined and I will dream big and I will finish what I start even though I may need to start more than once. I listen when I am told something is too hard for me, but I will not accept that I will never be able to do it.

[wayno]

good on ya. keep at it, and be patient, the wilderness is still going to be there whenever you can get there. no such thing as too much planning.

[jackattack]

good on ya. keep at it, and be patient, the wilderness is still going to be there whenever you can get there. no such thing as too much planning.

Thats what my sister says wanyo, but havent had much chance to get out recently which gets me down. A week of walking before christmas should fix that!

[Eremophila]

I know this couple who have 9 months experience doing overnighters and they think they can walk from Baw Baw to Howitt along the AAWT unassisted without seeking any advice. What would you say to them?

Most of us are bound by work constraints, which means we have weekends, long weekends and Easter to gain overnight experience. It's not so easy to build up to 3, 4, 5 and 6 night trips. From there it's usually a leap of faith to a 1 or 2-week walk whilst on annual leave, the first of which generally being a steep learning curve.

Those early mistakes teach us plenty and encourage us to learn and improve our way of doing things - and not all are "mistakes". Getting blisters or having sore shoulders from carrying a pack doesn't mean you're doing something wrong. I think it's unrealistic to expect someone doing their first multi-day walk to have no problems.

PS Jackattack, my partner is pretty big and cops a few odd looks on the trail. But he steams uphill all day without a problem

[Xplora]

I may pay a guide for Katoomba to Kanangra but I will do it.
I am both challenged and determined and I will dream big and I will finish what I start even though I may need to start more than once. I listen when I am told something is too hard for me, but I will not accept that I will never be able to do it.

K to K is not difficult to do on your own but it would be something to do after your nav course and have some confidence in the field. I remember an accountant from Ryde (NSW) who died on that walk but he only had a mud map and refused the offer of help. He was a complete novice and made a fatal mistake. Pick your time and there would be plenty of others on the track. The track is mostly defined but there are a few false tracks as well. Getting into trouble can be a learning experience if you have the skills to get yourself out of it.

This thread started because of some negative comments on another thread of which I must say I was a part. What I can say is I and others had private conversations with the young girl and our concerns were dismissed. That is her right. My comments were made when her writings led us to believe this would be a solo attempt. Later she indicated her uncle would be with her on the most difficult section and then later still it seems she decided to have someone with her at all times. It could be this was planned from the start but it was certainly not written this way on her fb page or blog. It could also be that she and her family had read some comments and decided it would be a good thing for her not to go alone on any stage. I for one am happy she did not walk alone and if my comments led to that then I feel I have guided her to achieve her goal. My views and comments are like others, formed from personal experience. I have seen first hand what can go wrong when people go beyond their ability and I do not see it as wrong to issue a stern warning or be blunt if people who clearly have very little experience are potentially putting themselves and others in harms way. I would rather that than have to be called out to search for a body. In the end people make their own choices and the consequences are theirs apart from the trauma it causes to their families and those recovering them.

[wayno]

some people don't want to listen to anything that will dampen their dream, sometimes to the point where they are ignoring advice that is given in their best interest to keep them from getting in over their head and put their own lives at risk.