the fact that
On January 19, 2026, I will embark on a 700+km hike along the Australian Alps Walking Trail (AAWT), an endeavor often touted as Australia’s most difficult long-distance hiking trail. The trail runs from the small town of Walhalla in Victoria to the even smaller town of Tharwa in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), winding through the best (and worst) of Australia’s remote highlands, including the summit of the country’s highest mountain, Mount Kosciuszko.
But there is a problem. Due to the remote nature of the trail, the only accessible towns are the small ski towns of Hotham and Thredbo, resulting in a logistical nightmare unique to the AAWT. Food deliveries typically need to be pre-positioned along the road to avoid transporting food for more than 10 days, and keeping your electronic devices alive is a real challenge. Additionally, the dry nature of the Australian Alps means that many water sources are at best unreliable and at worst non-existent. All of this is coupled with an extremely variable climate, minimal runway infrastructure, and an elevation profile that would make Sisyphus blush.
So why do I do it?
The why
Unlike 99% of hikes, my decision to hike the AAWT largely came down to one thing: convenience. Late last year I made the decision to complete at least one long distance trail in 2026 and started making plans to walk the 1000km Bibbulmun Trail in June. But the more I planned, the more impatient I became to get on track sooner rather than later. before I went back to university for a year.
It just so happened that I had a couple of months of summer vacation left; enough time to plan and execute an AAWT hike. So, with very little idea of what the AAWT actually looks like, I decided to go for it.
The how
That decision turned out to be a blessing or a curse, and I won’t know which until I actually walk the trail. Preparing for a mid-summer AAWT is a lot more work than I originally thought, and if I’d known back in December, there’s a good chance I would have thrown the whole plan out the window.
So how did Do I prepare?
The first thing I did was organize my equipment. In fact, I probably spent about 90% of my trail prep with a lighter pack, adjusting my base weight gram by gram. This part was really nice, because it meant I got to buy new gear and marvel at how the weight of my backpack got lower and lower.
The number two thing I did was organize my food. This was much less pleasant and much more painful. Fortunately, organizing with another hiker who had hiked the trail before allowed me to pre-place several food deliveries along the trail.
Thanks to this, my planned itinerary currently looks like this:
Section 1: Tharwa-Kiandra, 5 days
Section 2: Kiandra-Thredbo, 5 days
Section 3: Thredbo-Hotham, 10 days
Section 4: Hotham-Rumpff Saddle, 5 days
Section 5: Rumpff Saddle-Walhalla, 6 days
Finally, I got stuck in the nitty-gritty of water sources, campsites, and bathrooms along the way. Clearly, this part sucked.
The WHO
Finally, who am I?
I discovered the world of backpacking in 2022, when I decided to celebrate my high school graduation by climbing a local mountain with some friends and a cowboy camping on the summit. Looking back, I don’t know what prompted me to do this, or how an idea like that came to my mind. But I was instantly hooked.
Three years after my first backpacking trip, I’ve spent virtually every waking moment thinking about the next time I’ll be able to get outdoors. This has mainly taken the form of short trips close to home, but I have also had the privilege of backpacking around the South Island of New Zealand and Tasmania. I also work at an outdoor equipment supplier, which has greatly increased my knowledge of outdoor equipment and served as an enabler to the vice that is equipment purchasing. But despite all this, there is one thing I haven’t been able to get out of my head: Thruhiking
Much of what I love about backpacking is moving through a landscape and feeling like a place disappears beneath your feet. For me, a hike is the ultimate pursuit of this experience and something I’ve wanted to do for years. And so, finally, I’m doing it.
As I look at the month of hiking ahead, I am filled with fear and doubt. My backpack is a little too heavy. My shoes are a little tight. My food tastes…questionable. Despite months of planning, it seems like the threads holding my hiking dream together could fall apart at any moment.
But to be honest, I think that’s part of the point. Not everything is going to go as planned on this ride. There will be days when you desperately wish you were home in bed. There will be times when I will hold my head in my hands and ask myself:
Why the AAWT?
With a little luck, in 700 kilometers I will have the answer.
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