Sandy Bluff, this is where I’m heading

Cosmos Peaks on the true right of the Dart River

The Dart River at Sandy Bluff

Looking back at the Dart River, Dredge Flat and the Barrier Range

From here on the track is through forest

Where sometimes you have to pull yourself up using a handrail

Or stop to look a waterfall

It’s getting flatter, must be getting closer to the end of the track

A river coming from Pluto Peak joins the Dart River

Pluto Peak

A string of little peaks leading up to Cosmos Peaks

Looking back to Mc Bride Peaks in the middle

Looking SSW towards Chinamans Bluff

Mc Bride Peaks again

The first sign of (other ) life in 4 days: a jetboat racing up and down the Dart River

Almost at the end of the track, looking back: the ridge leading up to Cosmos Peaks on the right, the Beans Burn Track leads to the valley in the middle, Mt Chaos on the valley’s left, Mt Niobe in the clouds further back

The ridge leading up to Cosmos Peaks again

This is really only a few minutes walking from the end of the track, nearly there! What an awesome hike this was!!

Track log of today, distance was about 17.5 km again and that took about 5 hours

After all that walking the last 4 days I decided to do yet another hike tomorrow, to the Earnslaw Glacier. That track starts in the valley in the middle of the photo and leads up to the highest peak left of it

View back to the west, Mt Ansted in the distance

View west again towards the Barrier Range

Dart River and Barrier Range

More and more cloud drifting in and it’s still about 2 hours to the hut, hopefully no rain before I get there

To the south, the Forbes Mountains, everything is still looking sunny

The scenery here is beautiful

A selfie

Mt Head hidden in these clouds

I know today’s hut will be smaller then the previous one, so not enough beds for all of us, I’m therefore trying to stay ahead of the other walkers which isn’t easy as most of them are younger

There are a couple of beautiful flat areas here, you could land a glider here if you needed to

It’s getting the glider out that’s going to be the difficult part

Then the track suddenly goes through forest again

But forest normally makes for faster walking then tussocks

Once out of the forest I can see the hut! Rain looks imminent

Almost at the hut, one look back

Here we are all in the hut, playing Uno. The big beard is Philip

Being one of the first to arrive here paid off, I had a bed, quite a few people had to sleep on the floor, which is less than ideal of course but everybody was in good spirts, also because a few of us carried some good spirits!

Track log of today, distance was about 17.5 km and that took about 5 hours and 15 minutes

The Forbes Mountains to my left

As I work my way up to the east of the valley, towards the Rees Saddle

Looking back towards Mt Clarke

View towards the south: Cleft Peak

Approaching the Rees Saddle

Just one more climb and it’s downhill from there again

On the saddle, once more a look back to where I came from

Snowy Creek which leads up to the Tyndall Glacier, not going in here

I continue down the Dart Track instead

Well, after a selfie that is

Ok, 2 selfies

Looking back south towards the saddle and Snowy Creek

Looking north, Marion Tower in the distance

This area is really beautiful

Lots of little waterfalls adding to the Dart River

I’m glad there’s a bridge over the river (it will be removed during winter)

Beautiful!

And I’m fortunate enough to enjoy the view

Seriously, what’s not to like?

Again looking back towards the saddle and Cleft Peak

At the Dart Hut! That’s enough for today

Track log of today, distance was about 11 km and that took about 6 hours