Friday, February 24: Sunny the whole day<\/p>\n
Tramping: 7.8 km<\/p>\n
Lake Roe Hut (Doc)<\/p>\n
We were up around 7:00. There had only been one snorer, Nico, and his snoring wasn\u2019t particularly bad. I had gotten up once, and tried putting on the anaesthetic because I had been bitten to bits changing sox yesterday, and that set off one cramp in the calf and another in the thigh. However, with the ointment applied, the bites were much less itchy.<\/p>\n
The Dutch couple were surprisingly quick off the mark, as was Murray, who may have been first. Then Jack and Nico were off with a promise to wait for me at the next hut. <\/p>\n
I left @ 9:00. Track condition was very poor just out of the hut, and also just before the first of today\u2019s two three-wire bridges. Was trying to negotiate some logs in a bog, when I slipped & fell, hurting my right hand. Had to apply first aid as often as I could (cold water immersion) and I can at least write with it now. One hydration break was taken @ 11:00, drank the bottle empty @ the second bridge & refilled it with stream water. The track now climbs a considerable height and starts to lessen off near the tree line. Just then I could hear some voices & I had caught up with Jack & Nico. The last 15 minutes were across various alpine meadows to the hut. Here we met up with everyone again including Quinn & Matt \u2013 only Murray had gone directly to Loch Maree. The two who had come up last night had spent the morning climbing a couple of extra peaks. There were also three Doc staff somewhere in the countryside banding rock wrens and checking on predators.<\/p>\n