Three nights ago on March 10, 2010 myself, Sarah, and two Dutch boys arrived back safely from a four day, three night adventure though the rain forest of the Misty Mountains. We had just met these guys, Joost and Joris, three nights before and already feeling a strong connection decided to trek out into the jungle together. We completed two tracks, the orange Koolmoon Creek track and the blue Cannabullen Creek Track, totalling 55-60kms. Check out map ( http://www.mistymountains.com.au/extended_overview.htm)
Unknown to us the trails were closed! They had been damaged by a cyclone that occured on March 20th, 2006, nearly four years ago to the date when we walked the track. "Larry" had left may trees and branches over and across the trail. Four years of aggressive rain forest flora also assumed the place where the path had once been marked out. At times the path appeared to just end, and a wall of wait-awhile would cover the way.
Triangular markers nailed into trees were often missing, blown down with the trees that they were attached to. This severely cut into our hiking speed, slowing us down and wasting valuable time and energy just searching for the trail. By the first night we had walked 20kms, were setting up camp and had reached water. It would be the second night that tested us all and drew the four of us together like we could have never imagined. As we started out the trail became worse and worse (it was closed to what we thought were seasonal rains). The time consumed by searching and passing over, under, or around debris had taken a tole on us all.
A certain instance where we had to go from one fallen log to another found our mate Joost with a piece of wood lodged just below his knee. He let out a scream of sorts that suggested a great deal of pain. Joris got his pack off and helped him to level ground while Sarah told me to get out the first aid kit in an urgent tone. I grabbed also my leatherman expecting the worst and preparing for most anything. I let out a gasp when I saw the piece of wood sticking out of his knee and bulging the skin where it penetrated him. Joris opened the first aid kit and tried to remove the piece with some tweezers- no go. I grabbed out the pliers of the leatherman, gave Joost a stick to bite down on and with a second attempt dislodged the fragment from his knee. He let out another sound of pain and rocked on the ground clinching his knee with both hands. Next cleaned the wound with an alcohol solution, wiped away most of the blood, while Joris wrapped his leg with a tensor bandage.
The amazing part was that from start to finish we were off marching again after just 25mins. Our packs had to be re adjusted so that Joost's pack was light enough to carry. We all worked together, and had to keep moving -darkness was approaching.
As the light dimmed in the thick jungle, I needed a light to see where to and where not to step. Several minutes before full darkness Joris had brushed up against a stinging tree ( Dendrocnide moroides -Above). They really do sting, sending small hollow tube-like hairs into your skin full of neurotoxins. Everytime the infected area is brushed and especially if it gets wet the burning sensation returns. He would later pee blood as a result of his body trying to rid itself of the poison.
Looking down and around for wait-awhiles and for stinging trees had my eyes busy. I knew there were allot of poisonous things in the jungle and as I felt my hat hit a web, my instincts said STOP! I looked up to see what was a 100mm black spider with accents of bright yellow. I jumped back and grabbed my chest as one of the boys told me it was a yellow back spider -poisonous and deadly. I just looked it up and it is actually a Golden Orb spider (above), they have some of the strongest silk, and we witnessed a web of 1metre in diameter. We did also see the yellow back though. I swiped the web to the side with my walking stick and continued leading the pack with the only headlight we had, now with even greater caution.
Our trekking in the dark lasted for about an hour and a half until we lost the trail entirely. It getting late and on the last reserves of our water Joris took out his GPS and suggested that we head off to a creek near by. It was the right choice to make but meant we would have to hack out way through untrailed jungle. So approximately 30mins later we had travelled 200 or so metres to this water source. There was on flat spot, just large enough for our four man tent. It was now 9:00pm and we had been walking in the dark for 2 hours. We assumed roles -Joost with his bum leg cooking, Joris making a trail to the waters edge and re-filling our water supply. I was clearing debris and bush to set up the tent and sleeping gear with Sarah.
Allthough cramped and a little bumpy we all slept half decent that night getting to bed between 11 and midnight. The next morning we got off to a good start, thinking we could reach a road near by. When we were within sight of the road we realized that we were 100metres higher than the road and that a sheer cliff and river separated us from it. We would have to go back and finish the orange trail. We managed to find the markers again now in the light and continued on with conditions the same as the day before. We completed the track and were rewarded as we came down to the river we had viewed from above. Had our selves a 'nudie swim', grabbed some food and headed off to camp.
The next track we started was the blue track, good it wasn't closed, we should have success! It too though got rough after some time and we wanted to get back to the car and finish the trail so we kept a good pace. It was a two day walk but we figured we could knock it off in one. Along the way Joris got stung again by the stinging trees on his leg and arm, later again on his face. He was not thinking clearly so I took lead. Joost too took a turn leading, but after being hit by the stingers he too got a cloudy head. He paid the price when it started to rain and fell down 1 metre off the path where it narrowed and was slippery, banging his injured knee. We reached the last Y in the road -only 1.5km to go to the finish. Moral was up and so was the pace. Joost was hobbling so fast I could hardly keep up. Again darkness was approaching under the canopy of the trees. The trail was decent so we were making good time. Doubting ourselves we checked the GPS to make sure we were going the right direction after the Y as several days previous we had made errors adding to over 8 kms. We were on the right track -Joost headed off into the twilight disappearing.
We must be close....YES, YES, YEAHHH! Joost had spotted the car about 50m from where we had check the GPS. We all cheered, dropped our packs and hugged -we had done it and survived. Our next priority was to remove our soaked footwear and search our ankles and feet for leeches. The last tow hours of the walk were done in a tropical downpour, so we were soaked and ready for a hot meat and of course bed. We all agreed that this trip was more than a hike, we learned so much and will need time to soak it up, digest it, and mull over the events. Joost and Joris are great guys and plan to visit Canada in several years. They are men of their word and though you never know I have a feeling I will see these guys again.
