Crossing Mt Solitary

It was the last hit out before the North Face.

Carey, Colin and I opted for crossing Solitary the hard way - from Kings Tableland via the Ruined Castle finishing with a climb up the Giant Stairway to the top of the Sisters.

Then back to Katoomba Oval and our car.

From Jamison Creek below Solitary, a 700m climb in the pouring rain led straight up a super steep ridge line to the eastern Summit. The track had turned to a creek and the clouds descended.

It was meant to be a simple 25km run but the rain turned the track to black mud. The Wild Endurance - a 100km walk for the Wilderness Society was also using parts of the same track.

So 400 plus walkers had turned the Federal Pass track into a boggy morass!

Cold and drenched we arrived at the car just before dark - hot coffee

returned some life.

6 hours and 15 minutes for a lousy 25km - it was a slog.