WEARY TRAMPERS LEARN LESSON

Lake County Mail, Issue 33, 21 January 1948, Page 2

WEARY TRAMPERS LEARN LESSON

The folly of undertaking a tramping trip around the lake districts without first acquiring accurate information as to the condition of tracks and the time a trip will take, was fully demonstrated last week when three weary youths arrived at Queenstown after a five-day hike which they had believed would take only three days and accordingly had taken with them supplies sufficient only for that period. They had made the mistake of estimating that they could do a certain number of miles an hour. One thing they had not taken into account was the weather and it was not long before they found that heavy rain had swelled the rivers, making it necessary for them to walk several miles up stream seeking a place safe to ford. What were once dried up streams were now dangerous torrents and had to be crossed with care. Rain had caused scrub and trees to block their way. They had read in a periodical, that two girls had covered a certain stretch of the track in seven hours and they had counted on doing it in about the same time. It took them 13 hours and they have now discovered that the girls were supplied with pack horses for this part of the trip, but this was not mentioned in the article they had read.