Okay.
I am going to kick this thread off here and hope that one day Rasty/TW/HB may give it's own topic (instead of Other Trails) as I hope over the coming years to entice a few of you down here.
I intend to post soime pics and informative videos in here (first attempt to post video failed so bear with me) as well as answer any questions anyone may have about the Bib.
As a rough overview it is a trail that runs from the outskirts of Perth (suburb Kalamunda) to the south coastal town of Albany (my hometown). It has just been officially remeasured at 1003km instead of the previous 963km but for USA heads just think of it as 600 miles.
It is a lot "easier" than the AT but not necessarily easy. A climb of 1000ft would be considered big here. There are sections where you may have to wade through water up to thigh deep and indeed a couple of places where you may have to detour around water. There is a canoe crossing of an inlet, but you paddle yourself and there is no rush of dam release water to concern yourself with.
It is a seasonal hike in my opinion but the season to avoid is summer so the ideal times to hike are autumn and spring but weighted towards winter. Being the southern hemisphere this means best times to hike are comparable to a NOBO AT hike.
Aside from Australia's unique flora and fauna, the Track offers great ocean views, some truly magnificent trees and an overseas experience where you don't have to learn a new language (although you may think you do sometimes).
I believe the Bib's greatest attribute is the quality of our huts. There are essentially 3 designs and the video I am trying to post is of the most common type in the north. They are all clean, roomy and positively luxurious compared to AT average. They were all pre-made in our prison system and then erected on site by volunteers (a couple of them by the prisoners). They all have water tanks fed from their rooves and are well spaced. Numbers on the Bib mean that you rarely need to tent (on my thru I didn't), although you can where you wish to. On a typical thruhike (end to end is the local term) you will have at least a few nights alone.
Cheers
Jacko
I am going to kick this thread off here and hope that one day Rasty/TW/HB may give it's own topic (instead of Other Trails) as I hope over the coming years to entice a few of you down here.
I intend to post soime pics and informative videos in here (first attempt to post video failed so bear with me) as well as answer any questions anyone may have about the Bib.
As a rough overview it is a trail that runs from the outskirts of Perth (suburb Kalamunda) to the south coastal town of Albany (my hometown). It has just been officially remeasured at 1003km instead of the previous 963km but for USA heads just think of it as 600 miles.
It is a lot "easier" than the AT but not necessarily easy. A climb of 1000ft would be considered big here. There are sections where you may have to wade through water up to thigh deep and indeed a couple of places where you may have to detour around water. There is a canoe crossing of an inlet, but you paddle yourself and there is no rush of dam release water to concern yourself with.
It is a seasonal hike in my opinion but the season to avoid is summer so the ideal times to hike are autumn and spring but weighted towards winter. Being the southern hemisphere this means best times to hike are comparable to a NOBO AT hike.
Aside from Australia's unique flora and fauna, the Track offers great ocean views, some truly magnificent trees and an overseas experience where you don't have to learn a new language (although you may think you do sometimes).
I believe the Bib's greatest attribute is the quality of our huts. There are essentially 3 designs and the video I am trying to post is of the most common type in the north. They are all clean, roomy and positively luxurious compared to AT average. They were all pre-made in our prison system and then erected on site by volunteers (a couple of them by the prisoners). They all have water tanks fed from their rooves and are well spaced. Numbers on the Bib mean that you rarely need to tent (on my thru I didn't), although you can where you wish to. On a typical thruhike (end to end is the local term) you will have at least a few nights alone.
Cheers
Jacko
Resident Australian, proving being a grumpy old man is not just an American trait.