I’ve just returned from another life changing experience – 7 days self-supported hiking in Tasmania with my 21 year old daughter Charlotte. The Overland Track is another one of those things that I had thought about over the decades but never considered possible for someone like me.
We carried all our gear including food, stove, tent, sleeping gear etc ourselves and camped every night except for one (where we slept on a common room floor). Although my 57 year old body is still currently recovering, my mind feels clear, focused and excited about what’s next.
I’m sharing my top life 7 lessons (there were loads more!) from the track.
1. It’s good to do hard physical things and get uncomfortable
Life can be so easy. We can get almost anything delivered to our door within hours. We can also play into the ‘I’m too old for that now’ narrative. But, we still experience discomfort in one way or other – maybe emotionally, medically etc. However, I believe that doing hard physical things, that make us step our of our comfort zone, can also help us become more resilient in our everyday life – this has definitely been the case for me.
It’s been a few years now since I completed my ironman triathlon and this hike reminded me again why I want to continue to push myself beyond my own pre-conceived ideas (and maybe also that of society) of what I’m capable of at 57 and beyond.
On night 5 of the hike, we made a decision to do a big day and hike 26km to the end (doesn’t sound like a huge amount but after 5 days hiking and our packs still feeling heavy, then hiking through a million tree roots, mud, water, rough ground and a forecast of cold and rain, I knew it was going to be a tough day). After not sleeping well due to a million mice scurrying around the common room where we decided to sleep on the floor that night, I awoke at 4.30am. Approx 9 hours of very solid hiking later (I was dragging up the rear of our little group, consisting of my daughter and our track friend John), we made it to the end. I can’t tell you how good it felt to get there, despite the challenge!
2. You may not be able to do everything your 21 year old self could do – yes, it’s annoying but it’s also ok
However, although we may not be able to stop ageing, we can still achieve so much.
This hike was really hard for me. I had trained – but not quite enough. I have to admit that even 5-10 years ago my body was much more adaptable. My 21 year old fit daughter breezed through without any specific training and carrying a heavier pack than me (mine was 20kg – and there was a time when I fairly easily carried that because I had carry a lot of her stuff – those days are gone!).
I struggled most days. It was frustrating when I didn’t feel I could attempt a side trip to summit Mt Ossa, the highest peak in Tasmania. Charlotte headed off with a younger group, trekked through the snow and made it. I was overjoyed for her but there was also a sense of annoyance with myself that I didn’t give it a go. Though, at the same time, an acceptance that it probably wouldn’t have gone well if I did. I’m not one to set limitations because of my age but I realise that at my age, I need to do a lot more training and preparation going forward than I needed to when I was 21 (or even 51).
3. Disconnecting is good for the soul
7 days without any connection to the outside world was interesting. I realised it’s probably the longest time in my life I hadn’t had any contact with my family – even back in the day when I was 18 and living alone without phone connection, I would line up at the payphone in the street to call my parents a couple of times a week.
I thought it might be difficult not knowing what the latest news was or what was happening on Instagram etc. But no, I didn’t miss it – at all. And, as my daughter said, our minds felt so much more clear.
A reminder to myself that I want to make more time to disconnect fully – maybe not for 6 days but ideally once a week.
4. What your body can do is so much more important than what it looks like
Admittedly, my 21 year old daughter still somehow looked like she had just stepped off an outdoor brand photo shoot at all times – but I was definitely looked ragged – not my most glamorous week!
When you wear the same pants and shirt for an entire 7 days, you really do start to not care so much about appearance. There is no point taking a hairbrush – it just adds unnecessary weight. We also didn’t bother packing a swimsuit (every gram adds up!) and swam in our underwear – I never wear a bikini, so this would normally be very uncomfortable for me. On the trail – just getting a ‘wash’ was a huge bonus (no showers at all for the entire hike) and I was grateful to get ‘clean’, so bras and undies it was.
Also on the trail, absolutely no-one was talking about calorie deficit! The main goal was getting enough calories in! If I ever ended the day with anything left over, it was swiftly claimed by another hungry hiker.
Being surrounded by diet culture in everyday life with many midlife women obsessed about reducing their weight, I loved that no-one talked about or cared about ‘shrinking’. Basically, the most important thing was just getting enough fuel in to get through the long hard days and seeing what our bodies were capable of physically.
5. Everyone is equal – on the track and in life
Age, class, status, ethnicity, gender are all really irrelevant – on the track and in life. In the end we are all just tramping through, doing our best with what we have.
I met such a variety of people during our hike and heard some amazing stories of their lives. We were all bonded together by the challenge of the hike. Yes, for some (ie 21 year olds!) they may have coped better with the actual physical side but there was also the fact that we were isolated, sleeping either in tents or literally next to each other on platforms in huts – or even on the floor of the common room like we did one night. (We didn’t stay at the hut with the ‘black rat’ issue – but those who did were brave!)
We all had to cope with sun, rain, mud, rough trail conditions and even snow.
We all had our own issues – blisters, knee problems, my toe joint issues, strength issues, mental toughness challenges etc etc. We were all challenged in our own ways – but we all got through. We all checked in on each other and motivated each other to keep going. The comradery developed over 7 days was incredibly uplifting.
6. People come in and out of your life for a reason – and even a short interaction can be memorable and impactful
My daughter heading into this hike excited to meet others. I went in saying that I was not going to speak to anyone, spend time meditating and reconnecting with myself.
7 days later, I didn’t formally meditate at all (though maybe on some solo stretches on the trail). Instead, I found myself joking, laughing and having such a fun time with a group of strangers that I’ll probably never see again. The stories, the track jokes (I won’t get started about our ‘wrap’ saga that everyone on the hike knew about…), the connections I made were amazing. In real life, our paths would probably never meet and we may not have much in common – but the trail brought us together in a wonderful way.
I’m so grateful for the time I spent with this group of people (we mostly hiked with people who started the hike on the same day as us). During the day, I may have only walked briefly with others but at night we all congregated in the hut to cook and share stories. Talking to people from different cultures, learning about other’s lives and being motivated by what others had overcome to do this hike or get through the day was inspirational.
When our hiking friend John decided to stay at one hut for 2 nights we were sad to say goodbye so soon. But he sat around, felt a bit lonely as a new group of hikers started to come through – and then powered his way to our hut. The cheers when he appeared that night! Weirdly, this man we got to know so well on the track, is someone I may never see again. But I’ll always smile when I think back to the positive and uplifting influence he had on me.
7. Make the most of the remainder of your one precious life
My adaptation of the words of Mary Oliver flowed through my mind and body throughout this experience.
Was this hike easy? No! It was so much harder that what I imagined! My pack weight started at 20+kg and didn’t feel like it got much lighter throughout the week. At times I wondered how I would get through the hike when the ground conditions were bad or I was cold – everything ached and sometimes it felt like the day (or night) would never end. Sleeping in a tent on a tiny air mat (and one night on the floor of the common room) was kind of uncomfortable – but I did it. Eating mostly dehydrated or freeze dried food – I planned well but still, it’s not really very appetising!
However, the challenges were all so worthwhile – they actually helped make the hike so rewarding.
Getting to see places that you can only experience if you are prepared to walk several days in whatever conditions are present at the time – is something that I value so much. To get to see what we did, you have to be prepared to challenge yourself. But it’s so incredibly worth it. The beauty, the magnificence, the pure joy of our surroundings are something that no photo can show adequately – it’s something you have to see in person. And, I’m also so grateful I had the opportunity to do this hike with my daughter – how lucky I was to do this with her!
What’s next?
I’ve arrived home – sore, run down and feeling 57! However, I’m also feeling so excited about the future. This experience has allowed me to take a good look at my current life and consider what it is I want to do going forward – or perhaps more, consider what I don’t want to do.
I know that more than half my life is over and that now is the time to chase more of my dreams. Our time here is so limited but regardless of how much remains, we can live it fully.
Yes, that might mean getting a bit uncomfortable. It might also mean accepting that you are no longer 21. You may have to step out of your comfort zone – a lot. But most of all, I think it means dreaming big – maybe even huge.
And then, taking action towards living the remainder of your one precious life on your terms.
Shine bright
Tania