Day 123 Mt Augustus summit

Mt Augustus is the biggest monolith in the world, so of course Stuart wanted us to do the summit walk. Early start required as you have to start your walking before 7am due too the heat at the mountain. After only three hours of sleep due too the heavy winds in the rooftop tent, not so easy to be motivated for such an early start and summit walk...

The start of the walk is uphill, but not yet (really) steep. Just before you reach the very steep section, which is about 1,5km long and feels like never ending, there is a bench and some emergency water. Walking up the steep part to the rim is pretty exhausting, but on that day it wasn´t hot at all - windy, low temperatures and until you reach the rim you can walk in the shade of the rock. Along the rim is then a mostly easy walk with lots of wildflowers along the way. The last 300m are then very steep, sometimes it feels like straight up, but then you have reached the summit! Great views - nice wind - and a metal box with a book to register your arrival. In the metal box is again some water, if you need some.

After enjoying the views, having some food and water, taking lots of photos and reviving, it is time for the walk back: on the way down you realize how steep the way up was....

After a nice shower and some rest we had booked some dinner at the Mt Augustus Tourist Park: it was so delicious - the special vegetarian dish as well as the roast-beef, that it was faster gone than Stuart was able to take photos...