![AWWT 2012 - Dead Horse Cap to Orroral Valley AWWT 2012 - Dead Horse Cap to Orroral Valley](http://m5.paperblog.com/i/24/247827/awwt-2012-dead-horse-cap-to-orroral-valley-L-w6yESM.jpeg)
We planned the walk over a few months for late January this year. The original concept was to walk the AAWT from Thredbo back to the ACT. We allowed for a bit of variation on the route and gave ourselves 12 days for the trip. This made things a bit easier when we actually went out and did it. We headed out on Saturday the 28th by car from Canberra and left a food drop at Kiandra. I strung a waterproof food bag up from a tree which saved us carrying a fair bit of wieght in the pack and probably cost us about two hours travel and mucking around. After a stop off at one of my favorite bakeries at Nuggets Crossing my dad finally dropped us off at Dead Horse Gap and headed back to Canberra around 4pm.
On that afternoon we walked up the spur towards Ram's Head. We reached the flat saddle part way up but it was still early and Fraser was eager to push on. We went up past the first trig and on to Ram's Head. On the saddle leading to North Rams Head we saw a bunch of Red Dear. There were about eight to ten in total, the bucks dark in color with large antlers and sandy colored does. It rained as we passed the final peak on the range and headed down past some wild horses to Cootapatumba Hut for the night.
![AWWT 2012 - Dead Horse Cap to Orroral Valley AWWT 2012 - Dead Horse Cap to Orroral Valley](http://m5.paperblog.com/i/24/247827/awwt-2012-dead-horse-cap-to-orroral-valley-L-I5MTzM.jpeg)
![AWWT 2012 - Dead Horse Cap to Orroral Valley AWWT 2012 - Dead Horse Cap to Orroral Valley](http://m5.paperblog.com/i/24/247827/awwt-2012-dead-horse-cap-to-orroral-valley-L-6GGDyz.jpeg)
![AWWT 2012 - Dead Horse Cap to Orroral Valley AWWT 2012 - Dead Horse Cap to Orroral Valley](http://m5.paperblog.com/i/24/247827/awwt-2012-dead-horse-cap-to-orroral-valley-L-Zv1Huv.jpeg)
![AWWT 2012 - Dead Horse Cap to Orroral Valley AWWT 2012 - Dead Horse Cap to Orroral Valley](http://m5.paperblog.com/i/24/247827/awwt-2012-dead-horse-cap-to-orroral-valley-L-Mn5tHF.jpeg)
![AWWT 2012 - Dead Horse Cap to Orroral Valley AWWT 2012 - Dead Horse Cap to Orroral Valley](http://m5.paperblog.com/i/24/247827/awwt-2012-dead-horse-cap-to-orroral-valley-L-0XDB4d.jpeg)
We headed down the far side of Jagungal towards the weather station. We took the ridge down from the rocky outcrop but in hindsight I would take the steep direct route from the summit next time. It would be less scrubby. We stopped in at Okeefe's Hut and then bashed along the firetrail to Mackays Hut. The hut is currently under repair and so after speaking to Gary from parks for a bit we set up camp.
![AWWT 2012 - Dead Horse Cap to Orroral Valley AWWT 2012 - Dead Horse Cap to Orroral Valley](http://m5.paperblog.com/i/24/247827/awwt-2012-dead-horse-cap-to-orroral-valley-L-dpBiCb.jpeg)
We left Mackays at 8.30am and headed along the firetrails towards Kiandra. We stopped in at Happy's Hut and after agreeing to go all the way to Kiandra and our food drop, ate a hot lunch consisting of leftover dinner rations. After a nice rest and good food we headed straight up a ridge through light scrub and onto the tabletop trail. A little way along we scooted up onto the summit of Tabletop which was well worth it for the view. Down the other side and on past the turnoff to Four Mile Hut saw us into Kiandra around 8pm, not forgetting our food drop as well. We bivvied on the veranda of the hut on the road. Fraser had been having dramas with his feet for a couple of days and decided to pull the pin, arranging a lift from Kiandra to Sydney the following morning. We sat on the verandah and ate a massive feast including food drop goodies and spare meals.
![AWWT 2012 - Dead Horse Cap to Orroral Valley AWWT 2012 - Dead Horse Cap to Orroral Valley](http://m5.paperblog.com/i/24/247827/awwt-2012-dead-horse-cap-to-orroral-valley-L-a0OcND.jpeg)
It took me a while to reach the Murrimbidgee River but by mid afternoon a quick crossing saw me up towards long plain. It wasn't too clear after the crossing which track to follow and I wandered from horse track to horse track in light rain heading in roughly the right direction. I made it to the Port Phillib Fire Trail fairly cold and miserable. Luckily it wasn't much of a trek from there to Hainsworth Hut which I made around 6pm. Hit the sack by 9pm.
![AWWT 2012 - Dead Horse Cap to Orroral Valley AWWT 2012 - Dead Horse Cap to Orroral Valley](http://m5.paperblog.com/i/24/247827/awwt-2012-dead-horse-cap-to-orroral-valley-L-IwyKaX.jpeg)
![AWWT 2012 - Dead Horse Cap to Orroral Valley AWWT 2012 - Dead Horse Cap to Orroral Valley](http://m5.paperblog.com/i/24/247827/awwt-2012-dead-horse-cap-to-orroral-valley-L-sHDzV4.jpeg)
At 5am there was enough of a glow and I was bored enough to press on. As I headed off I startled something that was hanging around in the bushes which scurried off into the darkness. I walked on as things got a bit lighter I enjoyed the waking morning. Once again I heard a horse snoring amongst the trees and then thunder off but this time I felt amusement rather than nerves. I passed the Coolamine Homestead and a couple of wild dogs before heading into a bank of cloud. I wondered through the fog through increasingly tall forrests getting closer to home. I missed the turnoff to Pockets Hut and headed straight to Oldfields. On the way picked up phone reception above the aquaduct vent and rang home.
![AWWT 2012 - Dead Horse Cap to Orroral Valley AWWT 2012 - Dead Horse Cap to Orroral Valley](http://m5.paperblog.com/i/24/247827/awwt-2012-dead-horse-cap-to-orroral-valley-L-CTIDws.jpeg)
![AWWT 2012 - Dead Horse Cap to Orroral Valley AWWT 2012 - Dead Horse Cap to Orroral Valley](http://m5.paperblog.com/i/24/247827/awwt-2012-dead-horse-cap-to-orroral-valley-L-T7o8x7.jpeg)
Edit: I've included a rough sketch of some of the off track sections of the walk as requested in the comments. Clicking on the picture should allow it to expand to near original size. Most of the trip was on the AAWT firetrails so just the one scan will do. My rendition of the route may be a little inacurate too. The 1:100,000 map of Kosci isn't clear enough. For the section up to Jagungal we stayed in the gully to the east of Toolong Range almost all the way to the top (if that helps). We walked this section in fog and used a 1:25,000 and a GPS once or twice. Reference to Chapman's AAWT guidebook makes the whole thing easy.
![AWWT 2012 - Dead Horse Cap to Orroral Valley AWWT 2012 - Dead Horse Cap to Orroral Valley](http://m5.paperblog.com/i/24/247827/awwt-2012-dead-horse-cap-to-orroral-valley-L-rD8eUM.jpeg)