Are you looking to return to overnight hiking after a long break away from it, or curious to try it out? Got a moderate level of fitness and want to stretch the legs? This might be the event for you.

Depending on ACT Parks maintenance schedule (Westermans Hut is currently 'closed until further notice'), we will either:

1. From Brayshaw's Homestead carpark, walk the Settler's Track (9km circuit) with day packs. After this, return to the vehicles and swap packs for overnight bags, then backtrack the 2km to Westermans Homestead to spend the night. Good campsites at the homestead are fairly limited, and there's always the possibility of other users being out there, hence the trim group size. 13.5km/+270m vertical elevation gain.

Or the backup option:

2. Departing from the Mount Clear carpark, hike to Horse Gully Hut and camp for the evening. 18km return/+401m vertical elevation gain.

Both locations offer nice, flat camp sites, a loo, a sheltered place to cook and to socialise, and entail a moderately demanding walk on excellent to 'pretty good' tracks. DST will have just kicked back in so we have early sunrises and plenty of daylight to work with.

*Places for this event are prioritised to members who are new to overnight hiking or are coming back from absence and looking for a fairly gentle re-entry to it. The focus will be on getting in the swing with pack hiking, tuning gear, and practising our campcraft, all in a friendly and supportive social setting. That said, the trip involves a fair walk and a pack haul, so a moderate level of fitness is required to ensure your own safety and comfort, and that of other participants. Please ensure you have done some walking with a weighted pack in preparation for this event!