Every Hiker's Worst Nightmare

A couple of days ago, I was invited to go hiking with a couple of mates around Mt. Barney, Queensland. We decided to do the Lower Portals walk, due to rainy weather the day before. Luckily though, the day we went was a beautiful sunny day, free from torrential Queensland downpour.

One of my fellow hikers was just starting out in the hiking scene, so it was our responsibility to teach him about hiking and make sure he had an enjoyable and safe experience. The 'safe' part was all going well until near midday.

To get to the Lower Portal area, you first have to cross a creek. Now, the creek isn't too wide, and there are a few rocks you can step on to get across. This would have been fine, had it not rained heavily the day before. When we got to the creek, the water was fairly deep, cold and fast moving. This started the problems.

The 'general' Lower Portals access crossing.

We tried to cross the river at the normal public crossing, but decided it was too dangerous to rock-hop across, given the depth and speed of the water. Instead, we headed upstream to try and find a safer crossing. Little did we know the general crossing was the safest option we had.

We finally found a place we thought might be safe to cross. Two fairly large, dry rocks, sounds good right? Unfortunately, as we got closer, I saw it was not a good place to cross. The gap between the two rocks was much too far to step, and even to jump. And that's exactly what our inexperienced hiker did.

I saw the event pan out in a slow-motion like daze. He shrugged off his pack, and handed over his keys, wallet and phone (luckily, otherwise we'd still be there). I was at the back of the pack, and shouted out to him. "Don't try it!" I cried, to no avail. He launched off the rock, and from the start, I knew he wasn't going to make it. He flew threw the air in a position vaguely resembling a flying fox. A split second later, his full body hit the rock. He bounced off backwards into the water. And then the concern came flooding in.

We watched him, stunned, for a few seconds, as he tried to drag himself onto another rock. Eventually he managed it. We told him to stay calm and that we would come to the other side with a first aid kit. I was worried he had broken a bone at this stage. We received no verbal confirmation of his understanding, just a thumbs up. This brought shock into the list of things that could be wrong.

My other hiking partner and I bolted downstream along the banks, looking for a safe place to cross. The definition of safe very quickly became just a place where the water would not sweep us away. Eventually, we found such a place. We hurried through the water (so much for not getting my feet drenched) and scrambled up the bank.

By the time we reached our stranded hiker, he was out of the water and stripping off wet layers of clothing. Thankfully, nothing was broken, just a little bruising and abrasion. Soon, we retrieved the packs and continued the hike to the end.

We made it! The Lower Portals! The end view was spectacular
and worth the effort. And the cold.

This could have ended much worse than it did, so here's a bit of advice to help you make sure your amateur hiker doesn't make the same mistake, or worse. Firstly, brief your amateur hiker on the dangers of creek crossings. Sit them down and explain to them just how deep the water can be, and how deceiving it may look from the surface. Tell them how forceful water can be, and how easily they can be swept off their feet and taken down the river. Secondly, explain to them what water can do to their bodies. Muscles contract in the cold, which means they won't be able to breathe as easily. They might go into shock. They will get tired much faster. Finally, tell them that, in spite of all these grave dangers, they should not be discouraged from hiking. As long as they are cautious and sensible around creek crossings, they will have a safe and enjoyable time.

There is risk in everything you do. To live is to risk dying, so don't let danger stop you. Just be sensible.

That's all for now, stay tuned for more hiking experiences.

Adventure on!
- Rohan.