Solo hiking/trekking?

Hi,

Im going to australia in march and im also going alone, id like to do some treks but as a novice im not after anything to challenging, can anyone recommend any treks around Adelaide and the surounding area?

The fact that you refer to your friends as "more experienced" makes me think that you should not be hiking solo. If they were "less experienced" I might react differently.

Hi DJ,

I just have to add to gypsy-su comment about water and heat stress. I don't know your background but the sun in Oz is stronger than a North American or European equivalent ... I think its a latitude thing ... but speaking from personal experience I go through about twice as much water walking in Australia in summer as I would in a comparable summer heat say in Spain or Turkey.

This may be just waffle as you may be an intelligent fit traveller with a lot of common sense in which case we probably wont be reading about you in the newspaper .. but the main danger is not the snakes ( becuase they dont like you either) but heat stress and fire. You can quite literally fry your brain without you much effort in some locations .. so wear a hat and when your body says its too hot sit down under a nice shady tree and wait for it to cool down a bit 8,000,000 kangaroos cant be wrong. Apart from the risk of a minor stroke, you lose a geat deal of common sense when overheated and have an increased risk of falling, getting lost or just making life unpleasant for yourself.

As for bushfires .. ask the rangers/local police for the current risk and outline your trip. It does no harm and althoughbthey may think you mad as .. its a free country.

I remember the golden rule of diving .. always dive with a buddy .. but as my buddies always ran out of air sometimes long before I did you tend to break these rules and so it is with hiking .. sometime always wanders off way ahead or falls way behind .. and half the joy of hiking is that time to yourself and the sense of ultimate freedom so solo it is ..

Take care.

Also Ditto to the comment about short cuts and detours .. even short ones can be very dis-orientating. Take care and mark your map if you leave a trail becuase when you backtrack if you unexpectedly cross track it is so easy to turn the wrong way.

Enjoy Oz