Day 13: Buckaringa Nth to Mt Arden South 22km

I couldn't have thought it would have got much colder but it did. Slept ok but packing up this morning was hard with popsicles for fingers. Got it done quick enough and was away by 7.15am. Just down from the camping area is a road and the sun was out when I hit the road. Still not much warmth in it. The wind at that stage had gone and it made for a very pleasant start to the day. 

The trail goes up the road a bit and then follows a fence line through Buckaringa habitat sanctuary. It was a fair way before it turns to run through Buckaringa Gorge. The scenery was much better as I pass through one range to get to another. After the gorge the trail wound into a creek which you follow up. It goes or a fair way and climbs steadily. A couple of rocky walls were in the way. I chanted 'beat the wall beat the wall' Put on my Heysen Ninja pants and climbed up. (If you don't watch Australian Ninja warriors you won't get the reference)

After a fair climb the trail starts across country through sheep paddocks then meets up with a station track. Lots of goats through here so obviously the feral pest management was lacking here. I climbed to the top of a hill and from there I could see Mt Arden in the distance and if I thought I had climbed so far then I was in for a big shock as the track just went up and up. 

As you walk across the ridge line a chilly easterly was blowing. The gloves and jacket went back on. I climbed one last big hill only to see the trail lose half the height you have gained to meet up to the final road up Mt Arden. When I got to the road I looked down to see if some car was coming to give me a lift. No such luck. The road is one steep mother and it took me a fair while to get to the top. At one stage my bum cramped! That would be my gluteus maximus. 

At the top I managed to hide from the wind behind a communication building and was able to appreciate the suns warmth. Made a phone call to Belinda. Then moved off the top down a ridge line to the camping area which is in a similar spot to last nights beside a creek and between a couple of hills. Keeps most of the wind out but it is going to be cold in the morning again.