Got up early to tackle the 3.5 kilometre walk to Mt Brown summit. What a difference a graded walk trail gives you. You can get a steady pace and rhythm going not the 10 pacesl up stop and have a blow and go again. And the rocks are on the side of the path and you can actually look around and walk at the same time. I met a man coming down had a chat and he informed me that he was the one that put the signs up at the trail head at Parachilna Gorge. Bought and paid for by himself as he didn't think the original signs were good enough. The summit was cold and breezy. I stopped to have breakfast and fill out the logbook at the top. I think this is my fourth visit and I was able to look back in the book at our previous visits. So Belinda has been 3 times. 
From there there is a steep descent down a ridge line following the ubiquitous fenceline. Because I had walked a little further yesterday I was at Catninga Shed early. They charge $25 and it is just a tin shed. I decided to push on and try and find a camp and shorten the next 33 kilometre day a little. The walk through this country I knew was going to be hard as it is all private property, therefore fence lines and station tracks all the way. There are a few really steep drops and some very sharp climbs and it was a tough slog with 5 litres of water on as I assumed I was going to dry camp.(ie no access to water except what I carry) I had picked a spot on the map that I wanted to get to and when I reached there it was about 2.30pm I made the fateful decision to push on. It was only a little further on I stopped and looked at the general direction of the route and saw it just involved bare hills. Not very promising when looking for a sheltered spot and now would be the time the trail follows a series of ridge lines with little dips and gullies. At about 4.30pm I was looking west at a dark buildup of clouds and sent Belinda a message to check the weather. Nothing too severe according to the website. A front with a little rain. Most of it south of me. 
I found a spot and set up the tent. The forecast said winds WSW so I angled the tent as best I could on the patch of ground climbed inside to ride out the rain. The initial front came through with a bit more oomph than I expected and the winds were from more WNW. I was handling weather OK then a wind gust came through and suddenly, the roof of the tent touches my nose. The whole tent was being blown flat. The gust passed and the tent springs back and I race out and repeg the tent and now I spend the next half hour holding the tent upright from the wind which is blowing directly from the side. The initial front passes I square everything back up and fall asleep. I haven't unpacked everything I am still in my walking clothes and all my night gear is still in the waterproof bag.
I wake up hear rain and pick up the phone and look at the weather and see there is supposed to be another front at 8.30pm I started repacking my pack then and another gust hits the tent and it pull 2 stakes out and throws the outside skin and now I have rain coming through one side of the tent. I managed to get a walking pole propped up on that side to support the roof of the tent instead of my foot and then started packing in earnest. I dressed in all my wet weather gear an packed everything else into th pack leaving only the tent and groundsheet. It was then a waiting game for a lull in the wind and then mad rush to pull everything down and packed away before another gust came. Once done I put on the head torch and tried to see how far I had to go to get off the ridge and out of the wind. It was couple of hours and at midnight I finally dropped into a gully just before Horrocks Pass. I set up the tent in the middle of the track and had a blissful sleep. Kennys' midnight dash is an epic all its own. I will try to remember the details later. Suffice to say I am better aware of these ridge lines and weather now
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