*Start of Day 1 - fresh faced and happy smiles!*

She’s a 9 year old bursting with love and energy. After watching a friend and then her daughter raise money for charity and chop their hair off, she was determined that she was going to do the same thing. After chatting to her aunty, who suggested that a fundraiser close to her heart was the way to go, she decided she wanted to raise money around Alzehimer’s or Dementia, as her beloved grandma had been diagnosed a few years prior and was, at that stage, in a nursing home. So the idea of a fundraiser for Dementia Australia was born.

After a few discussions, I decided we needed to more than just cut our hair (by this stage I had jumped on the bandwagon and was joining her on the hair chop idea!). Her grandma loved the mountains, and was known to occasionally take on the odd hike. She was also an avid and regular early morning walker around the Nail Can Hill. So why not do a hike!

When I first had the thought, I wasn’t sure if it was going to be possible: Walk with my 9 year old from Falls Creek to Mt Hotham. It’s around about a 30km walk, across the high plains, down into the valley between the mountains, and back up the other side to Mt Hotham.

The furthest she’d walked previously was probably less than 10km.

I floated the idea with her and she loved it! Obviously, as a 9 year old not really comprehending what it involved or the distance or any of those things, but she loved the idea anyway. She’s not one to shy away from a new challenge.

While I was up at Dinner Plain doing some shoots with Alpine Nature Experience, I asked Jean-François if he thought it was possible for a 9 year old to do it. He not only thought it possible, he also offered his assistance! Hells yes! If it meant not having to carry all our gear with us, I wasn’t about to turn down that opportunity. And JF had been keen to get me out there photographing it anyway for him - so it was a win-win!

We planned, we trained, we fundraised and we packed.

*Florence and her Grandma Jess - photo courtesy of Sarah Black Photography*

Not long after starting our fundraiser in early January my mum started to deteriorate. We knew the end was getting close. I started to worry that we would have to postpone the walk as it was entirely possible that I might be planning a funeral instead. However, mum had other ideas, and by the end of January she had peacefully passed away. This made us more determined than ever to do this walk.

*Bogong High Plains and the back side of Mt Feathertop*

That little determined 9 year old completed the Falls Creek to Mt Hotham walk with a skip in her step and a smile on her face for most of those 30km. She had few moments where weariness and doubt started to creep in, but we took rests, had delicious trail sustenance and she was be back up and walking (and talking), no issues.

Day One we walked 18km from Wallace’s Hut near Falls Creek to Blairs Hut situated at the top of the West Kiewa River.

Day Two was uphill for 13km from Blair’s Hut to Mt Hotham.

Huge and massive thank you to Jean-Francois of Alpine Nature Experience for sorting out all the logistics for us, allowing us to just concentrate on walking (and photographing!). Delicious dinners, lunches and trail snacks were provided by Lisa from Diana Lodge at Falls Creek. We definitely ate in style. I can’t say that too many overnight hikes you get greeted with a gin, smoked salmon and dips on arrived to your camp site, and fed a delicious feast of lamb ragu, finished with tapioca pudding for dessert. And then sleeping in a suspended tent that we didn’t have to carry OR set up!! Sure beats 2-minute noodles cooked on a trangia and a thin as air camp mat…

30km Falls Creek to Mt Hotham hiking with a 9 year old

The Reeve Family

Futuresteading - the book