Oscars Hut2Hut – Sweeping Duties
When I mentioned that in 2024 I was not going to be racing the Oscars Hut2Hut course but sweeping it, most people had a confused look on their face. Not only because they were not familiar with the term ‘sweeper’ but also because I was not racing…this was unfamiliar territory for me and those following along with my running adventures.
‘Sweepers’ are a group of individuals who follow the last racers to the finish line ensuring they stay on course, get to aid stations (& inform aid stations of the last runners through) as well as providing any first aid that might need to be administered; this job is multi-faceted and super important!
After much resistance mentally and physically over the past 5 years I had to listen to my raging hormonal body and dial it back – my competitive self was somewhat diluted but the desire to get a 100km distance in the legs any which way was super strong so the next best option outside of racing – supporting other competitors, volunteering my time and still getting to traverse the course albeit a little slower than normal was to be a sweeper.
It was long overdue to give back to the sport, race organisers and the community who have so kindly supported me over the years; and with competitors needing on the ground support, I was excited to take up the role of sweeping duties along with 4 other rockstars (Shane, Tracey, DJ and Kate).
The course
She’s brutal and beautiful and to have the opportunity to traverse this environment is nothing short of a privilege. I couldn’t help but think ‘how lucky am I?’ Lucky to have the opportunity to seek and explore but also lucky to have a body that sees me roam far and wide with strength and endurance – even with little to no focussed training.
The start is at Buller Village and then you move up, down, over, across the following:
Buller Summit (1805m) > Four Mile > Eight Mile > Refrigerator Gap > The Bluff (1725m) > Bluff Hut > Mt Lovick (1648m) > Lovicks Hut > AAWT turn off > Mt Magdala (1725m) > Hells Window > Big Hill (1668m) > Mt Howitt (1742m) > Gantner Hut > Viking Wilderness/ Crosscut Saw (1706m) > Mt Buggery (1608) > Horrible Gap > Mt Speculation (1666m) > Muesli Spur > King Valley Hut > Craigs Hut > Geelong Grammar Hut > Mt Stirling (1749m) > Howqua Gap Hut > Mt Buller Summit (1805m) and then finish back where you started, Buller Village.
From start to finish can take you anywhere from 15 hours to 55 hours; time is somewhat irrelevant; the race is what you make of it. Competitors have the choice of a solo run completing the course in under 22 hours or finishing it in either 2 or 3 days. My sweeping responsibilities had our team support the 3-day competitors; camping two nights under what was a black ink of sky with diamonds.
Slow down
I have had to find my soul out on this course more than once, but it was only this time around that I could truly embrace my surrounds and seek and hold onto my soul; for this time around, I could tap into all my senses and by going slow I could finally see.
My concern before the race was that the pace was going to be too slow; I should know better than this, don’t judge or call something out until you have experienced it first-hand. Mental note to self; refrain from comment until you have the insight to comment on what you have experienced, until then go into the experience with an open mind, open heart and arms.
The 2 C’s
Team Sweeper 1 was out on course for just over 55 hours and during that time, I calculate I got around 8 hours sleep which isn’t too bad really considering we were all sleeping in tents set up like a mass commune. But thankfully everyone was respectful keeping the noise down…although in the dead of night, a snoring individual can sound like a freight train.
The weather was somewhat kind but maybe a little hot…23 degrees is hot in the mountains but raise that a few degrees and we were all chasing a cool breeze to help bounce off the perspiration pooling on our faces, necks, arms, and legs!
My training for this epic adventure hadn’t gained much traction after completing Kosci 100 early December; surely a 100km race 2 months prior was sufficient to see me start and complete this endurance spectacular unscathed. Well kind of.
- Chafing
From research chafing commonly occurs on the thighs, buttocks, nipples, groin, feet and armpits and is a rite of passage for runners. Lucky for me, I experienced on the second day chafing between the butt cheeks – the heat, excess sweat and clothing options created the perfect storm for a minor irritation. Thankfully by the time I got to have a shower the next day the fierce irritation had subsided! There were no ‘ouch’ moments!
- Cankles
The funniest reading is the definition “a woman’s fat or swollen ankle whose flesh merges unattractively with that of the calf. No more to be said really about that, the definition nails it.
By the second day, my quads were shot… 38 kilometres, over 2100m+ elevation gain and 14 hours in my legs. The uphills were sweet as, I liked them but when it came to the downhills, the focus shifted to the breath to distract me from the agonising pain pulsating through the equipment seeing me get day two done.
The magic shop
It’s hard to describe the magic that is experienced when moving through the Victorian alpine region by foot; it goes without saying that what you feel out there is unique and restorative. When trying to figure out what makes me, well me and in particular what helps create my happy life, its these mountains.
Moving through these trails is more than just ‘exercise’ it’s an experience in life, a teaching of resilience as much as it is in identifying your vulnerabilities. This is exposure of the purest kind and a gift, one in which many would choose not to open.
I am lucky. Lucky because I choose to recognise that life is about pleasure and pain and as I move through the wave of experiencing them both I am filled with a greater sense of gratitude to this wondrous daily act called life.
The Experience
To learn more about Oscars Hut2Hut and the other races held over a February weekend, visit the website.
Leave a Reply