Mount Howitt, Victoria

We had big plans for this hike, I was finally going to complete the Crosscut Saw after having it on the top of my ‘must do’ list for a long time, but things didn't go as planned. Our original plan was to hike up to Macalister Springs and then traverse the Crosscut Saw to Mt Speculation.

The hike started well. We drove to the Upper Howqua campground, camped the night, and began our hike in the morning. We encountered many river crossings and stubborn snakes along the way, which slowed us down. After a steep climb, we finally made it to the summit of Mount Howitt, and the views and wildflowers were breathtaking.

We continued on the 15km hike to Macalister Springs campground, which was beautiful and had stunning toilet views. However, one of our group members who suffers from a chronic illness started to suffer from some complications. We monitored them through the night, but as their condition hadn’t improved by the morning, we decided to call an ambulance.

To our surprise, an air ambulance helicopter was sent and airlifted our friend to hospital. Unfortunately, the rescue meant they couldn't take any of their gear with them. So, we decided to cut our losses and head back to the car. We had to alternate double-pack hiking to make it back.

Although we didn't make it across the Crosscut, we'll be back another day.