skinny, wiry-haired boy
window dreaming
of mountain music
yellow trail markers
Mt Baw Baw
Hotham
Benambra
Main Range
Munyang River
Granite Peak
Kosciusko
Perisher Valley
snow grass tussocks
sprinkled with charred leaves
Valentine Hut
With red timber walls
And in a fleeting moment
I am the man
And the child
I'm the dream
And the fulfilment
They call Mt Jagungal the crouching lion
But Jagungal looks worried
The fire is closing in
charred black leaves
twirling down
dotting the snow grass tussocks
like chocolate shards on cupcakes
walking is a workout for the senses
even if it is to
somewhere
with no name
MY GOODREADS REVIEW
From Snow to Ash: Solitude, soul-searching and survival on Australia's toughest hiking trail by
Anthony Sharwood
My rating:
5 of 5 stars
In a digital age, when our thoughts pinball around, walking encourages the mind to drift rather than dart. And indeed, this book is a compelling, December 2019 walk on the wild side in many unexpected ways. The physical walk involves the challenges of the Australian Alps Walking Track. But other walks excitedly intersect - a walk with related geographical and historical contexts - 2003 fires and alpine huts + a special connection with Elynn Mitchell, author of
Silver Brumby + a brief walk with Wordsworth. The book is a smorgasbord of wonder for the senses, enhanced by richly crafted expression, sprinkled with humour. Who would believe that the town of Guthega's name could easily become the author's word for a range of emotions. For the 2020 pandemic-riddled reader, it even has a final, wry pass at sanitisers and toilet rolls, ironically connected to this great walk. In short, this book offers a refreshing escape from routine. A great experience!
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EVERNOTE? REVIEW (appears with a Google search)
'From Snow to Ash' documents Anthony Sharwood's challenging trek in the Australian Alps. But it offers far more than the wonder of physical survival, combatting the odds of the environment and the whims of Mother Nature. A feast of sidetracks provides subplot entertainment - from a Wordsworth acknowledgment to an Elynn Mitchell perspective (she was a champion skier) to the quirky possibilities of the alpine town of Guthega's name. On the surface, we hear the plea to save the Australian Alps. But the plea is captivatingly garnished with the many windows on Sharwood's multi-faceted personality. A book to indulge the senses and come out refreshed...and maybe a little more knowledgable.
BOOKTOPIA REVIEW
If you are seeking a personal detailed, 'smile-by-frown', solo physical survival experience, a trek successfully completed as planned, this book is not the answer. But if you seek the novelty of human distraction, detours, a little knowledge, whimsy and humour shaping and enhancing a tough survival experience, then this book ticks the boxes and more. Sharwood's trek in the Australian Alps is as much a learning curve for the human psyche as it is a confronting attempt to become immersed in the wildness of wilderness. Childhood mountain dreams become adult reality and leave room for another attempt at embracing the whole Australian Alp experience. Save and protect the Alps for others to indulge.
