Day 5

We left very early to be ready to start our walk up Mt Sonder at 2am. It was pitch black with an icy wind. By this stage, I had learned not to walk with the leaders who set off at a great pace, get hot and sweaty and then have to sit and wait, in the frigid wind, for the slower walkers to catch up. I stayed at the back where we kept up a steady pace and didn't get overheated. By the time we arrived at the top of the mountain around 7am it was obvious that there wasn't going to be a sunrise because the mountain top was covered in cloud. So we walked down the mountain the way we had walked up.
The walk down was amazing because we went from a 360degree view (as soon as we were below the cloud) for miles and miles to a closer and closer view.
The walking was fairly easy. In the night I imagined that I was walking on ancient Roman roads because it was mostly over slabs of rock like paving tiles. You really didn't have to watch every step (as was necessary on previous days) which, on the way down, left lots of time to marvel at the view.

The top of Mt Sonder was under the cloud when we got to the bottom. This is the only photo I took all day. The way down felt much longer than the way up although it took an hour less.

Fabulous day.