overland track part 2

Feeling a little bit nervous that all of our plans may have to be abandoned we donned our wet weather gear, we left the day trippers behind and headed onto the overland track. We were all pretty keen to press on. It is a long way to come, only to go home with our tail between your legs.
We knew that the weather was coming in. Snow was predicted to 500m. We were at 1100. So there was always possibility that we would have to turn back. We knew the location of an emergency hut if it got really bad. The snow was pretty deep in sections and walking in snow is not that easy at the best of times. Add 20+ kg to your back and it gets even harder. It is very easy to lose your balance with a pack and it was easy to find yourself on you backside like a turtle with a shell.
The overland track is not too difficult in itself. It usually takes about 5 days to complete, although some race through in 24 hours (literally race). The really interesting parts are the side trips to the mountains and waterfalls that the track passes through. Before doing the walk I had planned in quite detail how the walk was going to unfold and all the side trips that we would do. We had hoped to do a side trip to Barn's Bluff, an impressive outcrop of dolerite, but the snow was just too deep to even contemplate it. We knew that the goals had shifted from completing side trips to simply completing the overland track, although we hoped that the weather would clear to give us an opportunity to do side trips further along the track.
The highest points on the track are near the beginning on the first day at what is called the cradle cirque. This is also where some of the worst weather can be. We knew if we got through this section then the track would probably improve. The weather held out and although the snow was deep in places, we arrived at the first hut late that afternoon. Unfortunately the heater used for drying wasn't working.