The Real Reason Your Dream Hike Falls Apart... And How to Outsmart It

They slowly unravel from a bunch of tiny planning mistakes — the kind you don't notice until day five, when your legs are jelly, your knees are barking, and every climb feels twice as steep as it looked on the map.

I've guided over 500 people on Tasmania's toughest trails with zero major incidents. Not because I'm lucky. Because I've learned where the cracks form — and how to seal them before you leave the car park.

Here's what I want to share with you today:

Here's how it usually goes.

You see the photos. You fall in love with the trail. You book the dates, tell work you're off, rope in your mates… and reckon you'll "sort the training" somehow.

Then halfway through, you're cooked. Not injured. Not lost. Just… underdone.

I've seen it dozens of times. Good people, good intentions, but they picked the trail first and hoped their body would keep up.

The fix? Flip it.

Start with your body. Then build the hike around that.

Grab your calendar. Count how many weeks you actually have before the trip.

Now be honest. Life will steal a few. Sickness, work, family stuff. If you see 20 weeks, count on 14 for solid training.

Next, jot down three numbers for your dream hike:

✅ How far are most days?

✅ How much climbing?

✅ Rough pack weight?

That's your target. Not someone else's highlight reel — yours.

For the last month before the trip, aim for one weekly hike that nearly matches those numbers. If your big days are 18km with solid climbing, your training walks should be nudging that, not hanging around 8 or 10.

If that feels way off? Adjust the plan. Shorten the route. Add a buffer day. Pick an easier season. Or bump the trip.

That's not failure. That's how you show up at the start of a walk confident, not stressed.

Once your body's sorted, pick a route that has some give in it.

Back in 2004, I did a 26-day circuit through southwest Tassie. About six days in, my mate's knee blew up. At the same time, the weather packed it in around Federation Peak, one of the toughest mountains in Australia.

Three separate times, we did the opposite of our plan: stayed put for extra days, trimmed distances, ditched side trips.

If we'd had the "must push on" mindset, that trip would've gone from hard to dangerous.

When you map out your route, ask:

✅ Where are the bailout options if something goes wrong?

✅ Can you chop a few kilometers off the biggest days?

✅ Is there a buffer day built in — even one?

If you don't need the buffer, bonus. But your future self will thank you for having it there if you need it.

Ready to check if you're actually prepared?

🎒 Take my free Multi-Day Readiness Quiz — five minutes, no fluff. Just a clear picture of where you're at and what to work on before your next big hike.

THAT’S ALL FOR THIS WEEK

Thanks for reading Mowser’s Musings. I hope this helps you hike further and happier.

Until next week, keep exploring.

Mowser

Discover more. Hike further.

P.S.