Yasmin Kelsall (Yama / Yas)

Completed: 14 June, 2022

Yasmin Kelsall thumbnail — **Yasmin Kelsall**
Yama / Yas

Start date: 2 September, 2008
Age When Completed: 47
Direction Walked: Southbound

Track Towns and Supplies

Did you have any issues finding food/supplies? Yes
Although we hike regularly, on the Bibbulman we felt like everyone else was going very ultralight. We still enjoy using our Trangia and taking time to cook a meal. On our recent trip (32 days) to complete our E2E we took the first 11 days of food ourselves but then bought from the track towns. Northcliffe was the only town where we had to compromise much in our choices. Buying food was part of the adventure!

Your Story or Advice for Others

General Comments
This walk provided us with a great reason for us to make repeat visits to WA (from Victoria) and with each experience get to learn more about the landscape and about our own hiking journey each time. As we completed our hike in 3 episodes with a few years between each time we saw changes in the usage of the track and the trends in hiking styles and equipment.

Your Best Equipment
Trangia, head-torch, new hiking pillow, warm sleeping bag, ear plugs. New hiking shoes, bought one size bigger than normal - no blisters!

Your Worst Equipment
Heavy work shirt, sent home at first post office.

Advice for Others
It's been said before...walk your own walk.

Trip Details

How you completed the Bibbulmun Track:

All at once

Who did you complete the Track with? Other - Warwick Sprawson
Was undertaking your hike the PRIMARY/MAIN purpose of your TRAVEL from where you currently live? No

Your Experience

Favourite Section
The Pingarup Plains were very special after coming out of the forest, and the stands of Karri on the higher granite ground were really surprising. What a unique and beautiful landscape. It was something I could never have imagined and these wet 'plains' landscapes are so rare in other parts of southern Australia (often drained and farmed) that it was a pure privilege to see them for myself.

Highlight of your trip
The wildflowers when we walked from Walpole to Albany in 2015 and the huge numbers of snakes on the same walk. The huge storms in May/June where thunder truly stalked the hills around the tiny huts at night. It was very raw and waking to a sparkling morning the next day was exhilarating.