Originally written September 2020
I tackled this beast for the second time, this time with 31 others, hoping I might be luckier with the weather.
Well… sort of. 
The weather went from good to bad, but the experience itself was much more pleasant than my first attempt. Having someone to chat with was a welcome distraction — and having people around to take photos was definitely a bonus.
I tackled it solo two years earlier.
Looking back, that probably wasn’t one of my brighter ideas. I tried to squeeze it into my Christmas break, which also happens to be the rainy season in Cairns. It was wet, the leeches were feasting on me, and because of the cloud I didn’t even get the view I was hoping for from the Thumb.
So this time I thought: surely I’ll have better luck.
Nope. 
Then I realised something.
It’s rainforest.
Rain is not exactly an unexpected development.
The leeches were still pestering me, the clouds still rolled in, and once again nature reminded me that I don’t get to place an order for perfect hiking conditions.
You just go — and take whatever the mountain gives you.
I also realised something else.
I’m getting older.
The first time I did this hike, I remember thinking it wasn’t too difficult. This time, I could tell I was slower.
Not incapable.
Just slower.
And maybe that’s another thing I’m learning about getting older: I can still tackle the beast. I might just take a little longer to do it.
Stories Along the Way 