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How to get ahead and scare your friends
by Anne Warren
Back in 1997 - or was it 1996? - anyway, before the Wednesday Bushwalkers had three groups to choose from, a happy band of us were tentatively descending the escarpment in the Fox Ground area, with Leila leading in her usual confident manner. A narrow track at 85 degrees (or maybe 95 degrees!) necessitated careful foot-work from me, laden as I was with all the accoutrements for survival - food, and all that sort of thing. It was slow going and I was nervous, and anxious to get to the bottom - can't think why, because we all know that what goes down has to come up again, especially bush tracks.
Without warning my walking boots left the track, hurtling through the air, the rest of me following in a graceful arc. Now, I've never been good at gymnastics, not even my beloved grand-children can persuade me to copy their antics on the trampoline, but on this never-to-be-forgotten day, I did a perfect double somersault, landing on my feet (of all things), with my pack on my back and my hat still on my head. Best of all, two places ahead and much nearer to the valley floor, having flown over two startled faces. So don't be deterred, don't be afraid, come bushwalking and see what tricks you can perform in the solitude and beauty of the bush.