The Dusky Track: A Test of Strength, Mud, and Muscle- rescueME PLB1

What happened?

I love tramping. The physical effort of reaching mountain summits is always rewarded with breathtaking views. It makes me proud to know I can achieve this on my own. Exercising in beautiful natural surroundings has a calming effect—and it guarantees a good night’s sleep.

The Dusky Track in Fiordland had been on my bucket list for a long time, and I knew it would be challenging. To complete it enjoyably and successfully, I needed three things: good physical condition, essential gear, and favorable weather.

Two months before the trip, I began training with serious intent—doing multi-day tramps in mountainous areas with a heavy backpack. I managed to keep up with, and even beat, DOC track times. In addition, I committed to weekly day hikes with a full pack to further build my strength and endurance.

Well prepared and blessed with good weather, I set off with two friends on the Dusky Track. From the start, the biggest challenge was the terrain: much of the day was spent climbing up and down nearly vertical sections, weaving our way through a maze of tree roots. On the flatter sections, the mud demanded careful balance and constant focus.

Despite the difficulty, it was exhilarating. The views from the peaks were spectacular, and every tough stretch felt worthwhile.

Halfway through our journey, we spent an extra day in a hut due to heavy rain—the track would’ve been dangerously slippery. It turned out to be a good rest for our muscles. But I didn’t realize then that it wasn’t enough for one very important muscle: my gluteal.

On the second-to-last day, I began to slow down noticeably. One leg could barely support me, especially on descents. Somehow, I stumbled to the hut for our final night. We only had five hours to walk the next day—surely I’d recover with rest?

But after just ten minutes of sitting, my muscle completely gave out. I had to crawl on all fours to the toilet. The morning, it was worse. I couldn’t stand, let alone walk.

In the end, my rescueME PLB1 became my lifesaver.

Words of wisdom

I bought a PLB because I knew that disaster can strike at any time. I bought it as a kind of insurance, hoping and expecting that I would never have a serious accident. But what is serious? Just getting stuck somewhere in the middle of nowhere, unable to walk any further, that can always happen. Even with the best preparation ever. Safe tramping needs carrying a PLB, even if you don’t expect to ever need it.

Thank you note to the Ocean Signal team

The Ocean Signal PLB1 is small and user-friendly. The instructions for use are clearly explained on the PLB itself. This made it easy to set up the PLB without having the manual with me.

Thank you rescue team for coming to pick me up on a Sunday morning. Sorry for waking you up.