Heart of the Nation: Kosciuszko National Park 2627
Imagine a ski season with social distancing. At least Hugh Newall doesn’t have to worry about chairlift queues; he walks up...
We’re on the cusp of the ski season – though lord knows what that’ll be like with social distancing. Luckily for Hugh Newall, he doesn’t have to worry about chairlift queues; he earns his turns by walking up. He’ll cover 30km in a typical day in the Kosciuszko backcountry, seeking out the steepest and gnarliest terrain, hacking his way up gullies with crampons and ice axes then skiing down. Often, he’ll get in only a couple of downhill runs in a dawn-to-dusk day in the mountains. So why all the hours of grinding effort, for just a few minutes of reward?
The 26-year-old, who lives in Jindabyne and is doing a Master’s in project management, is pictured on Watsons Crags, a few hours’ slog out of Perisher. It’s a happy hunting ground; last season Newall - who is sponsored by Sea to Summit and documents his adventures on Instagram (@narcoleptic.adventurer) - made the first descent of a terrifyingly steep couloir here, where one slip would have meant disaster. He often goes alone. It’s about the thrill of exploration, and testing the outer limits of his skill and courage. It’s about something more, too.
The former downhill racer copped a head injury in a 100km/h crash four years ago, while training in Canada, and ever since has been afflicted by narcolepsy. The debilitating sleepiness and episodes of “brain fog” derailed his life at first; in dark moments he would wonder if he was “a write-off”. His answer to that? To take on big challenges – ultramarathons, mountaineering in the Andes, paragliding, backcountry skiing – to prove to himself that there’s no limit to what he can achieve. The adrenalin and physical effort of such endeavours mitigates the symptoms of this “invisible disease”, he says; a $1000-a-month drug also helps. Newall’s five-year goal is to get to Antarctica, “the ultimate testing ground”. Closer to home, after months of lockdown, he can’t wait for the snow. “I’m chomping at the bit!” he says.