But after about an hour of walking the steep Federal Falls track, on the outskirts of Orange, NSW, Esther Wallace and her boyfriend took a wrong turn and became disoriented in dark, dense bushland.
The man, a local cleaner, was able to walk to safety on the morning of November 30, 2022, but Ms Wallace was never seen alive again.
An inquest is examining the efficacy of the 12-day search for Ms Wallace and the circumstances of her death, which is not considered suspicious.
Her body was found on December 11, with hypothermia and dehydration the most likely causes of death, counsel assisting Claire Palmer told the inquest on Monday.
The temperature was below zero when the couple arrived at the Mount Canobolas State Conservation Area just before midnight.
Ms Wallace, 47, was wearing a blouse, tights and sandals when they began walking.
"They soon realised they were lost, Esther became scared and started to panic," Ms Palmer told the inquest in Orange.
"Esther sat down and, according to (her boyfriend), refused to move."
As the sun rose, Ms Wallace spotted some tracks but the couple argued about which way to go, Ms Palmer said.
When Ms Wallace refused to move, her boyfriend left her sitting on his high-vis jacket and walked uphill for two hours until he was able to call for help.
Large groups of police, State Emergency Service volunteers, NSW National Parks and Wildlife staff searched for Ms Wallace for nearly a fortnight.
On the fifth day, crews found the high-vis jacket and her black headband.
Ms Wallace's white blouse was found four days later, when the chances of finding her alive were considered highly unlikely.
Her body was discovered on the 12th day, 1.6km from where she was last seen and 1.7km from a car park.
The trail of her clothing was likely evidence of "paradoxical undressing", in which people suffering hypothermia have hot flashes and remove their clothes in a confused state, the inquest was told.
The boyfriend was not implicated in Ms Wallace's death.
He continually helped police, provided details of their movements and was considered too slight to have been able to force her into the bush.
Though a syringe was found in the search, DNA testing showed it was not connected to the couple.
The inquest will examine whether it was appropriate that Ms Wallace was classified as a missing hiker, despite past mental ill health, bouts of drug-induced psychosis and the recent use of cannabis.
Deputy State Coroner Rebecca Hosking expressed her condolences to Ms Wallace's parents and thanked emergency services for their efforts.
"Everyone is hoping for an alternative outcome when they go on these searches," Judge Hosking said.
"A lot of people were engaged and tried very hard to find Esther."
The inquest continues.
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