Walking resumes

Back in the saddle! Today was an early morning and drive to Brownhill Creek where, with a good friend Ynys joining me, the walking season/training kicked off again in full force. How exciting!

Today was Yurrebilla revisited, a 17km round trip from Brownhill Creek to the edge of Cleland and back. The weather was perfect, a slight drizzle in the morning and then relatively overcast for the morning, as lunch saw the sun come out and warm things up a bit. A fantastic day to start getting into it all again.

Should be the beginning of an enjoyable walking season as I gear up ready to go later in the year. Will start a few weights and more fast paced cardio exercises. Looking forward to the pain. Bring it!

Leave semi-approved

Man oh man! I finally just went for it and asked about getting some time off work to do the Camino de Santiago. I feel as though I'm really answering a call in life, taking a step out into something exciting and wonderful. I feel anxious, overjoyed, and overwhelmed with almost every emotion. How fantastic!

So now with that in motion I look forward to pricing tickets. April is going with me and it's already feeling like we're on our way, solving problems together, looking at options. It's set for September so I can be walking on my 31st birthday and avoid some of the summer rush.

Looks like a flight to Paris/Frankfurt, then either plane or train down to St Jean Pied de Port, then on to the walking...


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I'm following the dream baby!

New shoe

Or 2 even. These new shoes are awesome. Can walk/hike without socks and let the babies breathe. Have been giving them a trial and they're making a good impression on me. I love them! Wanted to get some shoes which didn't overdo the socks and sandals look, wanted something I could feel comfortable in and still have the support to go for it.

These came out as the winners.

Getting into backpacking/hiking

As funny as it sounds, getting into the next part of hiking is like a cross between internet dating and high level instances in World of Warcraft. Haha. Believe me! It is! I feel like I'm at the point where I have to just get out there and meet people who are interested in it too, so I can get in some practice and learn some really great tips before heading out. And it's like an instance (dungeon which requires 10-20 players to complete) in World of Warcraft because I was either waiting for friends to get to that level or getting frustrated cos we couldn't make the numbers. Yes, I am weird.

So I'm gonna have to take the plunge I think and get involved with a club, or maybe there are some people at church who'd be keen? Could you imagine them making an announcement at the end of the service "oh, and if anyone's into hiking, please talk to Simon.. he'll be up the back". I'm sure there are groups out there. Might even get involved in some forums - a gold mine for information and sharing ideas. I've heard of a group in Adelaide who do bushwalks but have been warned that the majority of them are over 50. At least it might make me feel fitter than I am!?

Also been having a look at gear guides, reviews, articles, tips on foot care, and the problematic situation re: water. I also bought a compass and tomorrow will be practicing getting proper bearings to walk in a triangle. Should be handy if I ever need to navigate my way around any treacherous triangle shaped areas. Haha.

I did find this short video on Youtube which shows the smaller version of the tent I just bought. It shows how it sits when set up (pretty much the same) the outer and inner walls and that little bit of ventilation I was talking about - you can see a bit of the outside ground area at the end of the clip. Will be interesting to see how that performs when it's pissing down with rain.

Reading list

Talk about a more lukewarm approach. What a crack up. Well I tried! I've now engrossed myself in all sorts of books about walking, hiking, backpacking, camping, orienteering, hillwalking, destinations and bushcraft. I'm striking up conversations and getting to know the salespeople in several camping shops on a first name basis. I've enquired about courses regarding bushcraft which have only led to Scout leading - a whole different kettle of fish. And every break I can conceive of I desperately long to get away from the city and walk over the windy slopes of some picturesque landscape.

If I break a leg and can't ever do it, at least I'm to be taken seriously! Hehe.

Here's the current reading list, complete with sample dewey numbers if you're interested in looking in these sections yourself (that's the librarian in me):

Beyond Backpacking - Ray Jardine
Ray Jardine's Guide to Lightweight Hiking
796.51 JAR

The Ultimate Hillwalking Skills Handbook
796.522 ULT

Bushcraft - Ray Mears
An inspirational guide to surviving the wilderness
613.69 MEA

The Complete Hiker - John Long and Michael Hodgson
Everything you'll need for a day or a month on the trail
796.51 LON

Walking and Orienteering - Peter G. Drake
How to cross hills, back country and rough terrain in safety and confidence
796.51 DRA

A Place to Walk - Eloise Napier
Unforgettable walking holidays from around the world
910.202 NAP

Fieldbook for Australian Scouting
The guide to outdoor adventure, challenge, resourcefulness and fun
369.4 FIE

Ancient Tracks - Des Hannigan
Walking through Historic Britain
914.1/210

Thru Hiker's Guide to America - E. Schlimmer
25 incredible trails you can hike in one to eight weeks
917.3 SCH

Classic Walks in Western Europe - Gillian & John Souter
914 SOU

Walking France - Gillian & John Souter
Exploring France's great towns and finest landscapes on foot
914.4 SOU

Walking in Italy (Lonely Planet)
914.5 WAL

Tramping in New Zealand - Jim DuFresne (Lonely Planet)
919.3 DUF

The Inca Trail - Richard Danbury
Cusco & Machu Picchu
918.537 DAN

369s - social sciences (associations)
613s - personal health and safety
796s - athletics and outdoor sports
910s - geography & travel
914s - geography of & travel in Europe
917s - geography of & travel in North America
918s - geography of & travel in South America
919s - geography of & travel in other places

There have been other books besides. The more I read over things the better the ideas become and it helps with the elimination process. I mean, it's hard to think otherwise, trying to weigh something up before even getting there. I'd hate for so much emphasis to be put on something only to find it was way out of my league or a complete cake walk.

If you know of any other really good books, let me know. At the moment I'm hunting for decent walking holidays in other parts of the world, incorporating in either history, something on the World Heritage List (could even be the trail/track itself) or an unforgettable journey.

The US of Nay?

I've been searching for some camping, hiking, day-walk options for my time in the USA next year and I was starting to get disillusioned. I mean, don't get me wrong, hiking in the USA brings up images of the Grand Canyon, Colorado mountains, evergreen forests and shivering in tents scared witless of bears. But I was looking for some middle range stuff, you know, a few days along a trail, a few hours out of a main or outlying city/town, somewhere it's relatively secluded but not real hyper survival wilderness stuff.

And my searches were coming up fruitless. They all seemed to be based around city walks (say, Boston or Washington DC) or the treks listed above, ones where you find skeletons along the way with backpacks on them. I was thinking maybe all Americans drive when they're hiking? Is there no middle range? They're either fat n lazy or extremists, dangling off rock faces, sleeping in a nook in a cliff. That's when GORP finally came along, which seems to be a site with actual information on it, not just those trick links that take you to pop-up heaven.

You'll have to register but it has some great links and information. The articles are written by people who actually go and a lot of the fact file type pages are great, like what I've just devoured about sleeping bags and what type to buy. That's the next thing on the agenda, to test out this Easter, a new bag. So reading through the guide, checking out what's what really helps when you go into the shop and the sales assistant's help (if they know their stuff) starts going over your head. At least with this I'm getting a heads up and can match what I read with what they tell me. The more accurate they are, the more I trust their judgement and more willing to get into open discussion about what's better etc.

Check it out.

Bringin home the bacon

Yes! Walked out of the post office today (just made it before closing - bus took a crazy route home) with the biggest smile on my face. Just like the cat who got the cream. As she passed it over to me the first thought in my head was "gee, it really is light". It has that new product smell and the soft touch of the silicon fly beckons me to skip work tomorrow and set up somewhere to hide out for the week.

It'll be different sleeping in this one. I haven't slept in a small tent since the days when dad and I went camping in our blue archetype tent, one of those square ones with the peak ridge in the centre. I have a 3-room, 8+ person tent which has seen its days of party camping. Drunken stumbling from one mozzie door to the next. Or when a mate Frank and I went camping for 5 days and it rained non-stop. He had one room, I had another. I read American Psycho while he hammered away at his Gameboy until the batteries ran out. Frank, Lox and I used to make tarp tipis, massive poles encased in a truck tarp. They were cool. Many happy memories camping. Or in a tent embassy (the lazy version - just strapped to trees) when it was freezing. Dale was wrapped up in an orange sleeping bag from primary school he had to dislocate his shoulder to zip it up - totally looked like a bit of bung fritz. Freezing one morning, from the opened end of the tent embassy, Frank and I awoke in our sleeping bags nestled on either side of Dale, a heat generator. It was like that scene from Planes, Trains and Automobiles. "Those aren't pillows!"

Happy days. And more to come! If you haven't been in the outdoors for a while, or can't remember the last time you went camping, get out there. I can't say it enough. I really feel like my life has changed since the moment I laced up my sneakers and had a heart attack up Mount Parker in HK. The best time is now. If you're thinking maybe next week or the night after next, do it tonight, ASAP. Go for a ½hr walk for starters and you'll really feel like you're taking life on your own terms. A great saying from our local pastor: "Excuses are the bricks with which you build your house of failure". Absolutely.

Hubba Hubba

I didn't think I'd be this excited but I can barely contain myself. I'm only a post office visit away from picking up my new tent, ordered from the States and just arrived today. I'm never around to get to the post office during opening hours so it'll have to wait til this weekend.

The MSR Hubba Hubba (aka reh-reuowh, humma-na-humma-na, mmmmmm-MMMMMM - lol). This tent is a 2-person, 3-season job. A nice 2.1kg (including fly and footprint) it looks like something from some sort of lunar discovery mission. For me and my gear it'll be perfect and I can't wait to give it a test run.

I'm going to head down to a nearby caravan park and spend a night during an upcoming weekend, maybe even a couple of Easter! Thought it'd be best to try somewhere away from the inquisitive claws of my cat Cheyenne. Nothing like zipping yourself up into a tent on a chilly night. The smell of the tarp, the fresh air, an adventure full of possibilities. Well, perhaps not in the local caravan park. It's a start.

Ray Jardine special

Just about to launch into a book written by Ray Jardine called Beyond Backpacking. It's sort of extreme lightweight hiking, taken to the enth degree. One of his big pointers (and a controversial one at that, from what I've read amongst hiking/backpacking sites) is to skip the hiking boots and go with sneakers. This video summed it up for me, titled "The Ray Jardine special".

"That's not a knife..."

This is a knife! My new friend. It is also my very first Swiss Army knife and I am smitten. The 'Climber' seems to have everything I could have wanted, without going too far. Some of these knives even have USB sticks! Talk about keeping with the times. One was seriously 2 inches deep with every type of blade and mini multi-tool under the sun. Bet it doesn't have a backscratcher... oh wait... also doubles as a cliff clinger-on-erer.

I got a blue one instead of the red. Very nice.

Telling a friend about it I've already made it work for me:

1. Trimmed my fingernails - shot around like ricochet nail nunchucks

2. Tweezers - not strong enough for nose hairs, at least now I know

3. Hole punch - put a new notch in dad's belt, real handyman stuff that

... and just waiting to be in an accident so I can cut my own limb off!

Already almost paid for itself, specially with the punishment I have in store when I set about carving up my toenails. May need goggles.

Scorcher

A long walk in the Hills is off today. I just went for an hour local walk (the usual track) and even though it was from 8:30-9:30am, the sun was still kicking up a bit of a fuss. 40deg forecast today and it already feels like the gates of Hades have been left wide open.

In fact, it's like a mini heatwave this weekend so any form of a hike is off. It's research time though and I'll probably make my way out to some camping shops to check out lightweight tents, a decent sleeping bag and perhaps even buy a compass to get some practice in. Don't even know how to work the darn things although the knowledge alone (whether it's used to navigate or not) will be an invaluable tool for a situation that may arise. Never know!

Another trail I'm interested in is the Pennine Way which runs up the middle of England and crosses Hadrian's Wall, another place of interest for me. Good chance for some decent camping along it's route and long distance practice for the Camino.

Brownhill to Belair

What a beautiful day it was today. A lovely 26deg and patches of shade, a nice breeze - perfect. Poison and injury changed the order of the day although it turned into a nice recap on some area already covered. No-one has been poisoned. Put the phone down. Today's hike was meant to be Waterfall Gully to Lofty area but the track was closed due to poisoning so Frank and I turned around, back to good ol Brownhill Creek, the trusty setting off point.

With Kath out with a back injury from netball, Jon still sore with a twisted ankle and Tania working it was nice to hit the trail with Frank. We have future plans of doing the Kokoda Track, money/time permitting, so it's fitness a go-go in the meantime.

Today was 18km there and back along the tail end of the Yurrebilla Trail. We had some fantastic photo opportunities and it was exciting to see so much wildlife about the place today. Along with the usual scurries of lizards and flocks of birds we saw some well-built horses, friendly maggies, dragonflies with wings that clicked like claws on lino, and my favourite, a pazzed out koala in the nook of a gum tree limb. Bonus points to Frank for spotting that one.

The area is a welcome respite from the demands of city living. I cleared my lungs again, oxygen touching the bottom of them, a deep down place usually reserved for clear air and/or coughed out bong smoke (ancient history). We're so lucky to have an area that close to the city/suburbs which still boasts some sort of bush feel, where you can walk for 20+ minutes and not see a soul. Frank has an interest in conservation so it was interesting hearing about various flora diseases and the intermingling of natives and introduced species.

The trail cries out to be walked in its entirety. Keen to have that one under my belt. It feels right somehow, to discover my own city on foot before I venture out to walk/hike other places in the world.

Brownhill to Waterfall Gully

Cue Lawrence of Arabia soundtrack, Picnic at Hanging Rock and Survivor. Today was a battle against the elements and the mind. Warning: do not walk on days above 30deg - today was 36deg and I'm sure we all almost died.

Kath and I were joined by 2 friends, Jon and Tania. It was easier to do a more grueling walk with more of us cos at least one person was likely to be upbeat and cheering us all along. It was the slog up 'the hill' first (Brown Hill) then along the Yurrebilla Trail to Waterfall Gully. Part of this segment included walked past the remains of buildings up at Eagle on the Hill, a flash back to an era before our new freeway. The monumental remains of the old BP were like something from Rome, left to weather the ages as a sign of former glory.

Water was a bit of a concern today and I went through 5+ltrs, luckily we made the stop at Waterfall Gully and were able to stock up on more fluids. It was a give and take situation, where if we hadn't walked that segment we would have made it back fine, but by doing the extra we gave ourselves a bit of a self-inflicted water crisis. It was the first time since school sports days that I've felt the real effects of dehydration, oncoming faint feeling and a sort of claustrophobic closeness about the clear, dry heat.

It reminded me of what it must have been like for early settlers coming here during a time where they would have worn woollen clothing, ties, girdles, itchy breeches, that sort of thing. What a glimpse at that perseverance and determination to survive.

The Hills have a fair bite in them during summer and when bushwalking make sure it's done early morning (and no later than mid-morning) or only on days of 30deg or below. Or, like us, read about it all you like but once you've experienced it realise that it's something you never want to come across again.

Approx. 19kms today. Ouch.

Belair to Brownhill

The hiking boots were dragged on yesterday for yet another walk along the Yurrebilla trail, this time to find the connecting path between Belair and Brownhill Creek.

Got up to Belair train station at about 7:45am and entered Belair National Park through a gateway that looked like a relic from the past. Some creatures (human variety) had pulled off all the Yurrebilla arrows off the posts so every time I came to a post (every 500m) I had to guess (from memory, as I'd forgotten a map) which way to head next. It was like an easter egg hunt, or orienteering for the terminal weekender. A few wrong turns, including walking all the way to the end of the National Park and then heading back, I found the trail again and make the connection.

Some highlights were:

Echo Tunnel - pitch black in the middle, was like something from a novel

Lower Waterfall - would have been awesome if there was some water in it, good view

Winding path into Brownhill - it was like walking down those platforms from Donkey Kong

All up I walked (inc. wrong direction) about 24kms, on par for what I'll need to do for the Camino de Santiago in Spain. Ate 2 metwurst/tomato sandwiches, 4 apples, 2 muesli bars and 2.2lt of water. It started to rain too so I was able to sample a bit of the spirit soaring nature connection there.

Will look at other bits of the Yurrebilla Trail bit by bit before planning to do it all in 2 days. Go those sore legs and butt cheeks!

Oh, and my car got broken into while it was sitting there at the Belair Railway Station. The Red Slut violated again! Little thieving bastards. I had to laugh though... only got my street directoy, a little torch and heaps of coins covered in sticky Coke. Haha. Suffer you little street urchins!

Adelaide hiking begins

Well I've been on 2 successful trips up to the hills now, both shared with Kath as we explore the tracks trying to work out what's what. Last weekend was threatening rain so that was an experience. Any second we were expecting (and hoping - as practice!) to be totally rained down on. The week before that was above 30deg so we were glad we had an early start.

We've been going from Brownhill Caravan Park up Brown Hill, across to the direction of Waite Campus and then along NE following the Yurrebilla Trail. The first bit is a killer, as only 2 mins from the car we're instantly on the steepest gradient of the whole trail. Last week was a bit slippery as you may be able to see from this photo of Kath. There was a lot of stop-start uphill work but you're rewarded instantly with an early morning view of Adelaide city and surrounds. Makes it worthwhile getting started at 7am. I would suggest getting up early anyway. It's cooler, you're body isn't awake enough to resist and once you're done by about lunch you have the whole day ahead of you.

Brown Hill is old grazing land, as you can tell by the sparse hill top. It is an area of quarries too, and some land is now fenced off as private land "no trespassers" etc. Trails lead through to Mt Lofty, Waite Conservation Park and the Yurrebilla Trail. Other than the steep incline near the caravan park the rest is quite mild. We made good time cruising along the trail, especially the second time around when we knew where we were going.

Even in the short amount of time we were gone (4hrs) we managed to down almost 2 litres of water each plus sandwiches and apples. We covered about 14km of up and down terrain with some breaks for the view. One morning there were even some fitness psychos in lycra running up to the top - incredible.

Hopefully each trip will get longer and it's a great way to build up endurance. It's a far cry from my panting up Mount Parker. Hehe.

WalkSA

Went in to the Map Shop today and bought myself a copy of WalkSA, a booklet produced by the Advertiser/Sunday Mail which has walks/hikes all around South Australia.

I'll try and work my way through them and post reviews on each one. Looks like fantastic little resource guide. Includes time estimates, what to take, history of area and any other useful facts like where to park, what time of the year to go, Conservation Park entry fees etc. Nice work Kym Tilbrook.

A guide to better bushwalking

Don't worry. I haven't become an expert overnight. Just found a great PDF brochure which outlines some basics for bushwalking/hiking in Australia. It'd be useful anywhere I'm sure, just lose the contact info and details about 50 kinds of deadly snakes.

2lts of water per day sounded like a good rule of thumb.

Check out this bushwalking page and click on the 'A Guide to Better Bushwalking' link down the bottom.

New Year 07

What a way to start a new year. Hiking.

It's a far cry from the old days when I would have woken up on someone's porch, or risen to see the aftermath of a backyard in the daylight. Ushering in a new year with a physical challenge is what this year will be all about for me. I'm setting a personal training regime for myself (as so many other NYE pledges are made!) and hopefully it will be what helps me power through.

My sister, April, and I went up Mount Parker on Hong Kong Island, approx. 500m above sea level. It was a great day, a winters' 23deg C, and there were plenty of people out on the public holiday. After only 10 mins of the initial climb (a country park track with reinforced earth stairs) I was completely out of breath and the coffee I'd sculled for breakfast earlier on was requesting an immediate evac. Felt much better in the shade and with a few buttons undone on my shirt it was easier to push on, now concreting in my mind that I am not Superman.

It was cool to see what they've done to dismantle the old HK airport at Chep Lap Kok (seen behind in photo of me about to die). Man, it brought back some memories seeing that ol beauty, the way the planes used to come in between the buildings and the one time a China airlines plane didn't make it... It sat in the harbour for ages and they were thinking of making a kitsch restaurant out of it; the semi-submerged fear factor dining area.

The view over the other side gave some sort of scope as to the more natural surrounds. Imagine this area untouched by mass civilisation. Weather worn junks sweeping into the deep harbour. Would have been an amazing sight.

Another point of interest re: the old airport. During the Japanese occupation during World War 2, stones were removed from the old wall surround the Walled City to extend the runway.

A solid start to the year I must say. My legs are completely pummeled though. I was willing each knee to work just to get up some steps in a shopping centre. Watch this Norm Be In It.