ME :)

The day started off quite early with a tube ride to Victoria station from Hammersmith. I met all the walkers at this station where we then proceeded to catch a Southern train down to the station called Glydne where we began our 7hr journey.

The walk from Glydne to Seaford was not clearly defined as in there wasn’t a specific mapped out track you simply follow. We had a printed guide with instructions on where to go and things to look out for. We also had a compass to help us navigate when we turned up at forks in the roads or at T-intersections.

I’ve never been on a walk like this before with a compass and instructional maps but it is something I need to learn, especially the compass navigation. I would just go on a walk/hike and follow a path and not have a care in the world or which way to go next. So when others were navigating and shouting out instructions, it was kind of weird.

I’m also quite used to walking in the bush under a canopy of trees and up rugged mountains with stones or rocks you can slip on. So trudging through the English fields and climbing lush green hills without any tree cover was out of the ordinary. Luckily the walk wasn’t too boring as we went across fields, through small forests and also down along the coast.

We went through different towns along the way with recognized points of interests on the map – this being the pub. For lunch we sat in a garden in a petite town called Alfriston enjoying our rolls and some of us even headed to a pub for bangers & mash. Something very out of the ordinary – you usually enjoy a nice feast after the hike not during it but hey, whatever tickles your fancy!

The chalk cliff faces down at the Seven Sisters were amazing. Too bad my camera kept being a nuisance and not being able to focus due to the focus mirror occasionally popping out of place. After each shot I would have to put the mirror back into place and then take another shot. This got a bit annoying so I just ended up using my backup Canon compact digital camera.

We celebrated one of the walkers birthday on the train (happy birthday Colin!). We didn’t have much of an opportunity on the walk since we were required to get back to Seaford on time to catch the train as a few of us had priori commitments that evening. We handed out cake portions not only to all the walkers but a several people on board the train. It was rather amusing but quite enjoyable.

The hike from Glydne to Seaford was successful. After 23km and practically 7hrs in the sun, a little burnt and sore but nonetheless quite content that the walk (not hike) was completed injury free. I’m glad to say that my left foot is 100% healed after this enduring test.

I polished the great day walking with a big bowl of beef noodle soup at a Vietnamese restaurant down near Canary Wharf. It is out of the way to where I currently live but it was definitely worth the effort and wait in the queue. That place was rather popular and I can see and taste why!

I Have to thank the organizers of the trip and everyone who attended this pleasant day.

smiles

This week I headed up to Mt Hotham in the heart of the Alpine National Park. I couldn’t have timed the trek from Hotham Village to Mt Feathertop better as the weather on Saturday was perfect. Almost clear blue skies, sunny and not a breathe of wind on the Razorback ridge.

I have never done any snow treks apart from the Fox Glacier Hike in New Zealand. This track was covered in snow and there was barely any tree cover as you walk across the Razorback ridge which is a set of mountains along the way to Mt Feathertop.

The trek took 11 hours and covered a distance of 28km. You begin the trek from Hotham Village and walk along the road down to Diamantina hut. From the Diamantina hut you walk along Razorback Walking Track down to Twin Knobs then to The Cross. From The Cross you can see Federation Hut and this is where you start your ascent to Mt Feathertop Summit. Then you return the same way you came.

I brought my friend Varun along on this trip on his maiden hike. We left Mt Hotham village centre at 6.30am and made my way down to Diamantina hut. When we got there, we put on some gaiters and tried using the snow shoes. Unfortunately the snow shoes were missing a buckle so the snow shoes became useless even though the majority of the track was covered in snow.

We began the ascent to the top of Razorback Ridge with quite a bit of weight on my shoulders. Some parts of the track had snow that was knee-deep so I had to plow through that without any snow shoes. I’ve never walked in snow before but after a while my legs began to cramp up. Possibly due to the coldness or the lack of oxygen in my legs due to the gaiters and higher altitude.

We had several breaks on the Razorback Ridge to catch up on some needed rest. The closer we got to Mt Feathertop the more snow we encountered. Both my legs were beginning to cramp severely especially on the upper thighs. I asked Varun to lead and make some tracks for me so that I don’t fall into the snow and cramp even further. Basically I would follow in the footsteps of Varun if the snow was deep. From the top of Razorback ridge all the way to Mt Feathertop its stunning 360 degree views of the surrounding mountains. A clear and sunny day just made the views even more spectacular with the snow capped peaks and snow covered trees.

Just before we reach Twin Knobs we walk through some rugged bushland with snow melting everywhere. The track is quite muddy once the snow melts, so ensure you have some sturdy and waterproof boots. Another rest was needed at this point so we sat under a tree for some shade and finished off our beloved Tim Tams, the best source of energy one can have (nice sugar rush). The walk along to The Cross is on the side of the mountain with plenty of snow cover. It is very easy to slip and slide down the side of the mountain so one needs to be careful of where you place your footing.

We arrived at the bottom of Mt Feathertop summit at about 11.30am and we only had 30mins to reach the summit before heading back to the chalet. So we quickly dropped our gear at the bottom and quickly scrambled up the summit. It was quite slippery up on the summit climb with frozen ice and with no snow shoes it made it a bit more difficult. We climbed on rocks and soft snow just to make it to the top. Once we were at the top, we knew that our hard mornings walk had paid off and we had conquered Mt Feathertop, the second highest mountain in Victoria. After taking some panoramas and various shots of the surrounding mountains it was time for the hard slog back to home and comfort.

The walk back was just as hard and since the entire day was quite sunny, a lot of snow had melted so the walk along the sides of the mountains and razorback ridge were quite slippery and extremely muddy. I ran out of water with about an hour to walk, I was tempted to eat the ice just to get some liquid but I managed not to. I couldn’t wait to get back to the Chalet because dinner was awaiting us. I was dying for some orange juice and of course the main meal of spaghetti Bolognese. A well deserved meal after a hard days walk. We arrived back at the Chalet at 5.30pm as it was beginning to get dark. The Bolognese was delicious complemented by a few glasses of juice. A perfect combination.

Sore legs and thighs, aching neck and shoulders, hunger satisfied after the great meal, the next best thing to do was to have an early night for a full day’s skiing the next day!

More photos can be found here.

We headed down to the Great Ocean Road this week to Angahook-Lorne State Park which is situated in Lorne, about 150km west of Melbourne taking approximately 2hrs to drive. We covered about 13km today in about 5.5hrs with plenty of stops to see caves and waterfalls. Angahook-Lorne State Park is now part of the Great Otways National Park.

We started from Sheoak Picnic Area and headed down to Shallow Cave, then we went down to Sheoak falls and then to the coast. From the coast we headed back to Sheoak falls and headed up to Castle Rock. From there we went along the Garvey track and down to the Upper Kalimna falls, down to the Lower Kalimna falls and then back to the car park.

We arrived at Sheoak Picnic Area at about midday and had some lunch in the Picnic area. Sam was enjoying his leg ham and coleslaw sandwich, praising how delicious it was. He was into his second sandwich until some trouble struck. There was a kookaburra sitting on a tree branch above us and watching us eat, there were also many magpies around also. Little did Sam know, that kookaburra was about to spoil his lunch. Sam was about to take a bite into his sandwich, when suddenly the kookaburra, followed by two magpies swooped down and took the sandwich away from Sam’s hands!!!

The kookaburra had actually glided down and cut Sam on the webbing between his finger and thumb and then stole the sandwich. The magpies were only there to scavenge what the kookaburra had left behind. Sam was not happy, and I was cracking up realizing what just had happened and the look on Sam’s face was priceless. I have never witnessed anything like this before in my life. The kookaburra was very brave and must have the nerves of steel to take away food from a hungry man. Luckily the kookaburra flew back onto the tall tree otherwise it probably wouldn’t have seen the light of day again.

After all that fiasco, we finally started our walk. The walk is quite easy and there are plenty of signs about so you would probably find it hard to get lost. The only difficult part of this track is if you detour up to Castle Rock. It’s a steep climb but once you reach the top, its pretty much plain sailing to Kalimna falls and back to the car.

It was very nice day today, sunny and we found it quite humid at the lower parts of the park. We had to remove a number of layers of clothing just to keep cool and drank plenty of water to replenish our thirst and re-hydrate. Summer is drawing near so the walks will become harder once the heat, humidity and sunlight gather momentum. We’ll need to walk with ice packs just to keep cool; they probably don’t exist but we’ll certainly need more water to cool down or perhaps jump into a creek, beach or sit under a waterfall!

We visited three waterfalls along this trek and there were about 5-6 more that we couldn’t visit because we simply had no time. The three waterfalls were all quite different and these were the first waterfalls we have seen on the treks up close and personal. I brought along my new Hoya ND4 filter to try taking some silky smooth waterfall shots and finding the shots to be quite spectacular. I really like this waterfall effect and can’t wait to see higher and more intense waterfalls.

More photos can be found here.

This morning I decided to head on down to the Organ Pipes National Park. This is the smallest national park in Victoria. I basically did the whole circuit in less than an hour with plenty of stops for some photography. The track is only about 2km (return) in total and takes less than an hour.

Organ Pipes National Park is situated along the Calder Freeway opposite the Calder Raceway northwest of Melbourne in a suburb called Keilor North. The tracks here are for beginners but there is one area which may be of concern to the walker. The organ pipe track is quite steep especially when you head back up, let those legs burn!

Just before you start the Organ Pipe track, head to the lookout for some valley views. After that head down the steep organ pipe track and head to the Rosette Rock, then to the Tessellated Pavement. From there head to the Organ Pipes and then keep heading left until you reach the creek crossing. Head back to the organ pipes and then finally back up the steep organ pipe road back to the car.

The Tessellated Pavement is just a section of rocks that looks like steps coming from the creek. The Tessellated pavement is in fact the tops of Basalt columns which were formed by lava flow which cooled and solidified over millions of years.

The Rosette Rock sits opposite the creek, it’s a circular rock formation protruding from the valley walls.

The Organ Pipes were formed through volcanic activity. They were created about a million years ago when molten lava flow down the valley which cooled and solidified.

More photos can be found here.

59 to go!

Today’s hike was by far the most difficult hike I’ve done to date. My friends were meant to come on this trip but I’m glad they pulled out because this hike was extremely difficult and quite dangerous also.

The trek today was close to around 16km and took us 7hrs in total. Today’s trek was grueling and it didn’t help getting lost a few times also. This state park was very sparse so the tracks were not very clear at certain areas hence we would go off track. This killed a lot of our time but the thing we learnt was to always backtrack if the track didn’t look correct.

We started from Mackenzie’s Flat Picnic area and walked along side the Lerderderg River up to Grahams Dam and then made our way to Lerderderg Tunnel and down to Long Point. From Long Point we went along Long Point Track and then back down Blackwood Ranges Track. From there we went down Link Track back to the river and then back through to Grahams Dam and then back to the car.

There were two major ascents and these were two of the toughest climbs I’ve done, it is relentless in its incline and there were literally no flat tracks. It was constantly up and up and it annoyed us somewhat but we eventually got through the pain barrier. From Grahams Dam to Lerderderg Tunnel Access Tack is a tough climb but the climb at Long Point track was the most punishing. It is only 2.2km but it’s about 1.5hrs of pain!

The most dangerous part of this circuit was at the Link Track. The trail here is not well defined and it is incredibly steep. We spent a lot of time here backtracking because some trails didn’t look like trails and some did but took us to the edge of the cliff. We had a real dilemma while we were on this track.

The sun was setting fast over the hills and we were still quite high in the woods but below us we saw the river. So we had to make a decision just to follow a track and then make our way down to the river anyway possible. The hill was steep and there were a lot of loose rocks so we had to be careful as we slid and climbed down the hill side. We had to be quick as well because there was still along way to go back to the car and the darkness was about to descend on us.

We did eventually get down to the river and we knew we were safe once we made it there. Even if it was dark, we could just follow the river back to the car. I believe hikers who get lost often panic and fail to think clearly about the best option to take. We instinctively knew that if we reach the river while light was still around, we would be safe. I’m not sure if hikers who panic would think of this idea.

By the time we got back on track, we were starving and dreamt of dinner that awaited us. We often talked about our endurance and how coped walking for so long, without much breaks or food!! We got to the car at 6pm, sore, cramped and relieved we had made it.

There are plenty of river crossings on this track so make sure you have sturdy boots. I fell into the water a couple of times but my boots kept the water out. The terrain differs greatly; it is very dry at the top, quite slippery from the loose rocks. The track along the river is soft and very easy to walk on. There is also a vehicular track which is blocked off and only allowed for hikers. There is even a dam and flood gates which is for the Melton region.

It was a hard days work, learnt many lessons and very rewarding to complete a very difficult hike. Remember to read the map properly, always bring some food or energy source, backtrack if you think you are going the wrong way and always keep an eye out for the markers.

More photos can be found here.

60 parks to go!!