Beau Miles is one such person ...... Wow....... Inspired...... amazed. I hope he invites me on the next one so I can see how much deeper I should dig to reach my goals!
Check out his latest video.
Monday, 14 November 2011
Beau Miles! You Beauty.......
I have mentioned in the past that I consider myself a grinder, someone who can put anguish, pain & mental roadblocks deep within my mind and press on with my tasks regardless. Of course, I am not alone and I know that there are people in this world who know how to dig deeper than I can to reach their goals.
Sunday, 13 November 2011
Come on honey its only a 2 hr drive!
Here is how Wednesday last week was meant to go. After Judd finished his swimming lessons Megan was going to drive Tim Marsden & myself out to Matlock, Victoria. Google Maps claims it is 2 hrs 40 mins drive from Judd's swimming lessons.
About 2 hours into our trip the GPS still claimed we were 2 hours away and the road had already deteriorated into a logging road full of pot holes that couldn't go 20 metres without changing its mind about what direction it wanted to go. Megan was a trooper and although she was 7 months pregnant reassured me to keep going and that she would be fine returning by herself once she had dropped us off.
She was behind the wheel of the Jeep so I knew "Jeep" would take care of her.
Just outside Matlock was our track junction. The Jericho Track junction is not part of part of the AAWT but is only 5km off the trail so it was good starting point. We left Megan at 1:20pm Wednesday afternoon, we expected to reach Mt Skene around 2pm Saturday afternoon so had carried 4 days worth of gear for a 60 hour period, just incase. We had approximately 40 kilos worth of gear with us and hope to use this trek to refine what is really needed next year and what can be reduced in size or weight or both.
This was the beginning of the adventure for Tim and I, we hoped to work out our individual strengths and weaknesses, get an understanding of each others abilities in the bush and whether we had a team synergy that was going to get us through the journey. Communication will be a key element to getting to Canberra and we also hoped this trip would provide an opportunity for us to work on reading each others moods and emotions so that we can work on how to counter each other to get the best results next year.
Day one is going to easy. As 1:20pm was our start time and we wanted to set up camp & eat at a reasonable hour we chose "Red Jacket" for our camp ground which was only 6km south east along the Jericho Track.
We had started the Jericho Track at around 1068 metres above sea level and descended to Red Jacket located at approximately 520 metres above sea level. We set up camp, had a swim in the river (hoping it had less leaches than Walhalla did 2 weeks ago.
For dinner we rehydrated our rice, broccoli, carrot, peas and chicken mix and followed it up with a cup of hot chocolate before washing up and heading to bed. We were aware from earlier weather reports that we were in for a loud, rainy night. The estimates were 40mm of rain and possible flooding. We chose a camp site about 5 metres above the creek level so we had no concerns with flooding. Or so we thought!
Despite our best attempts at picking a safe location, at about 1am in the rain we had to get our wet weather gear on and move our tents about 40 metres up the hill to a grassy flat as the site was covered in about 5 inches of flood waters. No fun. It was a wet night. Tim got a little more than I did as by the time I exited my tent with gear on the rain had slowed to a trickle. No whinging though, the next morning Tim just got on with the job and dried his gear out whilst hiking by hanging various items out the back of his pack. So in conclusion day 1 was short and sweet but by the next morning we ended up being high and dry!
Monday, 7 November 2011
Half the battle - Food
About 2 years ago I remember I felt that my athletic past was no longer an asset, and started to look back at the past as a waist. Was I really excellent at any one sport, sure I played all the sports I could but was I exceptional? No, I worked hard at them and was on some good teams and that was enjoyable. That gave me confidence but now I was coming onto 30 years old and what was I really achieving by pretending to be an athlete. Had I turned it into a profession, was I being uplifted by my achievements?
Its easy to see how I blew my weight out to 106 kilos around Christmas 2009 with this type of mindset.
What has changed, is it just my mental health, is it just that I've made it a priority to be fit..... I think it is all of the above but even more so I believe it has been educating myself about food. No matter what I have done in the past I have always ate what I wanted when I wanted, and my weight has fluctuated accordingly.
Understanding how food works, what affects it has on my energy levels and mind set has been an educational learning curve which has seen me eat things I would never have touched in the past and I am feeling all the better for it.
My whole life I have hated "healthy" foods, and the other thing that I can really say I hate in this world is - Reading! But I find my self now "reading" for fun, sometimes about healthy foods! What has happened to me, my hates have changed into enjoyment and education.....NOOOOOO! Anyways - here is an article I read recently to assist in getting my pack meals for the hike right. I have not doubt that the mental and physical strength required to complete our 35-40 days in the Alps will require the support of a good diet and tasty food.
The food you take with you on a hike can be the difference between a euphoric sense of wonder and a gruelling trudge across seemingly endless, inhospitable countryside. Yet many hikers think of food as just another necessary item on their kit list. I’d argue that it should be appetising, filling and tasty. This may seem at odds with an outdoor lifestyle but there are good reasons why hiking food should also taste good. It can lift the spirit after a hard days’ walking and recharges you mentally as well as physically for the journey ahead.
Nutritionally your food supply should be predominantly made up of carbohydrate that has a low glycemic index (low GI). This simply means food that releases energy slowly. Generally foods that are unrefined, such as wholegrain bread as opposed to white, are low GI. Complex carbohydrates such as fruit, yoghurt and vegetables take the body longer to break down while simple carbohydrates like sugar release energy quickly.
The trick is to identify foods that are high in calories but have a relatively low GI. The calorific content of food tells you how much energy it contains. When hiking it makes sense that you need more energy than usual, so you can afford to consume more calories than you would otherwise but you need to spread them out during the day to sustain your activity. You should include a few more sugary foods then usual as they give you a quick energy hit when you need it.
The rest of your hiking diet should consist more or less equally of protein and fat. Both are important in regulating body condition and function. Protein intake should include as much ‘complete’ protein as possible. Complete protein is simple protein combined with other essential amino acids. This combination is typically found in meat. Although freeze-dried meat is are available, good substitutes are nuts, seeds, pulses and certain vegetables and fruit eaten in combination. Like protein, fat is an essential part of any diet. Most importantly for hikers, it is needed for certain vitamins to be absorbed into the body.
You shouldn’t forget vitamins and minerals. These ‘micronutrients’ are important for regulating digestion, warding off infection and enabling other body functions that are essential to physical well being. Electrolyte fluids are a convenient way of supplying the essential minerals your body needs during a hike. Hydration is crucial to this so you should drink water regularly in small amounts, whether you’re thirsty or not.
Eating little and often is also best when hiking. Ideally your largest meal should be breakfast, which should be packed with low GI foods. A snack mid-morning, a light lunch and snack in the afternoon should see you through the day. If you feel like a big dinner, allow time for the food to digest before sleeping (at least three hours). This way your body will replenish itself overnight. If you’re too tired to wait up, eat a small dinner instead. Something is better than nothing. Metabolically this is a healthier, more nourishing eating regime. Eating the right amount per meal is more important when hiking. We’re used to eating until we’re full but this isn’t helpful as there is a time lag to feeling full. If you continue to eat until full, you’ll have already overeaten.
Basic nutrition theory is useful to have but all you really need to know is what food to take. Hiking food should be a balance between nutrition, practicality and taste. Wet food can be heavy, takes up more space and the empty cans and containers are a nuisance. Dried food in packets is preferable. Dried fruits provide more intense nutrition than their hydrated counterparts. If you do carry fresh fruit, choose pieces that will not be crushed easily and make a mess inside your pack. Nuts and seeds make good snacks, are light and easy to pack. Mint cake is best for instant energy. For hot drinks, tea and coffee are fine in moderation. Herbal tea or yeast drinks are good alternatives.
Saturday, 5 November 2011
Happy Anti-Anniversary
Let the countdown begin. Today, November 5 is the 12 month mark till we leave on our adventure. It now seems real. It now feels just around the corner.
I feel like we are well on our way to being prepared but have made a short list of things I feel I will need to improve over the next year.
- Reduce pack weight whilst increasing food allowances in the pack
- Learn & become familiar with using a GPS
- Improve Pack training so to build up Pack stamina
- Improve & practise bush orienteering skills
- Improve back strength whilst reducing body fat
- Test out clothing coverage - bring little clothes make sure I have enough for all conditions
- Continue to improve food recipes to have variety on the hike
- Organise a sponsor so we are doing this whole thing to support awareness of a cause, hoping for Beyond Blue
- Still more maps to obtain
- Still more gear to buy
- Schedules for the hike including rest days
- Determine food drops locations & sizes
I'm sure there is even more but only time will tell. I have no doubt we will feel ready by the time we start.
Also, thank you for everyones words of support. We feel like you are all coming with us in a way as so many of you have shown real interest in this endeavour. Please continue to support us with your comments and leave comments online as well so that we can read them any time and feel of your support.
Tuesday, 1 November 2011
Adventure for the future
Of course one does not stop dreaming of new crazy ideas just because they are training to do something crazy already!
About 6 months ago a mate & I, Steve Walshe, drove 7400km from Melbourne to Port Douglas and back. Here's what the trip back looked like.....
I think 6 - 12 months from completing the Australian Alps Walking Track I might get on my bike in Port Douglas and ride the 3800km back to Melbourne.
Anyone want to join me?
About 6 months ago a mate & I, Steve Walshe, drove 7400km from Melbourne to Port Douglas and back. Here's what the trip back looked like.....
I think 6 - 12 months from completing the Australian Alps Walking Track I might get on my bike in Port Douglas and ride the 3800km back to Melbourne.
Anyone want to join me?
Sunday, 30 October 2011
WOW! What an eye opener
Okay, a little back history first. After Christmas last year my wife and I decided that we needed change our diets, exercise routing and outlook towards what we are teaching our kids about the first 2 topics.
So for 9 months now I have been eating right and going to the gym 2-3 times a week plus as part of my hike training I have been cycling to work 2 or 3 times a week. I consider myself in peak physical condition at the moment. Even in high school when I was playing lots of sport etc I wasn't in this condition.
But let me say, all this preparation still didn't prepare me for this weekend.
Thursday night, I picked up Dad from the Melbourne airport and we drove direct to Rawson, pulled into the local park and put the back seats of the Wrangler down. Surprisingly good 5 hours or so of sleep.
Worked out well as toilet facilities, a covered rotunda to make breakfast while it rained a little and a chance to repack Dads bag as he had brought a couple of his own things, sleeping bag etc. were all the perfect start to the morning. We arrived in Walhalla at 8am, dry, well fed and with well balanced packs. This may not have been the case if we had camped out in Walhalla thursday night.
The first 3 hours of the hike is a relatively easy walk along a dirt walking path formerly occupied by a train track for the mining rushed of the mid 1900's. We started this stretch at about 489 metres above sea level and found we slowly dropped to approximately 400m by the time we arrived at Poverty Point Bridge.
Although this was not a difficult 9 kilometres it was an awaking for my whole body. It has been 13 years or more since I have had a pack on my back so this was a real awakening as I though in my condition it would have been easier. It was not.
From Poverty Point Bridge, which crosses 48metres above the Thomson River, we began to follow the trail which now followed the Thomson River north west. We spent about 30 minutes bush bashing thru medium density scrub with the 50 plus metres drop down to the Thomson right at the edge of the trail. This side of the river was also in direct sun, at 27 degrees and high humidity we could have rented ourselves out to stand on a golf course and spin to water their grass.
Then starts the climb, for the next 2 hours we walked up hill fighting the hot sun from 400m to 578m above sea level over a 2.8 km distance. Unfortunately we forgot to stop and have lunch so buy the time we reached the top of the climb at the Thomson Valley Rd, we had lost 5 kilo each, had run out of energy, our bodies were screaming to just shoot each other so the pain would stop and our packs were still full weight (about 22 kilos).
Road side lunch fixed some of the issues, about 60grams of vacuum sealed Pepperini Salami each and the same portion of orange cheddar cheese with crackers gave us the energy to put the packs back on.
The next 1.5 hours were a slow down hill to about 400m over 1.8km of which .8km was bush bashing and spider web eating! I was at the front, I think Dad avoided the webs.
Welcome to O'Shea's Mill Camp. We decided this would be enough for today and to make this our night 1 camp. We also decided to not go further as the next day would take us from 400m to 1250m. We were not ready for that. So we no longer would hike on Sunday but return home Saturday night so Dad could see the grandchildren.
We set up tent, ate our dehydrated vegetable, chicken and rice soup/stew and went to bed at 7pm even though we still had another hour or so of light. Beep Beep Beep. I had phone reception..... the message reads as follows.
FROM MEEGS - Severe thunderstorm warning, hail, lightning, flooding just issued for your area - take care LOVE YOU.
Did I mention we had set the tent up about 5 metres from a healthy creek, surrounded by massive gum trees in an area where that the entire walk in was littered with warning signs that trees fall easy due to fire damage a couple years ago and wash outs & rock slides are common. Sweat dreams!
About 4 hours of our evening, of which we slept through most of it only waking when the thunder moved us, was filled with rain heavy enough that we could see about 1 inch of water rushing through the vestibule of our tent. The sky was a light show which shook us at will, the real problem was we were never really sure whether that crack was thunder or a 100m tree about to crush us into a distant memory.
We woke up, ate breakfast and started back out which of course is just a reverse of the day before which means the first 1.5 hours was a slow up hill bush bash back to Thomson Valley Road, then a much quicker down hill to Poverty Point Bridge and a hard slog back to the car at Walhalla.
Did I mention it was still raining fairly heavy, the scrub was soaked and because of this so were we. We remembered lunch this time and when we stopped I decided to ring out some of my clothes to reduce my weight. Easily lost 100ml of water by doing so.
Arriving at Walhalla, we had a surprise in store which reminded me that this is all worth it and I can't wait for November 2012. As we arrived at the start of the trail in Walhalla we met Stuart Wheeler & Michael Dawson....... they were starting the End to End from Walhalla to Canberra today! Awesome. They will send me their track notes upon their return and I was so energised to see someone else start their journey. Good luck and enjoy your trip guys.
Check out the rig Stuart will use to carry his gear. Interesting, will research this trolley more and get his opinion of it when he returns.
So for 9 months now I have been eating right and going to the gym 2-3 times a week plus as part of my hike training I have been cycling to work 2 or 3 times a week. I consider myself in peak physical condition at the moment. Even in high school when I was playing lots of sport etc I wasn't in this condition.
But let me say, all this preparation still didn't prepare me for this weekend.
Thursday night, I picked up Dad from the Melbourne airport and we drove direct to Rawson, pulled into the local park and put the back seats of the Wrangler down. Surprisingly good 5 hours or so of sleep.
Worked out well as toilet facilities, a covered rotunda to make breakfast while it rained a little and a chance to repack Dads bag as he had brought a couple of his own things, sleeping bag etc. were all the perfect start to the morning. We arrived in Walhalla at 8am, dry, well fed and with well balanced packs. This may not have been the case if we had camped out in Walhalla thursday night.
The first 3 hours of the hike is a relatively easy walk along a dirt walking path formerly occupied by a train track for the mining rushed of the mid 1900's. We started this stretch at about 489 metres above sea level and found we slowly dropped to approximately 400m by the time we arrived at Poverty Point Bridge.
Although this was not a difficult 9 kilometres it was an awaking for my whole body. It has been 13 years or more since I have had a pack on my back so this was a real awakening as I though in my condition it would have been easier. It was not.
From Poverty Point Bridge, which crosses 48metres above the Thomson River, we began to follow the trail which now followed the Thomson River north west. We spent about 30 minutes bush bashing thru medium density scrub with the 50 plus metres drop down to the Thomson right at the edge of the trail. This side of the river was also in direct sun, at 27 degrees and high humidity we could have rented ourselves out to stand on a golf course and spin to water their grass.
Then starts the climb, for the next 2 hours we walked up hill fighting the hot sun from 400m to 578m above sea level over a 2.8 km distance. Unfortunately we forgot to stop and have lunch so buy the time we reached the top of the climb at the Thomson Valley Rd, we had lost 5 kilo each, had run out of energy, our bodies were screaming to just shoot each other so the pain would stop and our packs were still full weight (about 22 kilos).
Road side lunch fixed some of the issues, about 60grams of vacuum sealed Pepperini Salami each and the same portion of orange cheddar cheese with crackers gave us the energy to put the packs back on.
The next 1.5 hours were a slow down hill to about 400m over 1.8km of which .8km was bush bashing and spider web eating! I was at the front, I think Dad avoided the webs.
Welcome to O'Shea's Mill Camp. We decided this would be enough for today and to make this our night 1 camp. We also decided to not go further as the next day would take us from 400m to 1250m. We were not ready for that. So we no longer would hike on Sunday but return home Saturday night so Dad could see the grandchildren.
We set up tent, ate our dehydrated vegetable, chicken and rice soup/stew and went to bed at 7pm even though we still had another hour or so of light. Beep Beep Beep. I had phone reception..... the message reads as follows.
FROM MEEGS - Severe thunderstorm warning, hail, lightning, flooding just issued for your area - take care LOVE YOU.
Did I mention we had set the tent up about 5 metres from a healthy creek, surrounded by massive gum trees in an area where that the entire walk in was littered with warning signs that trees fall easy due to fire damage a couple years ago and wash outs & rock slides are common. Sweat dreams!
About 4 hours of our evening, of which we slept through most of it only waking when the thunder moved us, was filled with rain heavy enough that we could see about 1 inch of water rushing through the vestibule of our tent. The sky was a light show which shook us at will, the real problem was we were never really sure whether that crack was thunder or a 100m tree about to crush us into a distant memory.
We woke up, ate breakfast and started back out which of course is just a reverse of the day before which means the first 1.5 hours was a slow up hill bush bash back to Thomson Valley Road, then a much quicker down hill to Poverty Point Bridge and a hard slog back to the car at Walhalla.
Did I mention it was still raining fairly heavy, the scrub was soaked and because of this so were we. We remembered lunch this time and when we stopped I decided to ring out some of my clothes to reduce my weight. Easily lost 100ml of water by doing so.Arriving at Walhalla, we had a surprise in store which reminded me that this is all worth it and I can't wait for November 2012. As we arrived at the start of the trail in Walhalla we met Stuart Wheeler & Michael Dawson....... they were starting the End to End from Walhalla to Canberra today! Awesome. They will send me their track notes upon their return and I was so energised to see someone else start their journey. Good luck and enjoy your trip guys.
Check out the rig Stuart will use to carry his gear. Interesting, will research this trolley more and get his opinion of it when he returns.
Wednesday, 26 October 2011
Long weekends - Yippee!
Well here starts the journey. This weekend will be the first on a number of 3 trips scheduled for late October/November.
One of the main reasons for starting my blog 12 months before the real adventure starts on November 5 2012 is that I knew I had a number of treks, hikes, camps planned for the upcoming months which would show all my followers some of the beautiful countryside that will be my playground for 35-40 days straight.
 |
| Hillside mining Town of Walhalla |
This evening at 11pm my father will be arriving at Melbourne airport from Adelaide, we will be driving direct to Walhalla, a short 3hr drive at these times of night. (No freeway traffic) Friday, Saturday and Sunday till noon we will be on the Australian Alps Walking Trail.
Although I have done a couple hours with my kids in the last couple months, this will be the first time I will have a full pack with gear that doesn't move..... My 2 year old boy has been in on my back in a carrier when we do this and with all the excitement of birds, trees & old mines he doesn't keep still.
The carrier is probably too small now for our 21 kilo man child (2yrs old) but it adds to the challenge of taking the kids up the hills!
I was hoping the budget would have allowed for the purchase of a small video camera so I could do some product reviews while out there, i have bought some stuff and some of them I've never used before and will be learning on the fly during this weekends journey.
I'll have to talk to the Boss, and see if she will let us spend a couple more dollars.
From a communication point of view, this weekend is a long weekend and I have taken a couple more days to do this and a family camping trip from Sunday till Tuesday so the next update won't be till Wednesday.
Also, I am very excited to tell you all that there will now be multiply contributors to the blog.
The boss, Megan Belanger will be providing stories from her perspective which is very exciting. I hope she will be honest!
Kyle Staples is my technical support in all areas of life, when I need to change batteries in the remotes at home I call up Kyle for instructions. He will be writing article on our adventures and products reviews.
Tim Marsden, my partner in crime, my journeyman, the guy who will be the back spoon in my tent for 35-40 days next year as we together try to make it through the AAWT adventure without asking "is that your flashlight too" (movie reference). Tim will have adventure updates as well as product reviews.
I look forward (as should you all) to reading their posts and I'm really excited to have them all onboard in support of this blog and all of our future adventures.
Monday, 24 October 2011
Black Wolf - McKinley
What is in a brand?
Why do these catchy names and logos trigger something deep within us that says "I must have...this is the best product available and will change how I experience life.
Anyone who knows me know I'm a marketing executives perfect target. If I can be convinced (which is easy) with an inspirational ad campaign or a funny slogan or even see someone famous with one, I am buying it.
I remember about 8-9 years ago when Enrique Iglesias started date Anna Kournikova, Enrique wore a blue Abercrombie t-shirt with the head of a Indian chief patch on the chest. I have one like that now. Somehow I feel like I am dating Anna Kournikova every time I wear it.
Back to the outdoors. Over the years I have found that one brand keeps pulling on my product strings and makes me feel like everything they make I have to buy. The name itself makes me think of extreme adventures, wildlife and adrenalin. Of course it says those things it an outdoor gear company but above all other brands I can't explain why, I just want to buy all their gear and its starts with the love affair with the brand itself.
Looking through my camping gear I already use some of the sleeping products, bags etc but in preparation for this trip I started to visit a couple of local hiking shops around my home & work. I also have been reading up online on what weight is suitable to carry over long adventures such as the AAWT and also spoke to my Chiropractor, Dr Michael Haworth of Rosanna Chiropractic.
After reviewing all the advise I have decided that the 1/3rd of my body weight rule will apply to me on my quest. At 96 kilos I am able to take a maximum of 32 kilos on my back. But seriously who really wants to carry that much on their back for 35- 40 days! So my research began into products that are both durable for the journey as well as lightweight so as to reduce the energy required to complete our daily objectives.
At best guess I figured a 75 litre pack would do my purposes fine and had tried on a number of them before asking a local shop to get my in a Black Wolf 75 McKinley. The guys at Aussie Disposals at Hawthorn were really helpful and when my pack arrived in shop assisted me to pack it full of similar gear as my own to really give some weight to it as I tried it on. It became very apparent that I in fact would be better of with a 85 litre pack which they also ordered in for me without any charges or fuss.
Of course these days there are features which most packs include as standard, hydration compatible internal pocket, external headphone ports, built in rain cover, water proof zips and adjustable everything. But beyond the great branding and standard inclusions why have I decided on Black wolfs McKinley?
It came down to 3 things, comfort, access and a clever addition.
Comfort, the Mckinley comes with a Micro Glide Gel Harness. Whilst normal harness padding materials breakdown, the expectation on this harness is that the gel will continue to move and form with you and provide the cushioning long term that material based padding will not. I also found the waist strap portion of the harness to be very comfortable. As I want as much of the weight being carried on my hips as possible (off my shoulders) this was very important.
Access, the Mckinley comes with a front entry dual zip to the main of 2 compartments. My thoughts behind this is that when setting up camp I would rather just open the face of the pack and grab everything I need instead of having to completely unpack in the search for my cutlery set at the bottom of the bag!
Clever addition, is some what of a novelty but what can I say I'm a sucker for something a little different.
On the face of the bag are 2 walking pole holders for my poles. When I'm not used them to cross rivers or pull myself up a climb I can simply clip them to my pack with the convenience of knowing everything
is on my pack still and I have not left anything behind.
Short story is that this thursday my father is coming over from Adelaide and we are going to go out for a couple days to have a look at the first couple days of the AAWT from Walhalla and I can't wait to try out the new bag and some of the other new gear I have recently bought. Further demonstrations and write up will follow on the other products and why I have bought them.
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