FNQ - Far North Queensland - local adventures

So since moving to Far North Queensland my athletic endeavours have fallen by the way side.  I've been working hard on the renovations and working with my family to transition to the new life style.

Last week I met a local while running, he was training for the Cairns Ironman in june and after having a 8 km run with him I thought to myself, it's time.

We are only up here for 12 months so we want to make sure that we create some memories and experience what FNQ has to offer.

So here are a couple things I've done since.  This clip is of a friend of mine catching a Sweetlips off the reef of Palm Cove.

I'm running the GoPro.

Easter weekend my parents came up from Adelaide and we brought them up Skyrail to Kuranda and returned via the train back through the mountains to Freshwater.  Periodically you could see down the cliffs to the Barron gorge and some amazing waterfalls and swimming wholes.

So today, I got on my Azzurri and cycled from Port Douglas to Barron Gorge where I met up with a couple friends.  We hiked up the river bouldering along the river banks for about an hour when we can to a great swimming spot and waterfall cliff jump.  To our surprise we looked up and saw the train slowly creeping past us on the cliffs high above.

Shaun explaining where the last group was taken by the crocs! 

The first cliff face about 1/3rd up is where the boys jumped from which is about 10m

Kurt looking for good spot to jump in

The gap in the trees where the train can be seen

Hyperlite Mountain Gear Review

In a couple of posts recently I have mentioned " Cuben fibre" lightweight packs & tents etc.  I thought I'd do a review on the items I have purchased in order to help other decide if these products are for them.

I have had the chance to use both the backpack & shelter on a couple of occasions now and have probably slept out with them in total about 13 nights.  I feel I understand the product now and have become really comfortable with it all.

The Echo II shelter.

When I received the small little package which was suppose to have my whole 2 man tent enclosed I thought come on, get out!  But as I removed the pieces from the Cuben Fibre carry sack... It was all there.

This was amazing.  But my next thought turned to how sometimes you can never get an item back into its packaging once you have opened it.  So I tried to remember how it was folded and put it back it.... there was still heaps of room in the carry bag.  I took it all out and cared less about how I was packing it back in.  Yep still fit easily.  This is crazy but perfect.

I have set the tent up on my back lawn, in sand and very hard dried out Australian soil and in the rain and have only found one issue which is the same issue with any tent.  Don't pitch a tent in the wind if it can be helped!  This shelter being so light is a little tricky in a good wind but really what tent isn't.

It took me a couple a set ups to get the overall height I desired to be as desired.  Which in itself is very clever, on a rainy night you can tension the tent lower to the ground reducing the amount of rain splash which might bounce under the outer shell.  On a nice cool breezy evening I have been able to increase the overall height which has allowed more breeze to come through and made sleeping out very enjoyable.

Another very clever feature is the fact that unlike other 2 piece systems, this system you actually erect the outer shelf first.  When its raining you are creating a barrier between your gear and the weather, this kept my gear dry and again I slept very well and dry.  The next day just a light morning breeze had the shelter dried off in no time and we were packed up without having to pack wet gear, only to unpack at lunch or further down the trail to try to air it out/ dry it out for us again that night.

The last time I took it out I stayed in the same location for 3 days with the tent full erected the entire time.  This was a mistake.  As the shelter is based on tension in order to stay up, in the 30 degree heat one of the end reinforcements started to come apart. It is a Cuben fibre strip glued over the seams where the pole meets the shelter.  I noticed it and released some pressure but the damage was done.  This may be a one off but next time in the same heated situation I would be releasing some of the tension just to give some relief to the seams while I'm away.




So I bought their biggest pack, a 4400 Expedition Pack.  I believe they now call them 4400 Porter Packs.

This works out to be about a 72 litre pack.  Just like the shelter is it every bit as light and durable as it claims to be.  The pack has minimal seems with a roll down water proof entry from the top of the pack. The tri-fastener strap system across the top of the pack it very smart and eliminates the extra weight of too many tighten straps.

My first impression of the harness was that it was too light & cheap to carry the 72 litres I was going to cram in there.  So far the strength is fine, the bag, harness and hip harness are all very comfortable.

With the lightweight shelter, pack & sleeping bag all packed in with the rest of my kit my 7 day pack comes in at about 18 kilos including my daily water.  Sure thats getting onto the lighter side but the shoulder harness still needs to be a little thicker, wider.

The thickness of the shoulder padding itself wasn't my problem, it was the narrowness of the straps that cut into my shoulders that made the pack a little uncomfortable.  After the 2 day hike in hike out at Wilson Prom I had 2 black & purple bruises running across my shoulders from where the straps were digging into my shoulder muscles.

To finish the review on a positive the attachable mesh pocket which is attachable to the front of the pack really was clever.  I put all my wet gear into it.  River crossing shoes, towel, old socks.  They are all easily accessible on the outer of my pack and they get the chance to dry off as I continue my journey.  Works pretty well and keeps the rest of my pack contents dry.

Overall, I love this stuff.  So happy I bought them and looking forward to more adventures with my new gear.

Wilson Prom November 2012

Well the adventures don't stop!  I must say that I have been shattered with not being able to execute my planned Australian Alps Walking track adventure.  I look to November 2013 with hope but as the current bush fires are burning far and wide through our beautiful Alpine Country somehow I do not believe it will be possible.

In my lead up to what was meant to be the weekend before departing on the 38 day journey across the high country I had planned to have a hike with my 7 year old daughter "Bailey".  For number of years I had been trying to catch up with Lukey and head down to Wilson Prom as he was adamant I'd love it.

So Luke & his daughter Ashley, Bailey & I went down even though I no longer had reason to have a good bye Bailey camp out.  Both Bailey & Ashley carried a couple kilos in a back pack and the Dads took care of the rest.  It was also the first time I had a chance to trial my new lightweight pack & tent.  both Cuben fibre from Hyperlight Mountain Gear.

We did the Tidal river to Waterloo Bay track which is 17km one way and returned the next day on the same route.  I look at it now some months later and sure I was down about not doing the AAWT, but watching my 7 year old work so hard to achieve somewhat of her own person best was really special.  She had tears at times and she had plenty of laughs but at the end she loved it and she loved knowing that she could do the hard yards and feel accomplished at the end.

I'll leave you with a couple photos.  Till the next adventure.

   

Announcement

Unfortunately due to a couple of business matters not concluding in time I am having to postpone the Australian Alps Walking trail End to End until November 2013.

Sorry Tim - Book next years holidays in asap, we will be physically fit and more prepared next year.  And when we go we will succeed because we are only carrying the packs on our backs and not the weight of mental baggage with us.

To everyone who has been following, I really appreciate your support.  I will continue to post any new discoveries & research on the blog.

Happy trails!

ZPACK - Cuben Fibre (-12 Sleeping bag)

I want to start this post by mentioning that I don't trust buying online.  The size is never what you expect it to be, with or without the size charts they provide you.  The quality is rarely what you expect and returns overseas end up costing you more dollars on the dud you are trying to return.

But I gave it a crack & SCORED!




Zpack sleeping bags combine the best aspects of a down quilt and a down sleeping bag at a nearly unbeatable weight. The bags open up wide on the bottom for easy temperature control when it is warm out, and a 3/4 length zipper and neck elastic allow you to bundle up when the temperature turns cold. 


About 5 weeks ago I ordered their -12 degree sleeping bag with only the 3/4 length zip and zip cover in the Extra tall 6'6" length in a regular fit.

Have a look at their site for all the options.  I does take a little reading to understand al the options but well worth the read.

My first impressions of the bag was that I wasn't going to fit!  It looked too short & I wondered if they received my order correct.  I jumped inside.  All bags I have had previously had hoods so this was already a little different without the hod but i did fit and was very surprised that the bag still could be pulled tight around most of my head.  I will have a beanie with me on my trek so if i need to keep the head warmer I can just wear it to be.... easily done to keep the weight down.  First test - PASS

I then thought to myself that this is a really trim bag.  There is no moving around to figure out your best sleeping position, if you got in .... thats how you are sleeping.  At home my wife laughs that I sleep like I'm in a coffin, well that coffin shape is the only way to sleep with this bag..... Second test - PASS


I went over every seem of the bag to make sure there was no flaws or defects.  These are made to order and I wanted to make sure that every stitch was right..... its that sceptic of online purchasing coming out in me I guess..... Third test- PASS

I proceeded to pack the bag back into its cuben fibre water proof stuff sack.  Pushing and shoving I was a little worried about ripping either item as they do feel thin and weightless.  No problems there either.  I do wonder if an additional option for the stuff sack could be a compression bag though.... this is definitely a light bag but it will take up some room in the pack.  I'll probably get an after market and then put the compressed bag into the cuben fibre bag for water protection.  I hate to double up but this will have to do.  Another PASS

So everything looked great.  So I went out with the youth group I'm involved with for our local area to Walhalla to show them around the first day or so of the Australian Alps Walking Track.  We stayed out friday night in about 5 degrees.  Of course at that temperature I'd expect the bag to perform, it was warm as, I had both arms out the top.  the Final PASS.

I must say I'm torn.  There is an option of no zipper at all for this bag, which saves weight and to be honest the first 6 or 7 times I got into the bag..... I slid in without using the zipper.  I was thinking I messed up here & should have done the Sewn up no zipper option.  The flip side is those warm night when I will want only part of the bag on me...... so I think that unless I buy 2 bags, one for each climate condition (hot or cold) i think I did the right thing and got the 3/4 zipper.

Great bag, great weight, great construction, looking forward to great adventures!

Pack weight

Throughout the last 18 months as I have prepared for this adventure the enduring theme has been weight.

The less weight I am and my gear is, the less energy i need to create to haul myself up & down the mountain.  Keep in mind this is no flat track, from end to end will be the equivalent of 3 Mt Everest ascents & descents.

I've been getting better at thinking about the things I buy and making sure they are a light option, so I thought.  Having gone out on a couple hiking trips etc lately I have found my pack weigh manageable. But is that the point?  I can manage most weights so shouldn't I be heading for not manageable but enjoyable!

New Tent - 835g

After my Mt bogong weekend with Sam, I spent some time online looking at gear.  I was very impressed with some of the gear Sam was carrying & thought I'd have a look around again.  Sam had also sent me a couple links for sites to assist me with getting lighter.


I have really felt a momentum increase since looking into my pack weigh & gear.  Below is my current work sheet on what i'm bringing for the Australian Alps Adventure.  Keeping in mind that some of this gear I will be wearing as well so not all will be on my back.  I am super excited that my carry weigh will be a maximum 20kg and again this will only be once every 6 days as the weigh will decrease as I eat or use the items up, fuel, toiletries etc.

Although I am pleased to see this Total weigh calculation, and know that some of these items will actually be carried by Tim, as we will be sharing the fuel, first aids kits, water filters etc.  I know I can still refine the list even more.  I'm hoping to shave a 1/2 kg off or so by packing smarter... I think I have too much clothes currently included so will keep testing things and hopefully reduce the weigh even more.

On top of that I am currently standing at 93.3kg and hope to get that down to about 90kg before I leave so that I'm not carrying anything excess at all!

Pack list		Weight		brand		detail
3litre water +bladder		3300		Kathmandu
2X350ml water bottles		800		blackwolf		350ml each
Back Pack		881		Hyperlite		Expedition
Sleeping matt		550		Thermarest		Neoair
Stove		860		Trangia		27-2 model
FUEL		1045		Metho
Tent		885		Hyperlite		Echo II
Sleeping bag		561		Zpack		20degree F bag
Sleepbag Liner		248		Sea2summit		STS thermolite reactor
Pillow		70
head lamp		83		Petzl		Tikka Plus 2
Spork		5		Mountain design
Water filter		390		Katydyn		includes carry bag
compass		72
First Aid Kit		205		green		current kit
1 Pack Wet wipes		20		buy
2 packs kleenex		20		buy
Laundry line		10
POCKET KNIFE		75
Walking Poles		500		BUY
Washing SoapX3		30		Kathmandu		Body wash packs
Repair Kit		250		duct tape - tent repair kit - sewing
thermal sleeves		78
Therml gloves		60
Beanie		100
Thermals Bottom		515
Thermal Top		210
shorts		280
pants		395
Running shorts		85		nike		nike
Jocks X 2		130		merino		kathmandu
Undershirt		105		merino		Kathmandu
Socks X 3		150		Mountain Design
Book		380		AAWT		Sisemen chapman
Maps		1200
Diary & pencil		200
2 quick dry shirts		400				to buy
1 quick dry long sleeve		190
Merino long sleeve		1200
Sunglasses/reading glass		18
whistle		5
Gaiters		300
trowel		28
Camera		500
Sunblock		100
Cap		79		OR		Sunrunner legionaire
Warm jacket		1050		Mountain Design
Boots		2300		North face
River crossing sandals		258
PHONE		145		Blackberry BOLD		Plus extra battery
GPS		262		Garmin		from SAM
SPOT		148				SPOT
Food 5 days		3800
TOTAL		25531

Mt Bogong Part II

Mt Bogong 2012
Staircase Spur Trail
Return Eskdale track









As mentioned in edition 1 of the adventure we made it through the night.  I had looked at the thermometer on the back of my emergency whistle and it had read about -11 degrees celsius just after dinner.  We didn't think it was quit that cold at that stage of the evening but by 4-5am the following day we felt every degree and there is every chance we got down that low.  My -5 sleeping bag plus silk liner had never left me cold before but that night I got out my $1 emergency blanket out of the first aid kit which kept me warm.  So the sun came up and we unzipped the tents ready to finish our weekend expedition.

The most important thing early in the morning is to go to the bathroom...... of course getting dressed is probably the first priority with the bathroom break a close second.  I had slept with my clothes at the bottom of my sleeping bag during the night so they were nice and warm when I put them on.  i also find this technique useful for blocking that subtle draft that can come through your zipper in the middle of the night.

The problem was getting my boots on.  They had frozen laces and generally the boot was very ridged.  A lesson learned is before bed to loosen the laces so in the morning the boot is easier to put on when its urgent!

Finally I'm out of the tent and taking a couple quick photos of the morning we have been offered.

Ahhh.... Mt Bogong in the morning.

When talking with other backpackers a topic of conversation always turns to food and cooking.  What stove & fuel do I use is a common question.  Typically met with "yeah but in the cold and at altitudes that won't work".  So this trip was also about testing some things out for myself.  I had bought a Trangia burner for the AAWT adventure based on the recommendation from blogs of hikers who have done the trail.  So this weekend was the test.  Did it light the same, did it cook fairly conveniently and was it generally similar to all lower altitudes and higher temperatures?  I found it a little harder to light but used about the same fuel ..... so don't see what the big deal is with these other blokes!  The AAWT won't be this cold and although we get up to this elevation at times I hardly think its an issue.

So morning breakfast was 2 sachets of warm Uncle Toby's Oats, Brown Sugar & Cinnamon with a swig of water and I was ready for the day.  Packing up is always a great feeling.  You know you ate and burned a little fuel so you are going to be a little lighter, and you know your pack won't be busting at the seems as you have a little less stuff to pack in there.

We started heading down about 9am.  It wasn't long before we came across the dozen skiers we had seen the day before.  They were trekking back up for another day on the untouched slopes.  I would have thought they'd be a little disappointed this day as the night had really crusted up the fresh snow of the day before so wouldn't be a perfect...... I mean the day before was just unheard of beautiful conditions so pretty hard to back that up 2 days in a row.

So we flew down the mountain pretty quick.  Going down hill in snow shoes is a little less simple than trekking up the mountain but still I was grateful to have them.  We passed a hiker coming up the Eskdale trail without them and he even commented that "it looks like I'm gonna regret leaving them in the car".  We agreed! Just to make him feel better.

About an hour down the mountain we took off the snow shoes as we were gone to the raw soil again and started to peel off the layers of clothes again.  Who are these 2 posers!

The drive home allowed some reflections whilst driving.  Yes, don't eat yellow snow! But also I need to get lighter for the AAWT.  I need to keep looking for ways of carrying smarter stuff not more stuff.  My cooking set up is fine, no need to make any adjustments.  The clothing I had planned to wear for the AAWT is over kill.  I will definitely not need so many layers, I was warm at -5 or -11 whatever it may have been which is easily 10 degrees colder than I will come across in November.  So a heavy layer can stay at home, I will have enough with me even if it does get to 0 degrees.  My fitness is good so just keep maintaining the physical exercise & I will be primed for the big event.

And SPOT works.  I had borrowed a friends SPOT tracker to see how it functioned.  This is a GPS tracker that allows friends and family to follow my progress online through a web interface.  To view the trail Sam & I did for this Mt Bogong trek click the below link which will take you to the SPOT page showing our progress.  

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0IfpjgOPc9W652tjCXEupmmm05DVpSqYQ

A similar page will be set up for the Australian Alps Walking track in November so stay tuned for the link so you can follow Tim & I for the 40 days.

Mt Bogong - Victoria's Highest Peak Edition 1

I was devastated a month back when a mate invited me to do some winter hiking/camping up Mt Bogong, Victoria's highest peak.  I already had family engagements interstate so I couldn't go.

So you can imagine my excitement when I found out he went elsewhere that weekend and was in fact going up to Mt Bogong last weekend.  I was stoked.

At 1986m, Mt Bogong is placed amongst Victoria's premier ski fields in the Alpine National Parks.
There are a couple routes up to Bogong peak but the most direct and difficult route is the Staircase Spur track.  Sam is an experienced adventurer and I have been tracking some good work recently so we were really keen to give the Staircase Spur a strong effort.  No slacking!

Having left home at 4am and arriving at the car park around 10am we were ready to get stuck into the mountain.  The car park is located at about 360m so the overall climb ahead of us was around 1625m over an 8km trail.   At the low altitude the thermal underwear was a little over kill but we knew as we ascended they would come in handy.  It was still a pain to be climbing and sweating like mad.  I had to remove my glasses as they were useless with all the sweat.

About an hour and a half walking along your standard dirt and rock trails we started to get into the snow.  We came across a Scout group descending that had gone a distance ahead but had now given up and were returning as the sunny day was melting the snowy tree tops and they had been struck with large chunks of falling snow.  We laughed and continued.  Wasn't so funny a half hour later when we copped a couple ourselves.  If was fairly entertaining though as you would hear some of the big ones crash right beside you and you'd think to yourself....that would have stung.  By this time we had already stripped off the jackets and light jumpers we had departed with and were down to t-shirts.  Cold wet snow falling 30m onto flesh wasn't devastating but there was a certain sting to it!

Below you will see the swollen result of a large chunk of snow crashing onto my left bicep.... or is that always how my arm looks! Anyways...

As we continued to ascend the snow cover continued to thicken so we finally decided to strap on the snow shoes.  Honestly this was the perfect day for a winter hike.  The sun came out, there was barely a breeze and the snow was fresh powder.

The Climbing didn't get an easier.  As we edged closer to the summit the rate of ascent increased dramatically and the weather dropped degrees and visibility virtually in minutes.  The below photo is Sam blazing the trail.  We could see on the opposite peak (when the sky cleared) a number of other people backcountry skiing.

By this stage I was cooked.  Sam seemed to still have plenty in the engine, no surprises there.  The man is a machine.  I was following in his tracks pretty closely and as we could see the summit and started our final climb I noticed his tracks, and also mine that followed became shorter under foot.  In other words, each step was really only 6-8 inches at a time.  The weigh of our legs and the aggressive incline just wouldn't allow regular steps.  Inches at a time we ground our way to the summit.  The summit was blowing a gail and the temperature was really cold now.  Keep in mind we had stripped down to t-shirts and were sweating so much that we didn't want to put on thick layers as we climbed so we only had our outer shells over t-shirts.  We spent the first 5 minutes on the summit getting dressed appropriately...which involved taking off the jackets to get the layers on underneath... Cold, oh yeah!

But we made it, happy & health.  The photos at the top makes it worth the journey.  Sam still had energy to climb the ice block, I was happy to just be standing.  Good on yah Sam, like I said.... your a champ.

At first I had a thought of camping right there.  The wind was just cutting right through us so we decided to head down a peak or 2 and hope for clearer conditions.  So glad we did.  We had great view back toward Mt Bogong peak, a Sunset that stayed with us till about 7:30pm which is easily an hour later than normal and overall just really great conditions for camping out.

As we made some food and set up camp the thermometer read -11 degrees .... which we thought was probably off by a couple.  Didn't feel a degree colder than -10 !
While preparing dinner we took some photos, had a good chat and enjoyed our surroundings.  As night fell there was really no reason to stay up and later than we needed too.  So with the sense of accomplishment and delight in the day that had been we closed up the tents and tried to get some sleep.

It got colder through the night but we both are alive to tell our tale.  Part II will be the descent.... stay tuned.