Sports & Fitness Anyone enjoy Bushwalking / Hiking / Trekking ?

Anyone else here enjoy exploring our wild world on foot? It's my preferred way of keeping fit.

I took up regular bushwalking in 2010. Average around 20-30 day, weekend or multi-day walks a year, although my profile doesn't necessarily show it lol.

So far I've done treks in New Zealand, Nepal ( Everest Circuit/Gokyo Lakes ) and Europe ( Tour de Blanc and other walking in Switzerland ).

The Overland Track in Tasmania is also a favourite.

Most unexpected experience was giving first aid for 2 hours to a crashed base jumper in 2012. That was whilst out on a solo training walk for the Nepal trip. Thankfully I had an emergency beacon and first aid kit.

A long term goal is to gradually replace my PAYG income so I can spend more time travelling and walking.

 

Yes! Love it. I try to go somewhere at least every weekend or every second weekend. Only been on day trips so far with most of them being local but plenty of places to hike in FNQ.

Bartle Frere is on my to-do list very soon which will be an over nighter but my offsider isn't quite as fit as I so need to whip him into shape.

 

I've been to karloo Pool near Heathcote.

I refused to go to Belangalo .

 

Some years back now (2004) did the walk up Mt.Sorrow near the Daintree from memory. They don't call it Mt.Sorrow for nothing! The views from the summit were spectacular. Love that part of the world.

 

Seems like a walk you would need to be fairly fit for, particularly given the humidity you have up there. What are the best months of the year to attempt it?

The furthest north I have been in Queensland is Townsville and that is well before I took up walking. I'll need to get walks in states other than NSW or Tas onto my radar for short trips.

 

Not somewhere I would like to walk either. Did watch a dog-sledding event there many years ago. Was bemused that they held it there.

 

Would have been a great view from the top of Mt Sorrow. Will have to put that one on my list too!

I did Walsh's Pyramid a few weeks ago which was a 922m elevation with amazing views over the inlet.


Mt Whitfield was good too purely for the fact that it looks over the airport at several spots and I love watching the planes take off and land. It almost feels like you can touch them.

 

Yeah, I would reckon so. Hike isn't overly long, it's just the elevation. The area where Bartle Frere is a bit inland and the humidity isn't as stifling. I've read reports that it can get to -2 degrees at the summit so need to prepare for all conditions. I'd say either spring or autumn would be the best, but that's not speaking from experience.

I've also done Mt Warning quite a few times as that's near where I grew up but I also have others I want to conquer that are outside of QLD.

Definitely worth the trip up this way if you're looking for hikes.

 

Here's a list of others that inspire fear.

http://lotsafreshair.com/2014/01/10/mt-paralyser-and-other-names-that-inspire-fear/

I've done the 3 Peaks as a multi-day walk. The real killer was Mount Guouogang which took us 5 hours to climb via the trackless and in places quite rocky Noroo Buttress. Nasty - even in winter.

 

Bartle Frere is on my bucket list too. The reason I moved to the Blue Mtns was the outdoory stuff - walking, climbing, canyons etc. I live in the middle of the bush & am lucky enough to have fantastic bushwalks at the doorstep.

My wife thinks I'm weird but whenever we go somewhere I like to walk to the top of the highest thing on the horizon, mostly because it's there.

Also done stuff in Nepal, US, Scotland, Europe, Tassie & NZ - for me any holiday must involve outdoory stuff.

 

Mount Warning is another I'd like to try. How many hours do you recommend allowing for that?
( I have not done any walking north of Barrington Tops )

Mt Gower on Lord Howe Island is also on my radar. So many places to go!

 

Very, very, lucky. I would live up that way as well if it wasn't for work. I lived in Winmalee in the 90's. These days I do most of my walking in the Blue Mountains.

I'm planning to head up to Bleakheath for some short walking on Sunday due to the snow forecast. Focus will be photography.

 

Mount Warning is 90 minutes to get up & a lot less to get back down - as good track all the way - but look out for leeches near the top.

 

Winter would have been brutal! I'm keen to do some multi day walks just finding the time to do it is the difficult thing.

I'll let you know what it's like once I do it Keith.

Yeah, one of the motivating factors for us leaving Melb is that we're country kids at heart and what we enjoy is getting back to nature in whatever way we can.

It's been a while but from memory it was a fairly easy walk (in the scheme of things) and took 5-6 hours. Gentle incline and only right at the end is there an actual climbing part. Only once that I've been was the peak not surrounded by clouds.

Tell me about it! After this thread I think there will be quite a few more on my list.

 

Yes, I love it. Did the overland track and wine glass bay must be 20 years ago now! Really enjoyed it.
Have always wanted to trek in Nepal. Plus, there are lots of good international walks these days. Italy, UK, even SA and NT.
Walking is my only form of exercise at present and on the weekends I like to walk for as long as I can but it's much easier on a dirt road than a mountain track.

 

Overland Track - go back - the huts are much much better than they were. The walking season is much more controlled. There is a new hut-based tourist trek opening up called the Three Capes on the Tasman Peninsula. I call it a tourist trek because unfortunately the tracks are being upgraded to a really high standard ( perfectly formed steps and boardwalks - which loses the charm and doesn't blend in so well to the environment ).

I highly recommend going to Nepal outside of the peak season ( September / October ) and going later ( late December into January ). The trails aren't as busy. The drier air also means that there are fewer clouds - better for photos of the peaks, although storms can happen at any time.

 

We didn't stay in the huts in Tassie before - but I remember it was cold. Sounds like it's pretty crowded there now.
Outside of peak season in Nepal. OK.

 

Bartle frere would be awesome but you would have to pick the day to do it! i remember reading the signs at josphenie falls, at the start of the track and there aren't a great deal of clear days up there!! we were there in the "dry" and it still bucketed down like a wet. Its cool seeing a constant cloud hanging over it driving passed.

Im not really a hard core hiker but do walk national parks and the like.
Carnarvon gorge (central qld) is a standout for me. Its a bit over 20km return from memory and the track follows the gorge, so only one track in and out with side shoots to caverns and waterfalls. big mix of climates going through.
we figured just hit it in one day as over 2 your covering the same ground. We made it back in on sunset and it was a little bit of a worry, watching the light start to go isn't ideal.
not sure where that sits hiking wise but great spot, one of the top nat parks in qld i think

 

Our family enjoys bushwalking and have the added excitement of 'geocaching' - it gets the kids involved as they think of it as a treasure hunt. We've been out of the game for a while but now our youngest is 5 we can get back into it.

https://www.geocaching.com/play

 

Biblimum track in south west wa