Sports & Fitness Anyone enjoy Bushwalking / Hiking / Trekking ?

Discussion in 'Living Room' started by wombat777, 9th Jul, 2015.

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  1. wombat777

    wombat777 Well-Known Member

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    I'm heading off to South Amercia ( Patagonia and Peru ) for a month of walking. Leave on Friday.

    Decided my boots needed replacement.

    Boots on the left. An estimated 1600km over 3.5 years. Tread worn down to the soles.
    Boots on the right. An estimated 20m over 9 hrs.

    image.jpeg image.jpeg

    Remortgaged the house to buy them ( just kidding ). Fortunately they were on special. $400 a pair. My old pair were $500. Scarpas are not cheap.

    Normally you need the wear them in, but the sizing and fit is so similar to my old boots that I shouldn't have problems.
     
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  2. ellejay

    ellejay Well-Known Member

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    Hope they're comfy. I've done a lot of mountain walks and never spent more than $100ish on boots. A few pairs of yours are a deposit on a house for me ;) Total cheap skate I am! Have a fantsstic time, I'm jealous!
     
  3. wombat777

    wombat777 Well-Known Member

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    Yes, I should think about getting cheaper boots for shorter walks here and keep these for multi-day trips/treks. My old scarpas are supremely comfy but the lining is starting to wear in the upper heel area. These are a similar fit so I should have no issues.
     
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  4. wombat777

    wombat777 Well-Known Member

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    An update from Patagonia. I did a day trip from Punta Arenas across to Terria Del Fuego to visit a King Penguin colony.

    3 hrs of ferry journey and 8 hrs in a shuttle bus on mostly dirt roads. Worth it to see these in their natural environment.

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    The penguin chicks are about 3 months old
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    Almost as far south as you can go without visiting Antarctica.
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    Set off tomorrow for 6 days of hiking in Torres Del Paine National park.
     
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  5. radson

    radson Well-Known Member

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    Went for a scramble in Leura weekend before last. Perfect weather. A lovely lady from Quebec took a pic of my wife and I in the centre right of the pic.
    20160319_151029-Edit.jpg
     
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  6. Owlet

    Owlet Well-Known Member

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    Not as awesome as the treks posted but I will be walking the Surfcoast Trek: Airey's Inlet to Torquay 40km for charity on April 9.
     

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  7. wombat777

    wombat777 Well-Known Member

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    That will be an effort. 30km is my typical limit for a day walk and usually keep day walks under 15km. Do you have much beach walking or can you avoid the beaches?
     
  8. Owlet

    Owlet Well-Known Member

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    Yes a few sections of beach walking - not sure distance wise? I'll be on the start line in 10hrs.
     
  9. Francesco

    Francesco Well-Known Member

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    I am new to track walking, so I have left it to the bucket list of things to do. It has been a very healthy thing to pick up for my wife and I. Reading the exploits of experienced trackers is very encouraging and highlights the deficits I have to close up!

    This year we have done about 50 treks, including the Overland Track in Tasmania. It was done in a 3 couple team multi day event. The highlight was the Acropolis where the granite mountain was splitting up and leaving columns standing up like pillars of mythical Mt Olympus!

    I can confirm that Hobart looked robust, at least from the vantage point of Mt Wellington of new developments and in the economic input of adventure seekers and tourists in the bustle of the Salamanca market. Friendships were forged in the multi day trip and the personal knowledge of sleeping habits!

    We plan to return to Tasmania next year and do the South Coast Track Trek. That's for the short term. There are still many mountains to track around Canberra. Tomorrow, we will do Mt Tennant so off to sleep!
     
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  10. willair

    willair Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    Koreelah Creek campground | NSW National Parks

    If you like bush walking and free camping then the boarder ranges within 160klm's from the Brisbane CBD ,Koreelah National Park is only 12 bucks per night ,excellent bush walking small system of waterfalls,and everytime we go there we are sometimes the only people,plus there is several campsites within the area,which are free,just tell someone where you intend to stay,because they have very little mobile coverage,which is good in some ways,unless you end up on the missing persons list..imho..
     
  11. wombat777

    wombat777 Well-Known Member

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    The travels in Patagonia continue. Fortunately great weather.

    From 6 days walking the W Trek in Torres Del Paine National Park:

    image.jpeg image.jpeg
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    Ice trekking on the Perito Moreno Glacier

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    A 24 km return walk up to Fitz Roy from El Chalten:

    image.jpeg image.jpeg

    Now on my way to Peru.
     
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  12. Vultures

    Vultures Well-Known Member

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    Worth every penny they are, I love my Scarpas to death (theirs, not mine)

    Nitpicking but it's dolerite not granite ;) Good on you though, 50 treks in a year is mighty impressive! I haven't done the South Coast trek but be prepared for a LOT of mud.

    Love the photos! Getting seriously itchy feet reading your posts, stop it!

    I love bushwalking but other than shortish day walks I don't get to do much these days. An unenthusiastic husband and one+ year old bub tend to restrict things a bit :( And pretty much everyone in the family and friends circle shun the idea of walking more than half an hour at a time or - god forbid! - having to use a non-flushing toilet.

    My SIL and her 12 year old daughter are visiting and I'd booked some accommodation in a national park thinking we'd do some nice easy-ish walking to ease them into it. Three days there and we did a huge... 5km. I left thoroughly depressed... It's not helping that I'm reading Wild at the moment either! Can't wait to get out there on a multi day some time soon.
     
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  13. Francesco

    Francesco Well-Known Member

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    You are right about the Acropolis being dolerite. I did not do much research before joining the trek.

    50 treks in half a year is mighty small when I compare it with what the other team members did as preparation for the Overland Trek - 200 treks! The two couples, including SIL and husband have been climbing Mt Gellion near Alice Springs almost daily.

    My SIL and her husband are pretty famous in their own right as world trekkers. They have been in all continents, travelling and living in their customised troopie.
     
  14. Vultures

    Vultures Well-Known Member

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    I'm guessing there are no children involved?
     
  15. Francesco

    Francesco Well-Known Member

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    They have a daughter who has since married and live in the US. But, when she was 9 y.o. they took her off school and self taught her while travelling in the troopie through Africa for a year, including 2 months in the Sahara. Most days they tented on top of the troopie roof.

    They have many amusing tales. There is one where a local tribesman offered to barter cows for the hand of her daughter in marriage!
     
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  16. Vultures

    Vultures Well-Known Member

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    Wow. Do they have a blog or something? Would like to read about them, they sound interesting!
     
  17. Francesco

    Francesco Well-Known Member

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    Will pm you.
     
  18. wombat777

    wombat777 Well-Known Member

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    Just finished 4 days on the Inca Trail in Peru.

    image.jpeg image.jpeg image.jpeg image.jpeg image.jpeg

    Fly to Santiago tomorrow with water shortages due to flooding.

    Back to work and reality next week.
     
  19. Starlite

    Starlite Well-Known Member

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    PM me too..
     
  20. Starlite

    Starlite Well-Known Member

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    Amazing pictures wombat777..

    Any advice on hiking in Iceland?
    Has anyone done the Laugavegur hike?