Innehållsförteckning för June/July 2017 från Great Walks

GROWING up in New Zealand I was taught about Maori folklore. My favourite story is of how the country was formed. See, there was this demi-god called Maui who was a little too cocky and wasn’t very popular with his brothers – a bunch of other demi-gods who got up to no good. One day Maui and his brothers went fishing. The brothers didn’t want to take Maui, so he hid in the canoe and didn’t reveal himself until they were out at sea. When he emerged he convinced his brothers to row out to the deepest part of the ocean, where he cast a fish hook made from his grandmother’s jawbone. It sank below the vast waves and fastened to the underwater house of Tonganui, the grandson of Tangaroa,…

De-stigmatising anxiety I have a comment about Di Westaway’s last column (Words of Wisdom, Apr-May 2017). To read such dismissive words on ADHD and anxiety astounded me. Just because she seems not to experience them or acknowledge experiencing them seems to mean they aren’t real. I am probably a similar age to her – and know that much was unknown or not talked about in the era she grew up. The other thing that I find disturbing is the assumption to just think happy. I agree that much is being done in the field of neuroscience, that being outdoors is a great healer but not all people can. You can’t just out-think ADHD – and anxiety is a daily reality for over 20% of population in their lifetime. This type…

MY wife and I had been laid up for weeks with the flu. We had not exercised and were about to visit Tasmania for a hiking holiday. On the flight to Hobart, Faye and I discussed hikes that might suit our ill prepared bodies. We decided to start with two moderate day hikes, both to lesser known mountain peaks. Two days later we stood at the trailhead to peak number one. Mt Roland (1233m) is flanked by a fortress-like spread of cliffs that rise precipitously from fertile pastoral lands in northern Tasmania. We still felt unfit and the route through a break in the cliff line looked steep, but we knew that above that bastion lay a gentler plateau. We were doing fine until the trail narrowed and deviated steeply…

THE last person to claim to have seen NZ’s famed giant moa was a seven-year-old girl who lived on Fiordland’s west coast in the late 1800s. Alice McKenzie kept a diary of life in one of NZ’s most remote settlements and in her 1947 memoir she says in 1887 she saw a large blue bird unlike anything she’d seen before. Alice examined its curved feathers and noted it had no tail. When she tried to tie it up the bird grunted, and when it stood up Alice claims it was taller than her. The bird left footprints 28cm long, far too big for any known living bird in NZ. There’s been much doubt about Alice’s sighting but standing on the wind-swept bay, at the end of the Hollyford Track where…

THIS MONTH’S WINNING PHOTO Dolomites, Italy Peter Buck, Perth WA Camera: Nikon D700 Peter: “Walking in the Dolomites provides unforgettable experiences of these rugged karst mountains with their unique topography and warm colours that become alive at sunrise and sunset. Ascent of the windswept Gruppo Di Sella plateau provides amazing vistas of Sasso Piatto Plattkofel and Sasso Lungo that rise precipitously from the hills.” Albay, Philippines Niel Villafna, via email Camera: Fuji X-T10 Niel: "During an Easter holiday in the Philippines, my friends went on a short hike to Quitinday Green Hills in Camalig, Albay, some 484km south of Manila. The perfect sunny weather that day provided a magnificent backdrop in this group photo – a clear view of Mayon Volcano, a symmetrical stratovolcano that erupts frequently. An eruption in…

Back on track I have just returned to land-based activities after spending seven plus years sentenced to the swimming pool (compliments of an injury resulting in significantly reduced mobility). Your Dec-Jan 2016 issue inspired me to aim for Tassie’s Three Capes Track. In my previous bushwalking life it never occurred to me to use poles, it seems to be a bit of a no-brainer from what I have read. But would they be overkill on tracks like the Three Capes? Also do you know how steep some of the steepest rock/track stairs are in parts? Hi Mary-Anne, walking poles can be used any time depending on what you need them for. For more info on how to use poles visit helinox.com.au/walking-poles/how-to-use-walking-poles. As for the Three Capes Track, it is graded…

IN 2010, four-year-old Scott Guerini of Alkimos, WA discovered a passion for walking. Rurally based, Scott would walk the furthest distance he could think of; 25km from his parents’ farm, to town. He did this to fundraise for sick children. “I know when I stop walking I can rest and the pain will go away but for some of the sick kids and babies pain and discomfort is all they know. So pushing myself for a day is nothing compared to what they are going through,” Scott told Great Walks. Scott claimed retirement but returned to long distance walking when he was five and has since participated in three marathons, completing the first at the age of eight and raising a massive $116,000 for charity. Now eleven, Scott recently completed…

“HUGE GRANITE TORS RISE BEHIND ME AMONGST PATCHY SNOW AND IN THE DISTANCE THE WATERS OF TE WAEWAE BAY.” THE climb is relentless, getting steeper, colder, gnarlier. I’ve been going for six hours already, gaining nearly 1000m in elevation from ocean towards the summit and the day is taking longer than I expected. Patches of snow start to dot the track and old-man’sbeard moss drapes from twisted tree trunks as I hike further into the misty heights. An icy wind bites into my bare hands and even though I’m exerting myself, my body is getting uncomfortably cold. I stop to pull on a jacket and gloves. When I think it can’t get much harder, it does. I use my arms and legs to haul myself, and my food-laden pack, up…

TO celebrate the launch of their book The Attachment: Letters from a most unlikely friendship, parish priest Monsignor Tony Doherty and artist/writer Ailsa Piper share memories of their experiences walking Europe’s most famous pilgrim path. Tony Doherty “Dear Ailsa, now here is a thing that will surprise you – I woke this morning itching to walk. Yes, my 82-year-old toes were twitching. I couldn’t fathom why, but then I realised that it is almost eight years to the day since I began walking the Camino Frances. Ah, the memories… You might remember the story – my friend Barry and I started in Leon to walk to the legendary Santiago de Compostela – a mere 350 kilometre stroll to you, my epic walker friend. I felt a little like an excited…

ACCORDING to Aspiring Guides, their walks in NZ’s Mt Aspiring NP “give a feeling of timelessness”. It was this, along with the promise of “some of the finest mountain terrain New Zealand has to offer” that convinced us to sign up for the Gillespie – Rabbit Pass Traverse, touted as one of NZ’s longest and most difficult guided walks. The fact it was rated “hard” and that we had to give an assurance we were not afraid of heights hardly registered. It wasn’t until we were issued climbing harnesses and carabiners a few days later that we began to suspect this might not be a walk in the park. Mount Aspiring NP, a World Heritage Area, straddles the southern end of the Southern Alps and is an unspoilt wilderness of…

1 Snow Peak Titanium 3 Piece Cookset An ultra-light cookware set that will help reduce your overall pack weight. The versatile set includes two pots and a frying pan – all with folding handles. The superb cook set is built in Japan from high-quality titanium and weighs only 200gm. RRP: $79 Website: tomsoutdoors.com.au 2 Snow Peak Titanium Mug If you’re a tea-lover or a coffee-addict, this is the mug for you. The double-wall titanium is comfortable to hold when hot and it insulates your beverage so it stays hot for longer. Plus, it weighs less than 145gm and is available in 3 sizes. RRP: $57-$80 Website: tomsoutdoors.com.au 3 Macpac 7 Piece Camping Cook Set Ideal for camping, this seven piece set contains essential items that will assist you…

1 We all suffer from procaffeinating at some point! 2 Our Facebook friends loved this ‘edible water bottle’. 3 Vale Fred Dagg, aka John Clarke. 4 And Mexican boffins invented a cloud that rains tequila. What’s not to like! 5 Queensland you’ve shrunk! MOUNTAINS ARE NOT JUST FUNNY, THEY ARE ACTUALLY HILL-AREAS. 6 Warning: dad joke, dad joke. 7 A video we posted on beer yoga proved a hit. 8 Realistic Aussie spider guide. 9 Looks ok to us. 10 Our Facebook friends agreed with this post.…

IF you’re familiar with the Camino de Santiago (see pg42), the Le Puy Way is one of the routes in France connecting to the Spanish pilgrim walk. Starting in the spectacular town of Le Puy-en-Velay, in central France and following the GR65 trail, the Le Puy Way is a great way to discover the country on foot. The volcanic landscapes of Velay, the peaceful Aubrac plateau, the beautiful towns of Conques, Cahors and the Lot Valley, and the famous Pyrenees mountains (pictured) are some of the highlights on the Le Puy Way. The whole walk is 730km but you could just spend a week or two walking parts of it to appreciate the beauty of this ancient pilgrim path.…

IT had been a lifelong dream to trek to Everest Base Camp (EBC) and two years go I finally made it to Nepal. My daughter, husband and I were the very few trekkers who made the decision to continue with our plans to trek to EBC after the terrible April 25th earthquakes. We had talked about it and laboured over the ethics of it and decided to continue after being convinced by so many that Nepal “needed us”. However things didn’t go according to plan. We were on the Dudh Khosi River bed in the early afternoon on the 12th of May when a noise rose above the crashing of the glacial river. Within seconds the ground was rumbling and then a series of landslides began crashing to our right…

TO celebrate our 10th year, Great Walks is heading to Chile and you’re invited! In our crosshairs is the famous ‘W’ Hike, a route that rolls through Torres del Paine NP. Filled gleaming glaciers, icebergs and mountains, the trip highlights the majesty of Patagonia. Hosted by Great Walks editor Brent McKean and in conjunction with Forward Travel, we cordially invite you to join us in exploring this South American trekking gem. Beginning on 17 November you’ll arrive in Puerto Natales and tour host Brent will brief you on the what you’ll see and need on the walk. From Torres del Paine, to the vertiginous French Valley, to the sublime Grey Glacier, you’ll experience the natural wonders of this unique environment. “I’m so looking forward to this trip,” says Brent. “Patagonia…

400KM north of Adelaide, a giant lies waiting. But unlike a children’s fairytale, this giant doesn’t sleep. This giant is very much alive and has been constantly on the move for 800 million years. Leaving the iconic stone buildings of Adelaide behind and travelling through grain growing areas, with their endlessly flat olive greens and oranges, you start to sense the giant’s form. By the time the softest pink crystalline diamonds of Lake Lochiel’s salt farm catch your eye, you can see his arms stretching out east to west in front of you. Arms that reach out to you and draw you into the treasure that lies within the giant’s lair. And what treasure it is! One of the greatest clues as to the amount and variety of treasures that…

THE Milford Track is NZ’s most famous walk, hands down. The vast, sprawling trail through the South Island takes you from Te Anau Downs to the ethereal Milford Sound in 53km over four days. Through mountains and fiords, the track takes you not only through the Fiordlands of NZ, but through its history. Since the 14th century, the area was used by Maori who trekked along carrying greenstone or ‘kokotakiwai’ between settlements. Greenstone is of major importance to Maori; the name of the South Island, ‘Te Wahipounamu’, translates to ‘The Land of Greenstone Water’, the only place greenstone is located. Communicating prestige, these stones are handed down through generations, referred to as treasure or ‘taonga’. Milford Sound, the track’s end, is also known as ‘Piopiotahi’, meaning ‘a single piopio’, a…

PURCHASING your hiking stove can present its challenges as there are so many options out there. Before making a purchase it’s important that you first consider where you will be hiking (temperatures), the types of hikes you will be doing and the style of meals you want to prepare. It’s also important to consider how many people you will be preparing for and what fuel sources are available in the area you plan to hike. Shapes, sizes and designs Backpacking stoves come in all kinds of shapes, sizes and designs – from lightweight micro-stoves that fit in your pocket, to two plate versions that would fill your pack. Unless you’re car camping or travelling with a large group of people, it makes sense to stick with the lightest, most compact…

THE Deuter Aircontact Pro 65 is one of those rucksacks featuring unisex and female-specific versions so we asked two gear testers – one male and one female – what they thought of the pack. Elspeth Callender “I recently watched a friend spend over an hour trying on hiking packs suitable for multi-day trekking. Like me, she’s six feet tall. This Aircontact was her final choice based primarily on fit and comfort. Unlike many women’s packs, its adjustable back system extends to lengths appropriate for those of us above average height; for me, this one doesn’t even need to be fully extended to fit. The slim shape is designed for comfort while hauling heavy weights. The thick waist belt, with pull-forward adjustment, has loads of padding and the back cushioning is…

“ THE MOST MEMORABLE FEATURE OF THIS WEEK’S WALK WAS THE UNSPOILT NATURE I PASSED THROUGH. ” MICHELANGELO certainly knew what he was doing. With its gargantuan granite columns and saints, its vast façade and towering dome, St Peter’s Basilica in the heart of Rome is nothing if not overwhelming. It is even more impressive when you approach it at dusk at the end of a 260km hike with only a handful of Korean tourists and a couple of idling police cars to share the experience. Walking up the stairs to St Peter’s was the finale of a three week hike I had started walking down the steps of another famous church, the Basilica of St Francis in Assisi. The St Francis Way (or Cammino di Francesco) follows the same…