Innehållsförteckning för August - September 2016 från Great Walks

Andy Szollosi Andy is a Tasmanian guide and writer. Check out his website: www.mountainsof australia.com Peta Murray Peta studied media at Charles Sturt uni before succumbing to the travel bug. She lives in Byron Bay moonlighting as a freelance writer. Ian Trevaskis When he's not writing award-winning children's book, Ian seeks outdoor adventure on foot, bike and skis. Ruth Rampling Founder of TrekFit Australia, Ruth creates trek training programs for clients wishing to achieve lifelong goals.…

Child's play My husband and I have always been avid hikers, so much so, that our honeymoon was hiking the Overland Track and Bay of Fires in Tasmania. We have just had two kids and while we enjoy small hikes around our local area, we would love to do a proper hike with the kids. I was wondering whether you have any old articles on file that you could send through or whether you would be able to feature a hiking with kids story in your magazine. Matt and Brooke Fossey, Keperra, Qld Hi Matt and Brooke, we have featured a few stories of parents hiking with kids and as a summary here are some tips – Ed • Bushwalking should be fun for kids so don't force them if they…

Bringing together urban style, weather protection and eco-consciousness, the Men's Mountain Designs Fortitude Jacket is a great year round choice. This smart jacket features a soft Seawool lining, a durable and water repellent waxed outer fabric and a highly functional design. RRP: $189.95 Available at Mountain Designs stores or www.mountaindesigns.com To enter, send us your best hiking yarn - 450 words plus three high quality images. Email: editor@greatwalks.com.au…

Great Walks spoke to Kirsty Leckie, Conservation Principal of the National Parks Association of Queensland (NPAQ), about the organisation's goals and current issues. GRW: What are the core goals of the NPAQ? NPAQ’s mission is promoting the preservation, expansion and good management of national parks in Queensland. We aim to achieve this by advocating for a comprehensive and well managed protected area system, fostering the appreciation and enjoyment of nature, undertaking on-ground conservation and monitoring work, educating the community about national parks, and supporting the development and application of scientific and professional knowledge in advancing national parks and nature conservation. GRW: What current issues are you dealing with? Queensland’s national parks continue to be placed under enormous pressure. Currently we are focussing on conservation and recovery of threatened species, habitat…

ROBERT W Service (1874-1958) was a British-Canadian poet and writer who has often been called "the Bard of the Yukon". His vivid descriptions of Canada's Yukon territory and its people made it seem as though he was a veteran of the Klondike gold rush that brought thousands of people to the area between 1896-1899, instead of the late-arriving bank clerk he actually was. Here's our favourite Robert W Service poem. Enjoy. The call of the wild Have you gazed on naked grandeur Where there’s nothing else to gaze on, Set pieces and drop-curtain scenes galore, Big mountains heaved to heaven, which the blinding sunsets blazon, Black canyons where the rapids rip and roar? Have you swept the visioned valley With the green stream streaking through it, Searched the Vastness for…

1 Suunto Traverse Alpha watch Suunto has introduced two new models to the Suunto Traverse product family. Suunto Traverse Alpha Stealth and Alpha Foliage include new features specifically developed for hiking and fishing. The integrated GPS/GLONASS route navigation with breadcrumb trail, electronic compass with tilt compensation and FusedAlti help you stay on track in unknown territory. Battery life of up to 100 hours with GPS makes the Traverse Alpha suitable for multi-day treks. RRP: $729 Website: www.suunto.com/en-AU 2 TomTom Spark The TomTom Spark is another one for people who want to monitor and improve their fitness. The 24/7 activity tracking feature tracks steps, active minutes, distance and calories burned. The multi-sport mode means that you can track your indoor and outdoor activities – running, cycling, treadmill, swimming – and get…

WHILE an army is said to march on its stomach, I always thought feet were the dominant prerequisite for taking thousands of steps a day. Here's some advice to look after those tootsies. Pre-walk care is prudent in the days and weeks leading up to more challenging walks and is as simple as trimming the toenails leading up to taking daily walks or jogs in your chosen footwear and socks. A seminal work over many decades for the walker was Paddy Pallin's Bushwalking and Camping in which he advised right up to the 1970s that, “to prevent blisters, dissolve an ounce of tannic acid powder (some chemists have it) in two quarts of water. Soak feet six times for 15 minutes before any extended trip.” I can't vouch for that…

“WE’RE LUCKY TO HAVE A GREAT NETWORK OF WILLING GUINEA PIGS TO TEST NEW PRODUCTS.” I GREW up in Northumberland, in the north of England. We lived only a few miles from the remains of Hadrian’s Wall, and we’d often walk sections of that at the weekends. My dad was a keen walker and climber, so family holidays were spent in the Lake District. Probably my first distinct memory is climbing Robinson Fell in the Lakes on my seventh birthday. It was a misty autumn day, but I had that real sense of achievement you get from reaching the summit, even if the summit was in this case only 700 odd metres! In a world where we’re often pulled in several directions at once, hiking is a rare chance to…

1 We congratulated Queenslander Alyssa Azar (19) for becoming the youngest Australian to climb Mount Everest. What an effort! 2 Everyone loved the new safari-style sleeping tents that Australian Walking Holidays had introduced on their Larapinta Trail trip. 3 A bucket list on the world's best hiking routes had plenty of people talking on our Facebook page. Top of the list was Torres del Paine Circuit Trek, Chile (see pg16). 4 On our Facebook page we reported our Kiwi cousins want tourists to be 'T' plated because they're seen as generally bad drivers. Thoughts? 5 The story: 'Move over Machu Picchu: six hidden gems in Peru that are just as good' created plenty of interest. One hidden gem was 'Channel your inner Indiana Jones at Manu National Park'. 6 We…

“IT WASN’T ALL FUN. NOT ANOTHER HIGH PASS… AAARRRGGGHHH!” THE first time I ever sat on heaven’s doorstep was in the Andes Mountains. What began as a 40th birthday celebration transformed my life. Out of the blue a friend’s personal trainer invited me to climb Mt Aconcagua (6982m), the highest mountain in the Southern hemisphere. Climbing a mountain sounded like a great way to get fit again after having two kids. An exciting … if somewhat scary goal. So I signed up. But a few days later the guilt kicked in. Then came fear. Friends said it was dangerous, I was a bad mother. I could die. Why take such risks? Well... I knew I needed an escape from a bad patch in my life. I needed an adventure. Six…

DON'T you love it when you go on a hike and learn something extraordinary about the area. Case-in-point: the 13km walk from Brooklyn to Cowan, showcasing Ku-ring-gai Chase NP. The park preserves a massive corridor of bushland close to Sydney. Also, because there are train stations at the start and end of the walk, if you want you can public transport it all the way. Brooklyn is less than an hour’s drive from the CBD and it's where Germany's most famous fighter pilot, Manfred von Richthofen, comes into the picture, but more on that later. The trail is part of the 250km Great North Walk (GNW) linking Sydney with the Hunter Valley and Newcastle. To get to the trail from Brooklyn either park your car at Parsley Bay and walk…

“IN AFRICA THE PORTER TEAM ARE ALWAYS SAYING TO YOU, 'POLE POLE', WHICH MEANS SLOWLY, SLOWLY.” HAVING trekked to incredible places such as Mt Kilimanjaro and Mt Everest Base Camp I know only too well how altitude sickness can impact on whether you make it to the summit or not. The questions I get asked many times are around altitude sickness and how to avoid suffering from it. The highest altitude I have trekked to is Mt Kilimanjaro summit at 5896m. Having been there twice now, I have seen the mistakes people make and sometimes the outcome is not positive. Altitude sickness is a serious condition and must be given the utmost respect. Failing to take notice of your body’s warning signs can have dramatic effects. Some of the minor…

1 Opinel's range of camping knives includes the Opinel 07 Outdoor Junior for kids. Perfect for Scouts, camping and hiking, the knife features a whistle and has a rounded tip for safety.www.tawonga.com.au 2 Editor Brent learning all about PURE sports nutrition. PURE's signature Electrolyte Hydration range is made with real fruit containing no artificial ingredients or colours.www.velovita.net.au 3 We love SOL's (Survive Outdoors Longer) Phoenix survival tool, featuring fixed blade knife, retractable flint, tinder and storage, LED flashlight and whistle. $59.95.adventuremedicalkits.com.au 4 Sea to Summit's range of sleeping mats includes the Comfort Plus featuring 596 Air Sprung Cells, making it one of the most sensitive and comfortable on the market.www.seatosummitdistribution.com.au 5 Therm-A-Rest has begun making tents and this gazebo is a winner. www.spelean.com.au 6 Check out the packing size of…

“I FEEL COMPELLED TO ENSURE THAT WHAT I DO MAKES A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE.” WHEN I was four I remember walk-in trips with provisions in Royal NP, south of Sydney, to stay for several nights at one of the old shacks at Era. This seemed an epic journey at that age, but probably involved only a one-hour drive and one to two hours of walking. And I’m pretty sure much of these trips were taken on my father's shoulders. I also remember being frightened of cicadas bursting out of grassy clumps as we approached and wild sounds of birds and the ocean. The reason we started up our walking tour company was my wife Gina Hart and I, along with several others in the Yuraygir coast community, had been watching the…

With good looks and technical fabric, the Sherpa jacket is smart in more ways than one. As part of our Technical Travel Range, this urban style women's jacket is lightweight, durable, cosy and easy to care for. Wear it travelling, exploring the outdoors or socialising – you'll find plenty of excuses to wear it. RRP: $299.95. Available at Mountain Designs stores or www.mountaindesigns.com To enter, send us your best hiking yarn – 450 words plus three high quality images. Email: editor@greatwalks.com.au…

GREAT Walks has had a team in every Oxfam Trailwalker for the last eight years and just like many other teams we’ve raised thousands of dollars for this worthy course. Trailwalker is said to be the world’s toughest team event, where groups of four have 48 hours to walk 100km through rugged bushland. Nowadays I train a team of colleagues for the event but I still remember the time I did the walk as team leader. Little did I know how much it would test me. Sydney’s Trailwalker starts at Brooklyn on the Hawkesbury River (learn about the town’s connection to the Red Baron on pg64) and follows the Great North Walk down to Manly in the city’s north. The trail is made up of steep rocky tracks, winding fire…

When providing info and opinion on walking gear it’s only fair to provide you with the full picture. To properly test a backpack, for instance, requires long-term use in a wide variety of conditions. There aren’t enough months in the year to do this for every product, especially when you’re talking about a dozen pairs of boots. The key below lets you know where you stand. STOCK SHOT This is where we showcase what’s new in the market and tell you what the manufacturer claims the product does. Over time we’ll try to properly test it. GEAR GUIDE An experienced walker has reviewed a wide range of products and conducted limited testing. This is a guide, rather than a subjective test. TRACK TESTED We have worn it, walked with it…

Q: I'm planning on doing some walks in South America's Andes mountains next season. When it comes to camp stoves what do I have to consider when using one at high altitudes? Graham Williams, Manly, NSW A: Graham, fuel type and quality are going to dictate your choice of stove. Low-grade kerosene is probably going to be the easiest fuel to find and carry, however if you are only planning short, quick trips to the mountains then you could use gas. First, check where the best places to purchase fuel are going to be along your itinerary, then consider the following: Low-grade kerosene requires a multi-fuel stove that will require very regular maintenance (almost daily) to clean soot and debris. Liquid fuel stoves with simmer control do not burn fuel…

“IN TEARS, I WANTED MY FRIENDS TO JUST LEAVE ME ALONE AND LEAVE ME BEHIND.” MY head felt like it was about to explode. It was as though I’d chosen to sleep inside a vice and every breath I took wound it tighter and tighter. If I’d been able to pay attention to my surrounds, I would’ve heard the familiar sound of my tent flapping and snapping in the strong Andes gusts and the donkeys eeee-aww-ing in their hobbles metres away. Instead, my world had shrunk from the majestic ice-capped, cloud shrouded, Touching the Void country of the Huayhuash Circuit in Peru, to something much smaller. Right now, my whole world was about me and my head. I’d flown into Lima three days earlier to meet friends who had already…

1 The Via Francigena - Canterbury to Rome. Parts 1 & 2 Pilgrims have been undertaking the journey on the Via Francigena since the eighth century … and these two guidebooks by Alison Raju will help you do the same. The Via Francigena – Part 1 covers the first 945km of the journey from Canterbury to the halfway mark at the Great St Bernard Pass on the Swiss-Italian border. Part 2 picks up where the first book left off and describes the rest of the route (940km) through Italy to Rome. What an epic walk! RRP: $42.99 Website: www.woodslane.com.au 2 Following Burke and Wills Across Australia – A Touring Guide In 2008, historian Dave Phoenix walked in the footsteps of the ill-fated Burke and Wills Expedition from Melbourne to the…