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Re: The rambling/hiking tent

PostPosted: 28 Apr 2014, 00:19
by Sallyo
HI all, I didn't see this tent before I pitched the Walking tent. They are different. But I am in both tents.

I want to tell you about the walk - hiking type walks - I did over Easter in Cradle Mountain. I wish I were clever enough to post some pictures. Cradle Mountain National Park is not far from where I live. It is a landscape formed by glaciers in the ice age and has lovely unspoiled Gondwanaland flora. I did 2 good walks, but I'm going to write about the long one.

On that day we started at 9am and walked up through the forest to Crater lake. We walked up across button grass and through stands of snow gums, through temperate rain forest where you can see Nothofagus gunnii which is a deciduous Tasmanian endemic plant. It has relatives in South America, Chile, so we know it is a Gondwanaland plant. It was just starting to get its yellow autumn colours. The lake is surrounded by steep cliffs, We climbed up past the lake and hauled ourselves up to Marion's Lookout from where you can see many lakes at various levels where the glaciers left them. It was freezing cold.

Then we headed across the plateau. Here are the Alpine plants, cushion plants, made up of lots of different species and making tight clumps which are thousands of years old. If you step on one and leave a foot print, that foot print will take hundreds of years to grow out. So you have to stick to the board walk. Not a lot was flowering at this time of the year but there was spectacular mountain rocket (Belendena montana) with its brilliant red seed pods. Across the plateau it was freezing, mists blowing across from the west. I just kept my head down and my gloves on.

When we got to Kitchener hut, we took a left turn and took a track across the face of Cradle Mountain. There the cushion plants were really thick. We were more sheltered there too. It was the most beautiful part of the walk and less populated too. From there we dropped down a steep track, rock hopping and using chains to help us get down. I put one of my walking poles in my back pack so that I had a spare hand to grab onto tree roots and branches to help me. I was also tired then and was scared of slipping. So I had to take it slowly and carefully. We came to Lake Wilkes, another glacial lake.

And then down down down to the bottom, the shores of Lake Dove and into the Ballroom Forest. Wonderful very ancient rainforest. Huge moss covered trees that would be 2,000 years old. The sound of running water. Fungus of various kinds. An amazing smell. And then we walked along the lake to the car park. This is a wonderful part of the world.

I love your walks in the Lake country. I am a big reader of Arthur Randsom. I love all the Swallows and Amazon books and one day I am going to walk in the Lake district too. I'll be in touch!

Re: The rambling/hiking tent

PostPosted: 28 Apr 2014, 05:53
by Sassy1
Hello fellow ramblers/hikers/walkers/ and so on :)

I live in the Dandenong Ranges and there is a lot of lovely country around here for walks of all degrees of difficulty and length. However, I am very envious of @Sallyo with Cradle Mountain so close - that is a walk I do intend to do one day :)

And I am just as envious of all of you in the UK - walking in the country there is just wonderful! :) I haven't had much opportunity to do any serious walking, but have had some lovely day walks in the Lake District, the Peak District, along the Dorset and Devon coasts, and on the Isle of Skye - and of course walking in London, tho not quite the same, is still a wonderful thing to do.

I would love to do the walk across England (what's it called again?). I did have a look at walking tours for that, but the pace seems a little more than I could handle. I assume some of you have done that walk?

The one "serious" hike I have done is the Great Ocean Walk - along the southern coast of Victoria from Apollo Bay to the Twelve Apostles. About 100km, took a week, carrying everything and camping in tents. Just a girlfriend and I. Was a great experience, but unfortunately was also the start of my knee problems - may not have happened if I had been my current weight!! :)

Happy rambling everyone :)

Re: The rambling/hiking tent

PostPosted: 28 Apr 2014, 06:01
by MaryAnn
I really love hiking, and is one of the things I miss most not living in Sheffield anymore. There are trails in Okinawa, but no good maps. Also… it's a bit silly, but I'm afraid of poisonous snakes and spiders.

Re: The rambling/hiking tent

PostPosted: 28 Apr 2014, 06:16
by jools7
Hi @maryann, well you should come & walk in the bush in Aus, then you'd never be scared in the Japanese ones again. I think we have most of the top 10 poisonous snakes in the world. And spiders - the Sydney funnel-web can be deadly, luckily there's an anti-venene now. But in the bush you do see the odd snake, you just have to eg careful to step on top of any logs or stones, not over them. Then the snake & you see each other & generally run in opposite directions. Some can be aggressive I'm told, like the northern taipan, but I haven't experienced it myself.

I think you'd be pretty safe in japan!

Re: The rambling/hiking tent

PostPosted: 28 Apr 2014, 06:59
by barbarita
@Sallyo I loved your description of your hike, so vivid. I would love the scenery but I would not be brave enough to do that trail you described hanging onto chains and tree roots. Later today I will Google some of the places you mentioned. I know what you mean about photographs, I might be able to post some from a laptop, but I hardly ever get a lookin on that, I do my forum browsing on a Kindle tablet and can't get the photos from my camera onto it.

I also belong in the Walking tent as I do road walks, even in retirement the weather or other commitments mean it is that or go back to couch potatoedom. When I did some local circuits with a pedometer I was shocked how far you have to go to do 10,000 steps - and when at home I focus on the sofa so I can't rely on being busy to get my count up. No wonder the pounds crept on when I was chained to the desk and spending weekends with elderly parents.

Re: The rambling/hiking tent

PostPosted: 28 Apr 2014, 07:42
by KataMac
Love the hike description Sallyo. I've only been to Tassie with little kidlets, so didn't get to explore the walks - really need to get back there now my boys are big enough to do some proper hiking.
I grew up hiking on Table Mountain, and the other surrounding mountains. That is still my favourite hiking, and whenever I am back in Cape Town, I go up the mountain regularly. Luckily my Dad, sister and nephew are all part of walking groups and know the mountain super well, so there are always very experienced people to walk with. It's not a mountain to mess with. (None are really though, are they?)
Australia also has some great hiking.

Re: The rambling/hiking tent

PostPosted: 28 Apr 2014, 08:11
by CreakyPete
Hi @barbarita: have you done all the Wainwrights? I have the books and one of these days will make a plan to work my way through them, currently waiting for MrsPete to retire plus we have her aunt's estate to sort out so weekends are taken up with house clearance.

I did the Bob Graham round in 1990 so have ticked 40-odd Wainwrights, looking forward to some of the more scenic smaller ones with the missus...
Used to run in the hills after I stopped doing road marathons etc., was never into racing (because uphill running was too painful!) but loved doing the long challenges - Yorkshire 3 peaks, Lakes 3000' peaks and Welsh 3000' peaks were all done in one amazing week - but age & arthritic hips are taking their toll. Last major hiking was done in 2012 around Mammoth Lakes and Tuolumne in California with my big lad, walking up to 11,000' height and 15 miles distance (and still able to keep up with him!).

Will be around Penrith in June for a reunion of college students who went on expedition to Greenland in 1972 - our 42nd anniversary! Not sure what we will manage to walk up, some of them are getting old now, but I hope the weather is kind and we can all get out together...

Re: The rambling/hiking tent

PostPosted: 28 Apr 2014, 12:27
by Betsysgr8
My dad was a huge outdoorsman, very involved with the boyscouts and organizing weekend and week-long back-packing hiking trips. Being a girl I couldn't go with the boys in those days, but my Dad would take my younger brother and I on some shorter weekend back packing trips up in the High Sierra's. Packing up my parents home, I recently found all the old topographical maps they used on their hiking trips, brought back some wonderful memories. Hopefully soon, I'll be more settled and able to take advantage of some hiking around the desert and in my local mountains. Hmmm, I think I'll take a look around for some local groups that would like a novice member. :)

Re: The rambling/hiking tent

PostPosted: 28 Apr 2014, 12:34
by CandiceMarie
@Betsysgr8 just want to leave you a hug and say hi xx
The idea of back packing in the High Sierras just sounds wonderful ! Hope you ' ll be able to enjoy being out in Nature again very soon x

Re: The rambling/hiking tent

PostPosted: 28 Apr 2014, 14:58
by barbarita
Hi @CreakyPete Yes I completed my Wainwright bagging about 25 years ago. I have also done most of the 2000 footers in England, most of the 3000 footers in Snowdonia, and Ben Nevis. Nothing exotic I am afraid, never been walking abroad. Cowardice is a limiting factor for me, I don't do exposure or any but the easiest scrambles. The Wainwrights are a nice goal for the fitter senior citizen IMO. Did you do the 4 3,000 footers as a single walk? I used to help organise the 4 threes challenge walk that ran in June, you had to do the 46 mile route in under 22 hours. We gave it up over 10 years ago cos of 'elf and safety after some erosion problems on Sca Fell.

Hope the weather is kind to you when you are up this way and your reunion goes well.

Re: The rambling/hiking tent

PostPosted: 28 Apr 2014, 15:23
by CreakyPete
Yes, did the Lakes 3000s in daylight and I think about 14 hours but I have texted my companion who kept these sort of details for posterity! We parked at the foot of Skiddaw, up and down to the car for breakfast then around the rest of them. Mist or cloud on all the summits was the only thing that spoiled the day...
Next day travelled to Wales and prepared for the Welsh 3000s, as a circular tour on the hottest day that August - got very tired and thirsty but completed the peaks, just had to use the road around Capel Curig to get back to the car at Pen y Gwryd due to impending darkness...

Update - my accomplice says our Lakes 3000s time was 13:49:49, not that we were competitive or anything!

We also did the big 3 Peaks (Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike, Snowdon) on the way home from Skye one year in 14:49, which included 8:10 driving 490 miles... (Not to be encouraged in the age of speed cameras).

Re: The rambling/hiking tent

PostPosted: 28 Apr 2014, 19:55
by greenmonster
jools7 wrote: Hi @maryann, well you should come & walk in the bush in Aus, then you'd never be scared in the Japanese ones again. I think we have most of the top 10 poisonous snakes in the world. And spiders - the Sydney funnel-web can be deadly, luckily there's an anti-venene now. But in the bush you do see the odd snake, you just have to eg careful to step on top of any logs or stones, not over them. Then the snake & you see each other & generally run in opposite directions. Some can be aggressive I'm told, like the northern taipan, but I haven't experienced it myself.

I think you'd be pretty safe in japan!


*shudde8 - you can keep your poisonous snakes, spiders and all-round scary wildlife!

This is why I love walking in good old Blighty - the hazards we will generally face are: exposure from wind/rain (!), overinquisitive or spooked cows, losing one's boots in knee-deep peat bog, Lyme disease from ticks, having a heart attack because you flushed out a startled pheasant that took off at 50 miles an hour with a huge squawk, and getting eaten alive by the dreaded Scottish midge (hopefully midge season hasn't got started yet). Generally we can just enjoy striding out into the hills with very little to worry us. Perhaps one day they will reintroduce the wolves & wild boar we used to have and then we will need to watch our backs a bit more but I'm kind of hoping we can just stick with the sheep for now.

Incidentally, I always think that sheep sound like someone doing an impression of a sheep, if that doesn't sound too stupid?!

Re: The rambling/hiking tent

PostPosted: 28 Apr 2014, 19:55
by greenmonster
that should read *shudder*!

Re: The rambling/hiking tent

PostPosted: 29 Apr 2014, 07:47
by SianS
OH and I set off on a 10 mile walk yesterday morning, taking in Sissinghurst Castle en-route. We had 2 maps, a compass and a handheld GPS thingy and still managed to lose our way twice, adding about 1.5 miles to the route.
Having retraced our steps online from the GPS tracker we still can't see where we went wrong. I think we'll have to do the walk in reverse one day.
Despite that it was a lovely walk though acres of Bluebells :smile:

Re: The rambling/hiking tent

PostPosted: 29 Apr 2014, 22:12
by carorees
@greenmonster there are wild boar in the Forest of Dean and wolves somewhere in Scotland I believe...