Here are some session statistics at a glance:
Session # 9
Start: START (Jells Park Tea House) Start Time: 7:25 am, Saturday, 2-Feb-08
Finish: Check Point 4 (Olinda Reserve) Finish time: 10:25 pm, Saturday, 2-Feb-08
Total distance: 46.5 kilometres Session time: 15 hours
Total rest time: 2.5 hours Total walking time: 12.5 hours
Session average= 3.1 kms/Hour
Temperature and conditions: Dry and warm during the day (about 25 degrees centigrade, although it felt like 30) and cool during the evening (12 degrees centigrade)
Individual section timings (excludes lunch break at Lysterfield lake)
START to CP1 (Churchill National Park) 12.5 kilometres in 2.5 hours
CP1 (Churchill National Park) to CP2 (Lysterfield Lake) 9.0 kilometres in 2.25 hours
CP1 (Lysterfield Lake) to CP3 (Grants Picnic grounds) 13.3 kilometres in 5.25 hours
CP3 (Grants Picnic Grounds) to CP4 (Olinda reserve) 11.7 kilometres in 4 hours
Session # 9 was a very important session for the team. It was important for two reasons; we had to overcome the gremlins of doubt and disappointment that had crept into our team psyche after the difficult night training session on the weekend of 19th January 2008. The trying conditions of pitch darkness and incessant rain had dampened our team and individual spirit and we had cut short that session from a target of 41.2 to 27 kilometres. The second factor of importance was that of distance. The longest distance we had walked so far in our training sessions, in one stretch, was 34.8 kilometres and we needed to know whether we had it in us to endure 46.5 kilometres in this session, especially after the gruelling night session two weeks ago.
These two reasons were playing in our mind when we departed Jells Park at 7:25 am on Saturday morning. Many of us hadn't slept well because we had been to watch the 20/20 cricket match between Australia and India at the MCG. It was a thrashing that Indian supporters would like to forget in a hurry. Thus the groggy team set off from Jells Park minus its usual contingent of 10 members. One of the members had to work, yes on a Saturday, to complete a deliverable due on Monday. Another had rejoined us after a break of almost 4 weeks. The weather was pleasant at this stage and we made it to CP1 (Churchill Park) in a good time of 2.5 hours. We walked briskly despite carrying heavy loads in our back pack (Water and electrolytes).
We were feeling strong and decided to carry on the CP2 (Lysterfield lake) without stopping. We met two other teams on their practice sessions at the top of Hills track. They were from the CASH and M3 teams. It was good to meet others and exchange tips and information. We soon reached Lysterfield lake and it felt good to take a well-earned break here. Rinku, our support crew member, brought us lunch and other supplies here. We are grateful to her for having sacrificed her precious time on a weekend to cart us supplies. Debbie had baked delicious Walnut muffins and I still can't believe that 30 muffins disappeared into our stomachs and backpacks in seconds. In contrast Julie gave me just a tiny piece of the delicious banana cake she wolfed down in a hurry. Maybe for the next practice session we will have banana cake instead of the boring energy gels.
The temperature had been rising all morning and before we had realized it we had overeaten and had drunk too much fluids. So the planned short break at Lysterfield park became a sluggish and sumptuous one and half hour picnic lunch! We had to drag ourselves away and get on to Logan park trail towards Grants Picnic. By now the sun was blazing on us and soon we were sweating away the muffins, rotis and sandwiches. I then imagined that this was what it was like for the muffins in the oven. Maybe I was becoming delirious. Whose idea was this walk?
When we got to Birds land reserve a shady picnic spot, 7.3 kms from Lysterfield lake, the cool sheltered benches there were difficult to resist a brief reprieve from the heat and before we knew it we had spent 30 minutes relaxing there. We also met another team of three girls there on their training walk. The poor walkers hadn't planned their session well and were starving because they hadn't carried food with them. We felt guilty at having wolfed down so much food at Lysterfield. Although we offered them food they refused politely and decided to carry on to Grants picnic. Soon we were huffing and puffing on the steep climb of Broadway street before stopping to regain our breath in the car park of Belgrave swimming pool.
The prospect of a hot cup of tea at the local cafe in Belgrave was too difficult to resist and we lost another 30-40 minutes. We were wondering whether we were on a training session or a picnic jaunt. We had gorged ourselves on muffins at Lysterfield and here we were indulging in Devonshore tea. By this time we had covered 30 kilometres and we knew that Grants Picnic was nearby. We arrived at Grants picnic about one and half hours behind schedule, possibly because of the heat and longer breaks. By this time two members were suffering from knee and back problems and the thought of retirement from this training session at Grants Picnic began to cross their minds and perhaps a few others. We decided to egg them on and it was magnificent to see the entire team motivate each other and decide to carry on towards our goal - Olinda reserve. We knew it was going to be difficult ahead. We also knew that more than half of this 11.7 km section had to be completed in the dark and this would be the most difficult stretch. Memories from the night-training session on this treacherous stretch was still very fresh in all of us.
Soon we were climbing the winding pathway on Clematis track and breaking into a sweat. Although we had been here a few times, this stretch continues to fascinate us with its rich foliage of ferns and other thick native vegetation. It is always 5 degrees cooler in this undergrowth and the sounds of swirling waters of the creek and laughter of the Kookaburras introduced a renewed energy into all of us. We were also on a high to have kept the entire team intact for this long and trying stretch. In my view this is the best part of nature along the entire 100km trail and it is impossible not to appreciate this nature regardless of how tired one is.
It soon became dark as we navigated the really dangerous Sassafras creek track. We always wonder as to what might happen if a bushwalker lost his footing and fell into ridge or the creek. One cannot help avoiding such negative thoughts at night. It didn't help that some of us had forgotten our headlights because we didn't think we would be walking here at night. The long rests at Lysterfield and Belgrave for lunch and tea had caused this situation of having to walk in the dark. We were thankful to get out of Sassafras creek trail into Perrins creek road. That brought us into the much hated Hacketts road. I personally think that this is the most difficult and ugly section of the entire trail. It is an unrelenting steep dirt trail climb that takes 20 minutes and saps all energy left in the body. At this point we had walked for over 42 kilometres and it was pitch dark by this stage.
We made it finally to Olinda reserve! A distance of 46.5 kilometres after walking for 15 hours. It brought a great sense of achievement to all of us. We had conquered one-half of the world's toughest team challenge of 100 kms. It reinforced in us a belief that we could do it if we applied our minds to it.
The team is very proud of Gurpreet Verma and Subbu Pithani who believed in themselves and despite excruciating back and knee pain pushed on and managed to stay on the trail and achieve the session goal. Their courage is commendable. The team camaraderie and closeness provided 50% of the mental energies to the endeavour. We have a great team and we are proud of ourselves. For all 9 of us on this walk, it was the longest we had ever walked in our lives - 46.5 kilometres! Our women walkers Kathy, Julie and Debbie were again magnificent and leading from the front.
The sight of Martin Block and Dennis Biasotto who had volunteered to pick us up, was a great relief to our bruised and battered bodies and minds. We could have hugged them but we stayed a few metres away. We had reached a stage where we could smell our own stink of sweat. Thanks to our tremendous support crew we were dropped home in one piece. Thanks a lot Martin and Dennis.
Poor Gurpreet had another 40 kilometres to drive back home. He is a champion because most others would have long given up on this challenge if they had to drive across town to get to the trail and the drive back after a gruelling walk.
Unfortunately we don't have many photos from this session because the official photographer forgot to carry his equipment. However thanks to Julie we do have a few photos she took from the camera on her mobile phone. Enjoy the images.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Our next big session is scheduled for March 7th. Have a great day and do come back to encourage us. We appreciate your comments on this blog.
Venki Prathivadi for the
Satyam Snails and Satyam Slugs
Venki Prathivadi for the
Satyam Snails and Satyam Slugs
.jpg){kind=link}