Mt Erica to Mt st gwinear
Posted: Tue 12 Sep, 2017 9:19 pmWell a mate and I had the grand plan. Mushroom rocks Friday night, Sat make it to the rock shelter at camp saddle, then Gwinear carpark on sun in time to go and pick up my son on Sunday arvo.
We didn't get to mushroom rocks till 1.30am,after dropping son off on a venturer hiking competition and after pushing through a lot of heavily snow laden overhanging trees.
So a sleep in was the call on Sat. We snow shoed to the summit of Erica, then donning skis. Summit at 12.00. About a metre of cover up top, icy and quick. Not so flash when your out of practice. But still optimistic about our progress.
We were right for about the next 2.0 km, randomingly finding the elusive aawt tree markers. Weather wasn't flash, more like frozen rain than snow, so we both got soaked through, I was really feeling the cold and my hands were numb. At about 3.00pm we were only about 2.0km or so past talbot peak and after searching for track with no success and weather deteriorating, we made the call to turn back before we lost our tracks.
Both glad of our choice we made it back to mushroom rocks at 5.20, topped up on hot chocolate we decided to pull out altogether. Back to car then after retrieving the other car at gwinear carpark, we went to the Erica pub. Mate then went home, I went to venturer hike base camp, bivied up next to cruiser and slept well.
We learnt alot about our abilities and will try again next year with a bit more summer season prep. I just love the area and go as often as i can.
PS. Son is a bit of legend, his team won the comp second year running after hiking approx 45km and undertaking 26 various stunt activities/challenges.
We didn't get to mushroom rocks till 1.30am,after dropping son off on a venturer hiking competition and after pushing through a lot of heavily snow laden overhanging trees.
So a sleep in was the call on Sat. We snow shoed to the summit of Erica, then donning skis. Summit at 12.00. About a metre of cover up top, icy and quick. Not so flash when your out of practice. But still optimistic about our progress.
We were right for about the next 2.0 km, randomingly finding the elusive aawt tree markers. Weather wasn't flash, more like frozen rain than snow, so we both got soaked through, I was really feeling the cold and my hands were numb. At about 3.00pm we were only about 2.0km or so past talbot peak and after searching for track with no success and weather deteriorating, we made the call to turn back before we lost our tracks.
Both glad of our choice we made it back to mushroom rocks at 5.20, topped up on hot chocolate we decided to pull out altogether. Back to car then after retrieving the other car at gwinear carpark, we went to the Erica pub. Mate then went home, I went to venturer hike base camp, bivied up next to cruiser and slept well.
We learnt alot about our abilities and will try again next year with a bit more summer season prep. I just love the area and go as often as i can.
PS. Son is a bit of legend, his team won the comp second year running after hiking approx 45km and undertaking 26 various stunt activities/challenges.