Last October (2021) we “officially” decided, after me talking about it for a while, that we would conquer the Cape to Cape together (Michelle and I) this October (2022)
Starting strong we did several hikes in October. We took a trip to the Stirling Ranges and hiked up Bluff Knoll for a beautiful sunrise, and we also got a hike in at the Porongurup with Nancy’s Peak and Devil’s Slide. We also got our first longer distance hike in a bit closer to home at Serpentine National Park where we hiked (what is now one of our favourites) Kitty’s Gorge. Other “local” hikes included hiking Whistlepipe Gully and Ellis Brook Valley in the Perth Hills.
November and December consisted of busy work and school schedules, family and social events and Christmas, and apart from the occasional Ellis Brook Valley hikes – which are shorter (generally under 3km hikes with Trixie) we didn’t get back out on a big hike till New year’s Day where we started the year strong with a hike in Serpentine National Park up to Baldwin’s Bluff. Then the next day on January 2nd I suffered an injury, where I twisted my ankle pretty badly coming down a warped wall at a ninja/climbing place. I was out of action (hiking) for a good couple of months, the healing time took forever as I still worked full time over the summer holidays – which I can say now was a regret as it hindered healing and training – however I couldn’t just not work $$.
At the end of January I did a nice big bike ride around Rottnest Island (slightly easier on the ankle than walking) – I finally got to use the new mountain bike I’d bought on the day I got injured and had been desperate to ride! We didn’t hit the trails again until the start of March with a short hike up to 60ft Falls, at Ellis Brook Valley (EBV) with Trixie. We got a couple of EBV hikes in this month and a family hike to Whistlepipe, and I got my mountain bike out again for a trial run on the Munda Biddi Track (more on that in another blog – but that’s my next big bike trail I’ll be planning and doing soon). We were happy to be back on track with training even though the C2C was 6 months away we knew it would creep up on us!
April was a better month for training – especially with the cooler Autumn weather. We got some more hikes up EBV, a hike in John Forest to the Swan View tunnel, Xanthorrhoea (Mundy Regional Park) with Trixie, Our first, and what unfortunately ended up being our only, overnight training camp out/hike from Sullivan Rock to Mt Cooke on the Bibbulum Track, Whistlepipe Gully, Lesmurdie Falls and Loop and Churchman’s Bushland.
May consisted of hiking a couple of times at a new “local” spot – Hardinge Park (as EBV was closed for trail repairs), the Christmas Tree hike at John Forrest and a hike again from Sullivan Rock but this time in the opposite direction of Mt Cooke and up to Mt Vincent and Mt Cuthbert. June saw several hikes back at EBV and we liked the new and improved trail repairs, a birthday (for Michelle) hike around Rottnest Island, and a very steppy hike at Paruna Wildlife Sanctuary named the Numbat Trail.
July was a BIG month. I was finally finishing at college, and graduating with my ECEC diploma. It was a long and expensive 2 years of studying an “international” course. School was a rollercoaster with some awful (and some amazing) trainers, and unfortunately a lot of BS “behind the scenes” and I was very ready and excited to be done! I was lucky enough to get a job at a childcare centre (that I really enjoy working at) straight away and have been pretty fortunate there – despite hitting a “bump in the road” earlier in the year there, but that figured it self out and July saw me finally signing on for a full time position and taking on a lead educator role in the 3 yr old Kindy room.
With work full on, we were still trying to fit in as much weekend training hikes as we could. We managed hikes at Bells Rapid – Goat’s trail and Bell’s Falls, Kattamorda (10km of it), Kattamorda (28km remainder of it), and Armadale Settler’s Common. And most importantly we got to enjoy a long weekend away in Kalbarri where we camped, hiked lots of trails and got ENGAYGED!! (Video of that in progress)
Thankfully we crammed a lot into July and were hoping to continue into August…. But we got smashed by COVID at the start of the month.
I actually picked it up from the little rugrats at work, after avoiding the first few waves we had, and brought it home to share with Michelle 🙂
I tested positive on the Saturday and Michelle on the Sunday. I had horrible symptoms straight away and was hit really hard for 4-5 days, and Michelle got it bad too, just a day or 2 after me, so we suffered together and took care of each other. We hadn’t fully recovered after a week of isolation but still both went back to work – We were both exhausted and had lingering “covid symptoms’ and I also picked up a nasty sinus infection. We were concerned to say the least about our training hikes, and it wasn’t until later in the month we got back out on the trails. We managed two hikes towards the end of the month: Jarrahdale heritage Trail, and our first visit to Wungong Regional Park (attempting to reach the Wungong Dam. Both hikes were close to 10km but we were exhausted!
September… (6 weeks to go… WHAT!) We are “free’ of Covid but still suffering post Covid exhaustion and yuckiness. It took till the middle of the month to find time and energy to get back out on the trails with a second trip to Wungong Regional Park (but again a failed attempt of getting as far as the dam – this time because of time restraints), Bells Rapid’s Falls and river walk, and a big hike to end the month with a day hike up to Mt Cooke and back – where we can previously done our overnight hike (19.5km)
And its October – its Cape to Cape month and the countdown is on! I am so ready to get onto the trail, and spend 10 days away from everything with just my favourite person 🙂
We got out to Serpentine National Park on the first weekend of the month and hiked Kitty’s Gorge again – this time in nicer weather, with sunshine and not overcast. We also started the other end to get the big uphill done first! We really love this hike and want to get back here more than once a year! Our final hike the next week was at Wungong Regional Park – with a mission to make it to the Dam – and we did. Two good distance hikes and we are… ummmm…..READY? We have all our itinerary finalised, gear sorted, most of our snacks bought, and good attitudes (haha).
We have had the best time out on the trails. It’s become part of “Ourfavouriteadventure” (an instagram account also started by Michelle which documents a lot of our hikes amongst our everyday lives)
We will be taking many photos, videos and I’ll be blogging about the hike (although I wont be posting till after).
Watch this space!
and wish us luck 🙂
“For the life that we’ve lived and the hard-learned lessons.
It’s sharp and a climb, but damn, baby look at that view,
god, I love moving mountains with you”