With the suspension of all non-essential gatherings of 500 or more people, the 2020 Surf Coast Trek was unfortunately canceled. This was to be the major fund raiser for Give Where You Live and Kids+. One of our club members decided he would still do his bit to raise some much needed funds for those organisations and, having gathered some donors and a donation match, conduct his own, socially distanced 42km trek - backwards. A one man boot camp with the emphasis on boot. Enter the Un Trek! Here's his story:
Dear Folks,
Well, my 2020 “Not the Surf Coast Trek” as been trekked, err un-trekked, errr whatever!
Being a tad conflicted by government mantra to “stay at home if possible”, I humbly defied this for this particular event (Scott, I throw myself on your mercy, paraphrasing a biblical verse “Forgive me as I did not know what I doing!”). I did know actually and at the bottom of this report my rationale is explained for what it is worth.
I promised you a report on the Un-Trek, so here goes:
5:30am:Alarm goes. After a bleary “What the.....” I soon realised that today is Un-Trek day. Better get up.
5:35am: Successful ablutions (sorry but I did promise you a detailed report!)
5:45am: Porridge, my secret performance enhancing super-food! Enhanced by yummy “63 Bees” honey from our good friends Ian & Vicki (from their bees actually!)
5:55am: Pack back-pack, not forgetting my other performance enhancing, long distance event vittles ........
6:05am: Hit the road to Torquay. Normally the Trek goes from Airey’s Inlet to Torquay but as this was an “Un-Trek”, I figured I needed to tackle this in the reverse direction (also made sense for car-shuffling later!). The major physiological challenge of the day was not the loneliness - although I missed the usual camaraderie of 1,000 Trekkers - but keeping the sea on my left rather than on my right! More of that later!
6:35am: Commence the Un-Trek, to the placid sounds of absolute silence. The first few kms go around the Point Danger War Memorial. No flags flying that morning but with a gentle breeze, the rattle of the riggings on the two metal poles created a sound not dissimilar to cow-bells at an elite cycling event! So, I quietly accepted their support and trekked on.
It was still quite dark at this stage but while I didn’t have a head-light, I knew the route very well so what could possibly go wrong?
Well...... first was missing a reasonably critical T-intersection - which you don’t realise you negotiate when coming the other way - and the trail quickly became narrow and very sandy along the cliff. I figured that because I was still heading towards the schmick new Jan Juc SLSC, all was well and I just need to watch out for tree......over I went.....roots! Yes, face first into the sand. Fortunately, I have a marvellous orthopaedic surgeon on Speed Dial but before I pressed his button, I brushed myself off and realised that the only real dent was to my hubris! I ploughed on.
First glimpse of sun-rise!
7:45-ish: Made it to Southside Car Park. Normally a SCT aid station but not this morning! Kept going.
My favourite section was to come. The Ironbark Basin has it all, a few challenging climbs & descents, beautiful track meandering through Ironbark forests and a trail through some simply lovely yuccas (Xanthorrhoea).
Words fail me....
8:50am: Made it to Point Addis!
Heather had to negotiate a very full car park but was waiting with sustenance! This time, a thermos of real coffee and banana-bread! OK, OK, I know I said I would not have the usual SCT infrastructure to support my un-Trek, but Heather became my one-person support team for the full distance!
8:55am: Head onto the beach west of Point Addis. Not looking forward at all to this, being my least favourite beach section of the route. The sand here, even at low-tide, is always soft and on a steep angle, not great for my dodgy knee or calves! Well, today the sand was surprisingly benign - not good mind - but better than the last four years.
Off the beach again and a climb back into the bush. This trek goes up and down a lot!
Occasionally come across signs like this, I was going as fast as I can!!
Going the reverse SCT direction, the usual ups are downs and vice-versa. However, drawing upon my Form 3 Geography (I think I got a C+), one realises that what goes down up has to go up, a none-to-comfortable concept when you have just completed a long, technical descent! Still, ce la vie
Quite worried about Cliff, he must be quite unwell!!
10:10am: Reach Anglesea. This time I launched into “Vegemite Sandwich No. 1” washed down with Gatorade! Yummy.
10:15am: Trekking agin, now towards Urqhart’s Bluff. A few ups and downs before Point Roadnight. And this is when I missed my second T-intersection and ended up on the Roadnight Beach....
Still, variety is the spice of life!
Found the correct stairs to the beach - in previous years as the SCT Lead Walker, I have managed to lead the troupe astray by going up the wrong stairs heading east!! No such problem today.
Urqhart’s Bluff was a 4km beach walk away. Conditions perfect. Today was a simply lovely day, warm but not windy. Consequently, many people were out. Must say that almost everyone was ‘doing’ something on the beach or water - walking the dog, swimming, jogging, surfing, paddling, beach cricket. Everyone was keeping a safe distance away from each other.
Closer to Urqhart’s, a small number of groups - maybe four or five - were actually lying on the beach. These were either couples or small family groups, all very well spaced and, in my view, acting responsibly. Australians ‘need’ the beach, they look to it for solace and light, more so in such times.
11:25am: Made it to Urqhart’s. “Vegemite Sandwich No. 2” was consumed, half a banana and more Gatorade. Thanks Heather!
11:25am: Made it to Urqhart’s. “Vegemite Sandwich No. 2” was consumed, half a banana and more Gatorade. Thanks Heather!
11:30am: Off on the final stage to Airey’s Inlet. Love the tea-tree sections.
More ups and downs. Glimpses of the lighthouse pop up occasionally, between descents to yet another beach and the associated climb from the aforesaid beach. Lovely views.
All along the route, there have been many people either walking, jogging or cycling, just like the sign says....
All along the route, there have been many people either walking, jogging or cycling, just like the sign says....
Vast majority were friendly and all kept the right social-distance. In fact, looking back, the longer my Un-Trek went on, the wider the distance, reflecting methinks my increasingly sweaty T-shirt! Phew!!
12:35pm: Airey’s!! Made it. Heather was waiting as was my wonderful brother Barry who is my partner in matching donations made (see below).
12:35pm: Airey’s!! Made it. Heather was waiting as was my wonderful brother Barry who is my partner in matching donations made (see below).
Now, I promised you 40kms but the actual distance, according to Strava, was a tad shorter at 32.78km. So, seeing an opportunity, after an energy bar and draining the rest of the Gatorade, I headed out towards Fairhaven to achieve a further 5km, so I could make it a full marathon distance - 42.125km - for the day. And it was done....
No medal but that doesn’t matter!
What matters is the wonderful, generous donations which many have made in support of my Un-Trek. As you know, I set a target of $14k which my brother Barry & I will together match. At the time of writing, your contributions are running around $9k - amazing, thanks so much - but there is still time. If you would like to support GWYL and Kids Plus, you can still make a tax-deductible donation - up until April 4 - on...
Thanks again everyone! Now recovering at home, only capable of moving fingers on my iPad rather than walking anywhere else, today anyway!
Warm wishes.
Keith
Why I walked the Un-Trek today (March 28th):
Firstly, I greatly respect the efforts of federal & state governments in dealing with COVID - 19. The current situation has no other recent parallel in a century.
Secondly, some practical considerations:
- Drove myself to Torquay.
- Walked by myself, starting in the dark!
- Stayed 1.5m or more away from others, and others from me!
- Heather picked me up at Aireys Inlet.
Thirdly, and most significantly, I felt my donors are looking to me to do this Un-Trek & tell the story, all in support of GWYL & Kids Plus.
Given 10 people can exercise outdoors at a Boot Camp, I figured I can have a boot camp of my own, with emphasis on “Boot”!
The Premier said on Wednesday that, with social distancing, riding & walking outside is fine. The principle behind ‘staying at home’ is not encountering at close quarters other people, particularly indoors, doing window shopping, etc. although not many such retail stores are now still open.
So, notwithstanding and understanding the principles currently in play, I was comfortable with what I did & why. Given the number of people outside today, others may have felt the same way. That doesn’t necessarily make it right and things will no doubt change in coming days.
You may not agree and I fully understand that - these are surreal times, and people are trying to do their best.
