Not quite the Point to Pinnacle

"Good morning and welcome to the Point to Longley!" boomed the man on the loudspeaker at the start line of the Point to Pinnacle event this morning, to a mixture of cheers, boos and laughter from the crowd. I had found out half an hour earlier from one of the friendly registration people that due to ice and snow on the last 4km of road leading to the top of kunanyi / Mt Wellington, we would be using the alternate route to the Longley Pub. It was not considered safe for all the support buses to get to the finish line.

While it looked sunny up on the mountain from Hobart, I had seen the piles of snow on Sleeping Beauty as I drove in, and as we walked closer to Fern Tree, the wind was very icy and waves of rain were passing through - so probably snowing at the top. You can see the rainbow over the mountain in one of my photos below. All along the route local residents came out to watch and cheer, some playing music (see the couple on the bagpipes at Fern Tree below!), some handing out snacks or water and others offering high fives. It was pretty incredible seeing the runners come past. There are some super fit folk out there.

Completing the Point to Pinnacle, a half-marathon length walk (for me anyway), has been on my bucket list for ages, and despite finishing the course today in 3 hours and 1 minute, I still haven't done it! Now I'll have to try again next year. You just never know what the mountain is going to throw at you.

The first bit

This morning I completed my recce of the Point-to-Pinnacle course, in three stages. This time I did the first bit - from the event start at Wrest Point Casino down on the River Derwent up along the Huon Road to Fern Tree, all the while looking up at the top of kunanyi / Mt Wellington in the distance and thinking, yikes! That's where this thing ends. For the return trip I chose the scenic route, down the Pipeline Track and through Waterworks Reserve before hitting the side streets of Sandy Bay back to the car. 18.7km all up.

It was a gorgeous morning before the rain passed through this afternoon. I hope the weather is kind for the actual event. If I add together the three stages I've walked, I did it in just over 3 hours 30 minutes, with just a few stops to take photos and tie shoelaces. So walking it in one go I guess I'll be tired and a bit slower, but I think I can complete it within the 4 hours and 40 minute time limit. Two weeks to go...

The Springs to the Pinnacle and back

My legs were already a bit sore from yesterday's Geeveston parkrun when I set out from the Springs halfway up kunanyi / Mt Wellington at 7.45am Sunday morning. The road to the Pinnacle was closed at first, so it was a lovely, quiet uphill road walk without the noise and fumes of passing cars. Until the final kilometre that is, by which time the road was open again and carloads of visitors streamed past. A few runners passed me on their way to the summit, I guess training for the Point-to-Pinnacle as well. I reached the Pinnacle just after 9am, about a 500 metre climb in 7km. At the top, I took a short break, long enough for a few quick photos and a snack before walking back down via the Zig Zag and Organ Pipes Tracks, arriving back at the car by 10.15am. I am feeling more confident that I can complete the walk within the allotted 4 hours.

Walking Wellers: Fern Tree to The Chalet

It didn't look like a great idea as I drove through Huonville towards kunanyi / Mount Wellington - or Wellers as we often call it at home. There was a large grey cloud sitting on the mountain and the windscreen wipers has been going since I left home. But I was determined to use Sunday morning for a training walk from Fern Tree (400m) up the mountain, feeling hopeful that I'll be fit enough to take on the Point to Pinnacle (walk, not run for me) in November. In typical Tassie weather, the sun came out not long after I parked the car. I reached The Springs (720m) much quicker than expected, so I stopped for a coffee at Lost Freight before continuing up Pinnacle Road. It started raining not long before I reached The Chalet (at about 1,000m) and then the rain turned into snowflakes. At the shelter, I put on my rain jacket and started heading back downhill. Ten minutes later the sun was out again! I intended to walk down the Middle Track from The Springs, but it was closed. So I got to enjoy a detour past Silver Falls on the way back to the car. Next time: The Pinnacle.

More Wellington walks

The weather at our place wasn't looking great yesterday morning, but I needed to fit another good walk in before I go on a 28km hike near Sydney next Sunday. So I headed for The Springs car park halfway up kunanyi / Mount Wellington, the meeting place for a scheduled Hobart Walking Club walk. It turned out to be just me and the walk leader. We had a lovely walk. Up the Pinnacle Track to the Organ Pipes Track to The Chalet, then down Hunters Track to Junction Cabin and back to the Springs. The forecast wind and rain (mostly) held off and we were rewarded with dramatic views. Chatting all the way, we were done in 3.5 hours including stops for morning tea and lunch. Perfect.

Wellington Falls walk

Yesterday I walked about 17km along the Pipeline Track from Neika to Wellington Falls and back. I was going for distance in preparation for a 27km walk I've signed up for in February. It's a glorious walk and I'd like to do it again in winter. Much of it is along a gravel road and relatively level, easy walking, so I probably didn't need the hiking boots. Softer runners would have been much better for the feet on the hard surface.

Beautiful man ferns line much of the track and you can see remains of the old pipeline as well as newer water catchment infrastructure. There are fantastic views of Cathedral Rock, so much bird life and great fields of rock scree along the way. It would have been better to visit the falls after the heavy downpours we had a few weeks back, but it's still a spectacular location any time of the year. It took me almost five hours all up including photo stops and a nice morning tea break in the sun at the falls lookout. On the way out I was passed by one runner and a cyclist, on the way back several pairs of bike riders and a couple of walkers. For a Saturday so close to Hobart in summer, it was incredibly peaceful, almost meditative walking.

Mount Wellington: vistas for visitors

It was peak tourist time at the summit of kunanyi / Mount Wellington yesterday when I went up with our three visitors from Britain to check out the view. As we drove up, cars heading down featured the traditional small snowman or pile of snow on the bonnet. The car park was almost full, with bus and car loads of people from around the world. One woman lay on her back in a small patch of snow making snow angels while her friend took photos. The kids were having a blast. One of my visitors inhaled deeply, amazed at just how fresh the air is. The cloud cleared long enough for us to grab a few nice photos. We'd spent the morning strolling around Salamanca Market, with a couple of coffee stops on the way, while the mountain lurked in the background with a little snow still visible on top. Going up Mount Wellington again has got me excited about exploring more of the tracks up there soon.

P.S. Hello uncle John!

Cathedral Rock revisited

Owww my quads! I'm in Sydney for work this week and I can walk up stairs just fine (with only a little grunting) but going down stairs - owww! The pain is worth it. For a start, it reminds me just how unfit I really am. It also reminds me of the beautiful view from Cathedral Rock on Saturday morning. I don't mind climbing hills, but on the way down I had an attack of "shaky leg" and knew I'd be in a bit of pain afterwards. It has been almost five years since I last went up Cathedral Rock. I highly recommend this walk. It is very pretty all the way, with a big "wow" when you reach the top.