A weekend away bouldering in my favourite National Park in Victoria, The Grampians, has left me sore and lacking skin on my fingertips.
This rugged range is home to some of the best climbing in the world. Less than 3 minutes walk away is the home to three V15 Boulder problems, and the cliff to the left is Taipan wall, another classic destination for pro climbers.
My T-Rex hiking arms need to get with the program so I can even consider climbing the easiest route on Taipan... p.s In 2006 a huge fire burn over 50% of this beautiful landscape. I have not been back since and I was incredibly surprised to see how quick the flaura has recovered.
In celebration of the parks recovery, I am looking into the possibility of hiking the length of the range.
I started back at work a couple of weeks ago and have been missing trail life.
My simple life is now upside down. My endless day dreams has gone, spotting shooting stars as I drift if to sleep has gone, watching wild animals go about their lives has gone, and the endless wonder of what is around the next corner has gone.
Unfortunately it is a hard transition from a free roaming life to the pressures of meetings, deadlines and commitments.
It is a slow change but I've already noticed it happening; my body has finally adjusted from endless exercise to sitting behind a desk.
There are benefits to this change, I am not constantly in a fatigued state and it is nice to strain my brain with some solid critical thinking.
I deal with this change in small ways. I exercise as much as possible. Last weekend was my first trad rock climbing lead in almost 2 years, and I will be in back in the mountains this weekend for some spring hiking through the snow.
Another way is planning a few medium length trips to look forward to. I have finished planning a 2 week hike through Tasmania's remote and beautiful South West during my Christmas break (does anyone want to join?) And I'm putting together a month long hike next year along the Pyrenees Haute Route with @evancharlton.
Here is to replenishing bank accounts and dreaming of our next big adventure.
Goat Rocks Wilderness; in 2015 I was looking forward to this section with the huge glacial valleys, Old Snowy and the knife edge pointing toward Mt Rainier above all others.
As luck would have it I went through in a storm and 20ft visibility. I vividly remember waking up in my shelter and then waiting for a couple of hours in the hope the clouds would clear. Eventually my meager foodbag convinced me to pack up and push through without seeing the beauty. It was disappointing.
2 years later I was back again, this time with perfect weather. I got up early and was in awe as I crossed snow while walking up to the pass, but it was something else when I finally reached the pass and Old Snowy.
It was eye candy in every direction, and so much better than I ever imagined. And the view from the top of Old Snowy of the surrounding peaks is beyond description for me.
This section was so good even breaking my camera could not diminish my excitement.
What is your favorite section of the PCT? This or Forester, Glen and Rae Lakes might be my other contender.
The Dunning Kruger Effect in backpacking is becoming more and more noticeable these days as the quality of new hikers continues to increase.
First off, it is fantastic to see the interest in outdoor activities, and in particular long distance hiking, continue to grow. Being outdoors is a hobby that can have far reaching benefits.
Unfortunatly starting any new endeavor has it's learning curve. I did a number of things when I first started hiking that I look back on and shake my head. It is a continuous learning curve, and we should be willing to research, learn from others and reevaluate after each trip to progress.
The Dunning Kruger effect refers to a psychological bias we all have that makes us over estimate our abilities. Also, the more you know about a subject, the more accurate your self evaluation will be. Swipe right to see a cheesy graph someone else created to demonstrate.
The Dunning Kruger effect chart shows: .
“Peak of Mt. Stupid” – when experience is virtually non existent there is a tendency to exaggerate the level of the abilities. .
“Valley of dispair” – while more and more things are learned, you realize that there are a lot of things still to learn. . .
“Slope of enlightenment” – with more and more experience and things learned you slowly advance until you know what you don’t know: you recognize your own limitations.
