Walking with Cradoc
- Start date: 7 September 2014
- Age When Completed: 61
- Direction Walked: North to South
- Others in Group:
Harry Jones (62)
General Comments
Everything that we anticipated the walk and overall experience might be. Still trying to recall why we set out to do it but worth every moment we were on the Track and relaxing in the towns along the way.
Food/Supplies Comments
We prepared about 24 dehydrated meals using BTF dehydrator before we left Perth and really appreciated the variety offered rather than using purchased packs. Also increased use of fresh ‘carried in’ food from towns as walk progressed.
Favourite Section
Views from the granite domes in the Pingerup Plains but also loved the transition from the jarrah / marri forests to the beautiful karri tree sections.
Highlights
Flora and views around Mt Cooke. Reaching Southern Ocean at Mandalay in a howling gale! Relaxing breaks in Walpole and Denmark. The people we met and walked with. Amazing wildflowers in northern section.
Personal Reactions
Learning to live the moment, appreciating the environment as we experienced it; celebrating achievements completed but not wasting time anticipating long days ahead.
Wildlife
Not a lot seen - couple of emus, some roos, enough tiger snakes, some slow lazy Blue Tongues but enough beautiful Splendid Blue Wren and dancing Fantails; need a volume control on the kookaburras though! Plus a few odd marsupials in the evenings.
Your Best Equipment
Exped inflatable down filled sleeping mats which meant that we had great nights sleep in any conditions and so were fresh each morning. We are, from experience, great fans of Icebreaker merino t-shirts and base layers for hot and cold weather. Advice and support from our BTF mentor, Jim Baker which facilitated a remarkably seamless experience given the magnitude of what we did - thanks. 7 watt solar charger for smartphone, kindles, camera and mp3 player worked brilliantly (when the sun shone!)
Your Worst Equipment
Over packed rucksack which we replaced in Collie for Barbara. Rest of equipment fared remarkably well, all considered. Should have liked to carried less weight (20kg for Harry, about 13kg for Barbara) but at a loss what to have cut back on.
Advice for Others
If like us you see notice of the BT (still can’t remember where / when though!) and think it might be fun / a silly thing to do, then simply set a date, plan your food and equipment, join BTF and just get on with IT! Really recommend balancing commercial dehydrated food with varied meals prepared by oneself.