Great South West Walk
Today:
Distance: 18.5 km
Time: 99' 33"
Rate: 5' 23" per km
Weather: cool, cloudy, temp 9 degrees, humidity 60%, wind from wsw at 17 kmph
Week: 18.5 km
Sept: 18.5 km
Year: 2915.65 km
After a couple of days travelling and resting, it was time to get the legs moving again. Rain overnight had created a few puddles and softened the tracks making the run today interesting. Much more spectacular was the view from the cliff tops overlooking the Southern Ocean towards Antarctica. No icebergs in sight, maybe tomorrow. Beautiful rough water with great crashing waves, no surfers around although I have seen dolphins before.
Started from near the centre of Portland township heading west into a steady wind on a track called the Great South West Walk. This track actually continue in a massive loop of 250 km going into South Aust along the coast and returning on an inland course through farmland. In the past I have only ran 45 km of the track but a group of runners did the full distance as a 5 day stage run, written about in AURA magazine a couple of years ago.
This first part is about 50 metres above sea level with the undulating track up and down back to sea level and then up steps and stairs to the top of the cliff. Mostly sheltered from the wind around the section until it opens out at a Gannet bird sanctuary at the end of Bill's Walk. The next section is called Smelter Nature Walk around the back of the aluminium smelter.
I normally continue on the GSWW track but today headed back inland on and back into town where the GPS said only 13km, not enough. Ran on past the wharf and port area and up to the golf club. I though I knew the way back from here after going around a few street corners, watching where the sun was, down few dead end streets, and as only a male would not do, I was lost. Not really lost, lost but didn't know how to get to back. So, eating humble pie, I asked a local digging in his garden where I needed to go. I was in the right street just going the wrong direction and not far away from the finish.
Made it back, great day out, the wind is still blowing but the sun has come out, quite happy with the run on a twisting undulating track. Good place to run.
Distance: 18.5 km
Time: 99' 33"
Rate: 5' 23" per km
Weather: cool, cloudy, temp 9 degrees, humidity 60%, wind from wsw at 17 kmph
Week: 18.5 km
Sept: 18.5 km
Year: 2915.65 km
After a couple of days travelling and resting, it was time to get the legs moving again. Rain overnight had created a few puddles and softened the tracks making the run today interesting. Much more spectacular was the view from the cliff tops overlooking the Southern Ocean towards Antarctica. No icebergs in sight, maybe tomorrow. Beautiful rough water with great crashing waves, no surfers around although I have seen dolphins before.
Started from near the centre of Portland township heading west into a steady wind on a track called the Great South West Walk. This track actually continue in a massive loop of 250 km going into South Aust along the coast and returning on an inland course through farmland. In the past I have only ran 45 km of the track but a group of runners did the full distance as a 5 day stage run, written about in AURA magazine a couple of years ago.
This first part is about 50 metres above sea level with the undulating track up and down back to sea level and then up steps and stairs to the top of the cliff. Mostly sheltered from the wind around the section until it opens out at a Gannet bird sanctuary at the end of Bill's Walk. The next section is called Smelter Nature Walk around the back of the aluminium smelter.
I normally continue on the GSWW track but today headed back inland on and back into town where the GPS said only 13km, not enough. Ran on past the wharf and port area and up to the golf club. I though I knew the way back from here after going around a few street corners, watching where the sun was, down few dead end streets, and as only a male would not do, I was lost. Not really lost, lost but didn't know how to get to back. So, eating humble pie, I asked a local digging in his garden where I needed to go. I was in the right street just going the wrong direction and not far away from the finish.
Made it back, great day out, the wind is still blowing but the sun has come out, quite happy with the run on a twisting undulating track. Good place to run.
posted by Two Fruits at
11:44 AM
1 Comments:
Sounds fantastic. Two years ago around September/October I ran along some deserted beaches on the same track (I think) at the SA end, and experienced a stop-in-your-tracks bitterly cold gale which necessitated sheltering for a few minutes. A beautiful part of our country. I must find the article you refer to.
By
speedygeoff, At
September 3, 2007 at 3:02 PM
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