The view from Mt Bogong, Victoria.

With less than seven weeks to go until we start our massive adventure, the pending New Year brought with it new resolve to ramp up the training for our Future2 Foundation Mt Kilimanjaro Challenge.

Not having done very long hikes we decided to tackle Mount Bogong which at just under 2,000 metres is Australia’s second highest mountain.

This decision was based on the following deep reasoning and extensive research:

• One of our clients suggested it would be a good hike (thanks Brett)
• It looked scenic and beautiful
• It was there, so why not?
• We had some time available.

Entrance to the walk.

We arrived at ground zero at 6am New Years’ Eve, kitted out with our boots, poles, packs, water, snacks and brand new hiking pants (thanks Santa). Given the forecast for Melbourne was 39 degrees we thought an early start was a good idea to beat the heat.

The hike was 16km in total, with 12km of challenging climbing and descending. We took the Staircase Spur route and as the name suggests, there were a lot of “stairs”. The track was well marked for the entire trek and very quiet with only a few hikers passing us on the return journey.

Mt Bogon track.

The landscape changed over the course of the day from quite rugged and beautiful bush to bare ghost gums to heather on the top of the mountain. Beautiful wildflowers, enormous tree ferns, fallen trees and an abundance of wildlife helped make the journey marginally bearable. The heat was manageable but the flies were insufferable!

After 10.5 hours of solid hiking I was ecstatic to return to firm, level ground and back to our hotel. Needless to say it was a quiet and sober evening.

Did I enjoy spending my NYE feeling hot and uncomfortable, batting away flies and insects, and feeling pain in every single muscle (including those I didn’t know I had)? Not really.

Would I do it again? Absolutely – to look back at Mt Bogong as we drove out of the Valley knowing I had climbed it the day before gave me a real thrill and sense of achievement.

I know Mt Kilimanjaro will be 100 times harder and more challenging but after Mt Bogong I am just a little more prepared than I was previously.

When I think of the grant recipients for Future2 Foundation the challenge of climbing a mountain is nothing compared with the challenges they face on a daily basis. So rather than having a whinge about sore muscles and annoying flies I’ll focus on the upcoming challenge and hope you’ll help by donating funds here.

Thanks so much for your support and interest in Future2 Foundation – it means more than you know.

February update – only 15 sleeps to go!

With only 15 sleeps to go, here’s an update on our team’s progress.

All of us are busy trying to fit training and preparation into our normal schedule of work and family commitments. Whilst my children are young adults, Sam Hunt has a young family and he’s doing an amazing job of making time for what needs to be done. Organising a joint training session didn’t quite work with our schedules so he decided to “hit the road around 5am and punch out a couple of kms”. Very understated.

Julie Berry is sorting out her gear and “searching the internet to see what it might REALLY be like and looking for hints and tips to get us to the top”. We’re all in the same boat there and I must say that Youtube has provided us with more than I wanted to know. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

We all believe in the great work Future2 does. As Julie said “It will be an awesome challenge and has been a great opportunity to talk to people about Future2 and the great work they do.  If you meant to donate and haven’t gotten around to it, jump on to the website and lend your support it will be greatly appreciated by all”.

To support us in our adventure visit our everyday hero pages here:
Julie Berry: http://future2kilimanjaro2016.everydayhero.com/au/julie-climbs-kilimanjaro-for-future2
Sam Hunt: http://future2kilimanjaro2016.everydayhero.com/au/samkilimanjaro
Anne and David: http://future2kilimanjaro2016.everydayhero.com/au/anne-david-climb-kilimanjaro-for-future2

I’ll give David the last word: “The support we have received from family, friends and colleagues has been overwhelming. So now there is no choice but to get it done. To quote the late great Bernard ‘Doc’ Neeson, “this is it folks, over the top”. “

Anne Graham (with David Graham)

———-

Read more about Anne’s preparations here:

2 November: Future 2 Foundation, Mt Kilimanjaro Climb 2016 – Hiking IS different to running…believe me!

12 August: Future 2 Foundation, Mt Kilimanjaro Climb 2016 – The generosity of strangers (and friends)

22 July: Future 2 Foundation, Mt Kilimanjaro Climb 2016 – training in the US

23 June: Future 2 Foundation, Mt Kilimanjaro Climb 2016 – 1,000 Steps Kokoda Walk

11 June: Future 2 Foundation, Mt Kilimanjaro Climb 2016 – Boots and birthday

27 May: Future 2 Foundation, Mt Kilimanjaro Climb 2016 – Oh, what the hell have I done?

12 May: Future 2 Foundation, Mt Kilimanjaro Climb 2016 – Want to climb a mountain? Of course I do…

The post What I did on New Years’ Eve (and it’s not what you think) appeared first on AdviserVoice.