Pyroclastic surge

08 May

WE DID IT!! 100KM AS A TEAM. GO PYROCLASTIC SURGE

It's hard to believe, but the biggest physical challenge any of us have done before is over! But don't despair, we're already planning for next year!! Walking time 22.5 hrs, total time 33hrs 15mins, all 4 team members across the line – woohoo!! We were the third team to register, having woken up at around 3.30am and driven out to Jells Park well and truly in the dark. The first 2 stages of the walk were relatively easy, and there was a lot of general jostling as the teams struggled to stride out amid the throng. The weather was beautiful and spirits high! Vaughan met us with food and encouragement at check points 2 and 3, the start of the uphill sections which we managed without so much as a sweat - well that's not exactly true, but this is the romantic version you're getting!!

08 May

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Dinner was at check point 4 in Olinda, hosted by Dad and Vaughan and the marvellous catering of Deloittes - thanks must go to Dennis for making the Backbenders, Pitter Patter and Pyroclastic Surge honorary Deloitte's members for the evening - the minestrone soup was just what we needed to keep going! The after dinner section between Olinda and Mount Evelyn was gruelling beyond belief. In many ways, I'm pleased we didn't tackle this section in training. On paper, the gradient appears to be gently downhill. In reality, it was an incredibly steep and treacherous section. It was a rutted track with large stones prone to skidding and rolling underfoot, in pitch darkness, with a gradient of 45-60 degrees. There was a rope strung alongside the track to hold for stability, but despite this there were many curses in the darkness as people skidded over. Fortunately there were no major injuries sustained in the time we were there. From the bottom, we could see a seemingly endless conga line of lights descending behind us, as each head torch signified another walker with sore feet, jarred knees, cold hands, and nearly 60km already under their belts. Quite a sight to see. We made it to checkpoint 5 (62km mark) at around 10pm. There had been talk of going on another 14 km to CP6 prior to making camp, but the scary downhill had sapped the last of our energy and we decided sleep was urgently needed. Hot chocolate and a few camping practicalities later, and we were dead to the world. (Many thanks to Dad for the luxury of the camper van and all his preparation for our stay).

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Next morning we arose at 3.15, for a 4am departure. We were surprised at how quickly our legs got going, and before long we were overtaking teams who hadn't slept. Many of them marvelled at us - "where did you get your energy from" or "how come you've still got a bounce in your step"? Of course they were walkers who had started later at the beginning, so we hadn't overall been faster than them when including our sleep break, but they looked absolutely miserable and sore and tired, and we were very glad we had rested. The morning sections were very long and very flat, the first several hours being in the dark again. Thank goodness for lithium batteries (in our torches, not our legs)! Kate and Nick met us at CP6 with smiles and seats and supplies. We ate triple-decker vegie burgers or bacon and egg sandwiches, drank coffee (instant coffee had never tasted so good), rested a while and were on our way again. The O'Shanassey Aqueduct trail really took it out of us. It was pretty scenery, but long and flat, and our legs managed to be both tired and cold even while walking at 5-6km/hr. The poo on the side of the trail was majorly off-putting, and if I ever find the people responsible…! I can only assume it was the runners determined to finish the trail in near-record time, who decided their statistics were more important than basic human decency and hygiene. If any trail-pooers are reading this, please don’t come back next year. Bury your waste or we’ll bury you!! Overall, however, the other walkers we met on the trail were a great bunch. The 2 remaining members of the “TrailNuts” joined us for a few kilometres, and were great company.

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Check point 7, the Warburton Golf Club, the 93km mark, was a major crux point for Pyroclastic Surge. Amber’s feet were in a world of pain, with toenails threatening to fall off and general soles of feet threatening to go on strike. Kate, the burgeoning physician in our support crew overcame her phobia of feet to escort Amber to the podiatry tent, while the rest of us had some icy poles and R&R. Amber came back to us nearly healed (well, extensively strapped and padded up anyway), and after an anxious moment while we awaited her verdict, decided she would continue. We got on a real surge of speed in the last leg, and Mount Little Joe was no more than an ant hill in our wake! Dom attributes his new found energy to playing “Eye of the Tiger” over and over on the way up. My team mates thought me completely crazy when I spurred them to run the last 100 metres and across the finish line. It was unbelievably wonderful to see Kate, Nick, Dad/Bill, Vaughan, Kate O’Brien and our fellow teams at the finish line. Congratulations to the Dirty Dozen and Backbenders who, with the advantages of age, experience and slick checkpoint pit stops, preceded us over the finish line, and to Pitter Patter, who overcame significant podiatric adversities to finish not far behind us. It was wonderful training with you all and we hope to be able to walk with you again sometime soon. Once our receipt books are handed in, we will have raised close to $6000 for Oxfam – awesome! Thank you again to everybody who supported us. Next year we hope to do it in a total of less than 24 hours – hugely ambitious we know but I reckon we can do. Until then, adios amigos!

08 May

James Squires Beer Tasting Night at Pepper Cafe Hosted by the Illustrious Simon

Massive thanks to Simon at Pepper Cafe in Flemington - the cafe where Pyroclastic Surge was born as a team - for organising and effortlessly executing the James Squire Beer Tasting Night. We, and our guests, to whom we also send our most grateful thanks, were treated to a delicious cornucopia of tapas, pizza, and oh-so-muddy-mud-cake, accompanied by the best of the James Squires Beer Range. Some of us tasted the beers - Pilsener, India Pale Ale, Golden Ale, Amber Ale and Porter - in the recommended sequence, with the Porter doing a spectacular job of setting off the mud cake, while others took a more avant garde "it's my party and I'll mix and match as I want to" approach to the situation!!! I must say I think I was a bit of a Philistine when it came to beer before that night, but I have discovered that beer tasting does hold similar subtleties to wine tasting for the more accomplished palate. We raised a fantastic $450 that night - and it should be noted Simon and his mate donated their time generously to run the shindig - so thanks again. The other money that came from Pepper Cafe was generously donated by many of Pepper's esteemed clientele throwing their change in our fundraising tin (and guessing in our lolly jar competition), which just shows how many small good deeds add up to a substantial amount. Everyone reading this should go to Pepper Cafe, near Newmarket Station in Flemington, for simply awesome coffee, food and service! Thanks again Simon for all your help and support of Pyroclastic Surge. ANOTHER HUGE THANK YOU - TO CHARLIE FROM TEETH SOLUTIONS FOR HIS SPONSORSHIP IN THE FORM OF FUNDING OUR TEAM T-SHIRTS

08 May

Wilsons Promontary Training Walk

Belated update I know! The spectacular weekend we had at Wilsons Prom, along with Dad, who was awesome support crew, and the Piiter Patter clan, was probably the highlight of training for me. We had walked the Prom circuit before with huge packs over 3 days, and loved it of course, but there was something bewitching about the fact that we we seeing the landscape change at such a different pace, and covering so much ground in a few short hours. Amber's comments I think do it justice: We just completed our second 2-day training session on the weekend, with a trip to Wilson's Promontory. Arriving late on Friday, we met up with another Trailwalker team, Pitter Patter, and made last minute plans for the Saturday walk, enjoying close encounters with curious wombats and an equal number of brushtailed possums. Rising at the crack of dawn to a perfect day (and another wildlife encounter - kookaburras this time) we set out on a clockwise circuit, unsure whether to do the 40km loop with Pitter Patter, or continue down to the lighthouse and do 50+km. Setting a cracking pace, we hit the halfway mark by lunchtime and decided to continue on with Pitter Patter, overly tempted by their description of pasta and chilli non carne for dinner. Continuing strongly, we strode into camp just under 12 hours after starting, despite delays from a few shoeless river crossings, which required removal of sand and re-application of tape to problem spots. Rising slightly later, and delayed by birthday cake and presents for Maggie "Muscles" Mildenhall, and by a desire to pack up the camp before everything got wet, we hit the trail for a short warm-down. A brisk 10kms, several squalls and waaay too many sand dunes later, we returned to camp just in time for a hot drink, lunch and more birthday cake. After being mobbed by Crimson Rosellas, who seemed to find Maggie's vegie slice as irresistable as we did, we experienced a dream run back to our city abodes.

17 March

Surf Coast Walk

In the count down to our last big training walk at Wilson's Prom this weekend, I thought I should bring our supporters up to date with some of our training adventures. Last month, on what felt like the hottest day of the year so far, the Pyroclastic Surge walked from Jan Jac (almost) to Aires Inlet, and back to Point Roadknight. The 35kms fell short of our target on the Saturday, but felt like an awesome achievement after battling heat exhaustion, major blisters, ankle injuries and getting slightly lost. Spurred on by yummy curried egg sandwiches, a sneaky ginger beer at Anglesea and the promise of a swim in the ocean at the end, we walked, we talked; we memorised Gothic poetry by HP Lovecraft; we met other training Trailwalker teams, The Red Oompaloompas and We're Not With Them. We had a slightly treacherous few kilometers walking along the Great Ocean Road at dusk, then an extremely rewarding swim. My goodness it feels good to take your shoes off after walking 30kms! We all slept soundly, so many thanks to Em's family for the use of their lovely house at Point Roadknight. And we got up and continued the walking on Sunday with another 12kms that went up hills and down hills and through spider webs. So now we know we can walk in heat. We know we can walk really far, then go to sleep for not very long, then get up and walk again. We know we can jolly each other along when the going gets tough. The question is can we do it for 100kms?? And yes, I think we can. Go Team Mags

09 March

Comedy Degustation Night Goes Off Like A Rocket

Huge thanks to everyone who attended the Comedy Degustation at the Courthouse Hotel in North Melbourne last night. Thanks to your generous support we raised a whopping $1200 for Oxfam (even though it's under Dom's name in the donors list, it was actually all of you put together)! We are getting really close to our fundraising target of $4000.

Special thanks to Ernie and Dave from Elbowskin, who I'm sure you'll agree organised a fantastic comedy line up for our delectation and delight, and sang some wicked tunes in their duo of dulcet tones.

Really big thanks also to Nelly Thomas, Richard McKenzie and Geraldine Hickey for donating their time for some awesome standup comedy. Best of luck for the upcoming Comedy Festival.

Last but not least, thanks to the Courthouse Hotel for a perfect venue, yummy food and their support in hosting the event.