DAY 96 - WILPENA SA

WILPENA SA

DAY 96


St Mary’s Peak went ahead today.

The wind may have had another say but too bad.

2 Swiss and an Aussie headed on up the Outer Pound track towards the highest point in Wilpena Pound.

It worked well to be with a couple of hard-nosed hikers because there was no messing around.

2½ hours to the 1100 metre summit was more than fair travelling, although the cloud shroud at the top was about as rewarding as a broken leg.

And getting one on the way back down was never far out of the equation with slippery, lichen covered rocks constituting the majority of the return path.

My cautious temperament was for once an asset, despite the Swiss burning back down the escarpment like they were on fire.

They at least had the courtesy to wait for me to catch up.

We parted ways at Tanderra Saddle, at which they rolled back down towards camp in the direction from whence we had come and I instead chose the longer but friendlier Inner Track.

The Inner Track cuts downwards and eventually takes a 7 km route across the floor of the Pound, back towards camp at Wilpena Resort.

The descent, as for most of the upper reaches was a hard, rocky bash.

Not extreme or deterringly difficult, but any lapse of concentration here could easily wind up in a hospital bed – or at the very least a nice rest from the action for a few days.

Knees and ankles are most likely to succumb – back injuries and broken bones of any description would also come into play with a half-decent tumble.

All of this lies well outside my area of interest, so once down on the flat and sandy path of the Pound floor, I was much more at peace amongst the beautiful, whispering Cypress Pines and resident wildlife.

My Swiss buddies had previously made their point about the relative “boredom” of hiking the Pound floor but at the end of 7 hours on the track, I know which part I would come back for…..

Prevailing weather for the past 5 days has been, in short, despicable.

Some rain, but for the most, wind has been the dominant factor.

Today was some relief and it looks like whatever has delivered this foul front may finally be breaking up and heading elsewhere.

I have ridden only 170 kilometres in the past week mainly due to taking extra days to visit the Flinders and at it has happened, the weather conditions would have prevented me riding much further anyway.

It all happens for a reason and I know it.

My 3-day Wilpena vacation ends tomorrow as I head further north to the town of Blinman, taking on the first section of a 90-kilometre gravel bash towards Parachilna and eventually a southerly swing around back to Adelaide.