I had a long rest last night with some crazy dreams. It was cold, but I was pretty snug in the end, just not keen to get out the cozy tent during the night for the bathroom haha. Anyway, I got up with the daylight which was a bit late really. There had been a very heavy dew and the tent was pretty soaked. There was no chance of the sun hitting this valley so I just had to pack it wet, and unfortunately very heavy. It took ages faffing about getting all the bike bags sorted, but eventually I was fed from my provisions and turning the pedals at 8:30am. There is no warm up from here, you go straight into a steep climb.
Mentally this is tough when your lungs are heaving after 1km and you know the climb is 30km! I just hung on to the fact that the average gradient for the whole thing is 4.6% so it had to get better eventually, Right? There is a fantastic guide written here by the climbing cyclist for this route, highly recommended if you are planning to have a go.
The first section of the climb is all in the trees and was very beautiful, but it's not long at all before you get some breaks in the tree line as you get higher which revealed awesome views across the valley. I took this all in, that is, during the gaps where my lungs weren't exploding from the effort.
Onwards and upward I chugged, there was indeed some relief from steepness especially between 10-15 km in and I was surprised to go past 3 the 'superwoman' who were stopped at what looked like a support vehicle. This dance would be repeated a few more times as it turned out! (I call them superwomen out of respect for the ripping pace they were achieving up hill when on the move).
 |
| Miners referred to the Valley this way as its so cold and damp lower down |
After 20km of climbing my legs were pumped with lactic acid but I started to believe I could make it...then I hit "CRB Hill". It's always ominous when cyclists have especially named a section of the climb, and this bit is a 10% incline that lasts for 1.1km.
It was brutally hard given the climbing already done beforehand, and I had to pull over twice to get my breathing under control. A few thoughts of "give up" began to emerge. But I did keep going, and just at the top of the this section I caught up with the superwoman whom gave a massive cheer of encouragement as I passed them...no way would I turn back now.
At this point the views are off the charts, looking all the way back down the valley, the hills blueish in colour. Snow poles marking the route for winter drivers. It is all super exposed and I was really glad it was not windy, although it was getting chilly.
For the final few kms things get steep again, and I saw 2 riders tearing back down the hill to Harrietville, obviously successful. They both yelled out words of encouragement also, love the vibe up here! Soon I saw "The Cross"..and suddenly I was at the top! 1845m.
 |
| Lower quality still from GoPro - the final stretch |
The ski village of Hotham Heights is just a few kms down the other side so I kept going hoping there might be a place to rest. There is just 1 cafe open it turns out...bliss! I had a long break and several coffees there.
A group of 4 grey nomads sitting next to me had questions galore, they were a nice bunch although the questions a bit repetitive. After a while the 'superwoman' and their film crew turned up. They had to walk into the cafe a 2nd time for the cameras. Weirdly the grey nomads totally ignored them, I was trying to comprehend why given the curious grilling I had. I can't be certain but suspect the reason is that I'm a man :/
I wish I'd asked what they were filming for now, it was probably spectacular and a lot better than my gopro footage. They were asking how heavy my gear was, but I had no clue. Anyway, after a good rest I was getting cold sitting still so I jumped back on Casper towards Omeo. The road is a bit uppy downy and every little uppy bit I was riding as slow as an old Donkey. But what scenery! Awesome Highland bush gradually turning into farms.
Omeo eventually revealed itself nestled tightly in the valley floor. It seemed like a nice little town full of cafes and probably all year round tourism. I had a snack and a cold drink debating where to stay tonight. I really want to get the tent setup while there was still some light, and more showers are forecast. Swifts Creek looked not too far and there is campsite there so I pushed on.
In the end a lucky decision, it was mostly downhill and the camp ground sits next to a beautiful little stream. You pay for your camp spot at the only shop in town, the general store [Later I would discover this is in fact only place you can get provisions before Bruthen.].
Once that was sorted I got my tent up, got it nice and dry and did some maintenance on myself.
 |
| Beatiful campsite at Swifts Creek |
Currently I am writing this from the village pub waiting for a large pizza. I burned at least 5500 calories burnt today, probably more as the device doesn't account for the extra weight on the bike. I reckon I have earned it. The only entertainment are the locals: One guy is a proper true-blue Aussie cowboy, complete with sleeveless top, cowboy hat, and potty mouth. I tried to follow what the group he was with were talking about, but could only pick out the swear words.
It's about 100km left to Bairnsdale, with 2 pretty big climbs involved. Hopefully the legs and lungs recover after this medicinal pizza!
Day 2 Stats:
- Distance: 113.26
- Elevation gain: 2055m
- Calories: 548
No comments:
Post a Comment