So we're now into May and there's still much that needs to be organised before setting out on the walk sometime in mid-September. Here's a quick summary about what's currently on my mind and where we're at in terms of planning:
Fitness Regime
For some stretches of the journey I'll be maintaining 35+ km a day whilst pushing a 30 kg buggy, which will surely not be very easy on the body! For that I'll need to undergo some specialised conditioning in the few months leading up the the walk, which means I'll need to start in the very near future. What will this involve, I hear you ask?
I'm looking to put together some sort of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) routine for when I wake up every morning, as well as developing a yoga/stretching routine that I can use to relax the muscles I'll be hammering during the walk. Once I've figured out this routine, I'll be sure to write another post about it all and post a video of me getting sweaty.
Combined with regular hikes into the Canadian Rocky Mountains, I'm sure I'll be fit and ready to go come September!
Route
While not mapped out in complete detail (particularly near cities and around major highways), the route that I'll be taking is largely already known. I'll be starting in Adelaide, walking through the Adelaide Hills and following the coast, along the Coorong and then cutting inland to meet the Great Ocean Road at the Twelve Apostles.
From here I'm hoping to meet a group of Stage IIIs from Wollangarra, who will join me and together we will walk over 100 km along the Great Ocean Track to Apollo Bay, where we will say our farewells and I'll sadly continue on my own to Melbourne.
From here, my trusted buggy and I will take a ferry to Tasmania, where I'll be including the famous Overland Track. The ~2000 km journey will finish somewhere in the south of Tassie.
If you're interested in joining or hosting me at all during this time, please get in touch! I'll also be carrying a GPS along the route, which will periodically update my location for those of you who want to Follow the Journey. Which brings me to...
Gear
I'll be taking the essentials for survival and communication: sleeping bag, tent, ground mat, solar panel, camera, phone/tablet, warm clothes, food, emergency equipment, toiletries and entertainment for up to three months on the road.
I do not yet have all of this gear and plan on contacting some like-minded organisations who would be interested in donating their equipment. I may also need some help obtaining some of these things, so if you would like to help me out personally in this respect, please visit this page or contact me directly.
Followers and Sponsorship
My goal right now is to try to develop as much of a following in the 1900 Footprints Newsletter, and on Instagram and Facebook before the walk officially begins. Involving corporate sponsors will involve demonstrating that that you and a bunch of other people are following, invested and engaged in 1900 Footprints! So please, go ahead and like those pages, share them with your friends to get them involved as well, and importantly, sign up to the newsletter!
So, that's really it for now. Is there anything I'm missing? Please let me know in the comments below!
Take care,
T
👣
