Hiking the Three Peaks has been on my to do list for over a decade. The loop is held in high regard with “tiger walkers” such as Dot Butler (the legendary barefoot bushwalker) [2] known to have regularly completed the hike in a single weekend. Then tales of Peter Treseder getting through the 90km which includes three separate mountains of ascent and descent of 1000m, in around 14 hours [1]. Crazy!
The closest I had been was in 2002 when I ran past them along Scotts Main Range on my way to Mittagong via Yeranderie. They looked epic! So why do it? Australia is a fairly flat country. We don’t have the big elevation changes that Europeans, or even the Kiwis take for granted. So tackling the 3x1000m mountain challenge in remote bushland is one not chosen lightly.
Easter this year was the first chance I have had the time and fitness to have a go, so my partner, Elouise, and I set off from Medlow Gap early on Thursday morning. Having done Narrow Neck several times we were happy to knock a few km off the distance and start somewhere different.
Day 1: across the Coxs River and up Mt Strongleg
Day 2: Over Mt Cloudmaker and up Mt Paralyser
Day 3: Down Mt Paralyser and over the slightly lower peak just NE of Mt Gouagang (cheated a little) to Coxs River
Day 4: Back to Medlow Gap car park by mid afternoon feeling tired, but not that tired.
Plugging a rough Google Map file into a GPS program highlights the elevation changes:
The steepness, challenge of carrying a pack compared to running, and length of days were quite a challenge. These elements have the biggest influence on any intention I may have to repeat the hike. If setting out I highly recommend experienced hikers take note of:
1) Pack light weight
As someone who has dabbled in ultralight weight hiking I have a selection of gear which has seriously reduced my pack weight. Most of it is home-made including a 250g pack, 1kg sleeping quilt, and assorted lightweight warm clothing. This brought my starting weight to around 7kg for all the essentials including food. Hiking up the ridges added another 5kg for water which seems to really slow things down. This is one reason to plan the hike to camp near water, and also reinforced the importance of the next point;
2) Eat early and often
Having completed some ultramarathons [3, 4] recently I thought I could just push through any low points before the next camp/water/meal stop. That was wrong. On day one I pushed out 20km before having my first good feed at the Coxs River. By that stage I was starting to bonk and the steep ascent up Strongleg that afternoon was not easy. Also very limited water access means regular water intake is needed to stay hydrated. My advice: eat before you are hungry and drink before you are thirsty.
3) Wear comfy (large) shoes
The steepness of the ridgelines cant be overstated. Many times I had to traverse to avoid kicking an avalanche of rocks onto my partner as we disrupted scree slopes held together loosely with small shrubs, grass and vines. My running shoes usually keep me going for hours on end when hiking, but in this terrain I was quickly developing hot spots, and my freshly clipped toe nails were jamming heavily into the toebox of my shoe over, and over, and over.... If going again I would still wear sneakers, but a size or two larger. Also gaiters were essential to avoid smaller rocks falling into shoes, and reduce risk from snakes we met on the way.
Have you done the Three Peaks, or is it still on your walking or running [5] tick list? Also has anyone else been held back by these issues on a long hike, and if so do you have any other recommendations on how to work around them?
References
[1] Peter Treseder book http://www.coolrunning.com.au/ultra/treseder2.shtml
[3] Tumut ultra http://humehovellultra.com/results/
[4] Keppler Track 2012 (runner 310) http://www.keplerchallenge.co.nz/content/race-results
[5] Ashley Burke http://members.ozemail.com.au/~aburke/3Peaks/index.htm
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