A short stroll becomes an epic walk to remember

Team 8 Big Toes has kicked off their 2011 Oxfam Trailwalker campaign with a a series of river crossings rather than the planned training walk. 24hrs of rain turned the route, Artarmon to Thornleigh via the Rail to River Walk and the Great North Walk, into a sodden and flooded challenge. A cruisy 16km trail burn turned into a 2 1/2 hour epic struggle.


Dave, Pete and I met at Artarmon and legged it to Chatswood station where Brendon was waiting. A solid drizzle had already begun and by the time we made our first footprints on the sandy track we'd become resigned to a damp walk. Not that it was unpleasant. The temperature was in the mid 20's and the rain kept the number of other walkers to a minimum. Single track alternated with firetrail and the landscape was peaceful as water dripped from 4 metre Banksias and Blue Gums. The occasional road crossing and planes low overhead were all that reminded us we were still well and truly within Sydney.


At around the 10km mark we said a cheery "hello" to the second set of walkers we had met on the track, only to be greeted by a grumpy "You can't get through" and a couple of Gore-Tex clad backs disappearing back up the firetrail. With our team spirit high we all cried an internal "Bullshit!" and headed off to the sound of roaring water. 


The creek, normally a trickle between boulders, was a froth of white. It had rained most of the previous night and all morning. The resulting runoff from surrounding residential areas had pushed the river level up about a metre.


Shoes off and grab a stick, was the decision. Dave tested the depth and took the first hesitant steps, stretching his legs forward, feeling for a rock while balancing on the stick. slowly he edged forward, one rock being discovered by his probing Big Toes at a time.  Meanwhile, Pete disappeared back up the track. 


Dave made it and Brendon and I followed in quick succession. Meanwhile, Pete has backtracked, bushbashed, balanced on logs and was already standing triumphantly high on the other bank. It was only as we reshod our feet that he revealed, despite his smug grin, he was now lopsided and suffering from a waterlogged left foot. The tactic to head upstream hadn't been entirely successful in keeping his feet out of the river.


From this point on we followed a similar pattern. Trudge the trail for 10 to 15 minutes and cross the creek by either jumping between rocks or taking off our shoes and wading. At each crossing the water got a bit deeper. The first one had been just below knee level and by the third one it was mid thigh with a strong current. We upgraded our safety measures and got monkey grips on each others arms as we shuffled across, feeling and nudging with our feet for each foothold. 


By this stage the track has descended to run beside the river and at times was only a few centimetres about the bank. things deteriorated even further with 3km to go. River was high enough that it had diverted to be over the track and a strong current was flowing over the 4WD ruts.


Conquering this obstacle by shimmying along the line of vegetation we turned a corner and were confronted by a raging torrent where a series of stepping stones normally were to be found. Poking with a stick revealed that it was deep and Dave's attempt at finding the bottom with his left leg from his perch on a slippery rock almost resulted in an unplanned river rapids ride. Luckily, as Dave regained his balance and Brendon and I looked upstream, Pete, always the first to take the first step into the crossings, had managed to get himself halfway across and was in the process of clambering onto a large dry rock. Step, by tentative step, we other three followed him across. 


On the other bank the land sloped up to the ridgetop and, with Brendon leading a fast-paced final sprint to the end, we covered the last couple of kilometres from the crossing to Thornleigh oval in a short space of time.


Some chocolate, sandwiches and hot showers later Team 8 Big Toes had dried out and could begin to appreciate the onset of tomorrow's sore legs. 


The first walk is done. The way we worked together as a team and the relative ease with which we overcame the unexpected challenges this first training session laid down says to me that 8 Big Toes are going to have a ball preparing for and taking part in the 2011 Sydney Oxfam Trailwalker.


See where we walked... 
http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/nfhhOnclGgs