While I was in Adelaide recently, I had a couple of fitness excursions with my sister. I've already written about our exploration of the Hallett Cove Boardwalk, and a bit over a week later, we went off and did the big push for me. Mount Lofty.
Before even getting to the walk, there's this creek and the information boards that I've included below.
There are quite a few marked trails in this conservation park, We're heading from the "You are here" arrow, across to the collection of blue symbols on the right side via the green path (yeah, really useful on this sized photo, but easier on a large sign...)
Because there are modification, repairs and upgrades happening, the sign isn't actually accurate for the walk we were doing. It says 2 hrs and 7.5 km return on here, as well as listing all the other walks, including the longer ones that just happen to go through the park.
Last time I climbed it I'd have been in my early 20s, if not still a teenager. I'm now into my 40s, and still really recovering from my significant health interruption and my fitness is not great. So it was always going to be a challenge. I was however confident that I could make it to the top of the 727 m mountain, even though you don't start from see level, the climb is still quite a challenge, with slightly under 4 km (they say 3.9 km, but my mapmywalk says it was about 4.3 km) to climb up almost 450 m in elevation.
To start the climb, we drove to Waterfall Gully, which in itself is quite a lovely place to visit, and I've been there multiple times in the last 20 years without climbing higher than the top of the waterfall. The nice looking surrounding hide the brutal start to the climb, with probably 150 m of the climb inside the first kilometre, and some quite steep sections and stairs, this is one walk that you want to start slow and steady. Even doing that I was breathing hard by the start of the first downhill section, which while it was a bit of relief, it was also concerning as it was taking away some of the height we'd already gained, meaning we'd have to climb more.
This is actually taken from in the carpark still also, but better to break up the text a bit more. There is a path out to the pool at the base of the waterfall, but our path goes up and you can look down from above instead.
By the 2 km marker we'd slowed, but there was a bit of rest and recovery happening already. I think we set out too hard, doing the first km in under 15 minutes, so the 2nd and 3rd being closer to 17 minutes wasn't too much of a surprise. And then things got difficult. The last km and a half of the climb took around 35 minutes, and was mostly comprised of me willing myself to keep going. It was good that we had my sister's children with us, as the youngest of them (10 yo) was hanging back with me and being encouraging, when I wasn't encouraging her that is. It kept my mind off the pain I was putting the body through, but eventually we made it to the top in a touch under 1.5 hours.
Most of the path is dirt, and reasonably wide. Enough for 2 people to pass on comfortably. There are a few sections which are bitumen, and all sections are in various states, but mostly good.
A while ago there were a series of landslides in the area, which caused quite a bit of damage, including pretty much filling the pool at the base of the waterfall. A lot of the damage to things like that and the paths have been repaired, though there are still some sections that are being strengthened to prevent future damage if it were to happen again. The sites of the slides however are still quite easily seen scars in the wilderness, and we saw a few of them along the way.
You can easily imagine how much undergrowth, trees and rubble used to be along this strip of land that slipped into the creek below the path. It will repair itself over time, or may have some assistance.
We had a pit stop at the top, and refilled our water bottles as well as a 15 minute rest before the easier, or at least quicker part or going back down. Even with my knee making a wonderful popping noise early and a fair amount of pain, we made the decent in under 45 minutes to only be 15 minutes outside the signed recommended time for the return journey. Half an hour if you include the rest time at the top, which we couldn't have done it without!
I made it!
One of the benefits of getting to the top is the wonderful views of the city. With the sun where it was though, I got some nice lens flare effect and a hidden city in plain view
I took a full 4 days to recover from doing this, but it did provide me with many good markers on where I'm up to in my fitness recovery, and proved that yes, I can do this, just not very often. It was certainly well worth doing, and I really enjoyed spending the afternoon with my sister and her kids.
