The Acropolis - Trail Run
Posted: Sat 08 Oct, 2011 11:47 amHi guys
Just thought I'd share a bit of a report and a few pics of my trip from Wednesday (5th October). As some of you know I was looking at options of where to head off for a bit of a trail run - http://bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=7713 - thanks everyone for your input. Well I narrowed it down to 3 options and my competitive nature got the best of me and I ended up having a crack at the most ambitious option
I picked up a large McChicken meal from McDonalds drive through in Launceston at 4:20am (which was interesting to stomach at that time of the day ), hit the road, and was on the track at Cynthia Bay at 6:40am with the hope of being able to summit the Acropolis and back in the day. I had originally hoped to catch the 9am ferry up the lake but the operator had nothing scheduled so I had resigned myself to the fact that I'd be on foot up and back down the lake, meaning a total of 59km (according to guide books) would have to be covered.
Obviously being a trail run/day trip I only carried a small pack and was able to travel quite light; I made steady progress up the lake which was a lovely start to the day as the sun was rising and arrived at Narciussus at 9:10. I left Narcissus at 9:30, and after meeting a slithery little friend on the Pine Valley Track, reached the hut there at 10:50.
The conditions were quite favourable, it was a mild day with little to no wind, so after a sandwich and some sugary treats, decided to leave my pack at the hut, throw a chocolate bar and some jelly beans in the pockets of my running shorts, and head up the track to the Acropolis. The final climb involved traversing a few small sections of snow, but was quite straight forward (although it was enough to turn the only other person back around that day), and I reached the summit at exactly 12:30.
I was able to spend an hour on top, and again, there was little to no breeze. For those who have been up there, you know as I now do, the views are extraordinary! Certainly the most amazing peak that I have been up (which isn't that many in the whole scheme of things).
I left the summit at 1:30, got back to Pine Valley hut at 2:40, and then Narcissus at 4:00. This is when my body started to hit the wall! After a half hour rest/eat break, I headed back down the lake, reaching Echo Point at 5:30 for a 20 minute rest, and then Cynthia Bay at 7:25. The trip back down the lake was TOUGH! The last couple of hours was just one big 'mind game' with my body which was begging to stop (or at least walk), but I tried to keeping pushing on to get back by 7:30.
All in all, an amazingly rewarding and satisfying day out!
Anyway, here's a few pics (apologies as they are just taken on the iPhone)..............
Just thought I'd share a bit of a report and a few pics of my trip from Wednesday (5th October). As some of you know I was looking at options of where to head off for a bit of a trail run - http://bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=7713 - thanks everyone for your input. Well I narrowed it down to 3 options and my competitive nature got the best of me and I ended up having a crack at the most ambitious option
I picked up a large McChicken meal from McDonalds drive through in Launceston at 4:20am (which was interesting to stomach at that time of the day
), hit the road, and was on the track at Cynthia Bay at 6:40am with the hope of being able to summit the Acropolis and back in the day. I had originally hoped to catch the 9am ferry up the lake but the operator had nothing scheduled so I had resigned myself to the fact that I'd be on foot up and back down the lake, meaning a total of 59km (according to guide books) would have to be covered.Obviously being a trail run/day trip I only carried a small pack and was able to travel quite light; I made steady progress up the lake which was a lovely start to the day as the sun was rising and arrived at Narciussus at 9:10. I left Narcissus at 9:30, and after meeting a slithery little friend on the Pine Valley Track, reached the hut there at 10:50.
The conditions were quite favourable, it was a mild day with little to no wind, so after a sandwich and some sugary treats, decided to leave my pack at the hut, throw a chocolate bar and some jelly beans in the pockets of my running shorts, and head up the track to the Acropolis. The final climb involved traversing a few small sections of snow, but was quite straight forward (although it was enough to turn the only other person back around that day), and I reached the summit at exactly 12:30.
I was able to spend an hour on top, and again, there was little to no breeze. For those who have been up there, you know as I now do, the views are extraordinary! Certainly the most amazing peak that I have been up (which isn't that many in the whole scheme of things).
I left the summit at 1:30, got back to Pine Valley hut at 2:40, and then Narcissus at 4:00. This is when my body started to hit the wall! After a half hour rest/eat break, I headed back down the lake, reaching Echo Point at 5:30 for a 20 minute rest, and then Cynthia Bay at 7:25. The trip back down the lake was TOUGH! The last couple of hours was just one big 'mind game' with my body which was begging to stop (or at least walk), but I tried to keeping pushing on to get back by 7:30.
All in all, an amazingly rewarding and satisfying day out!
Anyway, here's a few pics (apologies as they are just taken on the iPhone)..............
What's next? The Western Arthurs in a day 
