Day 11 Ziptrekking

Yes we have been sitting around too long and after yesterdays adventure in the dark we believe we are ready for Ziptrekking: a little like a flying fox on steroids!!! It's way up in the rainforest yes you read correctly; the rainforest - very very old - came out of the glaciers apparently. Anyway it is time to see the world from the top of the trees. Along with our partner in crime; Micahla, we set off on our adventure. We did decide once arriving in Whistler village at 9.30 am that most people do actually sleep in - the place was almost deserted. We grabbed a cuppa and went to suit up. Aaaahh these adventurous sports need to rethink the whole fashion side of things because I'm telling you a harness and helmet is just NOT that attractive really!! We were introduced to our lovely guides: Peter and Allyce - who were like V drinks walking: bless them!! A short van trip up the mountain passed the Bob Sledding tracks from the Olympics we hit our first Zip Line. Packing s#@t I'm telling you!!!! Right - lets get this thing done and off I went - my fear of course was that whole swinging feeling - hey guys I get sick on a child's swing!!! Thought I was really brave on the year 12 camp when I did that swing - felt sick for about an hour afterwards!!!!! Anyway surprisingly enough - it's not the same feeling at all and by the time I realised this the first line had finished!!!!!

Megs typing

Well, Elona survived and she did not exhale and screams of panic - all good... My turn.  They hitch the harness up and advise to walk down the stairs until you get the wedgie of your life and then lift your feet up and go.  Easy.  The scenery is amazing but goes by all too quickly,  and you get a 360 degree view as you swing in a circle, until all of a sudden you feel this abrupt holt as you reach the brake and then you roll slowly to the landing to be unhooked.  Amazing.  1 down 4 more to go...no worries.  Once the entire group was to the other side we set off on a wee walk to the second launch point.

Micahla found this whole adventure to be meditative, she is a bit of an adrenaline junky we think.  At the second launch point we are offered hot chocolate and the photographer meets the group.  We are advised that we will launch backwards and if we could please smile and release the death grip on the harness, just a little if possible, it would make for a better shot.  We had some experienced ZipTrekkers with us and they were all gun-ho to have their photos taken whilst hanging upside down.  I for one was not quite ready for tricks.  Micahla (see photos) attempted to complete the whole upside down experience but instead achieved a yoga like stretch whilst suspended.  Elona keen for some awesome action shots (as always) managed to forget the death grip altogether - excellent photos.....

Two ZipLines down and 3 to go.....

Elona Typing

Fear had gone and enjoyment set in - our next wee walk to the next line was a little hazardous with a number of falls had by a few people on the icy trail. 3 was cool and I managed to get video but at the moment we still are having difficulty in getting the video footage on the blog...we will keep trying. Line 4 mind you was the longest run and we were instructed to pull our knees up and hold them there for the entire run...cool I can do that!!!! Off I set a little nervous as Megs had commented on the last run that the stairs just end at nothing and if you look down (which I hadn't till this point!) it is a VERY long way down. So I look don't I!!!! Bad move but being diligent, up went the knees and this run gave you a longer time to check out the views...just beautiful and then I realised I was slowing down... I mean really slowing down...I look towards my destination and just think "crap" am I going to make it??? Only just BUT poor Allyce had to wind me in a good ten metres and in her puffy voice informed me that she thought I'd be the one not to make it is I was the smallest - could have told me that at the beginning of the run!!!!!! Anyway all good apart from Allyce having to exert a little more energy than she expected. The fourth run takes you right back to Whistler village and this is where you show off your talents!!!! Ha!! I let go of the death grip...that's about it....the 12 year olds of course ALL came in upside down...little buggers!! A fun time was had by all though and I wonderful experience to be had. We purchased the photos...as you do and have included them here.

We organised with Micahla a dinner for the next night to celebrate my birthday over a lovely Greek meal at a restaurant called OPA! (of course) Micahla headed off to work and we headed back to the Hostel to have a leisurely night as we were up early for the Medicine Trail - which is a snow shoeing tour through the Callaghan Forest.

Micahla's meditative state

Yoga - Greeting Sun

Downward facing forrest

Thats right let go of the death grip????

Can Can - ZipTrek Style

Right together...

now spin...

check the view

From Behind!!!! (Fiji quote!)

Got the giggles

Let go

Da daa

See no death grip!

Ok I like the death grip!!

View time!

again

and again!

Taking it back to the beginning 4 hours ago...

Suiting up!

See not attractive!

Ahhh ha!

Do we look scared???

I think at this point; yes!

Suspension bridges - fun and probably a tad more scarey than the zip lines!!

View

Pretty

Ready set....

GONE!!!! I'm the speck!

And one second later - smaller speck

Finish line!!! YEAH we did it!

Day 10 Whistler

Day  10

The plan was after all our research was to get up early and be in the Village by 9ish to go snow shoeing.  Unexpectedly,  we had a very social evening the night before and finished chatting to our new friend (fellow Caboolture Teacher Micalah) at approximately 2am….  This followed by a very later breakfast/brunch which all was more social than planned with four of us nattering away for 3 hours.  Hence we arrived in the village around 2pm.

After a quick visit to the information centre to get directions to Lost Lake and the Cross Country Ski and snow shoe hire.  We completed the brisk walk in very cold windy conditions with precariously icy walkway.  We arrived safely – no spills or slips – what can go wrong?…….

Step One – hire snow shoes.  Check

Step Two – sign your life away (indemnities are really popular here).

Step Three – collect map and short induction on easiest to hardest trails

Step Four – attach snow shoes and a quick warning from staff “Just don’t get lost”

Which trail……

Red beginner – which we were having never worn snow shoes before … can’t be that difficult?!?

Blue intermediate with some hills – but wait the orange is only 2km longer – we can do that no worries.

Orange it is – find the right sign/flag and off we set on photo opportunity adventure.  We did not cover any great distance in the first hour, we took an incredible amount of photos though.  Make sure you check out our amazing action shots.  Finding it very relaxing in the forrest with a break from the bitingly cold wind and the hustle and bustle of civilisation, we found a look out spot with a dedicated seat to some other ‘like’ soul and lived in the moment for a while……. about 20 mins.

Elona typing

Whilst enjoying the views and the zen of it all…we decided that a quick look at the trail map might be called for and just as well really….hhhmmmm….we actually hadn’t gone that far and had about 5 km’s to go. This is at 3pm ish: this is the time the sun starts to mosey on down. We moved on…took some more photos, a little video and then all this nature got to me; as did the Chai Latte I had before I left and didn’t have a wee break before heading off. We again looked at the map…all good there is an out house just round the next bend ish….that ish was many bends and about 2km out of our way- this is when I decided that I was going to be one with nature…very zen; and peed behind a tree. There were many yellow areas around trees; this obviously could be evidence of people like me OR the dogs that share the trail??!! Anyway my ass cheeks will never forgive me!!!! Oh my god it was cold BUT did you know the stream makes a perfect little whole with no run off – how cool is that?!?!

On we go…”Isn’t it pretty with light going down!” hhhmmmm…..oh crap the light is going down get that bloody map out again – “How far do we still need to go?” I ask. We were about half way – fabulous. Such seasoned travellers as ourselves we had water and head lamps – NOT. Crap again and when it became impossible to find our footing in the forrest we decided it was best we stick to the cross country lit runs. Oh this is much better – quite a few people as this was half price night skiing…much better UNTIL “Let’s look at that map again – what’s the quickest way?” Just as bloody well we looked as we were going in entirely the wrong direction and had to retrace our last half an hours worth of steps.

Megs Typing

Steps retraced, location, a place called ‘The Warming Hut’, excellent maybe we can get directions.  We traipsed up the stairs in our snow shoes (not an easy manoeuvre), Elona unbuckled snow shoes and went in to investigate. Hey just a bunch of 10 year old children – fantastic!!!!!!  Elona skipped down the stairs and slipped back into her snow shoes whilst I navigated the stairs in snow shoes (up the stairs was not easy and down the stairs was just ridiculous).  Right- do we admit defeat and call the hire place from the public phone outside?  Maybe we would have if they had thought to put their phone number on the map instead they had the phone numbers for other companies they were advertising for – NOT clever.

Back to the maps…must have looked a wee bit perplexed as a couple of cross country skier stopped to ask if we needed help.  Then gave us dubious instructions – joke on us.  We did stop to consult the map at one point and Elona in her very trusting way, was adamant to follow the previously given instructions.  Again we walked a little (only about 300 metres) in the wrong direction.  We were put straight by a lovely lady (really I think she was trying to get our snow shoes off the groomed runs – fast) and off we set, in the right direction for the last 1.3 km to the hire place.

Arriving safe and sound and just a little dehydrated we purchased Powerades paid for our hire equipment and park ticket: $25 each – which was really good for 4 hours and a fun afternoon followed by an even more precarious walk back to the village. Seriously these people need to invest in more salt on their pathways – I think this is probably where most accidents happen – not on the mountain!

Arrived back, cooked a lovely dinner and settled down to another social evening of hilarity with Nick and Micalah.  Not a late night though early to rise in the morning as we had organised to go Zip trekking with Micalah tomorrow.

Photos

These are snow shoes!!

This is how we walk ... well not quite!

Hhhhmmm which way to go??

What is this stuff????

This is the trail

Lovely groomed trail

This is a hole.... just with a hint of blue hue

Trail gets a little tougher

Rest time!!

Photo time!

Yield to bicycles, people and lets not forget the bears!!

Fairly hefty gradient!

Aaaahhh Elona trying to be Bear Grylls!

Not so Bear Grylls!!

Photo time again!

Elona still climbing

Oooops tree

Crap another tree!!!

Trees and snow  mmmmmmmm it's a favourite!

See!!

Can you see the old man??

Creek

Trail

At least it's not a suspension bridge!!

Aaaah rest time again!!

Maybe a little too long of a rest hhhmmmm a little dark now!

Okay ..yeah..not good!!

Onto the lovely lit cross country trails around Lost Lake.

Very pretty!

Hhhhmmm water safety????