Tales From A Wanderweg

Adventures up mountains and exploring the unknown

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Svartisen Glacier - Norway, June 2017

Stay tuned, the plan is to run through some of the things I learnt while traversing to the Svartisen Glacier. 

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Someone told me...

Recently I have been tossing up the possibility of filling a blog with the things I have done and will be doing in the future. I see so many advice blogs about outdoors gear and equipment across the web and I wonder if mine would make any impact. In saying that, there is also the simple thought that I should just do this to satisfy my own need and want to document what I find. If that happens to help other people then that is just a bonus. 

I have had a few people now tell me I should just go for it, and that my advice may prove to be entertaining or helpful.

So here goes, and to everyone thats reading my sometimes pitiful excuses for grammar, I do apologise. That in itself would be an adventure to decode sometimes. 

[magadeez-blog]

[futuredreamhouses]

[maxcockcroft]

[room-decor-for-teens]

Small room? No problem!

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[wanderweg-discovery]

Squire Training

When I commenced my BPSA the Squire Training was not part of the Award Scheme. I am happy it has now been standardised though as it makes it easier for all Rover Scouts to complete their training. 

I met the requirements for the new scheme and was awarded it by default. 

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Physical Badge - Switzerland (p3)

July 2016

For my second hike it was unfortunately decided that I was too unwell to complete the full glacier pass. Stubborn me made the decision however that regardless of sickness I was still going to give it a shot and instead of spending the night in a glacier hut I instead did a day hike up to the glacier (1502m) along with a third hike to a different hut. 

#rebellion

The third hike I choose at the last minute was the Doldenhorn Hut hike. Setting off in a group of 10 this time we swapped to the opposite side of the Kandersteg Valley floor to see a different perspective. 

Setting off with Charlie the Pinkie we traveled through dense forestry for the first few hours ascending 800 metres. There were a lot more youth on this hike so the task of leading the others became a responsibility to the Rovers in the group. 

Eventually the forest slowly disappeared and we found ourselves on a mountain shelf overlooking the Kandersteg valley below. It was here that myself and Charlie took it upon ourselves to explore closer up to the glacier while the rest of the group stopped for a break. 

Soon we reached the Doldenhorn hut where we were given a warm welcome by an older woman who prided herself on cheeses and mountain tea. The tea, an odd flavor went down with mixed opinions to many of our group.  I personally found it quite refreshing. The taste came close to a strong but watered down mint drink that was on the side of lukewarm. It was accompanied by cured meats and bread for our snacking delight. 

We had added 800m to our starting point on the valley floor that began at 1200m above sea level. I have to say I had expected it to be quite the struggle while still feeling unwell but I managed it a lot easier than expected. 

If I had to go back and explore this region again (which I plan to) I hope to finish the Lotschenpass hike that I was unable to complete the first time. I also would like to do the Upper hut, famous among the KISC Pinkies. 

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Bunderspitz 

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Physical Badge - Switzerland (p2)

July 2016

Travelling with the Australian Contingent to Kandersteg International Scout Centre was one of the biggest and best adventures I have ever undertaken with Scouting. It was on a different level to other programs such as SISEP as a Venturer and World Jamborees. There was something very exciting about the prospects of traveling to a never ending Jamboree sight. It felt like going to somewhere I knew I should already call a home. 

Because of the restrictions to planning your own hike in the area, I needed to follow a guided tour from KISC. This was fine as I had already done the lead up research looking into the gear requirements, tracks and what physical capabilities I would need for the hikes.  I had intended to hike both the Bunderspitz and Lotschenpass Glacier hike as part of my award. However, the day of the Bunderspitz I somehow managed to come down with flu-like symptoms and was informed that unless my health improved I would have to pull out of the hikes. 

I decided to do the Bunderspitz hike anyway. 

Starting early morning we 8 traversed the valley floor to a cable car that took us up to the meadows of Allmenalp, where our path winded up slowly getting steeper with each step. The scenery was unlike anything I have ever seen. 

At about the 2300m mark we started to pass patches of snow. For a warm summer day it was unlike anything I have seen to have to walk through snow on a mountain top. 

It was soon after lunch that we dropped our packs in some low bushes and scrambled up the side of the shard that was the peak of Bunderspitz. Sitting at over 2380m we could see the French alps to the west along with Italy to the south. 

Continuing on the climb down was dangerous to say the least. One of our fellow hikers succumbed to some altitude sickness as we descended and so the group needed to pick up the pace a little in order to help the patrol member down the mountain. This required us walking over large slippery pieces of shale and rock. But we made it. 

We were led by Lucas, a KISC Pinkie from Ireland who told us ‘pointless’ stories the whole way down both entertaining and frustrating us. 

Upon our return to Kandersteg we had passed through rolling valleys and hills through cow fields and wild flowers, the weather had been quite fortunate for us sun shining the whole time. 

[wanderweg-discovery]

[wanderweg-discovery]

Physical Badge - Mountain Walks in Brisbane (p1)

Feb 2016 - July 2016

For the physical badge I decided to a little bit of both options given in the red book. I did both complete six months worth of physical training in order to complete the second half of the badge which was hike the Swiss alps. 

To start with this included weekly day climbs up the glasshouse mountains and Mt Coolum starting in February 2016 either by myself or with other people. We alternated between most of the glass house mountains and some other mountain and trail walks across South East Queensland.

Across that time, the contingent to Kandersteg had a hashtag game running called KISCFit, encouraging its participants to do hikes and climbs in the leadup for the many walks we would be doing in the swiss alps.

So I jumped on that pretty easily while also planning the routes that I would be taking through the alps. 

My photography skills, like many things, have also improved significantly since beginning this award. 

I pushed myself to try different mountains and walks in the greater Brisbane area. This was mostly because there were only so many times you could walk up and down many of the glasshouse mountains before you found yourself running. I have to admit I got quite good at it.

But pushing on, when it came to the second half of this adventure the next step was to fly to Switzerland. 

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Before and after = mess. 

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Personal Growth - Wood Badge time

July 2014 - October 2014

Aaaand back to training. For the Personal Growth badge I decided to finish my Rover Scout Wood Badge. This also came at a convenient time that many of us that were on the course required our training finished for the roles we wanted to take at Queensland’s Agoonoree. 

Looking back on this now, it doesn’t seem like that big of an achievement. But that is also because I have pushed myself to complete bigger things and when I began my training I was only 19. At the time, that was unheard of for a Rover. 

Starting those long training modules and completing the workbooks was a great pain, but unlike the basic skills, this time I did feel as though I was learning some new information when it came to Scouting. It was a new perspective on how things operate and run from a leadership point of view. So after gathering all the knowledge I had on red tape (help me), a group of us pioneers for the Rover Wood Badge in Queensland set off.

There were enough of us to form our own patrol for the weekend course and naturally we have our own plaque sitting on the salmon pink walls of the Snow Centre in BP Park. #Roversquad

It was a weekend spent with interesting creations using loom bands, late night panics as we tried to finish our workbooks and trips to 7/11 for slurpees and 11pm. 

In our case however getting to the end of the course was a little bit skewed. We were the group who did our bushwalking and advanced weekend courses in the wrong order. So here we were, technically in our review period before receiving our wood beads trying to get our bushwalking done. 

The weekend we were gifted with was a mess. It rained the whole time to the point that after completing the hike Russell just opted for the group to sleep in the Snow Centre rather than risk flash drowning outside in our poor sodden tents. I am quite thankful for his decision.