Cape to Cape
This is a run I did back in 2003. The report took about 2 years to write so unless I can find it online somewhere. I will finish it briefly in the future sometime.
Some years ago I stumbled across the Cape to Cape walking track. It seemed like a great way to find some secret surf spots. Shortly after resurrecting my running career I tested a few sections and thought it would be great to be unencumbered by surfboards. For a while it was one of those persistent dreams that you annoy your wife fantasising over.
Eventually I decided I had to make it happen. This year was the year and I started making a list of candidates to invite. There was Marcus, fellow surfer and aspiring Comrades runner; John, an ex-race walker; multi-sport veteran, Alysha Blackwell; and local identity Graham Maier. Gradually, however, they fell away, mainly due to a lack of fitness and Graham’s half decent excuse of only three days to recover for the Bunbury 50km. This was a blessing in disguise, however, as it meant I could run at my own pace and start mid week.
I purchased maps and made firm plans. Rather than test my gracious wife’s support crew patience it was decided that two days would be the go, not three. The route was planned was Cape Naturalist to Conto Springs. 47km to Grace town on day one, and 39km to Conto’s on day 2, 86km all up. An interesting part of these plans was writing little mud maps for each rendezvous with my wife. These came straight from my head and apparently had one or two minor errors. . .
Day one began with a drive from Busselton to Cape Naturalist. 7am, running late, strap on bottle, where does this stupid track start? Obligatory before photo taken and then it’s off. Sixty seconds in and I find the real start of the track, oh well the other photo will do. It’s off at a frenetic pace. I haven’t run since a 5km race 3 days ago and the excitement combines to increase the speed. Bewildered looking roos look on as I wiz past. The weather is beautiful, cool, offshore wind, light rain just finished. Three minutes in and I see the first surf. It’s one of those medium-sized days when everywhere looks a treat.
My first goal is to make Bears before Bel does. We’ve arranged for my wife to start running towards me when she has driven to Yallingup. I know the section she’ll be running, but not mine. I want to avoid a three km beach section by using the 4WD track, so I must run at least 8km before we meet. In the end, I’m worried she’s got lost but we meet and jog a few kms together enjoying the one part of the track I know well. I’m impressed but not altogether surprised considering that I’ve had a sore throat and cold the last few days that I’ve drunk a whole litre of water.
I’m not feeling that well as I have breakfast at Yallingup. I’m keen to keep warm and start running again. I spend about 20-30 minutes eating Weetbix and apple juice. I consider letting my food digest awhile then just decide to run slower and I’m off. It’s only 8km to the next refuelling stop so I’ll rest later. One kilometre in I hit my first beach section – the whole of Smith’s beach. There’s not much wind and it’s getting pretty warm. When I hit the hard the hard ground again I’m keen to pick up some speed. The next 5km is probably the slowest 5km in Australia and it feels very snakey. The first section is a maze of uphill bolder hopping. You get a bit of momentum going then stop and look for the next Cape to Cape sign post. Following this the track hits a very windy narrow (about 6 inches wide) path through scrub, it then turns into loose limestone rocks. Running through the rocks I slam on the brakes as I spy a reptile parked in the middle of the track. It’s only a bobtail and it hisses at me as I hurdle it. I continue on trying to make more noise.
There’s an epic look out and I appreciated it for a full three seconds. I feel there’s plenty of time to appreciate scenery in 10 hours of running. Shortly after I run into two walkers on the track. I comment on the snakey feel of the track and they encourage me that they saw one the previous day. I feel pretty safe with the only two people within coowee. They then realise that we’re lost. I retrace my steps and follow a path down a cliff face. Halfway down I see the familiar sign and yell to follow. The familiar sight of Wyadup car park is within sight and it’s a bit relief, I thought I’d be there by now. I decide to take the road rather than the track to save time and avoid any snakes. It turned out to be a pretty good idea. About 1km down the road I’m stopped by a man in a hard hat. Not your average 8km run. I’ve had 3km of soft sand, boulder hopping, scary narrow tracks, loose, slippery limestone rocks, hills, steps, a lookout, a cliff, descent, the only walkers I’ll see in 70km and now nearly an hour in I’m stopped. A number of thoughts go through my head, terrorists, did my wife get through and is there any water if she didn’t (no!)
After all that excitement the man in the hard hat was just a council worker. He walked into the middle of the road put out his hand to stop. I took the time to shelter in the shade and drink some water. I asked what was going on and was told something about a new road After a couple of minutes the explosives hurled a massive rock and cloud of dust high in to the hair. The blast hit me like the bass of a cheap car stereo (it just made it) aand then I was told I could go. I left amid discussion of they should perhaps have bene further up the hill from the blast. I ran past where a rock had put a hole in the road and asked if they had put anyone on the Cape to Cape track. They said probably not, blamed someone else and I continued running. The couple I had just seen would have been in earshot but probably never knew what it was.
Some years ago I stumbled across the Cape to Cape walking track. It seemed like a great way to find some secret surf spots. Shortly after resurrecting my running career I tested a few sections and thought it would be great to be unencumbered by surfboards. For a while it was one of those persistent dreams that you annoy your wife fantasising over.
Eventually I decided I had to make it happen. This year was the year and I started making a list of candidates to invite. There was Marcus, fellow surfer and aspiring Comrades runner; John, an ex-race walker; multi-sport veteran, Alysha Blackwell; and local identity Graham Maier. Gradually, however, they fell away, mainly due to a lack of fitness and Graham’s half decent excuse of only three days to recover for the Bunbury 50km. This was a blessing in disguise, however, as it meant I could run at my own pace and start mid week.
I purchased maps and made firm plans. Rather than test my gracious wife’s support crew patience it was decided that two days would be the go, not three. The route was planned was Cape Naturalist to Conto Springs. 47km to Grace town on day one, and 39km to Conto’s on day 2, 86km all up. An interesting part of these plans was writing little mud maps for each rendezvous with my wife. These came straight from my head and apparently had one or two minor errors. . .
Day one began with a drive from Busselton to Cape Naturalist. 7am, running late, strap on bottle, where does this stupid track start? Obligatory before photo taken and then it’s off. Sixty seconds in and I find the real start of the track, oh well the other photo will do. It’s off at a frenetic pace. I haven’t run since a 5km race 3 days ago and the excitement combines to increase the speed. Bewildered looking roos look on as I wiz past. The weather is beautiful, cool, offshore wind, light rain just finished. Three minutes in and I see the first surf. It’s one of those medium-sized days when everywhere looks a treat.
My first goal is to make Bears before Bel does. We’ve arranged for my wife to start running towards me when she has driven to Yallingup. I know the section she’ll be running, but not mine. I want to avoid a three km beach section by using the 4WD track, so I must run at least 8km before we meet. In the end, I’m worried she’s got lost but we meet and jog a few kms together enjoying the one part of the track I know well. I’m impressed but not altogether surprised considering that I’ve had a sore throat and cold the last few days that I’ve drunk a whole litre of water.
I’m not feeling that well as I have breakfast at Yallingup. I’m keen to keep warm and start running again. I spend about 20-30 minutes eating Weetbix and apple juice. I consider letting my food digest awhile then just decide to run slower and I’m off. It’s only 8km to the next refuelling stop so I’ll rest later. One kilometre in I hit my first beach section – the whole of Smith’s beach. There’s not much wind and it’s getting pretty warm. When I hit the hard the hard ground again I’m keen to pick up some speed. The next 5km is probably the slowest 5km in Australia and it feels very snakey. The first section is a maze of uphill bolder hopping. You get a bit of momentum going then stop and look for the next Cape to Cape sign post. Following this the track hits a very windy narrow (about 6 inches wide) path through scrub, it then turns into loose limestone rocks. Running through the rocks I slam on the brakes as I spy a reptile parked in the middle of the track. It’s only a bobtail and it hisses at me as I hurdle it. I continue on trying to make more noise.
There’s an epic look out and I appreciated it for a full three seconds. I feel there’s plenty of time to appreciate scenery in 10 hours of running. Shortly after I run into two walkers on the track. I comment on the snakey feel of the track and they encourage me that they saw one the previous day. I feel pretty safe with the only two people within coowee. They then realise that we’re lost. I retrace my steps and follow a path down a cliff face. Halfway down I see the familiar sign and yell to follow. The familiar sight of Wyadup car park is within sight and it’s a bit relief, I thought I’d be there by now. I decide to take the road rather than the track to save time and avoid any snakes. It turned out to be a pretty good idea. About 1km down the road I’m stopped by a man in a hard hat. Not your average 8km run. I’ve had 3km of soft sand, boulder hopping, scary narrow tracks, loose, slippery limestone rocks, hills, steps, a lookout, a cliff, descent, the only walkers I’ll see in 70km and now nearly an hour in I’m stopped. A number of thoughts go through my head, terrorists, did my wife get through and is there any water if she didn’t (no!)
After all that excitement the man in the hard hat was just a council worker. He walked into the middle of the road put out his hand to stop. I took the time to shelter in the shade and drink some water. I asked what was going on and was told something about a new road After a couple of minutes the explosives hurled a massive rock and cloud of dust high in to the hair. The blast hit me like the bass of a cheap car stereo (it just made it) aand then I was told I could go. I left amid discussion of they should perhaps have bene further up the hill from the blast. I ran past where a rock had put a hole in the road and asked if they had put anyone on the Cape to Cape track. They said probably not, blamed someone else and I continued running. The couple I had just seen would have been in earshot but probably never knew what it was.
posted by dave at 5:00 AM
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