For non-Australian readers: most units are SI, e.g. weight is kilograms, distances are kilometres. Temperature units are in Celsius, and the currency is AUD.
This is a really long post, so here's a table of contents.
During the period I was walking, the sun set at 6:45pm and rose around 5:30am, providing plenty of daylight to walk in.
A short Instagram Story Highlight of my hike is available for your pleasure. A few photos from my hike will be trickling out on my Instagram. I might edit the post to add pics as I process them.
What I Packed
LighterPack: https://lighterpack.com/cvxmtt
Because of the moderate night-time temperatures, I decided to leave the puffy at home and only bring active top insulation (fleece and wind jacket) for sleeping and early morning hiking. Together with my 0°C-rated Terra Rosa Gear SynQuilt 3-Season and thermal bottoms, it provided more than enough warmth for a good night's sleep, and I didn't even have to strap down the quilt.
All my gear and food fit about just right on Day 1 in the maiden hike of the Aussie-made Wilderness Threadworks Sonder 36L backpack I had acquired secondhand.
Altogether, a pleasantly lightweight loadout below 4kg base weight. With about 2L of water and maybe 3kg of food, I don't think I ever carried more than 9kg in total, excluding worn weight.
I went no-cook, like I did on the Bibbulmun Track. What I brought, off the top of my head: Couscous, tuna packets, parmesan cheese, peanut butter, seaweed, wraps, spices and instant noodle seasoning packets, wasabi packets, vegan bacon powder, oats, nuts, milk powder, cocoa powder, matcha powder sachets, bran sticks, chia seeds, sugar.
Day 1
With only a short 11km from Cape Naturaliste to Duckworth campsite, I spent the morning driving a few hours from Perth, stopping at the Maccas in Busselton for lunch. Parked my car at Cape Naturaliste, got my pack out, and began my walk. The first few kilometres were on wheelchair accessible surfaces and already pretty and scenic.
Sugarloaf Rock
At Duckworth campsite, the ultralight, ultra-free yogurt spoon I thought I'll try out started to crack as I prepared my dinner. I also noticed that the reusable squeeze tube I was trying out as a supposedly mess-free way to bring out peanut butter for camping had already proven unreliable as the sealing clip had broken. This early kitchen nightmare was quelled, when I managed to get a disposable wooden spoon at a cafe in Yallingup the next day, and I McGyvered a temporary seal for the peanut butter tube with another spoon and a rubber band.
Day 2
A 23km walk from Duckworth, with an early stop at Yallingup for coffee and to pick up disposable spoons, ending at Moses Rock. It took longer than I expected to walk this stretch; a 7am start at a 3pm end meant I was walking less than 3km/h. Varied environments of beach, some rock formations, and a waterfall made the day's walk more interesting and probably helped to slow me down.
https://preview.redd.it/sbwcoglapcz51.jpg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=60df4a4185e550ff06e78760d71ee5250ef30481
Quinninup Falls
I passed a few walkers wearing day packs, which is to be expected as it is easy to do car drop offs and pick ups along this section. I spotted a whale far out at sea, which was really cool.
There was a little side trip to Quinninup Falls further upstream from a brook. It was modest, but still pretty. I long-jumped over the stream to get nearer to the waterfall to refill my water. The falls splashed me well as the water in my bottle filled slowly. On the jump back, one foot plunged into the mossy pool, providing mirth to the day visitors who happened to be there.
Day 3
It was supposed to be a reasonable 19km walk to the next campsite at Ellensbrook, but when I arrived at Ellensbrook at 1pm after a speedy pace through the easy trail terrain in coastal heath, I decided to walk a further 11km to the Prevelly caravan park after a short half-hour lunch.
Between Moses Rock and Ellensbrook is Gracetown, which I arrived at just in time for a warm pie from the cafe for breakfast.
Just before I reached Prevelly, I had to cross the Margaret River at the mouth. The depth depends on the season, and when it's too deep, there is a diverted route. However, it was only knee deep for me, and other than getting my shoes wet, an easy crossing.
Margaret River Mouth
I stopped at Prevelly and paid $15 for a tent site. I also ended up spending a hefty $32 for a pub-priced beef and bacon burger with fries and a craft beer at the neighbouring restaurant for my dinner. Was it worth it though? Arguably yes.
I also got a shower at the caravan park, which was welcome. Being UL and not expecting to shower, I hadn't brought a towel. My neck gaiter managed to dry me off enough to let the cold dry evening air do the rest of the work.
Day 4
Walking the longer distance to Prevelly the day before shortened the walk to Conto's campground considerably, from an original 28km to a very short 16km. The next campground, Point Road, was only 1.6km ahead, after which the next possible accommodation was the Hamelin Bay Caravan Park at 19km. So it wasn't really physically possible for me to walk past Point Road to Hamelin Bay.
I woke up in the morning to find my shelter wet with condensation, as well as the bits of my quilt that had contacted the moisture. Since I didn't have a lot to walk today, I decided to have a later start to let the sun rise and dry out my gear. After a pecan pie for breakfast at the general store and a sausage roll to go that ended up getting scoffed impatiently due to the stomach overruling the mind, I left Prevelly just after 8am.
There were some awesome bits of the day. The trail brought me near some caves, named Bob's Hollow, and on the edge of some rocky cliffs.
Bob's Hollow
Getting to Conto's about 6 hours later at 2pm, I still had plenty of daylight. I rested here for a couple of hours, and also decided to have dinner here and to get well-hydrated before moving on to Point Road, where water would be unavailable. I utilised the free-to-use barbecue pit to make a grilled cheese panini. Cheers for the Aussie barbie!
Around 5pm, I left with a couple of other walkers I had met to Point Road, where we set up camp for the night. By coincidence, they met a couple of car camping friends there, and invited me along for a chat. The car campers offered me wine and a couple of snags, which was lovely to have!
Day 5
I got up early, packed up, and left at 6:15am for what I expected to be a long 28km walk past Hamelin Bay, all the way to the last campsite on the track at Deepdene.
On the way, I saw the biggest black snake of my entire life. Before I could brandish my phone for a picture, it slithered swiftly into the undergrowth. I have no doubt that if it felt like attacking me, it would reach me at lightning speed.
At noon, I arrived at the caravan park in Hamelin Bay. They're known for having some tame stingray denizens, but unfortunately the choppy waves meant they weren't around. I also happened to arrive on a day that a coffee kiosk there was closed. So I contented myself with a cold-soaked couscous lunch. The wind started to pick up and drops of drizzle came down as well. I suited up in my wind jacket and continued walking after lunch.
It might have simply been an unremarkable trudge on the beach today if not for the strong coastal winds, tremendous waves pounding the shoreline, and foreboding dark clouds that made it feel more exciting. The clouds also helped to reduce the radiative heat from the sun one normally experiences while beach walking.
Later on, the trail took me right on a rocky coast with blowholes through which the sea would sometimes churn from underneath and once in a while, erupt through.
https://preview.redd.it/o878fahzpcz51.jpg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ece0c9d37804a54ea658ac12f622574404618508
I arrived at Deepdene, and found two northbound walkers who were there for a break and left soon after. No one else arrived after that, and I had the whole site to myself for the first time. Someone had lit an illegal campfire before, the remnants of it a fine grey ash that became part of the sandy dust that coated my shelter as I was pitching it, to my annoyance.
Day 6
With a TransWA bus from Augusta back to Dunsborough to catch at 3pm, and only 15km to the symbolic trailhead at the Cape Leeuwin lighthouse, I didn't have to rush. The rest of the walk was mostly a long trudge on the beach, with the tall lighthouse always teasingly far away in the visible distance. Eventually the track left the beach into the forest, which meant I was heading inland and close to the tip of the cape.
It was an awesome feeling, reaching the end. I also remember having been here, long ago, as a child with my family on a holiday to the Southwest. I took my time learning about the history of the lighthouse in the museum there, before heading to the lighthouse itself for a victory photo.
https://preview.redd.it/ckdy9jw5qcz51.jpg?width=2828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a2c13345dcc8b0d6e51a30a354c0640e6b1ed0f0
What a great walk!
But...
Little did I realise, it wasn't really the end of the long walking I had to do today...
Epilogue
I figured it would be cheaper to hitchhike to Augusta, which was about 7km away from the lighthouse. So I set off on Leeuwin Road. I held my thumb out as cars passed by. Unfortunately, I was on a road that cars weren't supposed to stop on. I was new to this, you see. Eventually, I put my hand down, resigned to walking all the way.
A kind soul saw me, turned around, and asked if I was headed to Augusta. I replied in the affirmative, and he offered a ride, which I took gladly. Getting into Augusta without walking more was a relief. I had a lunch of fish and chips, a slice of cheesecake, and a coffee while waiting for the bus.
Then it was a pleasant bus ride back to Dunsborough, where I had a good rest.
But little did I know, I was going to be walking a whole lot more...
Post-Epilogue
My car with all my stuff was still parked at Cape Naturaliste. In hindsight, I should've dropped a bag at the hostel in Dunsborough prior to my hike with a change in clothes, my toiletries, and my phone charger, so I could have a good night's rest before travelling to Cape Naturaliste the next day. But since I didn't think of that at the beginning, if I wanted to get my stuff, I had to travel there after my bus ride.
The cheapskate that I am, I thought, I'll just walk there after my bus ride. According to the Trails WA website, the Meelup Trail leads from Dunsborough to Cape Naturaliste, and is only a 7.8km walk? I just had a short 15km morning; surely 7.8km is no big deal.
However, I neglected to realise till it was too late, that 7.8km was the distance from the trail head, which was still a distance from Dunsborough. The actual distance was probably upwards of 12km. Walking from about 5pm, I would probably end up walking into the dusk. But I had already committed to this plan.
I offloaded my camping gear at the hostel, and strode with purpose out of town, towards Cape Naturaliste.
At the brisk hiking pace I was doing, with the urgency to get there not just before dark, but before Cole's supermarket closed at 8pm so I could grab a cheap dinner off the shelf, I began to feel the strain in my ankles. The setting sun revealed that the surrounds of the Meelup Trail were actually very beautiful, comparable to the scenery of the Cape to Cape Track itself.
I was still walking when the sun fully set. With a bit of trail left to the end, I decided to just take another route that the map showed on the phone that goes straight on the road, for an easier walk. I was elated when I finally saw my car. I drove to Coles with fifteen minutes to spare, got a rotisserie chicken with salad vegetables and bread, and headed to the hostel. More than half a chicken was demolished that night.
So it turns out, the most challenging day of walking I had on this hike, wasn't even really on the Cape to Cape Track at all.
And that, my friends, is the true conclusion of my Cape to Cape Track walk.
The campsites are generally decent. The soft ground at pretty much all the sites I was at lets stakes in easily, while holding fast, and was comfortable for me even on a 6-piece ZLite CCF pad. Rainwater tanks, picnic tables, and dunnies with toilet paper are present at all the campsites along the track (with the exception of no water at Point Road). Conto's also had free barbecue pits, which is no surprise in Australia.
Most of the campsites are free with the exception of those you share with car campers, i.e. Conto's and Point Road. Conto's ($15) is booked online (there is supposedly wi-fi on site solely meant for last-minute bookings), while Point Road is $11 which you drop into a box there.
There aren't any shelters at all though, which was good for me as I got to practise pitching my Gatewood Cape every night.
There is also the option of sleeping in nicer cabins or pitching your tent in unpowered sites at caravan parks in the small towns I mentioned, e.g. Yallingup, Gracetown, Prevelly, Hamelin Bay.
Water
As mentioned, there are rainwater tanks at almost every campsite, and you can also refill untreated water at the towns you pass along the way. You could ostensibly refill your water at some of the streams you pass by if Guthook is any indication, but because you are usually near the sea when you pass them, it is likely they are quite brackish or saline, especially in the drier period I was hiking in.
I brought 2L of capacity in water bottles, and found it was close to being inadequate for my hydration needs between water points, especially because I was walking a lot in exposed environments, i.e. coastal heath and beaches. If you usually drink a lot of water, I'll recommend having at least a 3L water capacity for this hike.
Sightings
You can expect to see a snake or two in this season. There were also a few goannas/monitor lizards skulking about, blue-tongued lizards, bobtails, shorebirds on the beach, and my favourite: the surfers! Also, if you hike during the whale migratory season, they can be spotted off the coast.
Surprisingly, not a single kangaroo was seen.
Maybe it's because it's a second hand power bank I got off a friend for a cheap 5 bucks, so its capacity is diminished. Maybe it's because it's a Xiaomi power bank, which is no match for the industry standard Nitecore NB10000.
But also it's because as a phone-dependent millennial who is relying on my ageing Samsung Galaxy S8 critically for navigation and also non-essentially for entertainment, I really needed more juice than I had expected. I also realised that I used to save phone power and kill time as a solo hiker by reading log books on the Bibbulmun, something the Cape to Cape Track doesn't have.
I did get a top-up at Prevelly, so it all worked out. But that Grandma Gatewood audiobook I had downloaded remains unlistened.
Plastic yogurt spoons are ultralight, ultra-free, but unreliable for long hikes.
As I learned on day 1. I guess it's back to my Ti spoon for now.
No more refillable squeeze tubes.
They ended up more messy than jars. I don't even think there was a big weight saving.
A cold soak container can hold extra water, you know.
I can't believe this didn't occur to me earlier.
I'm finally getting a bit sick of couscous.
Oh no.
SMD Gatewood Cape & Serenity Net Tent
Because there are no shelters and you have to pitch your tent every night, it really got me practising how to set up this mid-style poncho tarp, which is seeing its first proper trip. I'm still learning how to get a taut pitch (I might have to go reread the instructions), and I found myself readjusting the stakes post-pitch every evening. I also have to learn how to pitch it well enough so the net tent inner does not touch the tarp; on the night in Prevelly, a lot of condensation got into my quilt and the net tent because the walls were touching.
I do take a bit more time to set this up than my previous tent, the Nemo Hornet 2P, which is expected. Also, after being in storage after more than a year without use, it might have become a bit looser than when it was new. But I guess that's what some of the pullout loops are for. I used them in conjunction with my second trekking pole and guyline to get a bit more headroom.
Some of the sites were a bit dusty, so I actually splashed water on it to get the dust off, and there was significant drizzle on the last night. But its waterproofing works well as expected.
The net tent was necessary for this hike, with flies, mosquitoes, and other bugs flitting around in the evenings.
I appreciated the sitting room of the net tent, as sitting is a position I find myself in the tent a lot. I always thought that I'll eventually develop the UL cojones to embrace a bivy. But I think I won't, not for a while.
Stakes
I brought a couple of extra Ti shepherd's hook stakes just to try, and used them for non-critical stake points. I found them really great in the soft dirt at the campsites. I also learned that the Gatewood Cape and Serenity Net Tent, while designed to require a minimum of six stakes, could actually use up to nine stakes if you happen to have them. I did find a couple of stakes left behind -- trail magic!
Wilderness Threadworks Sonder 36L
Like a smaller version of my ULA Ohm, i.e. awesome! It was nice to have a smaller backpack for an appropriately shorter walk. On day one, it was definitely filled to the brim. But it was able to compress more compactly as the hike went on. I was a also a bit careless putting it down on rough surfaces sometimes. But 'tis without a scratch.
I also appreciated the minimalist hip belt on this model. It kept my backpack from swinging about.
Terra Rosa Gear SynQuilt 3-Season
Finally seeing some extended use in the outdoors instead of just when I sleep in my car. Great quilt.
It does appear a bit less bulky after repeated compressions in my pack. I guess that is to be expected; It is a synthetic quilt after all, and won't bounce back as well as down from compression.
Sun Gloves
A welcome addition to my sun protection attire, especially in Australia.
I bought a pair from the Cancer Council Australia shop here. They're fingerless gloves made of polyester that come with a large hole in the palms. They didn't feel stuffy to wear, and also incidentally reduced abrasion around the areas where I would grip my trekking poles.
_________
That took a while to write. Hope y'all find it a good read!
submitted by bumps- to UltralightAus [link] [comments] This is a really long post, so here's a table of contents.
- Introduction to the Cape to Cape Track
- Weather
- My Walk
- What I Packed
- Day 1
- Day 2
- Day 3
- Day 4
- Day 5
- Day 6
- Epilogue
- Post-Epilogue
- Trail Conditions
- Sleeping Sites
- Water
- Sightings
- Things I Learned About Going UL on this Walk
- Gear Talk
Introduction to the Cape to Cape Track
From 23-28 October 2020, I walked the Cape to Cape Track (125km) in Australia's Southwest for 6 days and 5 nights from north to south. It's a coastal trail that goes from one lighthouse to another, winding through coastal heath, lots of beaches, and rocky coastlines. The track passes through quite a number of tiny holiday towns at the northern half. Town and camping stops become more sparse as you venture further south.Weather
In late October, we're usually well into the drier Nyoongar season of kambarang (or second spring), but there were still plenty of wildflowers on the track, and even strong winds, cloudy skies, and a smattering of drizzle in the last couple of days. Being decent weather for hiking, there were plenty of walkers doing partial sections or going end to end, and I was only truly alone at a campsite on the last day. Daytime weather was warm and windy, up to about 30°C at the most, while the coolest time of the day in the early mornings never seemed to go below 10°C.During the period I was walking, the sun set at 6:45pm and rose around 5:30am, providing plenty of daylight to walk in.
My Walk
Preview pic for the reddit postA short Instagram Story Highlight of my hike is available for your pleasure. A few photos from my hike will be trickling out on my Instagram. I might edit the post to add pics as I process them.
What I Packed
LighterPack: https://lighterpack.com/cvxmtt
Because of the moderate night-time temperatures, I decided to leave the puffy at home and only bring active top insulation (fleece and wind jacket) for sleeping and early morning hiking. Together with my 0°C-rated Terra Rosa Gear SynQuilt 3-Season and thermal bottoms, it provided more than enough warmth for a good night's sleep, and I didn't even have to strap down the quilt.
All my gear and food fit about just right on Day 1 in the maiden hike of the Aussie-made Wilderness Threadworks Sonder 36L backpack I had acquired secondhand.
Altogether, a pleasantly lightweight loadout below 4kg base weight. With about 2L of water and maybe 3kg of food, I don't think I ever carried more than 9kg in total, excluding worn weight.
I went no-cook, like I did on the Bibbulmun Track. What I brought, off the top of my head: Couscous, tuna packets, parmesan cheese, peanut butter, seaweed, wraps, spices and instant noodle seasoning packets, wasabi packets, vegan bacon powder, oats, nuts, milk powder, cocoa powder, matcha powder sachets, bran sticks, chia seeds, sugar.
Day 1
With only a short 11km from Cape Naturaliste to Duckworth campsite, I spent the morning driving a few hours from Perth, stopping at the Maccas in Busselton for lunch. Parked my car at Cape Naturaliste, got my pack out, and began my walk. The first few kilometres were on wheelchair accessible surfaces and already pretty and scenic.
Sugarloaf Rock
At Duckworth campsite, the ultralight, ultra-free yogurt spoon I thought I'll try out started to crack as I prepared my dinner. I also noticed that the reusable squeeze tube I was trying out as a supposedly mess-free way to bring out peanut butter for camping had already proven unreliable as the sealing clip had broken. This early kitchen nightmare was quelled, when I managed to get a disposable wooden spoon at a cafe in Yallingup the next day, and I McGyvered a temporary seal for the peanut butter tube with another spoon and a rubber band.
Day 2
A 23km walk from Duckworth, with an early stop at Yallingup for coffee and to pick up disposable spoons, ending at Moses Rock. It took longer than I expected to walk this stretch; a 7am start at a 3pm end meant I was walking less than 3km/h. Varied environments of beach, some rock formations, and a waterfall made the day's walk more interesting and probably helped to slow me down.
https://preview.redd.it/sbwcoglapcz51.jpg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=60df4a4185e550ff06e78760d71ee5250ef30481
Quinninup Falls
I passed a few walkers wearing day packs, which is to be expected as it is easy to do car drop offs and pick ups along this section. I spotted a whale far out at sea, which was really cool.
There was a little side trip to Quinninup Falls further upstream from a brook. It was modest, but still pretty. I long-jumped over the stream to get nearer to the waterfall to refill my water. The falls splashed me well as the water in my bottle filled slowly. On the jump back, one foot plunged into the mossy pool, providing mirth to the day visitors who happened to be there.
Day 3
It was supposed to be a reasonable 19km walk to the next campsite at Ellensbrook, but when I arrived at Ellensbrook at 1pm after a speedy pace through the easy trail terrain in coastal heath, I decided to walk a further 11km to the Prevelly caravan park after a short half-hour lunch.
Between Moses Rock and Ellensbrook is Gracetown, which I arrived at just in time for a warm pie from the cafe for breakfast.
Just before I reached Prevelly, I had to cross the Margaret River at the mouth. The depth depends on the season, and when it's too deep, there is a diverted route. However, it was only knee deep for me, and other than getting my shoes wet, an easy crossing.
Margaret River Mouth
I stopped at Prevelly and paid $15 for a tent site. I also ended up spending a hefty $32 for a pub-priced beef and bacon burger with fries and a craft beer at the neighbouring restaurant for my dinner. Was it worth it though? Arguably yes.
I also got a shower at the caravan park, which was welcome. Being UL and not expecting to shower, I hadn't brought a towel. My neck gaiter managed to dry me off enough to let the cold dry evening air do the rest of the work.
Day 4
Walking the longer distance to Prevelly the day before shortened the walk to Conto's campground considerably, from an original 28km to a very short 16km. The next campground, Point Road, was only 1.6km ahead, after which the next possible accommodation was the Hamelin Bay Caravan Park at 19km. So it wasn't really physically possible for me to walk past Point Road to Hamelin Bay.
I woke up in the morning to find my shelter wet with condensation, as well as the bits of my quilt that had contacted the moisture. Since I didn't have a lot to walk today, I decided to have a later start to let the sun rise and dry out my gear. After a pecan pie for breakfast at the general store and a sausage roll to go that ended up getting scoffed impatiently due to the stomach overruling the mind, I left Prevelly just after 8am.
There were some awesome bits of the day. The trail brought me near some caves, named Bob's Hollow, and on the edge of some rocky cliffs.
Bob's Hollow
Getting to Conto's about 6 hours later at 2pm, I still had plenty of daylight. I rested here for a couple of hours, and also decided to have dinner here and to get well-hydrated before moving on to Point Road, where water would be unavailable. I utilised the free-to-use barbecue pit to make a grilled cheese panini. Cheers for the Aussie barbie!
Around 5pm, I left with a couple of other walkers I had met to Point Road, where we set up camp for the night. By coincidence, they met a couple of car camping friends there, and invited me along for a chat. The car campers offered me wine and a couple of snags, which was lovely to have!
Day 5
I got up early, packed up, and left at 6:15am for what I expected to be a long 28km walk past Hamelin Bay, all the way to the last campsite on the track at Deepdene.
On the way, I saw the biggest black snake of my entire life. Before I could brandish my phone for a picture, it slithered swiftly into the undergrowth. I have no doubt that if it felt like attacking me, it would reach me at lightning speed.
At noon, I arrived at the caravan park in Hamelin Bay. They're known for having some tame stingray denizens, but unfortunately the choppy waves meant they weren't around. I also happened to arrive on a day that a coffee kiosk there was closed. So I contented myself with a cold-soaked couscous lunch. The wind started to pick up and drops of drizzle came down as well. I suited up in my wind jacket and continued walking after lunch.
It might have simply been an unremarkable trudge on the beach today if not for the strong coastal winds, tremendous waves pounding the shoreline, and foreboding dark clouds that made it feel more exciting. The clouds also helped to reduce the radiative heat from the sun one normally experiences while beach walking.
Later on, the trail took me right on a rocky coast with blowholes through which the sea would sometimes churn from underneath and once in a while, erupt through.
https://preview.redd.it/o878fahzpcz51.jpg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ece0c9d37804a54ea658ac12f622574404618508
I arrived at Deepdene, and found two northbound walkers who were there for a break and left soon after. No one else arrived after that, and I had the whole site to myself for the first time. Someone had lit an illegal campfire before, the remnants of it a fine grey ash that became part of the sandy dust that coated my shelter as I was pitching it, to my annoyance.
Day 6
With a TransWA bus from Augusta back to Dunsborough to catch at 3pm, and only 15km to the symbolic trailhead at the Cape Leeuwin lighthouse, I didn't have to rush. The rest of the walk was mostly a long trudge on the beach, with the tall lighthouse always teasingly far away in the visible distance. Eventually the track left the beach into the forest, which meant I was heading inland and close to the tip of the cape.
It was an awesome feeling, reaching the end. I also remember having been here, long ago, as a child with my family on a holiday to the Southwest. I took my time learning about the history of the lighthouse in the museum there, before heading to the lighthouse itself for a victory photo.
https://preview.redd.it/ckdy9jw5qcz51.jpg?width=2828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a2c13345dcc8b0d6e51a30a354c0640e6b1ed0f0
What a great walk!
But...
Little did I realise, it wasn't really the end of the long walking I had to do today...
Epilogue
I figured it would be cheaper to hitchhike to Augusta, which was about 7km away from the lighthouse. So I set off on Leeuwin Road. I held my thumb out as cars passed by. Unfortunately, I was on a road that cars weren't supposed to stop on. I was new to this, you see. Eventually, I put my hand down, resigned to walking all the way.
A kind soul saw me, turned around, and asked if I was headed to Augusta. I replied in the affirmative, and he offered a ride, which I took gladly. Getting into Augusta without walking more was a relief. I had a lunch of fish and chips, a slice of cheesecake, and a coffee while waiting for the bus.
Then it was a pleasant bus ride back to Dunsborough, where I had a good rest.
But little did I know, I was going to be walking a whole lot more...
Post-Epilogue
My car with all my stuff was still parked at Cape Naturaliste. In hindsight, I should've dropped a bag at the hostel in Dunsborough prior to my hike with a change in clothes, my toiletries, and my phone charger, so I could have a good night's rest before travelling to Cape Naturaliste the next day. But since I didn't think of that at the beginning, if I wanted to get my stuff, I had to travel there after my bus ride.
The cheapskate that I am, I thought, I'll just walk there after my bus ride. According to the Trails WA website, the Meelup Trail leads from Dunsborough to Cape Naturaliste, and is only a 7.8km walk? I just had a short 15km morning; surely 7.8km is no big deal.
However, I neglected to realise till it was too late, that 7.8km was the distance from the trail head, which was still a distance from Dunsborough. The actual distance was probably upwards of 12km. Walking from about 5pm, I would probably end up walking into the dusk. But I had already committed to this plan.
I offloaded my camping gear at the hostel, and strode with purpose out of town, towards Cape Naturaliste.
At the brisk hiking pace I was doing, with the urgency to get there not just before dark, but before Cole's supermarket closed at 8pm so I could grab a cheap dinner off the shelf, I began to feel the strain in my ankles. The setting sun revealed that the surrounds of the Meelup Trail were actually very beautiful, comparable to the scenery of the Cape to Cape Track itself.
I was still walking when the sun fully set. With a bit of trail left to the end, I decided to just take another route that the map showed on the phone that goes straight on the road, for an easier walk. I was elated when I finally saw my car. I drove to Coles with fifteen minutes to spare, got a rotisserie chicken with salad vegetables and bread, and headed to the hostel. More than half a chicken was demolished that night.
So it turns out, the most challenging day of walking I had on this hike, wasn't even really on the Cape to Cape Track at all.
And that, my friends, is the true conclusion of my Cape to Cape Track walk.
Trail Conditions
Sleeping SitesThe campsites are generally decent. The soft ground at pretty much all the sites I was at lets stakes in easily, while holding fast, and was comfortable for me even on a 6-piece ZLite CCF pad. Rainwater tanks, picnic tables, and dunnies with toilet paper are present at all the campsites along the track (with the exception of no water at Point Road). Conto's also had free barbecue pits, which is no surprise in Australia.
Most of the campsites are free with the exception of those you share with car campers, i.e. Conto's and Point Road. Conto's ($15) is booked online (there is supposedly wi-fi on site solely meant for last-minute bookings), while Point Road is $11 which you drop into a box there.
There aren't any shelters at all though, which was good for me as I got to practise pitching my Gatewood Cape every night.
There is also the option of sleeping in nicer cabins or pitching your tent in unpowered sites at caravan parks in the small towns I mentioned, e.g. Yallingup, Gracetown, Prevelly, Hamelin Bay.
Water
As mentioned, there are rainwater tanks at almost every campsite, and you can also refill untreated water at the towns you pass along the way. You could ostensibly refill your water at some of the streams you pass by if Guthook is any indication, but because you are usually near the sea when you pass them, it is likely they are quite brackish or saline, especially in the drier period I was hiking in.
I brought 2L of capacity in water bottles, and found it was close to being inadequate for my hydration needs between water points, especially because I was walking a lot in exposed environments, i.e. coastal heath and beaches. If you usually drink a lot of water, I'll recommend having at least a 3L water capacity for this hike.
Sightings
You can expect to see a snake or two in this season. There were also a few goannas/monitor lizards skulking about, blue-tongued lizards, bobtails, shorebirds on the beach, and my favourite: the surfers! Also, if you hike during the whale migratory season, they can be spotted off the coast.
Surprisingly, not a single kangaroo was seen.
Things I Learned About Going UL on this Walk
A 10000 mAh power bank was not enough for six days, for me.Maybe it's because it's a second hand power bank I got off a friend for a cheap 5 bucks, so its capacity is diminished. Maybe it's because it's a Xiaomi power bank, which is no match for the industry standard Nitecore NB10000.
But also it's because as a phone-dependent millennial who is relying on my ageing Samsung Galaxy S8 critically for navigation and also non-essentially for entertainment, I really needed more juice than I had expected. I also realised that I used to save phone power and kill time as a solo hiker by reading log books on the Bibbulmun, something the Cape to Cape Track doesn't have.
I did get a top-up at Prevelly, so it all worked out. But that Grandma Gatewood audiobook I had downloaded remains unlistened.
Plastic yogurt spoons are ultralight, ultra-free, but unreliable for long hikes.
As I learned on day 1. I guess it's back to my Ti spoon for now.
No more refillable squeeze tubes.
They ended up more messy than jars. I don't even think there was a big weight saving.
A cold soak container can hold extra water, you know.
I can't believe this didn't occur to me earlier.
I'm finally getting a bit sick of couscous.
Oh no.
Gear Talk
Once again, LighterPack: https://lighterpack.com/cvxmttSMD Gatewood Cape & Serenity Net Tent
Because there are no shelters and you have to pitch your tent every night, it really got me practising how to set up this mid-style poncho tarp, which is seeing its first proper trip. I'm still learning how to get a taut pitch (I might have to go reread the instructions), and I found myself readjusting the stakes post-pitch every evening. I also have to learn how to pitch it well enough so the net tent inner does not touch the tarp; on the night in Prevelly, a lot of condensation got into my quilt and the net tent because the walls were touching.
I do take a bit more time to set this up than my previous tent, the Nemo Hornet 2P, which is expected. Also, after being in storage after more than a year without use, it might have become a bit looser than when it was new. But I guess that's what some of the pullout loops are for. I used them in conjunction with my second trekking pole and guyline to get a bit more headroom.
Some of the sites were a bit dusty, so I actually splashed water on it to get the dust off, and there was significant drizzle on the last night. But its waterproofing works well as expected.
The net tent was necessary for this hike, with flies, mosquitoes, and other bugs flitting around in the evenings.
I appreciated the sitting room of the net tent, as sitting is a position I find myself in the tent a lot. I always thought that I'll eventually develop the UL cojones to embrace a bivy. But I think I won't, not for a while.
Stakes
I brought a couple of extra Ti shepherd's hook stakes just to try, and used them for non-critical stake points. I found them really great in the soft dirt at the campsites. I also learned that the Gatewood Cape and Serenity Net Tent, while designed to require a minimum of six stakes, could actually use up to nine stakes if you happen to have them. I did find a couple of stakes left behind -- trail magic!
Wilderness Threadworks Sonder 36L
Like a smaller version of my ULA Ohm, i.e. awesome! It was nice to have a smaller backpack for an appropriately shorter walk. On day one, it was definitely filled to the brim. But it was able to compress more compactly as the hike went on. I was a also a bit careless putting it down on rough surfaces sometimes. But 'tis without a scratch.
I also appreciated the minimalist hip belt on this model. It kept my backpack from swinging about.
Terra Rosa Gear SynQuilt 3-Season
Finally seeing some extended use in the outdoors instead of just when I sleep in my car. Great quilt.
It does appear a bit less bulky after repeated compressions in my pack. I guess that is to be expected; It is a synthetic quilt after all, and won't bounce back as well as down from compression.
Sun Gloves
A welcome addition to my sun protection attire, especially in Australia.
I bought a pair from the Cancer Council Australia shop here. They're fingerless gloves made of polyester that come with a large hole in the palms. They didn't feel stuffy to wear, and also incidentally reduced abrasion around the areas where I would grip my trekking poles.
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That took a while to write. Hope y'all find it a good read!
