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NEWS

Achilles Boards Trail Bus to Werribee Gorge

4/5/2023

2 Comments

 
Peter in the foreground wears a red vest over his Achilles top and holds a walking pole planted into the river on his right. He has a big smile on his face and is thigh-deep in water. Jez walks behind him, also thigh-deep in water, and his son Aiden behind him with his hands tucked into his armpits. Shrubs on the river bank extend up the hill behind them.
Achilles tour adventurers stand side by side in a line with about 16 people in the photo. The dirt they stand on is light brown and cars surround the perimeter of the car park. There are trees dotted on the hill behind them. A crystal blue sky beyond the trees.
The 5k group: Theresa, Little G, Peggy, Nat, Edytta, Robin, Amanda carrying baby Isaac in a pack, a random and Janice just out of view. They are dotted on a rocky cliff edge with rolling shrubby and grassy hills beyond them in the background. A crystal blue sky is dotted with white clouds.
Five Achilleans walk with three points of contact along a very steep rocky wall. One Achillean is stepping a up high step and grabbing onto rope above her, a guide stands to her right on a higher level guiding her up. Shrubs hide the bottom of the cliffy rock.
A group shot of nine Achilleans at various height levels standing on a rocky surface. A tree overhangs to the right and clear skies and rolling hills beyond them
A group of four Achilleans run on a red-brown sandy surface. Two are in front, and two behind. Sparse shrubs and low grass beside them. Clear blue skies in the background,
By Peggy Soo

A chilly start to the day on Sunday 30th April, Achilles Melbourne joined Trail Bus to Werribee Gorge on Wurundjeri country (and a tight border with Wadawurung Country to the south of the Werribee river). 
We met the crew of Trail Bus to do a fabulous hiking adventure with the choice of 8km and 5km courses. Both courses consisted of hills, lots of rocks and a bonus rope scramble for the longer course.

After a quick coffee stop and a safety briefing, we broke into two groups. The longer course consisted of VIP’s: Peter S, Maddy S, Jenny B and Max M. Guides were Jez, Erika, Jackie, Aiden, Emily and Rhiannon.

5km group consisted of VIP’s: Peggy S and Janice S. Guides were Nat, Amanda, Robin and Theresa. We also had one guide dog and two young children. One child was carried by mum or dad on their back with a specialised hiking pack. 

Both courses started together for 2km with a nasty hill at the beginning. After the walk up the hill we came a cross our first spectacular lookout overlooking mountain ranges from Ballarat over past Melbourne CBD to Dandinong Ranges. The climb  up the hill was worth the effort. 

As we went on our separate courses, we came across some challenging terrain which tested our concentration and patience. Even more so for VIP’s where guiding needs to be more descriptive of where to put your feet and which side of the track to walk on. Guides also found this to be a different experience where they need to be more aware of surroundings and placement of feet. At times we did find ourselves on narrow paths on the edge of a cliff face. Where the group doing the 8km course had a river crossing and climbed on various rocks, at one point having only a rope to cling onto on the edge of a rock cliff. 

We celebrated our achievements by being met by the Trail Bus crew with chips, coke and fruit.  We can’t forget the lunch at the pub for long-awaited pizzas. 

Achilles Melbourne had conquered Werribee Gorge with smiles and great achievement. Thank you to Trail Bus your planning, transport, trail equipment, and making sure we were all safe. Thank you to Achilles Melbourne and Bupa for an opportunity for some of us would never have been possible without your help and support. 

With courage, we conquered and made it through the Gorge!

[this hike was sponsored by Bupa as part of Achilles Melbourne's hike/bush/trail program]
2 Comments
robin edwin link
9/5/2023 11:48:26 pm

I appreciate the way you address sensitive topics with grace and compassion.

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Turner Kozey link
17/5/2023 12:13:34 am

"This blog post is incredibly informative and well-researched. Thank you for sharing your expertise!"

Reply



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  • Home
  • ABOUT
    • 20 Years of Achilles >
      • 20th Anniversary Photos
      • Our history in photos
    • Achilles Code of Conduct
    • Guiding Tips
  • SYDNEY
    • About Us
    • Membership
    • Sydney Events
    • COVID1 9SafetyPlan
  • MELBOURNE
    • Training
    • About Us
    • Melbourne - FAQs
    • Events
    • Membership
    • Member's Portal
    • Contact Us
  • CANBERRA
    • About Us
  • BRISBANE
  • News
    • Achilles in the Media
  • HUNTERCENTRALCOAST