Jaseinthewild

Time to head home.

After a couple of weeks in the UK, it was finally time to head home.

I'd spent most of my time in Ireland, followed by a few days in our London office, catching up with the global Ancestry acquisition team.

Now it was home time, and I absolutely couldn't wait. Before I could fly home though, I had a few hours to kill, so I did as Jason does, I walked. A whirlwind tour of London in the final hours before jetting home was actually very pleasant, as for the most part the sun was shining!

Having already been away in New Zealand prior to the UK, and knowing full well that I'd have just two weeks back home before travelling again, I was keen to get home and annoy Areli and Tulum as much as possible.

The good news was that for the next travel (Mexico), we would be together - well, not Tulum, sorry Tulum. But Areli and I would be off to Mexico to visit family and enjoy a Mexican Christmas 🎄🌮

Vamos!

The Cliffs of Noher.

That's right, not Moher.

I'm actually a little South of the main tourist hotspot, at a place called Jordan Denning Point.

I was keen to get a bit of the wild Atlantic Coast, but I veered Southward in the hopes of finding a walking path that wasn't flanked by tourist buses. Given the low season, it was probably an easier task than usual. Nevertheless, I set my sights on this point and galloped my way over in my little silver steed.

Upon arrival, some thrifty locals had set up a car park, for which you paid a small stipend to utilise, fair. However, walking a short way up the path to then find the walking track was closed ahead, less fair.

So my plans for a lengthy wander along the winding, scenic coastline was instead cut short and replaced with a short walk, followed by a me+tripod photoshoot...work it...

Seemingly displeased with my photographic prowess, the tripod proceeded to steal a piece of flesh from my thumb, no doubt as some weird keepsake to be forever jammed within its plastic hinges.

But, despite being scammed for the parking and sporting a minor flesh wound, I was pretty darn happy. What a beautiful, wild place. What a privilege it was to explore and wander, and to be lost in my own thoughts against the rugged backdrop.

When it all goes wrong….

Ok, that's a tad dramatic. But of all the long walks I've planned, this one goes down as the biggest fai-learning opportunity.

I had roughly planned (first mistake) a ~500km trek from Cork, in Ireland's South, to Derry, in Ireland's North. It was a direct A to B, right up the heart of Ireland. I chose this route for a few reasons, (a) because I have previously enjoyed a road trip around the coast of Ireland and wanted to see the heartland this time, (b) I had a very tight window in which to complete the walk and therefore needed the most direct route and (c), which was that I had originally hoped to go full Top to Bottom, but with Mizen Head closed that plan became too difficult logistically.

The adventure went wrong almost immediately, with my bag (containing all of my trekking gear) failing to arrive in London. I was only meant to transit through London briefly on my way over to Cork, so that I was all set to start the walk early the following day. However, the result of my missing bag was an overnight stay in London that pushed everything back 24hrs, and made a difficult time frame, even harder.

Once I had regained possession of my bag, and made it to Cork, I began the first 14hr walk a day later than initially planned, but also due to my replacement flight to Cork, much later in the day than I had originally planned - meaning I was walking well into the final hours of the evening.

The first day of walking also enlightened me to the serious flaw in the route I had planned. Taking the most direct 'A to B' route meant that the walk was almost entirely along the roadside. I had known this of course, but knowing and experiencing are two different things. The Irish roads hit different, there's typically no shoulder to walk on, and the roads are often lined with blackberry bushes, which grab and rip your clothes. The frequency of trucks, tractors and cars, and the absence of shoulders means that you're in and out of the bushes constantly, and not only is this a real pain in the glutes, but it's also very dangerous.

None of this was new to me, I've certainly had similar experiences, but after 14hrs (Day 1 of 9), I asked myself whether it was (a) enjoyable (b) safe, and most importantly, (c) whether I was up for another 9 days of the same experience.

The answer, no. The daily KMs were too high with a pack, the time on route too long, the terrain too monotonous, and the risks too constant to continue.

So, I had to pivot. Pivoting had its own challenges, let me assure you, but it meant that I was free to get away from the pavement, and find some different adventures while I was in Ireland. I hired a car, and I was off…

New store, new kicks, what a morning! 😎

As of yesterday, the brand spanking new Columbia Australia store in the Sydney CBD is open to the public.

Myself and others were invited to come by on Friday, 24hrs before the official opening to celebrate the completion of the new store, but also the launch of a new pair of Columbia shoes - the Konos TRS OutDry.

Columbia have been very supportive of my adventures over the years, and so having the opportunity to whip on the new shoes, and KEEP them, means that I absolutely need to put them to the test. Believe me, I intend to.

I'm genuinely excited about these shoes though. Why you ask? Because having recently walked to Jarvis Bay in a combination of hard boots and very worn runners, I've been on the lookout for a new pair of trusty shoes that'll take me 100km+ in a single walk. After trying these shoes on and having a small walk, my initial feeling is that they'll be up to the task. Knowing that I can wear the gear that I need, and that the gear is coming from my friends at Columbia is hugely satisfying.

So, that brings us to the real testing of the Konos. Soon. Next month is my birthday, and to celebrate I plan for my body to suffer again...

More on that later.

For now, a big thank you to Columbia. I still wear the same Omni-Max jacket from my Tassie Trek (in 2021) today, I love it, but it might be time to upgrade from the silver lining that's been so well loved over the years, to that new glorious gold 🤩

Also a big thank you to Areli, who took on videographer and photographer duties during the event! Nailed it 😁

'The Southern Express' - Part 2 (113kms / 22hrs)

I've just completed my most recent long distance trek, Sydney to Jarvis Bay. This chunky 218km walk was split into two non-stop parts that traversed Gadigal, Kamaygal, Bidjigal, and Gweagal Country, throughout the Eora & Tharawal Nations.

The second portion of the trek totalled 113km & 22hrs, on a route stretching from Wollongong to Huskisson, Jervis Bay.

After arriving previously in Wollongong, I took a day to see if I could recover from the battering I took during Part 1. I did my best to eat plenty of food, I washed my clothes and re-packed my bag, and importantly, I went about popping several blisters - one by one. I've held back sharing some of those images, because apparently people don’t want to see big ol' angry blisters oozing with ewww-ness.

After a day to recover, I felt good enough to tackle a second walk - even if I was only likely to complete a portion of it. I set my expectations low, and decided to just do my best. I was now wearing different shoes too, much more comfortable - but not water proof. To try and counter that, I purchased small garbage bags and wrapped my foot + innersole in a bag to retain traction but repel water. It's not silly if it works, and it did (for a time).

I departed Wollongong and made my way South, mostly along the coast. I wandered through Kembla, Warilla, Shellharbour and by sunset I was in Kiama - which meant Kiama Coastal Track (South end) time. I tried to avoid it, I tried to find a way around… Why, because in the horizontal rain, the exposed ocean side trail, complete with soaked grass and mud trails did not sound like a sensible portion of the 113km route. But, it was unavoidable.

Within moments of hitting that trail my feet were soaked, a few moments later I was covered in mud thanks to a little slip and slide I performed down a steep portion of track. But the best part, the very best most wonderful part - that was the surprise waiting for me end the end of the several KM trail… A swollen water crossing. By this point I had crossed many creeks, but this was no mere creek, rather it was the Merry Lagoon and the water crossing was wide, relatively deep and pitch black.

I had two choices, attempt a crossing, or walk several KMs back to Kiama, in the rain, mud and cold. Across the water was Gerringong, and more importantly, dinner options.

I don’t have the space here to detail the full experience, but it involved attempting to acquire a nearby kayak, taking off my pants, delving in to black waters, and ultimately, exiting the water victorious. I wish I could have recorded the experience, but I was wholly focused on my safety - no hands for cameras.

The high from that successful crossing was soon dulled by every decent food option in Gerringong being closed before 9pm, and then the brutally mundane, dark and silent 30km road walk along Gerroa / Bolong Rd. That was a psychological challenge without a doubt.

At 3am I could have been found at the Nowra McDonald's stuffing my face in a Dinner / Breakfast feast, before tackling the final 20kms to Jervis Bay. I was a little cold, a little soggy, a little sandy but very determined to hit my end goal - and I did.

22hrs after starting in Wollongong, I walked into Huskisson and completed my 218km walk.

It was wet, it was wild, but I got it done.