Class 5 Hike

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Made it! "Handrail Pool" at Weano Gorge

Tom Price Caravan Park & Karijini National Park

After a lazy day yesterday, our plan today was for an early start at the gorges. I suggested to Mark that we skip breakfast and fast, so we could get away sooner.  He vetoed that idea, reminding me of our separation of powers (more on that in the next blog).

 So at 950am, after a hearty breakfast, we pulled out of the campervan site to head to Karijini National Park. It did occur to me that Jonathan and Sue would have done two gorges by this time. 

Anyway our plan was to do a "Class 4" walk, the Upper Weano trail" because Class 5 hikes were  clearly marked for as "very fit and experienced hikers" involving spider walking, scrambling, and other similarly intimidating verbs. 

So we started out on our walk. It truly beautiful descending down the hill into the gorge. And yes it was quite challenging, with nimble navigation of loose rocks required.
Descending into the gorge


About one third of the way there 


Look at the colours in these rocks 

Anyway, after about 1.5Ks we came to a fork in the path. The Class 4 walk continued up the hill (our intended pathway) and Class 5 walk went down hill. A guy coming the other direction told us the rock pool down hill was stunning and the walk was not too difficult "as long as you take it easy". There the story might have ended - but for the four 70+ year olds right behind us who confidently proceeded onto the Class 5 route...

We upgraded our ambitions and followed suit. We spider-walked and scrambled - and bended, stretched, lunged, straddled, balanced, and contorted. I was immensely proud of myself; feeling that my years of pilates had paid off.

Then a young woman waltzes by wearing crocs, not long after followed by a barefoot child. Mean time the 70+ year olds were so far in front of us we had lost sight of them. 
 
Despite this hit to our class 5 hiking self-esteem, the grand finale at the end of the walk made up for it. We had to launch ourselves straight down a wall to the rock pool via a single hand rail… 



Handrail to pool

We made it! We rewarded ourselves with a rest and low-carb protein bar - energy to return.

The rockpool at the bottom of the gorge

Hiking back

Proof!

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