The document is about a man who goes on a hiking and trekking trip in the Himalayas in Nepal. It discusses how he has been preparing physically for the trip, which will involve walking at high elevations of up to 4000 meters with no shops or electricity. It describes the trip as more demanding than casual travel due to the level of fitness, preparation, and commitment required. It also mentions using a tour group that focuses on responsible travel and minimizing environmental impact.

1. Travellers
checks
with BRAD CROUCH
PUB:MAILESCAPEDATE:5-NOV-2006PAGE:3ED:STATECOL:CMYK
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HE last two months have been
tough. I’ve been in training.
The long lunches have been cut
back to four a week, the late
nights to three (plus weekends).
Just kidding. I’ve seriously been having
a crack at knocking myself into shape,
to head off on a trip.
As you read this, I hopefully will be
trekking in the Himalayas in Nepal on a
hefty range going up to almost 4000m
(Mt Kosciuszko is 2228m), giving
reportedly spectacular views of the big
one – Everest.
Some trips you just chuck a few things
in a bag and go for it. Head for a beach,
laze around, and so long as you have
a few dollars, you can buy pretty much
what you need, from a T-shirt to a meal.
If you feel hungry, drop in at a cafe;
if you want something, go to the shop.
This trip is different. Trekking demands
a certain level of fitness, preparation and
commitment.
We’ll be walking among remote
mountains – no electricity or shops –
camping out in regions twice the
elevation of Australia’s high country,
testing our mettle while soaking up one
of the most magnificent regions on Earth
. . . at least, that is the plan.
At 40-something I’ve gotten a bit
‘‘soft’’, you might say. Flabby, even.
But there are plenty of introductory
treks in Nepal suited to Spongebobs such
as me, provided you have a reasonable
crack at getting in shape.
Thus, the gym, the hikes up Mt Lofty
with backpack, and always using stairs
instead of the lift.
Yet really, it is what we all should be
doing anyway – I’ve not felt better for
a long time.
Then there is the group I am going
with. World Expeditions have sent
booklets about ‘‘responsible travel’’.
They have ‘‘porter initiatives’’ to look
after the Sherpa guides. They have
policies on everything from disposal of
toilet paper to using non-polluting
toothpaste.
Take only photos, leave only
footprints, that sort of caper.
They cost a little extra, because they
use kerosine for cooking and heating,
rather than wood, to protect Nepal’s
forests. It makes you think, not just pack.
I’ve made a commitment to the trek,
to the small group I’m travelling with and
to the country and culture I’m visiting.
It feels good.
It might be life-changing. It might just
be good fun. Then again, I know people
who have suffered altitude sickness on
treks and been carted down by yak.
My plan is to take lots of photos. Leave
a few footprints. And perhaps come back
with a new perspective on life. I’ll let you
know how it goes.
Backyard discoveries
Sunday Mail, November 5, 2006 escape.com.au 3
QFT0239/ASM. Licence No TA 1556. IMPORTANT INFORMATION: *Prices are correct as at 27 October 2006 but may fluctuate due to changes in surcharges and taxes. An additional $12 per passenger per ticket Credit Card
Service Fee will be applied to transactions paid by credit or charge card. Return travel in economy class from Adelaide. A fee of $40 applies for each passenger booked via Qantas Telephone Sales, Qantas Travel outlets and Qantas
Airport locations. Limited availability Cancellation Fees Qantas Airways Limited ABN 16 009 661 901.
*Price based on payment by BPAY for bookings made on qantas.com at least 7 days prior to departure.
Sale ends 10 November 2006
Direct services three times a week $966*
from
Singapore Non-Stop
Travel until 23 November 2006 & February 26 – 31 March 2007
Book now at qantas.com
Phone 13 13 13 or see your travel agent
Taking the plunge:
now I’m a grommet
It’snevertoolatetowipeout,
says CRAIGMALIN
Lowdown
/adelaidenow
SEE THE
SURFERS
IN ACTION
N
OT everyone can get away
with saying ‘‘gnarly’’ with a
straight face – it helps if
you’re a blond-headed,
sun-tanned surfer dude by the
name of Jock.
For a 38-year-old whose closest
wave encounter has been ordering
surf ’n’ turf at a beachside bistro,
it’s not so easy.
Gazing over the enormous
stretch of Middleton beach, Jock,
my soon-to-be surf instructor, was
explaining how these were some of
the ‘‘gnarliest’’ waves within a short
drive of Adelaide.
Just right for a moment of mid-
life crisis – I was stoked, man.
Rush between the Fleurieu’s
tried-and-true holiday spots and
you can miss great places in the
middle – such as Middleton.
For thousands of years its
turquoise waters, between Victor
Harbor and Goolwa, have been a
winter getaway for southern right
whales, but lately, an ever-growing
pod of two-legged tourists have
given the area new life.
From the main road, the town is
a sleepy gathering of shops and old
stone houses, but turn off the
highway and you discover a suburb
of new two-storey holiday ‘‘shacks’’
along the dunes.
No traffic, no high-rise, and no
noise – it’s a place where families
spend lazy days drifting between
beach and barbecue, couples nestle
in B&Bs, and groups of 20-some-
things gather for a weekend of you-
don’t-want-to-know what.
Just up the road is Port Elliot,
with its mix of heritage buildings,
trendy clothes stores, organic food
shops and cafes.
And, less than an hour from
Adelaide, it was ideal for a weekend
getaway with my partner, Anna,
staying in a heritage-listed B&B,
Mindacowie Seachange.
We arrived at Middleton beach to
find the water busy with morning
surfers, from Gidget-era grandpas
to knee-high grommets. There we
met Jock, a uni student and
competitive surfer with one of the
best jobs going: an instructor with
adventure company Surf & Sun.
Jock kitted me up with a wetsuit
and a surfboard the size of a small
yacht (if I couldn’t hang five on that
then there was no hope) and we
joined the rest of the class, all of
them barely teenagers.
‘ ‘ T h e y ’ r e a l l y o u n g a n d
enthusiastic,’’ Jock joked to Anna,
who was happy relaxing with a
book on the far-from-crowded
beach. With the sand as his
blackboard, he explained the
theory of wave-ology, led us on a
quick warm-up jog and showed us
how to stand on our boards.
We were ready to hit the surf but
it wasn’t long before any dreams we
had of being the next Kelly Slater
sunk into a swirl of white, foamy
water.
Boards flew in one direction,
arms and legs in another, and the
title of Patrick Swayze’s surf movie
Point Break suddenly had new
meaning: Generation X surely
stood for X-ray.
A few more spectacular wipeouts
and a few tips from Jock and the
class was having a great time just
feeling like we’d been put through
the spin cycle.
Naturally, it was the youngest
classmate who caught the first
wave, an eight-year-old who looked
like he’d been doing it for years.
‘‘Most people get a wave by the
end of the class,’’ Jock yelled over
the noise of the waves and,
eventually, I did. Violently jerking
around while I tried to keep
balance, it wasn’t the coolest look
but I could at least say I’d surfed.
And, after two hours of energy
sapping fun it was time graduate
– a ‘‘grommet’’ at the age of 38.
The writer wiped out courtesy
of Surf ’n’ Sun
GETTING THERE: Middleton is on
Port Elliot Rd, between Victor
Harbor and Goolwa.
PACKAGE: Two-hour surf lessons
are $40 a person. Surf ’n’ Sun is
holding Rip Curl Girls Go Surfing
lessons on December 9 and 10 –
surfers also get a bag of goodies
including a singlet top and
perfume samples
WHERE TO STAY: Mindacowie
Seachange B&B,
www.mindacowie.com
DETAILS: 1800 786 386,
www.surfnsun.com.au;
www.fleurieupeninsula.com.au
WAVE BREAK: A Surf ’n’
Sun lesson and (inset)
Middleton beach