The Blue Mountains

Thanks again to my Learning in Outdoor Education class at Sydney Uni where I was able to spend a weekend full of hiking and bonding in the Blue Mountains! Once again, to my family and friends, this blog is an assignment for this class, but still feel free to read and comment (:

The Blue Mountains, located outside of Sydney, New South Wales. They are referred to as blue because they look blue from a distance. 

To begin, the Blue Mountains is a mountainous region outside of Sydney. It was about a 2 hour train ride from Central Station to Katoomba Station. Again, it was an early morning getting to the station by 7:40am to arrive in Katoomba at 10:20a. We were going to be there for 3 days, August 29th - 31st, and the weather was going to be clear! However, it was still technically winter, so we were told to expect very cold nights around the campfire and in the cabins.

Unlike the last trip to the Royal National Park, I was so excited to get on my way to the mountains and to a great weekend of getting to know new people. The train ride was also fun! There was not so much sleeping on the ride from my cabin mates, CeCe, Britta, Michelle, Monique, and Jeann a, who all sat together on the train ride. We were just too excited, regardless of the early departure. Also, if we slept we would miss out on all the spectacular views on the way…

DAY 1: Scenic World

Before we knew it, we were at Katoomba, where we then all filed onto a charter bus to take us to Scenic World, which was where we were going to hike our first day. Ian had told us in the last lecture that the hike would be about a medium level compared to the other hikes we had over the next few days. To hike the Blue Mountains you start at the top of the cliffs and then hike down and back up, which is different from a normal hike in the mountains. The guides told us that European explorers had trouble when they first colonised Australia because they thought you hiked up and not down. I thought that was interesting, anyway I was randomly put into Joel's group. Joel was not with us on the trip to the Royal National Park, so he was new to the group. Otherwise, he was very chill and cool, letting our group go at our own pace through the hike and would occasionally share thoughts about the Blue Mountains. I did have a chat with him and some other new friends about "where I think I will be in 5 years." Everyone knows that is a hard question, but it was in the Blue Mountains did I realise that I don' t need to worry about it this second and that your plan can change in an instant. So with that, I decided to spend more time trying new things and discover myself with these new adventures I pursue while abroad in Australia. At least, I will start looking at PhD programs and figuring out my future when I return home to the States. 

The small hole I crawled through!

And with those thoughts, I took on the challenge of squeezing through a small opening in the rocks. Below is a picture of the opening and Meredith took a video of me crawling out from the other side. I have to say, I was not worried when I began the crawl to the other side, especially since larger guys did it before me. However, the space then got smaller and smaller and there was a moment where I could not move. That is when I began thinking I couldn't do it, but then I was encouraged by Joel and other friends of mine to keep moving my legs. With that, I made it! I had so much adrenaline once I was out and was so proud of all who were in my group of completing that challenge. At the end of the day, it was physically possible for everyone, but mentally it was difficult. It was all just in the mind set.

As the day went on, everyone was wondering what made this hike so challenging. So far, the hike was pretty relaxing with all the beautiful views and more touristy activities. But then we reached…The Giant Stairway. It is about 900 stairs up to the 3 sisters, it is actually 889 stairs I think…someone counted once. This was the most challenging part of the day! At least our group was very supportive and we took our time up the stairs, so we would have no injuries. I have to say there were moments I was breathing so hard and I had thoughts that I couldn't complete it or I wouldn't make it by sun down.

The Giant Stairway and we look "happy", but we were very tired.

If you haven't figured it out, I did make it up the Giant Stairway alive! Looking back at it now it really wasn't that challenging, I am just glad I was able to do it and really thankful for the experience. Not many people are able to experience the opportunities I am having right now, even people who have lived in Australia their entire life. Also, here are the incredible views once we got to the top:

Truly priceless, however you can see these views without hiking /: Even though anyone can see these, I can say that I climbed the Giant Stairway and hiked in the Blue Mountains! 

With that, we returned to our cabins after shopping for our dinners at the local Wooly's. That is when I was given the task to build a fire in our cabin to stay warm. It did not go so well. Luckily, Ian came to save the day and showed us how to build our fire. We needed heaps more of little sticks and brush. 

Britta and me working on the fire! Fiat Lux (;

For dinner we had beef and lamb burgers with green beans and corn on the cob. We then joined the group for some games and roasting marshmallows around the campfire. Some of the activities we did included singing everyone's national anthem (the USA being the largest, loudest, and most patriotic group), reflect on the day, telephone, 2 truths and a lie, 20 questions, and the assassin. Pretty exhausting first night and I was disappointed in the Australian marshmallows, not as good as the ones back in the states, AND Australia doesn't have graham crackers ): No smores tonight…

DAY 2: Evan's Lookout, Grand Canyon Walk…

The creepy fog at Evan's Lookout.

Today was going to be a long day of hiking. We were told it was going to be the hardest hike of the weekend and soon enough I discovered why. We began at Evan's Lookout, which looked over a basin of the Blue Mountains, which was covered in fog when we first arrived. There we also chose our group for the day, where I ended up with Nicki who I was with on the hike in the Royal National Park! There were also some familiar and new faces in my group. Then we started discussing the hike, which was essentially a U shape, where we would start hiking down to the river, then follow the river, and then hike up back to the top. After that, we were handed maps and compasses, with the intention that WE were in control of where we would go that day. And with that we were off, a little nervous about figuring out what trail s to take to get to the place we wanted to go.

The top and bottom of the mountains. 

The beginning of the hike was difficult due to the downhill slope, slippery rocks, and many river crosses. I freaked out the group by slipping a few times, I blame my shoes for not being hiking boots and for being 4 years old. Otherwise, no injuries and some minor scratches and bruises, nothing to be worried about. Niko also slipped a lot and by the end of the day, we agreed that he should just stay still…at all times. The hike got easier once we got down to the basin and there were some pretty views of waterfalls on the way down. At lunch, it was just crazy looking up at where we started and thinking we hiked all that way in such a short amount of time, but then the thought of climbing up hit the group…

After a relaxing lunch, we began our hike up. So far, we were meshing as a group really well and working together to use the compass and map to figure out which ways to go. This was really important because at lunch time, we waited for a while for Ian's group to meet us there and that's is when we found out they momentarily lost 2 people in their group! Glad that wasn't me. My group was also really supportive once we started hiking up hill. Trevor and Nicki gave us brainteasers to solve while hiking, which was a great distraction from reality. I never did figure out the riddle ): CeCe and I also sang toward the top, which was a great way to take a break from hiking. Singing always relaxes me and "Sound of Music" is always a good one to sing while on a hill/mountain. Another great way to relax was to stop, look out at the mountains and waterfalls, and reflect. The views just got better and better as we got closer and closer to the top!

The many views of the Blue Mountains.

Once we made it to the top, excitement filled the group and we congratulated each other on a job well done. I had the greatest feeling at the end! We were the first ones to make it, so then we formed a tunnel for the remaining groups to run through as they made it to the top. We cheered as they all ran to the top. With that we saw their energy go up and they too were so happy and proud to have made it up. Some of the people from the other groups thanked us for being so supportive and shared how it made their day better. Some really struggled on that final stretch of the hike. So much happened during this hike, which I cannot describe in words, that was just incredible. Lots of reflection and bonding with the group occurred and will be remembered for the rest of my life.

Then we were off to the campsite, with everyone who came to the Blue Mountains, to have dinner (pasta with beef sausages) and conduct more campfire activities. Tonight, I was assigned to lead one of the games, which I was really looking forward to because I loved the game I played with the group. The campfire ran the same way it did the first night, reflection and activities, such as heads up, story telling, and my game 'pterodactyl' but with fruits and vegetables. It turned out really fun, everyone loved my game, and thought I did a great job leading it, which was reassuring since Ian was grading me on it. Then we returned back to our cabins to find a special guest in our living room.

The Huntsman on our ceiling and me with it after catching it.

We were all relaxing in the living room until Monique spotted a spider on the door. It was a Huntsman. It probably came from the firewood we brought into the house. I don't like killing anything, so I told the group I would catch it and release it back into the wild. That is when it began to tease us and climb up onto the ceiling. That was a little freaky, but then I caught it with a cup on the ceiling and slid one of the maps under it to then take a selfie with him and let him outside. Monique was freaked out for the rest of the night.

DAY 3: Wentworth Falls

Our final day in the Blue Mountains was told to be our easiest day…even though there were some difficult parts in the hike as the day went on. For this hike, I made sure to choose Ian as my guide, since he was the one who knew everything you would want to know or not want to know (; The hike began with many waterfalls, which felt very similar to my time hiking in the rain forests of Costa Rica, but it was a little chillier. The waterfalls were beautiful!

Just one of the many waterfalls seen on our hike.

I really did enjoy being in Ian's group, I learned a lot about Ian, his daughter, Holly, who accompanied us on the trip, plants, and birds. I have to say, Holly is incredible, especially for an 11 year old! Ian also likes taking panoramas…

A pano of my group on Sunday!

We continued hiking to the perfect lunch spot next to a waterfall and very cold pool of water. Some of my fellow mates went for a swim, but I opted out this time, especially since we had a ways to go and were running behind.

Once we finished lunch, Ian told us that we were going to hike up to the top of the waterfall! Pictures cannot show how tall that waterfall was, but before I knew it we were on our way with no turning back. Now hiking up wet, slippery stairs is not very fun, but if you spend the time with friends it ends up being a grand old time. I was mostly hiking with CeCe and Runal, who I still hangout with today. I don't remember what we chatted about, but we did make some memorable pit stops on the way up.

As you can see in the picture, ladders, steps, and waterfalls were involved on our journey to the top. It was quite a beautiful and exhausting trip, but as always so worth it! Just like on the first day, as we got closer to the top the landmarks got more touristy and lots of people were there. Again, we could have saw the top of the waterfall by not hiking, but then we completed an incredible hike and weekend that not many Australians get to experience. Just another reason to be grateful for the opportunities I have taken on. I have grown so much from this one weekend and from the whole class. I have learned a lot about myself and the power my mind has on my physical abilities. Thanks to this class I feel that I am truly discovering the beauty of Australia and making the most of my time the short 5 months I am here.

To conclude, I have a reflective video I took once we completed the most difficult part of the hike up that last waterfall:

BLOGGING: 

Finally, I just want to add how great this blog has been at reflecting my experiences and thoughts on these trips I have done with my outdoor education class. This is definitely a better medium for this assignment. It is better than writing a paper or a diary because it is more personal and you can include pictures and videos. Blogs are definitely more personal because you are writing to a different audience. Reflections on experiences should be more personal since they have a greater impact on the individual. Also, the tone is different in a blog depending on who you are writing for. I am writing my blog for the class, but also my family and friends, so I will include different things, be more honest, and more reflective. Blogs are also great for including pictures and videos into your narrative, which is nice because sometimes a picture or video is the only way to express your feelings. I am not a big writer, so I feel pictures and videos are a great way for me to communicate what I want to share.

Of course there are some down sides to blogs. It takes some time to figure out how to add pictures, videos, and format the blog. You also need to create a blog, which can be a hassle to those who don't already have one. Luckily, I started my blog before I got to Australia with the intention of sharing my experiences through it while abroad. However, once you create one and master the blogging site you gain a lot of skills that can be applicable to any job and be a nice addition to a resume.

                                                                                                                                                       

Thanks again to those who read my blog and I hope you enjoyed my time in the beautiful Blue Mountains. I just want to give a shot out to Ian, Nicki, Wayne, Joel, Holly, and the entire Learning in Outdoor Education class for making this once in a lifetime experience an incredible one!

Cheers!

Group pic!