We were up early and set off to hike up Frenchman’s Peak (262 m), about 3k and 1 hr 35 minutes. The first part was easy but as we got higher it was straight up a sheer granite rock face at only slightly less of an angle than the climbing face of The Chief in Squamish. We stopped near the top to go down into the cave. It looks as if someone added a piece of granite to the top of the mountain to cover a big crater – imagine the crater of a volcano with a chunk of rock placed randomly on top. It was erie knowing you were underneath such a huge piece of rock but the picture frame view of the surrounding landscape kept our attention excited. Then we had one last scramble over more tock to the summit. The wind was ferocious at the top as the four of us competed for wobble space on the pinnacle. The views were well worth the climb. Below lay the turquoise ocean , the milky white talcum powder beaches, and the vastness of the coastal saltbush heath. I am addicted to reaching the top of any mountain or hill that is accessible to me and summiting gives me the same elation or “runner’s high” as completing a long run or race.
The journey down put a big strain on our knees and legs and although it needed less energy was almost as hard as going up. Another example of exercising our brains.
We came back to the campsite for some free time before setting off for the main event of the day – another cross country beach hike. Down on the beach I had a coffee from the little mobile café set up to allow its customers to sit and ruminate over the picture perfect ocean while sipping on a delicious coffee. Bliss!! Four kangaroos on the beach sought our attention – two mothers and two babies. Sadly, I think people feed them, so they become very friendly and inquisitive to find food. They approached us brazenly, even allowed people to touch them, and the mothers stood motionless in front of us while their babies suckled their milk.
Then before we knew it, we were heading over to Hellfire Bay, lunch, and the start of our walk. I don’t have the words to describe the beauty of these smiling, friendly beaches with their white powder sand and aquamarine waters. So momentarily we exchanged our hiking clothes for a swim and had fun playing in the waves. Then we had an Aussie adaptation of hot dogs for lunch on the beach, and finally set off on our hike. This time it was about 7 k and 2+ hours of climbing up and down over the boulders and hills and coastal heath while feasting our eyes on the most beautiful coastline with an archipelago of islands and sheltered beaches of white sand and aquamarine oceans. Each time we climbed the view just kept getting better, until exhiliarated and filled to the brim with beauty we reached the end of the walk, to be welcomed home by a couple of kangaroos!!
We got back just before sunset, had dinner, and were in bed by 9:30 p.m. The wind had risen and it was shades of our visit to Patagonia in 2007 – but not quite as strong a wind. It knocked one of the tents down and broke the spokes. We had fun erecting a new one with the wind-bellows trying to blow the tent up rather than let us erect it behind the truck for Anne.
Then, the sound of the ocean drowned out the roar of the wind and lulled us into a deep sleep under the star lit sky. Are you getting the picture of how gorgeous it is here in Camp Le Grande?
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