Yes, an imaginative title, I know.
This was a training run in prep for the Yurrebilla Ultramarathon, just needing to log a reasonable distance and some reasonable elevation. With that in mind I decided to lengthen a 20 km run I've done before, from Mount George to Mount Lofty, along the spur that leads to The Cedars, - Hans Heysen's (as in, who the trail is named after) house - just outside of Hahndorf. This spur also has a loop option, either going through the Mount Lofty Botanic Gardens or heading up the Eurilla track, a steep climb up, essentially, the eastern (back or non-Adelaide, if you will) side of Mount Lofty.
So I settled upon up Eurilla, down through the gardens. But taking the long way around to the gardens by dropping down the other (Adelaide) side of Lofty, into Chambers Gully, so that I have to climb back up again, just to keep the elevation on point.
Heading out from the Mount George trailhead/carpark/picnic area the first thing that I noticed was how nice it that it wasn't so dark that I needed a headtorch. This area has lots of tall timber and is in a bit of a hollow, so this run was one of the first to really notice these first signs of spring. Up on the ridges, the sun always hits early, but down here it tends to stay dark. And kinda spooky. Anyway, although there was light, it wasn't yet warm; it was still frosty and cold, so winter hadn't quite disappeared.
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| Flowers were springing for, well, Spring! |
Crossing the bridges over Cox Creek, there was plenty of water running, making quite the noise. With this is mind, I planned a subtle deviation away from the Heysen on this outward leg, sticking to the road, as the trail crosses a section that is notoriously boggy in winter. Passing the stile to access this particular section, there was plenty of mud and standing (no doubt freezing!) puddles. I decided that dry feet for more, rather than less, of the run would be nice, and as I had the option why not?
By the time I got over to the base of the Eurilla climb, the sun had started to warm up a little and melt the frost away. A mob of Roos had all decided that this was a good enough reason to hang out the base of the climb and were in no way bothered to move as I came by.
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| Some of many Roos enjoying the sun. |
Eurilla track is steep. Much shorter than the well known Waterfall Gully - Mt Lofty hike, but possibly steeper and certainly far less - i.e. no! - other people. But up to the top and the typical view across Adelaide was laid out in front of me. However, there was the usual array of Lorna Jane lycra, so only a quick stop and off down the hill and a quick turn off onto Wine Shanty Track. Heading around the perimeter of Cleland on this trail, I passed a number of others out and about running, presumably a fair few in training for Yurrebilla. Heysen and Yurrebilla diverge from Wine Shanty, but I continued on, branching off onto Chambers Gully Trail (Yes, Chambers is the one that heads up to Greenhill Rd; Bartril Gully is the one that goes straight on and joins to Long Ridge Track - learn the difference Adelaide!!! :D) and then Kilto Loop.
Joining back with Chambers Gully and down the hill, I then joined the 'goat track' up to Long Ridge. The sun was in full effect by now, but the wind was too, so not a long stop.
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| View from Long Ridge. |
Up long ridge and back on to the Heysen/Yurrebilla, I followed the alternate just under the Lofty Summit out towards the Botanic Gardens. I'd not run through the gardens before. The last time we tried to, they were closed! Anyway, I followed the windy, hardpack trail through the gardens. Less step than Eurilla for sure, though a few spots with 'interesting' trail marking (thanks phone!), I got back to the spur trail and this time left the road and headed across the boggy section. A couple of guys were chainsawing a huge fallen gum, and must've been wondering what I was up to. And, to form, this section was wet and muddy, proving my choice to deviate earlier was the right one. Over the golf course which was being played by now (fore!), and back over the rushing creek and heading for the car.
Standing under Mount George, it seemed crazy not to go for a quick lap of the summit, so I headed up to that too. More great views, though this time, back toward Lofty rather than over Adelaide. Always nice to hang out on the rocks up top there, today was no different, especially under sun and blue skies.
Hesyen Totals: ~17.3km covered today, 27.8km of Heysen in total.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/690199304
Labels: heysen, heysen trail, HYSN, running, trailrunning, ultramarathon, ultrarunning, Y56k, YUM, YUR, yurrebilla, yurrebilla trail
