Pioneer Women's Trail

I've had this run on my radar for a fair while, but for a variety of reasons it hasn't panned out. However, as we approach summer (well... kinda. Weather's been interesting this year, Winter is still trying to hang on) and the likelihood of increasing temps, the idea of 25km with an uphill profile was not looking like an easy to complete proposition.

First/last sign at Brock Reserve, Beaumont
The trail was established as a commemoration of the pioneer women of the Hahndorf region who would carry produce from the hills to Adelaide to sell, navigating the hills as they went, often overnight. The trail as it stands only starts at Beaumont (very end/top of Glynburn Road) rather than the city, and makes use of quiet back roads, road reserve and some fire/access tracks within Cleland and Mt George parks. It also finishes at Verdun, rather than Hahndorf, due to the lack of a specific pedestrian crossing of the Onkaparinga River - I just ran against traffic, over the road bridge for the whole 20 metres before reaching the road shoulder again, on the other side. As such, it's not overly technical, but starting at the city end, does mean that you start low and finish at a higher elevation, so it's not flat.

On the day itself, the weather was certainly variable - 4 seasons in one morning, sun, rain, cloud, cool, warm - and made for a few slippery sections through Cleland, damp and muddy through Mt George and forced a small diversion at Bridgewater as Cox Creek was flowing strongly, making it awkward to follow the trail proper. But with overall cool temps (high teens, I think), it was certainly easier than the more typical mid-high 20s we get in spring, and the 30-40+ of summer.

Wonder what the pioneers would think of having trees planted for them? 

With large sections of the trail from Crafers to Stirling and around Aldgate and then Bridgewater, Verdun and Hahndorf using roads, it was mostly quite easy going. If only the legs had a bit more pep in them (Still YUM? The local TRSA Kuitpo race the previous weekend? Maybe just poor food choices in the lead up...) it's a doable run, but still good for a reasonable hit out at over 24km and almost 700m of elevation gain. With coffee/ice-cream/beer welcoming you when you reach Hahndorf, it ticks boxes.

The 'true' (?) finish, at Pioneer Park, Main St Hahndorf.

If I'm honest, I'm already pondering doing it again, including the return leg back down to the city, for a big training day of around 50km. It was fun, even though I wasn't particularly feeling speedy on the day. It was tough, though as I've said, not as tough as it would've been for the actual pioneer women, but not destructively so. There are other options that could be explored too, looping down to Mylor using the Heysen spur trail, or over and up to Mt Lofty when in Cleland. But for now, the PWT is done and ticked off, it's time for other Iconic Trails to be explored.

Labels: , , , , ,