The Bibbulmun Track Part One - planning a thru hike

Ever since reading the 'Stumbling Thru' series by A. Digger Stolz, I have wanted to do a thru hike. There are many reasons why, not least of which was the attraction of living a minimalistic lifestyle, in which everything I needed to live I carried on my back.  I also wanted the experience of just living outdoors and in nature for an extended period of time. In 2017 I sat down and started to research trails.  Aspects of the track I was specifically looking for included:

• DISTANCE - I wanted to walk a long distance multi-week trail
• ACCESS TO WATER - It was important to me that there was regular access to water along the trail.  Carrying litres and litres of water is no fun!
• EASE OF NAVIGATION - I'm not a total dummy when it comes to navigation but I'm not at ease navigating with a map and compass on the daily, so I wanted a well signposted track
• LOW RISK - I have 3 children I wanted to come home to, so I didn't want to walk a track with risky river crossings etc
• TRAIL MAINTENANCE - I wanted to know that someone was maintaining the trail because there is nothing more frustrating than having to turn back because the trail is impassable.
• ABSENCE OF LIFE THREATENING MEGAFAUNA - speaks for itself really 

The trail that ticked all the boxes for me was the Bibbulmun Track.  This is a 1000km trail from Kalamunda, a suburb on the outskirts of Perth, to Albany on the south coast of Western Australia.

One of the things that attracted me to this trail was the fact that it is very diverse.  It passes through amazing karri and tingle forests, plains, boulder strewn hills and also coastal heathlands.
There are 49 campsites along the track spaced between 10km and 25km apart.  Each campsite has a three-sided timber shelter, a long drop toilet, and most importantly a water tank!
The trail passes through seven track towns on the way meaning you can regularly resupply food, shower, wash your clothes and sleep in a bed.
I'm going to be really honest here and add that I also chose the Bibbulmun because when I looked at the maps and elevations I naively and conceitedly thought that the track would be a piece of cake and didn't look particularly difficult.  I was wrong.....so wrong.......but more about that in future posts!

A funny thing happened on the way to Kalamunda... (Exercise and Multiple Sclerosis)

Having succesfully completed a 4 day hike of the Three Capes Track in Tasmania, I decided the most logical next move was to attempt a Thru-hike of the 1000km Bibbulmun Track in Western Australia.  

Just kidding! It didn't quite happen exactly like that but I did find myself in Albany, WA in March 2018 ready to embark on an incredible journey (I will write a separate blog post/posts about my Bibbulmun Track hike). 

I started my hike with a few little MS related issues that were still hanging around from my last relapse.  I couldn't lead up stairs with my left leg and I was still having balance issues which made 'stepping down' difficult, slow, and incredibly mentally draining.  However a really interesting thing happened.  By the time I came home, all of these issues had ironed themselves out.  I guess in a way, my hike had functioned as 4-8 hrs a day of intense physical therapy.  Repeatedly stepping up, down, and walking along uneven trails had forced me to do all of the things I found the most difficult.  Whether I 'healed' old damage or built new neural pathways I will never know, but by the time I came home my balance was back to normal, I could walk up and down stairs, and I was much quicker and more sure footed on descents.  By the time I flew back into Tasmania in May, I felt better than I had for years.  I felt 'normal' and as though I had just dreamed my MS.  

The starting point of my Bibbulmun Track Hike!

This led me to start doing some research into MS and exercise.  You see, in the past individuals with MS were advised to exercise carefully as getting overheated while exercising could often exacerbate symptoms...and there was the ever present fatigue to contend with.  However these days I think that this view is starting to change and it has a lot to do with a little thing called 'Brain Derived Neurotropic Factor' (BDNF).  BDNF is a protein that acts on certain neurons in the central and peripheral nervous system.  It is thought to support the survival of existing neurons and encourage the growth of new neurons and synapses.  Moderate to high intensity exercise (yes, you have to raise your heart rate) has been shown to markedly increase BDNF synthesis in the human brain - resulting in a threefold increase in levels of BDNF in the blood plasma and brain.  So not only was hiking up and down all those hills providing me with hours of physical therapy, but it was also encouraging my brain to heal itself and protect itself against further damage.

Unfortunately, once I got home and returned to normal every day life, I found that I started to feel 'unwell' again and little niggly MS problems once again appeared.  I decided to go and see a specialist neurophysiotherapist about my concerns and armed myself with a list of questions I needed answers to. 

The take home message from this appointment was that the most important thing that we can do as individuals with MS, is to keep on moving..... and move as much as possible.  

As a wife and a mother of three I find it incredibly hard to prioritise my needs first, but this is exactly what I need to do to stay as well as possible.  Obviously, there was only one solution....to keep on hiking!  I have tried to prioritise walking with my pack on at least 3-4 times a week.  I try to include hills and stairs in order to get my heart rate up for some BDNF production.  I have also been weight training at the gym because as well as all the other benefits of weight training, it certainly helps with carrying a heavy pack.  With the support of my husband, I have a lot of multi day hikes planned solo, with my family, and with friends to keep me motivated.  I look forward to sharing these adventures on this blog!

Why Hiking?

Being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis is life altering.  Quite apart from any physical disability that has occurred from lesions comes the realisation that life will never be the same again.  A few months after my diagnosis, I started to think about what my life with MS might look like.  I decided that most of the things I wanted to do (travel, have a productive veggie garden) I would still be able to do even if my mobility was limited.  However something that I would not be able to do is get out into nature and into the beautiful, wild places.  To this end, I started writing a bucket list of hikes I would like to do.  At that point in time, I was still having mobility issues so every single one seemed rather fanciful and far fetched.  However as a family we decided to do the Three Capes Track in Tasmania.  This was a fantastic first multi-day hike as my pack weight was reduced by not having to carry a tent, sleeping mat or cooking gear.  I started preparing by simply trying to walk regularly, and then progressed to walking wearing my pack with a few kilos in it.  I started with walks that were all flat, and progressed to routes that included hills and stairs. Even a few weeks before departure I still had accommodation booked in Port Arthur in case I didn't think I would be able to join the rest of my family! 

I'm pleased to say that I did successfully complete this hike. Even though it was physically difficult for me, I was bitten by the hiking bug and thus my Mid Life Hiking addiction was born!  I have since done more multi day hikes and have lots planned for the 2018/19 hiking season. Hiking has helped my MS in ways I never thought possible......which I will explore in my next blog post!  

Family photo at the start of the Three Capes Track.