Why on earth would I use a heading like ‘The Emotional Roller Coaster‘ for one of my blogs? Because this one is personal. By now you all know how much I love taking a challenging hike through any of the amazing walks through the Cathedral Ranges, that’s true I honestly love this place. However, there is one hike/climb up there that has plagued my mind for years, why? Because I just couldn’t do it. That’s right the lady who spends all her free time doing and writing about amazing family friendly walks has one which is her Achilles heals of sorts which is/was Sugarloaf Peak in the Cathedral Ranges. Now my last sentence has one very important word in it ‘was’, and I am as proud as punch to say I can now say from this day on Sugarloaf Peak was one thing I couldn’t do. Not anymore, it’s been conquered, by me.
You can reach the Sugarloaf Peak via either Wells Cave or the Canyon, my suggestion to all would be if you would like to do a loop head along the Wells Cave track then up to the Razorback and down Canyon track. If you are there just to do Wells Cave, again I would suggest you still go up Wells Cave and down the Canyon. If like us you just want to go up to Sugarloaf Peak and back down go the Canyon track both ways. I found Wells Cave particularly challenging, but that’s a whole other blog my friends. So heading up the Canyon track starts by gradually ascending via stairs and a path that one needs to take heed along, as there are rocks coming up from the ground that you can walk on or walk around. It is not a ‘challenging‘ track by any means just one to have your wits about you when doing. there are some huge and lovely rock faces along the walk, as you can see in the second photo above that make you stop in your tracks and think wow. Twenty minutes into this beautiful walk you will hit your first vertical ascend, and if your like me (and a few others I saw today) it will hit you like a big fat sack of potatoes, hard.
Today I made it to the orange marker before exclaiming to all that ‘I can’t do it, I am stuck and need to get down’. To which my poor husband obviously thought here we go again as he has heard that twice before. This time he calmly said ’thats ok back down we go, Mum is not comfortable‘. Of course in my usual dramatic fashion ‘ I called back I’m actually ok I can do it . . . If you come back down and help me’ which of course he did. There were times today that I clung onto those rocks for dear life, thinking to myself that’s it I’m going to fall and seriously hurt myself. Truth be told I may have slid a metre or two and grazed myself a little, but there was no use telling me that sort of sensibility. Against all odds I made it to the top of this section, which goes further up than can be seen in the photo (in my only defence). I felt on top of the world, except for the harsh realisation that ’what goes up must come down‘, I decided to put that thought aside momentarily whilst I hiked to the top to enjoy the view.
And enjoy the view we did, it truly cannot be beaten. I don’t feel as though by sharing the above photos that I am giving anything away because I assure you that seeing this for yourself in person gives you that added feeling of accomplishment that means more than a photo. But the photos give you and idea of just how wonderful Sugarloaf Peak is. The boys explored the Razorback while I sat and took in the peace apart from the happy sounds of people laughing and reflecting on their journey up here.
So we have had fun at the top but it’s getting late in the day and we are going to lose the sunlight soon, it’s time to head back down. Instant fear has at the time of taking this snuck in. I was so proud of making it to the top but how on earth will I get down? My meaty rump of course, when in doubt slide your way to the bottom bit by bit just like me. A huge sigh of relief could be heard aloud from me whilst in my head I thought what was all my fuss about. I will definitely be doing that again, hopefully next time with a bit of added confidence in the knowledge that you can, I can, we all can do anything we put our minds to. It doesn’t matter if it takes a week or a month or 5 years if it’s something you really want to do, do it and if you can’t do it that’s ok too just keep trying.
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