IT’S a big mistake to ever start out on a hike thinking, “this’ll be easy.” It never is. In retrospect, I should have surmised something from the name, Grampians Peaks Trail, but the modest quoted daily distances and estimated walk times had me looking forward to a leisurely stroll combined with plenty of lazy afternoons with a book.
This long awaited 13 day/164km trail through one of Victoria’s most treasured national parks, dominated by tilted sandstone mountains and striking rock formations, opened on 13 November and I was there at the starting line, a willing guinea pig eager to launch myself on the new product. But as with any fresh and untested route, there were a few surprises ahead.
The GPT is a one-way hike starting from Mt Zero at the northern end of Gariwerd Grampians and winding its way over the Mt Difficult, Mt William and Serra Ranges to finish in the tiny town of Dunkeld in the south. It’s graded mostly Level 4 and 5 (another red flag I managed to
