Federation Peak, The Peak that Challenged us скачать в хорошем качестве

Federation Peak, The Peak that Challenged us

What a hike this was! Day 1: Let me start by saying this was one of the shittiest starts we have ever had. This trip was meant to be a simple 2 night and 3 day hike. We arrived late at the starting point and it was not even our fault. We were originally told to go to the place(wrong starting point), and after a few hours of confusion we finally made it to the real starting point. The road was so bad that we had to stop the car about 7 kilometres before the actual start. Which meant we had to cover that extra distance on foot. A very rough beginning. We eventually started the hike, but because of the late start we could not reach our planned campsite in time. We ended up pitching the tent in the middle of the track. Thankfully the weather was kind to us and the day went smoothly. Day 2: We left early because we knew we needed to make up the lost distance from Day 1.After hours of muddy, slippery, up and down terrain, we finally reached the campsite we were supposed to reach on the first day. At that moment we realised that there was no way we could climb Federation Peak and return to this same campsite in a single day. So we decided to stay where we were. By the end of Day 2, it became clear that we needed to extend the trip. Day 3: We planned to reach the peak and return with only our daypacks, hoping the lighter load would make it possible.But things turned out differently. We woke up early and began walking around 6.30 in the morning. Aside from wanting to reach the summit, we had a new mission. We needed to get high enough to find phone signal and let our families know we would be coming home a day later. The morning went quickly. Suddenly it was close to 1 in the afternoon and we were still around two hours away from the summit. That was when we accepted we would not make it in time. Even though we were so close, reaching the top was not possible. We were also stressed because we still could not contact our families. So we had a quick lunch, turned around and started rushing back. If we did not beat the daylight, crossing the rainforest in darkness would be dangerous. We arrived back at camp around 6.30 in the evening. Twelve hours gone in a blink. Our feet were completely ruined. We cooked dinner, rested well and prepared ourselves for what we knew would be a tough final day. Day 4: Who would’ve guessed… It was raining when we woke up. Perfect. We looked at each other and said, “Forget breakfast. Let’s just pack and go.” We both laughed and that’s exactly what we did. Goodbye breakfast. See you at home. As we hiked, the rain slowly faded, but the morning fog and the bloody leeches made things interesting. Despite the obstacles, we were happy to be heading back. But we both knew the worst part was still waiting for us: that extra 7 km back to the car. Goodness. Eventually we made it back safely. Although we definitely donated some blood to the jungle natives (the leeches). Ahaha. At the end, this hike reminded us that it was never about reaching to the top. It was about the journey itself, the person beside you and the memories along the way. Even though we did not reach the top, we came back safely. And honestly, that is all that matters. The challenges, the jokes, the frustration, the quiet moments and everything in between made this trip special. Federation Peak truly challenged us, and that is exactly why we will never forget this experience. Our third member of this group could not attend this hike, but we hope to see you in our last dance. Thank you for watching/reading.