A short history by Phil Meyer of "F Troop" Microsoft (aka "The Blue Ribbon Team")
Cradle Mountain to Hobart for The Shepherd Centre and Cochlear Research
Day 0 - Saturday March 16, 2002 - Flight to Hobart from Sydney at 7.50am. Unpack the bikes and set them up at the airport then off to Salamanca Inn. Dumped what we only needed when we got back to Hobart, ate a Gypsy Roll and onto the bus for the 4 hour drive to Cradle Mountain Huts. The bus is about to leave and "BANG" Matt Robards back pack, critical to the next couple of days, split. Katamandu store is just around the corner so Matt and I bolt to the shop and guess what's on special? You got it - 60 litre pack half price.
Onto the bus and finally we get to the huts in the dark. We then sorted what we needed for the hike into bag packs and the rest into the support vehicle bag. We wouldn't see them until after the first kayak leg at the end of Day 2. Dinner and Bed.
Day 1 - Up before sunrise and lift in small vans to Dove Lake then wait, and wait, in the freezing cold wind until the rest of the teams arrived by van. Finally we got started with a long climb to Marion Lookout - jackets off on the way up and quickly on again at the top. Now it's really cold. The Overland Track walk begins - Kitchen Hut, Windermere Hut for lunch, Waterfall Hut for water, and 80+ photos in the first day. Great views of Cradle Mountain Spur, Mt Oakleigh, Windermere Lake, Mill Lake. Each of the team - Matt Robards, Chris Ridd, Terry Clancy and I - have between 8 and 15kgs in the pack including sleeping bag, tent, cooking utensils, clothes and food. We called ourselves "F Troop". Around 6.30pm we reach Pelion Hut and camp for the night. OK - we're tied now and a 3 minute pasta meal never tasted so good. The rice was the best though - cooked absorption method to perfection ready for breakfast. Beautiful night - I've never seen so many stars. Shame about the snoring - Chris ended up outside the hut sleeping on the deck with Possums.
Day 2 - Up before sunrise with a quick cup tea, our "great" rice with vegemite and apricot jam, some cereal and refill of water bottles. Off we go - less photos, less stops and more committed to a strong walk and it worked. We were the third team to arrive at the kayak point at the top of Lake St Clair. We hurried to change into kayak gear and ... waited for another 2 teams to arrive. Into the kayaks and "ohhh" what a trip. Winds were up and so where the waves. I was too heavy, Terry too light. It was tough going. We finished in the dark, cold and wet to set up tent and enjoy and beautiful warm, 7 minute, 50 cent shower at the campsite. A choice of pasta, pasta and pasta for dinner but it was great that someone else made it for us. We packed our food tight to hide it from the "Giant Tasmanian Possums" and off to bed.
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Day 3 - Good nights sleep in the tent with big breakfast - cereal and toast but hey - it was warm in the kitchen. Onto the bikes for a short 12 k ride to the top of Lake King William. Our plan to change the paddling teams worked. Matt and Phil together and Chris and Terry together worked much better. We actually finished the leg first. Onto the bikes - again - and off we go. Again fantastic views and one of the best downhill bitumen sections - Chris hit over 70 kph. Sun came out and we actually need to put sunscreen on. Then the it happened - the reason we became know as "The Blue Ribbon Team". We'd been following blue ribbon markers all day and came across a tree by the side of the road with two blue ribbons around it. "Follow the blue ribbons" and we did - well I did anyway - for 35 minutes every 10m there was a blue ribbon in the thick wilderness. Totally wrecked my bike pants. Finally, finally after falling out of audio contact with the rest of the team for 10 minutes I decided to head back. So frustrating thinking "maybe the goal is only one more blue ribbon away" and then giving up. But it was a balance between determination and craziness. 90 minutes after starting into the wilderness I emerged to the team and organisers 1) glad to know I was still alive and well, and 2) annoyed I'd separated from the team.
Onto the bikes and ride into camp another 20k - we were way out in front and now ended up one of the last in with limited choice on campsites. Laksa for dinner and a few beers. Off to bed before it rained.
Day 4 - In good spirits and recharged the team headed off after a cereal and bread breakfast. Dirty roads, great downhills and pumping. We were really going well. The frustration of the day before had inspired us to ride hard. We arrived in Ouse in the rain to enjoy a coffee at the local roadhouse. Then out came the sun as we pushed up a long dirt hill near Repulse Bay. Onward to another uphill on bitumen then to Ellendale for lunch. Very quick lunch - we were freezing in the rain and wind. Onto Fentonbury, Westerway, Glenora, Bushy Park, Plenty and finally Salmon Ponds for coffee at the bistro, a wash in the freezing creek, enjoy a BBQ for dinner with a few beers and early night.
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Day 5 - Sunny day - hooray. After a quick breakfast it was back on the bikes for a short ride to the river and more kayaking. This time on a very disappointing rapid :-(. We expected so much more. It was a beautiful paddle though to New Norfolk most downstream but a big U turn and half way back again for lunch. That was tough into the wind but the team dug deep and powered. Matt and I were like the Battleship Missouri in the combined 185kg class some 20-30kgs heavier than the others but we were right there at the end.
Onto the bikes after lunch for a HUGE dirt climb thru Collins Gap to Springdale and then on tar downhill to Collinsvale. What a downhill - Chris hit 70+ kph again, Matt laid a 30m strip of rubber on a hairpin bend just coming to stop before the cliff. Another team had a guy come off on the same bend loosing heaps of skin of the elbow and butt.
Again early into camp meant choice of site and a chance to dry a few clothes in the sun. Once everyone was in I headed to the airport to help a person from each team pack the bikes for the trip home. BBQ, beer and bed for our last night in the tents and a big hike into Hobart on Day 6.
Day 6 - Another glorious day with cereal and TOAST for breakfast - mmmm. Thankfully there was no need for a big back pack for this walk since the support vans carried the tents, clothes, etc. The hike up Mt Hull was tough but the view of Hobart at the top was such an experience. Hard to describe - relief, excitement, awe, awakening, elation - but there was more to come. After a few photos with all the Microsoft teams united we then realised what was ahead. More climbing to the top of Mt Wellington then an unbelievable decent on the Zig Zag track to the base of the mountain - 1270 metres high - then a walk through the suburbs from the Cascade Brewery to Zum Cafe in Salamanca Place. The downhill took an nearly 5 hours and was torturous effort for Matt who's knees were really hurting. Inspirational to see him grit it out.
We felt 10 foot tall walking through the streets of Hobart to the Cafe. It was such an incredible challenge and we felt so glad and sore to have completed it. The beer and focaccia at the Cafe just evaporated. The pool at the hotel was such a relief.
Dinner back at Zum Cafe with all the teams - a huge steak for me and a glass or three of red wine followed by coffee. Some went on for a "foam party", others reflected over more drinks in quieter places, eventually everyone retired to comfortable beds and a short nights sleep.
On the way Home - Really nice breakfast with Chris at the Retro cafe and onto the bus to the airport. Everyone's pretty quiet after the late night and the challenge just reading and chatting. I think most people slept on the flight - I did. Once in Sydney it's a long wait for the bike to connect with the bags and us before finding a taxi and heading home.
Each of us have something to take away from the challenge. Something we learnt, something we'll remember. For each it will be different even though it was the same Challenge. Overcoming a challenge gives us strength and personal reward, and very simply makes us happy.
On Thursday August 1, 2002 a few of the Microsoft team gathered at the Shepherd Centre in Chatswood to present the cheque and meet some of the children who have implants.
Click here for the maps of the trip
