Earlier this year I attended my first ever trail running training camp. I went along with a friend and fellow runner Justin. We travelled from Hobart to attend the inaugural training camp for the GPT100. We spent 4 days running through the epic trails of Gariwerd / Grampians. The experience has fuelled my motivation and given me a higher purpose for my training ever since. In this post I give an account of our time running through the glorious trails of Gariwerd.
| Day | Date | Route | Dist / Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 May 2023 | Chataqua Peak from Halls Gap | 6.09km +219m |
| 2 | 26 May 2023 | Mt Zero to Roses Gap | 23.13km +890m |
| 3 | 27 May 2023 | Griffin Fireline to Grampians Retreat | 36.16km +1869m |
| 4 | 28 May 2023 | Run the Gap | 21.72km +730m |
Planning
We started planning shortly after we registered for the training camp. Neither of us had been to the Grampians before so it was all foreign to us. Things began to fall into place. Justin said that he might be able to borrow his grandparents car. They live in Melbourne in a retirement village and seldom use their car. This solved the greatest hurdle of the planning process – how to get there. We booked flights and I booked the ‘Budget Cabin’ the cheapest room I could find.
Day 1 – Travel and Meeting the Group
Getting There
Justin travelled to Melbourne a day earlier than me to spend some time with his Grandparents then proceed to steal their car. I arrived in Melbourne the morning of the first day of the camp and wandered to the airport pick up area. I stood waiting in icy windy conditions that gave me grave concerns for the weather over the coming weekend. I would later look back and realise this was the coldest I was all weekend.
Justin arrived a few minutes later than planned due to missing an exit. Us Tasmanian’s get anxious driving on roads with anymore than two lanes. We were soon back onto the intimidating road network and heading on our way to Halls Gap. The rain and wind battered the car as Justin and Google Maps worked in partnership to get us out onto the country roads. We chatted non-stop about all things running and our grand plans for the year ahead.
We took an detour into Ballarat in search of food. Using google maps to navigate us to the nearest reasonably rated food joint we ended up at the Eureka Stockade Museum cafe. The running part of the weekend began early with us running the perimeter of the place in torrential rain looking for the entrance. Finally inside we acquired food and coffee surrounded by mostly retired women out for morning tea.
We roll into the Grampians Breeze caravan park at 3pm on the dot which happens to be our check in time. We are given the keys and informed that there is no toilet or shower in our cabin and we have to walk to a communal amenities block. Innovative cost saving features that make the budget cabin so affordable.
Making ourselves at home by scattering our belongings widely we then proceed to gather the few things needed for the first run of the camp. Driving into Halls Gap for the first time is a true Australian experience with paddocks either side of the road filled with Kangaroos and Emus. We pull into the carpark outside the visitor centre and see a car follow us in with Lucy Bartholomew in the passenger seat excitedly waving to us. There was no chance to be starstruck as Lucy came over and immediately introduced herself and Aaron the photographer.
First Group Run – Chataqua Peak
People in running attire descend from all directions on the Halls Gap visitor centre. We are greeted by Nigel and Joe, both race directors. They are handing out race bibs with everyone’s names emblazoned on them. A good idea for a group of mostly strangers and helpful for those with the name forgetting affliction. The gathering turns into a hive of meeting and greeting of like minded but unique individuals. I love the diversity of the trail running community, it attracts all sorts and they are usually the good sorts. Most people I am meeting for the first time except Majell, a person that seems to miraculously appear at every exciting trail running event.
The group is corralled and briefed on the run ahead. We were doing a short loop up to Chataqua Peak which overlooks Halls Gap. The Instagram reel contest is announced, we have to upload a reel using the GPT hash tags to go in the running to win a pair of Hokas. This was enough for me to install Instagram later on that night, I did the math and I thought there seemed like alright odds of winning some free shoes.
Formalities aside we started running towards the hills. Upwards of 50 of us made for a long snaking train of runners. Justin and I paid particular attention to the initial section of trail since it formed part of the GPT. While we ran we chatted to the many new running friends. It’s nice to be amongst a group of people that don’t accuse you of being crazy for wanting to run 100 miles. These are our tribe and they understand the insatiable desire to run long distances.
The horrendous weather clears for the the run and there are views from the high points. This being our first experience of the Grampians it gave us an idea of what we were in for and it excited me greatly. I got talking with Majell and asked him for advice on pacing for a 100 mile race. His advice that I am going to remember was, ‘there has to be no pressure’.
The technicality of the trails was immediately obvious and from what Majell was saying that’s the way it is for much of the GPT. I enjoy running on technical terrain but I’m unsure how I’ll go running 100 miles of it. We spend time on the top of Chataqua Peak taking in the views before descending down a different route back to our starting point at the Halls Gap visitor centre. We headed back to the cabin for a shower before heading back into town for dinner with the crew.
Dinner at Rock, Paper Scissors
Dinner was at Rock Paper Scissors Brewery in Halls Gap. Colin, another of the race directors greets us we arrive. It’s nice to get to meet and know the race directors before such a big event, makes for a friendly race vibe. We sat down on a table alongside Phil who used to live in Tasmania, the two Peters who are local runners and competitive mates, Steph and Alex a couple from Colac, John a bloke from Bendigo who set the FKT for self supported running the goldfields track (200km+) and Lou Clifton who recently came 3rd at the UTA100. A diverse interesting group to have dinner with.
Justin and I discussed whether to enter Run the Gap. It was happening on the Sunday and there were a few different length events. After some deliberation we made the executive decision to enter the longest 21.1km event and both registered there at dinner. We decided that we might as well get as much running in as possible while we were up there even if it wasn’t part of the GPT course. After good food and chats we headed back to our humble cabin and prepared ourselves for the following days adventures.
Day 2 – Mt Zero to Roses Gap
As day broke on the first proper long run day the tumultuous weather seemed to be easing and there were glimmers of blue sky. We were up bright and early for a quick coffee and some toast then drove into Halls Gap to meet outside the visitor centre at 8am. We were briefed about the day ahead. The large group is split into smaller groups based on how far we all plan to run. Justin and I opted for the longest run, and would continue to do so for the rest of the weekend.
We hop onto a small bus. Colin is driving and a local bloke called Ant who operates the buses hopped on and started to chat to us like a tour guide. He tells us all sorts of interesting information about the history of the Grampians from a geological perspective through to the human history. Just when we think he is done he takes off on another rant about how amazing the place is. We all learnt a lot from him, probably slightly too much if anything.
Ant eventually sat down and we were able to chat amongst ourselves. Justin and I were sitting alongside Steve Monahan, a trail running, carpenter poet who ran the whole GPT over 3 days with Joe and Majell last year. We chatted for quite some time about the course and life and such. The weather continued to get better as we drove towards Mt Zero.
The bus drops us at the Mt Zero picnic area. The location of the race start line and the beginning of the GPT. From this point the GPT follows yellow dorito shaped markers for 100 miles south to Dunkeld. In a matter of meteres we were climbing up flat rock and looking out towards Taipan Wall. I was feeling excited about this being the place I get to run my first 100 miles.
The group moves slowly while we all stop to take photos. It was apparent that the terrain is quite technical and the easy kilometres are few and far between. After the initial climb I am happy to find that there is some nice runnable trails. We passed the first official camp on the GPT and assessed the facilities. Passing over each high point reveals new and exciting majestic landscapes. After about 16kms we reached a creek crossing then climbed up to a road. We were at Roses Gap carpark which is the first aid station of the race.
There is a bus waiting here for those wanting to stop. Colin is walking around the carpark taking photos to help plan the aid station layout. We wait for a few minutes then a group of us decide to continue onwards with the promise of many beautiful waterfalls ahead. We soon start encountering waterfalls. They were so compelling that Peter and Tom both raced to climb a slippery rock to get under one of them. Beyond the waterfalls the trail begins to ascend and leads toward Mt Difficult.
The trails ahead were compelling but we had to take a left turn and head towards the bus. We ran past some amazing rock formations and then another final waterfall and a fun descent. This spat us out down to the road where the bus was waiting for us with our drop bags. The group morale was high after a great day exploring new and captivating trails.
Back in Halls Gap Justin and I treated ourselves to the ultimate combination of salt, carb, fat and I presume protein in the form of chips with gravy. The man selling us chips thinks I am a fossil hunter because of my Arc’teryx jacket. How this man could live in Halls Gap and not know that it was just an outdoor gear brand is baffling. Once he found out we were runners he proceeds to reel off his 5km PB followed by the rest of his running achievements.
Adequately refueled, Justin and I settled in for an afternoon of intense video editing to concoct our Instagram reels for the Hoka shoe contest. I spent longer than I care to admit working on mine.
Group Dinner at Camp Acacia
The generosity of the camp organisers continued with them providing dinner for us at Camp Acacia. We had good chats with our many new friends. Obscene amounts of pasta are consumed followed by dessert washed down with non-alcoholic beers. They certainly know how to please a large group of hungry runners.
Day 3 – Griffin Fireline to Dunkeld
We meet again out the front of the visitor centre and are loaded onto buses, this time headed south. The 30 minute drive highlighted the vastness of the area. It puts the distance we are destined to run in startling perspective. We jump off the bus on the main road and ran up a firetrail till we reached the Griffin Fireline carpark.
We ran through nice easy trails for a few kilometres before ascending to the hills. Our route had us follow the ridgeline of mountains the sprawled out ahead of us. Either side of us are flatlands covered in lush grass. Ahead of us was the whole days running plain to see. We are heading to the end of the mountains towards the eventual finish line of the race in Dunkeld. I was feeling great and started to visualise how I might feel at this stage of the race with 140km already in the legs. I was grateful to experience the area on good terms.
We descended down to Cassidys Gap, the location of an aid station on race day. From this point we could see a whole heap of climbing to come. First was Signal Peak, followed by Mt Abrupt. Moving in a group meant that we were going slower than I would usually go on my own. So I was cruising along but not paying attention to fuelling, this would come back to bite me later on. Unable to resist the bagging of peaks we took a detour to the summit of Signal Peak and have a photo to prove it.
Floating along trails chatting to fellow runners on a glorious day, I was reveling in the ideal circumstances. There is nothing I would be rather doing. I continued my discussions with Majell delving deeper into race strategies. I squirreled away plenty of wisdon into the archive room to be drawn upon when required.
We climbed the final hill of the day, a small one comparatively. I visualised myself doing this final climb on race day and wondered what kind of state I would be in. We stopped at the top to look down over Dunkeld. I ate a gel and started to realise that I had been underfuelling all day. The run was taking longer than expected and I had been forgetting to keep calories coming in.
Justin and I took off down the hill and left the group behind. We both love a fast technical downhill. The pace was brisk and had I not stopped to stow a gel wrapper halfway down we would have nabbed the strava crown. We jokingly suggested that we could attempt to claim the crown on race day.
We waited at the bottom of the hill for some of the crew to arrive. When there was a few of us gathered we got moving again. Justin and I ended up out ahead again but we were so close to finishing that we decided to push on. I was starting to bonk and the prospect of lunch at the Grampians Retreat was driving me onwards.
Grampians Retreat Lunch
Justin and I stumbled into the dining hall at Grampians Retreat. It was filled with all of the runners that chose the shorter routes. We were spent. I grabbed chocolates and a can of coke and headed for the showers. The rest of our group trickled in shortly after and we all went to town on the food offerings. Yet another generous supply of food.
The bus ride back to Halls Gap began with conversation but soon went quiet as many fell asleep. Back in Halls Gap we hopped off the bus and this signified the end of the official training camp. To wrap it up we all jumped together for a group photo. The camp may have been over but for many of us we still had a race to run the following day. Justin and I went and grabbed our race bibs for Run the Gap before heading back to the cabin for an extremely early night.
Day 4 – Run the Gap
We woke to torrential rain pounding the roof and had gratitude for the watertight integrity of the budget cabin. Packing away our gear and preparing for the race we both felt the fatigue of many days of running. We drove into town and luckily got a park near the start. We ran a lap around the footy oval to warm up our tired legs then gathered at the start line. The rain was finally subsiding so I stowed my rain coat knowing it would be no use in the race.
I moved to the front of the group once the race started. The first part of the race is on a path beside the road, and as such the starting pace was fast. I hung on to the front runners along with the other Joe (Dorph). We formed a close knit group of 7 runners. I mentioned to Joe that it was a fast start and weird to be clustered in a group. We both seemed comfortable at that pace initially and so did the others in the group. Usually you can tell if someone is running faster than they should from their laboured breathing.
The group stayed together for the first 5km. We jostled and rearranged like a cycling peloton. There was no talking, just fast running. Too fast for conversation. Some of the front runners would glance back every now and then to see who was chasing them. As the firetrail began to undulate I was finding it harder to keep up with the group. At 8km I decided to let myself fall behind the group rather than destroying myself to keep up. This was a good decision.
I was now able to set my own pace and it felt more sustainable. We were less than halfway through so I didn’t want to blow up this early. The first climb began at around 10km and I used this opportunity to choke down a caffeine gel. I alternated between running and hiking on the climb. Part way up I overtook a runner. Even though I had slowed down I was still busting a gut to get to the top. I took off once the climb was over and felt amazing.
I was rewarded for the climb with an extremely fun technical descent. I ran as fast as I possibly could. It felt dangerous and exhilarating. I overtook one then another person on the downhill section. The terrain flattened out at the bottom and I kept up the pace making the most of the runnable slightly downhill terrain. I knew to expect many ups and downs in this final section. I had been warned by some fellow training camp companions.
The ups and downs were brutal as expected. I had forgotten how many there was meant to be so I just took them as they came. The climbs were so steep that I was spinning my wheels. I went as fast as I could on the downhills. Ahead I saw another runner and over the course of a couple of undulations I was able to catch him. I sped past on one of the descents. Finally it seemed that the hellish rollercoaster was over and I reached a small bridge the took me to a road.
On the road I could see runners everywhere. They were running the shorter events. I didn’t have anyone to follow so I just ran in the direction that made sense and was soon back on the main road headed towards the town centre. This section felt like it went on forever. I had been warned about this finish so I knew it was long and flat. Running full speed on flat was so hard after the previous exertions. The cheers of the other runners kept me going. Then I ran past Majell, Lucy and Steve running the other direction who cheered me on.
Finally I could see the finish arch and I was able to finish relatively strong. I crossed the line to see Joe Dorph standing there. I asked how he went and he casually said ‘yeah.. I got it’, his way of saying he won. I ended up with 4th position. Justin and Cecilia came through soon after. Cecilia being the winning female. The GPT camp crew cleaned up.
Beyond the Training Camp
The completion of Run the Gap was the end of our running for the weekend. Justin and I began our journey home. We stopped in Ballarat to visit an old friend of mine and to get some local cuisine. Justin ordered a plate of clips and gravy that was so immense that an elderly lady was compelled to ask what on earth it was. She seemed impressed or maybe disgusted. Justin dropped me at the airport and I flew home and was back at work the following day suffering from a physical and mental comedown from such an epic weekend.
We had discussed wanting to come back to check out more trails. It felt like we had only just scratched the surface of the GPT. We only covered about 50km of the 100 mile course. The planning began for Training Camp 2.0 shortly after we got back home. The goal being to see the entirety of the course before the big event. My next post will tell the story of our intensive self guided GTP Training Camp 2.0.