We love our small mountain ‘Mount Chinny’. My son and I can see her from our verandah, keeping guard over our cute country town near Byron Bay, and she figures in many local photos:
She’s the peak on the right
Supposedly, she’s the cap of the volcano ‘Mount Warning’, which blew her off millennia ago; you can see that parent mountain in the far distance:
An extinct volcano, I’m happy to say
The base of Mt Chinny is on private land though, so access for the general public is restricted.
But this Saturday, all that is going to change: 500 lucky entrants are going to compete in ‘The Chinny Charge’, which was last run 16 years ago, and won by a sugar cane cutter in his bare feet!
I bought son ’17’ his entry ticket in the race, then realized I could just walk up it like other sane old people, and bought myself one too.
I’ve launched into a heavy training regime. Not. I drive to the steepest hill around here, which leads to a disused water tower, and walk up it, listening to loud Australian hip hop.
I’ve been doing it for nearly a week. I walked up and down 3 times, then 5, then 7, then 8. Today I did 8 again. I’m gonna do 2 x 10, rest on Friday, and then Saturday is the Charge to the top.
It gets very steep towards the top (of the water tower road, not the mountain. Obviously that is steep). The last 20 steps are the hardest (I counted: it’s 200 FYI). My incredibly fit friend says the urge to stop is all in your mind… I dunno about that, it sure feels like it’s a burnin’ and a weakenin’ in my thighs…
But anyway, the views at sunset are great (from the water tower road, not the mountain):
It’s wild to think that on Saturday I’ll be up there, taking photos looking down… Stay tuned to see if I make it (I have no doubt that ’17’ will, even though he’s done zero training *sigh * sometimes I hate young people, and their boundless energy).
bone&silver 
You will make it! Can’t wait for the pics!
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Thanks! 💪🏼💪🏼
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Good luck to you, if you still have training try some steps with a weighted backpack
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Thanks- yes, that’s a great idea Jad 😃
It’ll kill me 😩
But totally a good idea- I’ll do it today 💪🏼💪🏼
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Don’t go too heavy helps if you weight it with rocks and stuff so you can offload without littering or leaving stuff behind if the weight gets too much
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Oh goodness, you sound like an FBI agent or something! ‘Bond, Jad Bond.’ 😜
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Hahaha love Jad Bond!!!
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It is all in the mind. You can do it!
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Thanks Claire- that sounds like the voice of experience, so I’m going to remember that… 👍🏼🙏🏼
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You can do it! Gorgeous photos, G. I’m looking forward to more…from the top. 😊
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Thanks L- yes, me too- I’m going to make sure my phone is fully charged so I can play lotsa music AND go photo crazy 😊
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Go, you!!! … I tell myself that one day they’ll be as old as me and then they’ll be sorry! 😀
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hahaha, true!! : )
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Your luscious photos are almost reward enough before you set foot on the Chinny Charge, and your training routine sounds eminently practical. Have fun!
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Thanks Rachel : )
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LOL…sometimes I hate young people, too! Have a great time!
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😘
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