1000 Reasons To Live

"1000 Reasons To Live"

“1000 Reasons TO Live”

I am standing up to join Team Black Dog along with some fellow mates to turn ground-breaking research into lifesaving action.

On the 11th of March some mates are getting together to raise awareness around mental health and setting out to attempt a 1000 kilometre mountain bike ride with some fellow mates to raise money for mental health.

Mental illness affects 1 in 5 Australians every year, with the most common being depression and anxiety. Mental illness does not discriminate. It affects people from all walks of life — individuals, families, workplaces and communities.

So on the 11th of March we are setting off on one of the hardest rides to be attempted in Australia. This consists of a 1,000 km journey through the rooftop of Australia along back country trails, across exposed high plains, through snow gum woodlands, among tall native forests and some of Australia’s best high country campsites . The trail links Canberra to Melbourne over 7 to 10 days with minimum to no resupply points.

The trail was developed back in 2016 by Dan Hunt and the route links two of Australia’s major cities, Canberra and Melbourne, and traverses some of Australia’s most beautiful high country. The route links some amazing campsites and historic alpine huts, provides limited resupply points, and mixes in some challenging hike-a-bike sections, as well as river and creek crossings.

Encompassing the Kosciuszko, Alpine and Namadgi National Parks, the route will take us into the heart of the most remote and uniquely Australian alpine wilderness areas. The Australian Alps have a geological history dating back 160 million years and are unlike regions commonly associated with the term alpine, such as the Andes or the Himalayas. Rather, the Australian alpine region is essentially an uplifted plain made up of grand plateaus surrounded by eroded steep valleys. The nature of the landscape means we will spend hundreds of kilometres on top of the world. But, what goes up must come down and we will be working hard for those high trail views.

We will be weaving together a network of fire trails, alpine paths, gravel tracks and country roads gradually making our way to Melbourne. The trail conditions and the elevation profile are about as varied as the alpine weather can be. This all combines to make the route a beautiful challenge with an ascent amount of about 20000 metres in elevation gain over the 1000kms that we will be covering.

On the back roads and trails, we are unlikely to have any company other than our thoughts and the occasional wild brumby. We will be passing through some small towns and will be meeting with the friendly locals along the way to have a chat. We may even stop into Omeo in time for an afternoon beer then stop in for a pot at the Hilltop Hotel.

We are attempting this ride to raise awareness around Mental Health because this topic settles deep into the hearts of 1 in 5 Australians. They say 1 hour of activity per day can help prevent depression and improve your mental health. Through the ride, we will be getting 7 to 10 days’ worth of exercise but also pushing through the high ascents over the 1000 kilometres. Some people would see the ride as being a hard slog but physical exhaustion is nothing compared to dealing with depression and anxiety on a daily basis. If we can raise $10000.00 it can help health professionals care for more rural Australians by educating 50 health professionals on the latest mental health research and clinical evidence.

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