The flies are everywhere. Multitudes of tiny feet tickle every piece of exposed skin as my arms swat in desperation. A cocktail of sweat and dust cakes my face. I lick my lips and glance up at the path before me. It is barely discernible from the tangle of bush around me. Stringybarks hang their textured limbs in every direction. Grevilleas, orchids, wattles and banksias carpet the ground underneath the flaccid arms of the giant Grampian gum.
I heave my water bottle from my pack and guzzle down a mouthful of sweet refreshing liquid. It is mid morning and my partner and I have been climbing steadily upwards. The track is uneven and overgrown. Around every corner nasty little rocks jump out and bite unsuspecting toes. Thin branches have left red welts upon my arms like the mark of a swinging whip. I glance up at the path before me. My partner is disappearing into the maze of khaki coloured leaves and branches. I grit my teeth and once again begin to climb the steep slope.
The path curls up the mountainside like a stream of pipe smoke. As we near the first ridge the swaying gums thin out, to be replaced by large boulders and rocky cliff faces. We pass through a deep chasm, formed by two huge slabs of lichen covered rock. In the cool shadows intricate ferns and moss languish in tiny crevices.
As we come out onto the first ridge, the mountain’s peak continues to tower over us. It taunts us to climb further. Huge slabs of rock cover the mountain like plate covered armour. Tiny gum trees and bushes struggle to get their roots through the fissures that splinter in every direction.
Now on an uneven surface of granite, we push ourselves to the summit. An hour later, two red faces covered in sweat but lit with grins of accomplishment reach the top of Mount Abrupt. It is one of the tallest mountains in this range and towers over the southern reaches of the Grampians. The view takes our breath away. Green extends to the horizon, only broken by the patchwork of straw-coloured paddocks to the south. The main road through the Grampians is like a tiny grey cord snaking through the velvety green carpet.
We lay on our backs and close our eyes. The only sound to be heard is the whistling of wind and the occasional melody of small birds that dart over us. I open my eyes to the azure sky. Puffs of whiteness are like tiny sheep in the giant paddock of blue. Small dots become larger, transforming into three graceful eagles. They soar above us, their golden feathers seemingly weightless on the air currents.
With great regret we leave the peace of Mount Abrupt. The sun lowers on the horizon sending streaks of apricot across the sky. Though it had taken us most of the day to climb the mountain, we had not seen a soul. Definitely an experience off the beaten track …
