heartbreakingly beautiful mt maroon

yesterday i headed out to mt maroon (past rathdowney) with the brisbane bushwalkers. this mountain is a training test before applying to do mt barney (which looks directly across from mt maroon - see film clip). i read that it was only 6km mountain, and assumed with all my kokoda training that it would be challenging but not too hard. so of course it was a huge challenge, you get out of the car and just go straight up no warm up. just climbing up over very rocky ground, one step at a time for about 2km. i havent been feeling so well this last week and think i have hit a training block, so after about 20mins i thought "i'm not going to make it" and would have to go back. lovely mary (70 year old experienced hiker) waited with me, she is an amazon woman, just incredible fitness!!! and kept going by then lots of others were droping back so was able to keep up. we had morning tea at an outcrop with great views and then headed up the next section. by this time it was rock scrambling and having to use your hands to try and pull yourself up between the rocks, great for the legs and arms. we made it up to the top peak at about 11.30 am for lunch and i took some lovely photos and videoclips. the wind was amazing and the view of mt barney a little scary, but i have decided that it is my goal for 2011, even though it will be quite dangerous with lots of exposed rockface, it would be an amazing achievement. the return trip was a killer on the legs and joints and having to go down on my butt to get down some of the crevices but made it down by 2.30pm, changed clothes and had coffee in beaudesert. so was it harder than my kokoda training, yep you bet, my quads are killing me today and even my rib muscles are sore, but was well worth it for the views. the plan is in two weeks to take my other team members up, hope i dont get them lost as there is not much signage and the track is not really visible, i think the idea is to just keep going up and you'll get there. next weekend is a long one with hiking from syd duncan park through to the finish line, hopefully no snakes this time.