Shall we sign up for the Trek? One team decided  they would try Leg 1 before they registered. Here’s what their team leader, Julia, had to say.

“3 of us did a test walk for Stage 1 of the the Trek last Thursday – it was superb, I am about to fill in the registration form. We had the
most perfect day, apparently there had been a lot of rain the night before so the water was bucketing over the falls and spray being blown back by the strong westerlies, coming down like rain. Amazing spectacle looking up at water coming down in slow motion. Quite a bit of water on parts of the track so I expect going will be slow with lots of people on the narrow bits. We are slow anyway.

“We crossed the creek above Weeping Rock according to your instructions, it was the narrrowest and shallowest at that time. Found we needed to refer to the notes a lot as none of us knew the area.”

Everyone is doing such a wonderful job raising funds for Trek for Timor, we thought you might like to know more about one of the areas where we work. Some of our volunteers have just come back from Hato Builico and brought with them this short film of the area and the problems encountered by the people living there.

Local business puts their best food forward for a good cause…

Blue Mountains-based Whisk & Pin are proud to announce their support and involvement in the “Blue Mountains Trek for Timor 2010”.

Whisk & Pin have donated a generous sum of money to the cause; and their participating team of four trekkers is active in personal fundraising for the trek.

All wristbands to be worn by trekkers are being donated by Whisk & Pin; and even more exciting – their infamous 50g muesli cookies will be available at checkpoints.

“We are delighted to be involved in this local fundraiser; a fundraiser that has truly inspired our team at Whisk & Pin. Our delicious muesli cookies packed with wholesome goodness, are sure to give that extra energy required on the day…” Graham Sandilant, Whisk & Pin

www.whiskandpin.com.au

What better company team building exercise – a bunch of colleagues at Rheem Australia have got together to tackle the 45km Trek for Timor. And what’s more, Rheem have generously agreed to match their sponsorship dollar for dollar.

Could YOU make up your own company team? You could ask your company to help with sponsorship, get colleagues to come along and support your efforts and even persuade them to work as volunteers on the Trek.

With the very hot name of “In Hot Water”, the team from Rheem told us a bit about themselves.

About us: Our backgrounds are a mix of IT, Engineering and Finance and we are all based at our Head Office in Rydalmere Sydney.  Some members have participated in charity treks before – Oxfam TrailWalker and Wild Endurance, but we all enjoy the serenity of trekking, and the challenge of completing the distance before the cut-off time. Our ages also vary (most are closely guarded secrets).  As a group we sense the anticipation and camaraderie in tackling this challenge.

Why do it: We cannot envisage a time when teams will be unimportant.  No matter what profession, more than likely, you will be asked to contribute to a team.    The Trek for Timor provides our team “In Hot Water” a challenge as a team and for the individuals – Cielo, Nicole, Paul & Chris x 2. Plus it is an opportunity to raise much need funds for Timor whilst having fun getting fit.

About our organisation: Rheem is the name trusted by the experts to provide reliable, efficient water heating in every domestic and commercial application.  Trust based on over 60 years of experience and expertise.  Rheem offers a big range of high quality gas, electric, or solar fuelled water heaters and has a well deserved reputation for the most extensive and professional after sales network.

This 13km trek, it’s easy, right?

No, it’s certainly not easy. For sure the 13km trek is a much more low key and sociable affair, and it provides some spectacular viewpoints along the way, But it isn’t a gentle stroll along the cliff tops, stopping at lookouts to admire the view. There’s some strenuous walking, dropping more than 200 vertical metres and climbing 350 vertical metres. You definitely need to do some serious walking training, if possible on the actual track. And remember that your shoes are the most important item of equipment – and they must be well broken in.

What if I need to pull out mid-way?

You, or your team members, or your support team, MUST sign the form at the nearest checkpoint to confirm that you have withdrawn. There will be information on your emergency sheet to tell you exactly what to do. But do spare a thought for our volunteers. Our duty of care means we have to account for every single trekker so if we don’t know you’ve gone home, we could spend hours trying to track you down. And our volunteers want to go home too!!!!

How can you ask me to start so early without my morning cuppa?!

Fear not, there will be a coffee cart at the start line and, as if by magic, he will be waiting for you at Checkpoint 1 too.

If I do the 13km trek, how can I get back to my car at the start line?

There will be a shuttle service between Leura Cascades and Wilson Park. A small donation will be much appreciated for this service.

Can I change the team members or add more people?

Of course you can. We aim to be flexible. All we ask is that you let registrations@trekfortimorbm.org.au know at least a day before the trek. And of course the size of your team can’t be more than six.

What if we haven’t paid all our sponsorship money before the trek?

John is the money man and he’ll be on site at the start at Wilson Park to collect funds.

What about those prizes?

We are still working on obtaining some great prizes but we can confirm that we’ll be awarding prizes for the top 3 fundraising teams and the fastest finishers in the 13km and 45km treks. In addition there will be prizes for the team with the highest average age and the lowest average age. If you want to be considered for this prize, you’ll need to let us know the dates of birth of all your team members.