Big Adventures…
Two guys, 2 bikes and large NSW/Victorian mountain ranges awaiting the first snowfall of the year.
I remember it well and the date is April 2008. Our adventure begins at Tom Groggin Station a short distance from the popular ski resort of Thredbo. We’re on an isolated working cattle station in the heart of the snowy mountains on the border of NSW and Victoria. We are about to saddle up our 450cc dirt bikes and head off into the high country. A trip we’ve been planning for a while and the excitement builds along with a bit of fear.
Being a Type 1 diabetic for over 27 years (remember this was 2008) and I have recently gone on to the Animas insulin pump (I later switched to Medtronic) which is connected to my body 24 hours a day administering insulin subcutaneously at regular intervals via a catheter. This is one the latest developments in the control and management of an insulin dependent diabetic. This adventure was the first time I had used the pump while doing an extreme sport. We were isolated from towns, hospitals and a diabetic care centre which made me nervous, but I was looking forward to seeing how I adapted to my dirt biking passion while being on pump therapy. I was advised by my diabetic educator to put in a temporary basal (long acting) rate for the duration of the first day and check my blood glucose (BG) levels as regularly as possible to see how my body was coping with the stress and strain it was going through.
With a heavy backpack of 18kgs strapped to my back, my tool belt buckled to my front and my sports pack with my insulin pump housed comfortably inside, we set off at a brisk pace. It was a cool overcast morning with rain forecasted. We stopped at Davies Hut for the first break where after having a few energy bars and drinks I checked my first BG level and things were all OK so we headed off on the trail again. After a few steep hills and descents we arrived at a campsite for lunch. I again checked my BG level and was surprised to find that the reading was still good despite what I had put my body through the last 3 hours.
After reducing the bolus insulin to half of what it should have been and consuming a sandwich, fruit and more energy drinks, we strapped our heavy packs on again and headed back out. The temperature was cool, around 8 degrees, and it started to rain but didn’t curb our enthusiasm after we had come this far. The harsh winter weather was not too far off in the mid afternoon as we headed South along the Davies High Plain trail towards Omeo. We had planned to take a few new trails that we had found on the topographic maps, but after being on a trail for nearly 40 minutes it suddenly came to a dead end with fallen trees and no track marks left. It was getting late in the afternoon and the sky was turning dark grey with heavy thunder clouds and rain visibly heading our way and for the first time we were both a little concerned. My trusty dirt bike partner assured me that he knew what we would do and we’d arrive in town in the next hour. Being a type 1 diabetic I recognised my nerves of a stressful situation and silently worried that we were not going to make Omeo before dark as per our initial plan. The rain started coming down with the light having now disappeared as it was now early evening heading into winter. Finally we found the bitumen road and headed towards Omeo. With our lights on full we encountered another challenge with rabbits running into our light beams in the pitch dark. Additionally, one of the bikes had a few technical problems so we had to pull over in the dark and check a few things by torch light before we saw the small country town of Omeo's lights on the horizon. This was a welcome sight to both of us. The 180 kms of rough dirt fire trails provided plenty of excitement for us as we climbed to heights of 1800m before finally descending into Omeo. Exhausted and wet from the rain we reached our destination well after the sun had set and my nerves settled, replaced by exaltation.
Checking my blood glucose levels on arrival, the dramatic day wouldn’t have been complete without my low BG of 2.8, which I treated straight away. Within 15 minutes it was back to normal. I was then able to resume my normal dinner bolus with a highly anticipated hot meal and cold beverage. After relaxing in front of the fireplace at the local pub we retired early for a well-earned rest after checking that once again my BG level was in my normal range.
The next morning after a hearty breakfast, we set off to retrace our tracks back to Tom Groggin from where we started and this came off without a hitch. The more adventures that I do expanding my zone of comfort and stretching the boundaries of what I feel comfortable with, the more I find myself in new territory participating in things that I never would have imagined. It’s a great lesson and one I keep coming back to. Now I’ve moved on from dirt biking to ocean swimming and hiking. I don’t want to stay the same, I want to grow and expand and conquer new terrain. Fast forward to today and I still feel the same. Shoot for the moon and be prepared and you’ll surprise yourself.