Mt Kosciuszko
Welcome to a new ArmaSkin Ambassador
We are excited to welcome Kaylyn as an ArmaSkin Ambassador.
Kaylyn, from Canada, is using of ArmaSkin on her ultra running journey.
A happily married mum of two, Kaylyn spends much of her time running in the the Canadian mountains, often in very low temperatures.
She is also an avid runner who has conquered some of the most challenging ultramarathons in the country.
She ran her first ultramarathon, the Canadian Death Race, in 2015. She completed 100 km in 20 hours, but suffered from painful blisters that slowed her down. According to Kaylyn, she tried many ways to avoid blisters, but nothing worked until she discovered ArmaSkin socks.
Some recent achievements include:
- the Canadian Death Race 2021, finishing 125 km in 21 hours and 47 minutes.
- the Iron Horse Ultra in 2022, placing first among women and fourth overall with a time of 12 hours and 32 minutes for 100 km.
- the Edmonton Servus Marathon, where she ran 42.2 km in 3:25:17 beating the qualifying standard for the 2024 Boston Marathon for her age group by more than four minutes.
You can say hi and see more of Kaylyn on her Instagram page @pretty_pace
IF YOU MIGHT LIKE TO BE CONSIDERED FOR AN ARMASKIN AMBASSADORSHIP please email ian@armaskin.com with your details.
Mt Kosciuszko #4 of Seven Summits
Early November a couple of ArmaSkin Ambassadors, Alaina and Aditya arrived from California to hike from Thredbo to the summit of Mt Kosciuszko, Australia's highest peak.
Alaina and Aditya have personal goals of climbing the tallest mountains on the seven continents. The scoreboard now stands at:
#1: Aconcagua ✅ 6,961 m
#2: Mount Elbrus ✅ 5,642 m
#3: Denali ✅ 6,194 m
#4: Mount Kosciuszko ✅ 2,228 m
Given the relatively more accommodating height of Kosciuszko, it was an ideal time to carry along their two young children (Indira 6mo and Xander 3yo) as well as yours truly (not carried).
The weather was favourable, 1-10 C, mainly cloudy, light winds and only late in the day a little rain. While it no doubt varies with prevailing conditions, on 5 November, most of the snow coverage of the mountain had disappeared. Only at a few sections did we need to carefully traverse snow covered slopes.
Thredbo is, above all, set up as a village for winter skiing. Accommodation is varied but largely includes chalets with relatively small rooms. Without skiers though, many accommodations and shops are closed and importantly while we were there the chair lifts were not operating, eliminating any thoughts of the short cut option.
This is a 20.6km hike with the out and back trip taking about 7-8 hours..
It was great to be led the way by Alaina and Aditya who are experienced hikers and climbers, as they easily conquered the Summit.
Giveaway Winners!!
On our website, we recently ran a blog providing some Aussie Christmas Gift ideas and then in our October ArmaSkin News, thanks to the generous offers of a couple of local companies, KNOG and SafeLace, we were able to offer some prizes to our readers.
We are pleased to announce the winners:
One pair of Safelaces goes Darryl Sims and
A second pair of Safelaces goes to Gary Roberts
The KNOG Quokka headlamp goes to Mary Williams
We will be in touch to confirm delivery details.
Thank you to all those who put in their entries!
Lucy Barnard passes halfway point of the Americas
Congratulations to Lucy Barnard who has passed the halfway mark of her journey to walk the length of the Americas!
That's from the southern tip of South America to the top of Alaska!
This important milestone happened late October. She is now in Mexico!
You can follow Lucy's journey using this map link.
Walk for Wiggly Eyes heading to Croatia 2024
We are looking forward to 2024! One highlight will be following ArmaSkin Ambassador Mike, a seasoned adventurer who we followed along the Te Aroao trail, as he embarks on his next journey - the Croatian Long Distance Trail (CLDT). This 2200-kilometer (1400-mile) trail, the first of its kind in Croatia, connects the easternmost, northernmost, westernmost, and southernmost points of the country.
Mike’s hike is not just a personal challenge, but a mission to raise awareness and donations for nystagmus, a condition that causes involuntary eye movement. You can learn more and support his cause at www.walkforwigglyeyes.com/the-charities.
The CLDT is divided into three sections (A, B, & C) and can be hiked end-to-end or by section. The trail incorporates existing paths and roads, traversing mountain trails, rocky Dalmatian terrains, forest paths, and gravel roads. Efforts are ongoing to minimize asphalt sections for a more enjoyable hiking experience.
Typically, it takes about 100 days to complete the CLDT, but this can vary depending on weather conditions and your fitness level. The hiking season runs from March to mid-November, although the trail remains open year-round. However, winter hiking is not recommended due to short days, poor weather, and closed huts and shelters.
Summer hikers should prepare for high temperatures, typically around 30-35 degrees Celsius, with occasional spikes up to 40 degrees. So, with your virtual ArmaSkin-lined boots laced up, join us in supporting a great cause, and explore the breath-taking beauty of Croatia on the CLDT alongside Mike!
AND, if you have big plans for 2024, how about dropping us a line telling us what you are doing (email ian@armaskin.com).
We'd love to be able to share your journey with the ArmaSkin community.
The very last OxFam Trailwalker! Melbourne.
Join a celebration of 25 years of adventure, 25 years of sweat and perseverance, that’s raised over $100 million to help eliminate poverty all over the world.
But every story comes to an end. And Melbourne 2024 will be the final Oxfam Trailwalker in Australia. Ever.
If you'd like to be part of this final chapter, sign up now to get on the trail, with your team mates, for an unforgettable challenge.
Do not miss this opportunity. Are you in?
Enjoy the amazing benefits of taking part in this event:
⭐️ It'll make you happier and healthier
⭐️ You'll get to spend time outdoors
⭐️ It is an amazing opportunity to connect with team mates
IF YOU ARE QUICK Enjoy 50% off your entry fee until the 1st December!
Find out more here: https://trailwalker.oxfam.org.au/
Over the year's ArmaSkin has helped many get through the challenging 100km in 48 hours without blisters. If you have signed up, drop us a line and we will give your team a super discount to support your journey.
Yolohiking in Victoria
ArmaSkin Ambassador and keen photographer, Laura, has been touring the southern states of Australia, and WOW, has she found a cavalcade of great locations to visit!
Here's just one stop, Laura: "Stopped by this town called Rochester in Victoria, while on my way to Daylesford-Hepburn Springs. This is such a gorgeous town from the Silo Arts to the murals from winners of the Annual Murals Festival throughout the years. They had to cancel the annual festival for 2023 due to floods, but the 2024 one will be hosted in April 2024, which is the perfect autumn season for arts! Here are some details of the Silo Arts 2024 festival."
Silo art can be found all around Australia. Here's Australian Silo Art Trail info on all locations
You can get a real feel for Victorian touring and hiking opportunities from Laura's instagram posts @yolohiking
10 Tips to avoid hiking pain
In November we were introduced by TraceW to Rowena (Ro), a passionate Physiotherapist, an avid hiker, an eternal student, and a mother to two boys.
Ro's passion for seeking outdoor adventures and empowering others to succeed in their own is deeply ingrained in her DNA. She takes great pleasure in assisting the general public, athletes, runners, walkers, and hikers to feel, move, and perform better.
It was also great to see that Ro recommends ArmaSkin as part of her tool kit for looking after hikers feet.
Ro graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy (Hons) over 25 years ago. Since then, she has accumulated experience in a variety of areas, including risk management, ergonomics, Pilates, strength and conditioning, women’s coaching, and menopause.
Ro believes in teamwork, thorough evaluation, and treating injuries at their root for the best results. She uses movement analysis, posture correction, and exercise to build good movement habits, improve performance, and lower injury risk.
If you're looking to hike better and hurt less and curious about what Ro can offer, here's a small taster:
TEN TIPS TO MANAGE PAIN HIKING
1. Do not ignore it!
2. Carry and use first aid supplies
3. Take more frequent breaks or longer ones
4. Use supportive gear
5. Eat and drink
6. Use hiking poles
7. Change your pace
8. Self-massage
9. Breathe, relax, visualise
10. Distraction techniques
An expansion of those tips is available from her website: https://thehikingphysio.au/
Attention ArmaSkin fans! Your stories and adventures are what make our products shine, and we want to hear from you! Share your experiences wearing ArmaSkin and you could win your very own pair of ArmaSkin liner socks!
Since Instagram have recently made it a bit more difficult to search for #ArmaSkin to enter please email ian@armaskin.com with a picture of you on the move with an ArmaSkin product and a short comment about the picture. If your picture is featured in an upcoming edition of ArmaSkin News, you'll win the monthly prize!
This month's winner was Ro who gave ArmaSkin a shout out on her website.
Don't miss your chance to show off your ArmaSkin gear and score this wonderful prize. So what are you waiting for? Get snapping and share your ArmaSkin story now!
ArmaSkin News Reader's Christmas Special
Anyone who delves deep into the ArmaSkin News
deserves a reward and since it is Christmas time:
Use code News2023 for your 30% CHRISTMAS SPECIAL discount till 1 December 2023.
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ArmaSkin is Australia's own top selling, locally made, anti-blister liner sock.
