Some years ago my husband and I went to the Blue Mountains of NSW to do a particular walk. The weather had been poor and a couple of tracks were closed. However, having been serious distance runners, we were sure we could do the walk that was classified as challenging.

We found ourselves scrambling over very large boulders, but that didn't worry us so much.

We met a mother with her two teenagers coming in the opposite direction, and the kids asked us if we'd done the walk before. We hadn't.

'Well good luck,' they said.

We thought nothing more about it, and the climb deepened into the gorge.

We were sitting by the gorge, enjoying the waterfall when I happened to say to my husband that we'd have to climb all the way up again. GULP! No matter. We were fit.

I cannot even describe the horror of what we were facing. Long ladders had been pinned to the rockface, many of them. One after another, after another. Neither of us enjoys heights, but we told ourselves we could do it, as long as we didn't look down.

It was terrifying, but we did it. And when we reached the summit we spoke to many people, young and old, hoping to reach the gorge, about all that was entailed. not ONE of them continued.

Would I do it again? The answer is no, but at the same time, I am so glad that we both did it. Grueling or not, it was a challenge and a huge achievement, maybe even more challenging than my first marathon.