Is Eight Chocolate Bars Too Many for One Day?

[Son of a Beach]

Over the years it has become a tradition for me to have a chocolate bar at the top of every summit that I climb to. Since walking with my kids over recent years, they now expect me to pull out a chocolate bar for them at the top of each peak, so it's become a family rule (according to them).

In a few weeks, I hope to do a fairly easy three day walk with a base-camp at the same location for two nights, and during the middle day I hope to do day walk from that camp site that will include up to EIGHT named peaks.

Is it reasonable to consume eight chocolate bars on a single day just to maintain my tradition?

Stupid question. It's more than reasonable. It is essential! Can't break the rules.

[matagi]

I would say "moderation in all things" and that includes peaks and chocolate bars.

[Tortoise]

You could use the mini bars that come in a pack of a dozen or so.

[ribuck]

If you consume sugar while you're exercising, it goes straight into your muscles. If you consume it while sedentary it spikes your insulin and gets turned into body fat.

So definitely have the chocolate on the mountain rather than in the car afterwards.

[Avatar]

I would attempt to redefine a chocolate bar to mean one piece. The precedent has been set. Manufacturers do this all the time and get away with it. Look at the repackaging of foods into smaller sizes.

[rcaffin]

Just what is the problem here?
Cheers
Roger

[Last]

Just what is the problem here?
Cheers
Roger

It must be about the weight of the chocolate he has to carry. Nothing else is obvious.

[Moondog55]

Just what is the problem here?
Cheers
Roger

It must be about the weight of the chocolate he has to carry. Nothing else is obvious.

Definitely get the mini bars, Aren't the snack size only 15g?

[MrWalker]

Just what is the problem here?
Cheers
Roger

It must be about the weight of the chocolate he has to carry. Nothing else is obvious.

Definitely get the mini bars, Aren't the snack size only 15g?

I assumed we were talking about 8 blocks of chocolate in the 250g size. That is a couple of kg, so best to eat it early in the trip to reduce the weight in your pack.

[Biggles]

Peak bagging is well behind my present day and time. When it was a thing 25+ years back (Kosciuszko, Howitt, Viking, The Bluff), it was my sister who went to work enthusiastically the day before making muesli nut bars with a very thin layer of dark chocolate on top — affectionately known then as SissyCrumbles. I would carry three of these with me on a day walk, plus an extra scroggin bag of nuts (almonds) and raisins. Today's hikers have little real idea about the nutritional value of food-on-the-go (or for that matter, how they should be disposing of wrappers: yes, I'm looking at the group of walkers before me on The Nobs track last weekend!!), which is reflected in the OP's original question — quelle horreur! Stoking yourself with junk food (just chocolate!) is not my idea of nutrition, irrespective of whether you are moving or not.

[Son of a Beach]

I've never been into peak bagging. *

I am seriously into chocolate.

I don't eat the chocolate for its nutritional value.

* This particular eight named peaks in one day starts at ~1200m and stays below 1400m. I doubt if any of the named peaks are on any official peak bagger list, although one of them may be. I haven't looked and don't really care. I'm doing this walk because it looks like an interesting exploratory route, not because there are peaks involved. I expect that I'll end up bypassing some of the peaks, and may only get to the top of two or three. Because I'm lazy. And full of chocolate.

[icefest]

Is this like Christmas in July but for April fools day?!

Take the chocolate.

[Son of a Beach]

Oh, I've just noticed a NINTH named peak on the planned route. So it seems that I'm going to have to take NINE chocolate bars for that day, if I'm going with tradition!

[Scrambler]

Might be time for a new tradition?

Or take a (small) box of Smarties, have a chocolate at each peak plus more to share with the family when you show the pictures.

Edit: I did carry 8, so we could have joined your family.

Also lets you reduce the pack weight. I've carried chocolate blocks as emergency rations in the past, but I'm not sure I carried 9 blocks, even for 4 people!

[north-north-west]

Take a large block of chocolate.
Divide the total number of squares by the total number of potential summits.
Have that many squares on each summit.
Stop feeling guilty about it.

And always remember the most basic law of bushwalking: there is no such thing as too much chocolate.

[madpom]

" I doubt if any of the named peaks are on any official peak bagger list, "

Check out the official list of Tasmanian Maralyns here courtesy of SOTA. Surely at least some of your peaks are listed!

https://www.sotadata.org.uk/en/association/VK7

Or PDF list:
https://sotastore.blob.core.windows.net ... RM-VK7.pdf

[Tortoise]

Another list?! Wait, that one allocates the same number of points for Legges Tor as it does for Federation. I might give it a miss. SoaB's peaks might be on it, though. Looks like it includes some different ones from Hobart Walking Club's.

[north-north-west]

Another list?! Wait, that one allocates the same number of points for Legges Tor as it does for Federation.

I'm not exactly seeing the down side here ...

[johnw]

Another list?! Wait, that one allocates the same number of points for Legges Tor as it does for Federation.

I'm not exactly seeing the down side here ...

Awesome, that means I've climbed something as difficult as Federation. Nothing to prove so I'll leave it out .

[north-north-west]

Lordylord, but that list is ludicrous. Morriston (which has a forestry road to within roughly 50m of the high point) is worth six points - only two less than Granite Tor (which is a good two days of off-track walking from the OT). Charles (which has a road to within a few hundred metres of its summit) and Penny West (which is a five minute walk from another road) are both worth the same as Dome Hill and Castle Mtn, which are two of the more isolated Abels in the state. kunanyi/Mt Wellington (the carpark is a leisurely two-minutes-at-most-amble from the trig) is ten but Trestle (which at least requires a nice daywalk, a steepish track and a bit of a scramble) is only eight. Loyetea (shortish walk up a gated road) is the same as the misspelled Livingstone (long off-track daywalk or easier overnighter). The infamous Leillateah is only four, but LaPerouse is twice that. Field East (tracked daywalk) is ten but Innes High Rocky (long return daywalk, off-track, from a basecamp that is two to four days off-track from the usual access points) is only eight.

Any bets on how many points Tortoise or I could rack up frrom that list? Time to find out ...

[madpom]

SOTA use the international definition of a maralyn to decide what peaks to include. Is a peak with 150m prominence over the surrounding land. This excludes some popular climbing sub-summits which are not separated from other higher peaks by sufficiently low saddles. Conversely it includes many unnamed peaks which have sufficient prominence and would not attract much attention from walkers/climbers otherwise.

The points system is solely altitude based. The thresholds vary from association to association - here in ZL3 (NZ South Island) you need 2200m to receive 10 points - ie ice axe and crampons. In South Australia or England the thresholds are lower and thus easier to achieve.

The idea isn't to accurately rate peaks by difficulty, but to get people out there climbing them. Pouring over a map looking for easy 6 or 8 pointers on a single undulating ridgeline that can be strung together in a single day of travel will earn you more points than a multi-day mission up a single alpine 10 pointer. So the plannng becomes as important part of the game as the walking.

The ultimate challenge is a 1-year mountain goat. Ie 1000 points in a single calendar year. That's been achieved once in NZ, but many times elsewhere in the world.

Of course SOTA is just the amateur-radio implementation of maralyn-bagging, but the summit lists will be the same for non-ham varients.

(Apologies for the thread hijak - it was not intentional)

[north-north-west]

Interesting that the definition is the same as one of Bill's criteria for Abel status.

And, speaking of Abels - they've missed Mt Patrick. And Slatters.

[REW]

what about them lollies you were going to be getting from the shops, grandson! chocolate's expensive! and don't forget them bingo cards...

(imitating the grandma from Black comedy) she has a point...

not to mention, that dairy indirectly creates Hanson saying we should use cattle prods on refugees,.. etc

nah.
bush grub, if it's available and not-too nasty, worth knowing what you're going through, and collecting any on the way - flowers, berries,

ooo there's another black comedy link / reference! the ranger who trips out hard and ends up getting diahorrrea after scaring the Japanese tourists!

OK,.. so yes,.. a MUST, to make sure, you research it first... but then... nuh! no plastic discarding, no having to check ingredients in case the kid's friend is allergic to anything,
just a bum-bag ... chuck em in as you go... and then yer sweet tooth's as satisfied as a brushie's when she's got into leftovers at a campsite or school playground after the sun goes down.

[Son of a Beach]

I nearly thought this was going to get back on-topic when NNW mentioned "High Rocky", and my brain saw "Rocky Road" for a brief moment.

Never mind. Carry on.

[Tortoise]

Hi there SoaB. I've been meaning to apologise for hijacking your thread. Very gracious of you!

[Last]

I nearly thought this was going to get back on-topic when NNW mentioned "High Rocky", and my brain saw "Rocky Road" for a brief moment.

Never mind. Carry on.

Too much chocolate is never enough

[north-north-west]

Too much chocolate is never enough

Depends on the chocolate.

[Last]

Too much chocolate is never enough

Depends on the chocolate.

Too much GOOD chocolate is never enough

[Letstryagain]

Does anyone these days go bush for reasons other than claiming a "point" bagging an able or making YouTube videos?

[Moondog55]

Never bagged an Able [ or a Mable] and only once participated in a U-Tube video