Journalist David Fanner shares his experience walking and filming sections of the Grampians Peaks Trail to produce the Grampians Peaks Trail Hyperlapse.

When I heard about a new multi-day hike stretching the entire 160km length of the Grampians – the Grampians Peaks Trail – I knew I wanted to experience it as soon as possible. Luckily for me, Parks Victoria had seen a previous hiking video I’d produced – a hyperlapse video showcasing the Bondi-to-Manly walk for the Guardian, and were happy to see if it would be possible to create something similar on a larger scale. Needless to say, I jumped at the chance.

The entire trail clocks in at a lengthy 160km from end-to-end and takes walkers 13 days to complete. I only had a week off in which to hike and capture the required footage. After hours pouring over topographic maps and meetings, we came up with a condensed itinerary that would hit all the major highlights of the trail. Some days were dropped, others were combined, but in the end we concocted an arduous 120km version of the trail I could complete over seven days.

I combined the first two days of the hike, two of the hardest days, into one gigantic, 10-hour, bulging blister of a day, arriving at Gar campsite in the pouring ran as it grew dark, and feeling like I had bitten off more than I could chew.

But after that baptism of fire, my hiking legs took hold. One of the best parts about a long hike like the Grampians Peaks Trail is how it affords you the opportunity to immerse yourself in the variety of ever-changing landscapes as you walk along mountain ridges and climb the peaks that dot the trail.

As you can see in the hyperlapse above, the Grampians Peaks Trail is spectacular. I certainly found it challenging in some parts and was rewarded for the effort along the way. The option to break it up into smaller itineraries means it’s achievable as well.

David Fanner is the Head of Multimedia at Guardian Australia and worked with Parks Victoria to produce the hyperlapse.