You get a good view of Ruined Castle from Echo Point, but you get an absolutely amazing view back to Echo Point from Ruin Castle.
Overcliff-Undercliff used to be our go-to with visitors, but once National Pass opened Overcliff-Undercliff was pretty much gazumped. Now National Pass is closed again, we're on Overcliff-Undercliff again — and happy to see all the work they've done.
Mt Hay is just the most wonderful area to be, very much feels in the middle of nowhere. The only small issue with using these walks for training is that it takes so long to drive out there… so we generally combine it with something else, like a picnic dinner.
Sandi hates training walks, but I am convinced that they are a good thing (even if they are a little boring to do, over and over). We didn't do a lot of training for The Bibbulmun, but we did a lot for the Australian Alps Walking Track. Though, I distinctly remember thinking at the end of the first day, which was an especially easy day, that all the Furber Steps up and down we'd done after work, me with sacks of potatoes in the pack, had not made much of an impact in how exhausted I'd felt at the end of the day.
This 'loop' is an extension of the Turtle Rock Loop, incorporating most of Empire Pass, and way more interesting than just doing Turtle Rock twice.