tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82490507462215145032024-03-12T19:19:32.143-07:00Silly Billies Return to RoamEmily and Chris would like to share their outdoor adventures with you!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08406950956653207723noreply@blogger.comBlogger120125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249050746221514503.post-20286903725155303872018-04-07T18:32:00.002-07:002018-04-07T19:20:10.207-07:00Good Godzone Prep! The Takahe Traverse<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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An exploratory adventure in Fiordland with its remoteness, steepness and dense bush holds a definite allure for those of us who enjoy that sort of thing. Since back in 2004, when we bush bashed down the Neale Burn, swimming at times up to our necks in the meandering river to avoid the near impenetrable bush on either side, packrafting seemed like the answer to Fiordland travel to me. So, with this thought in mind (and knowing that in a few months we would be racing Godzone in this exact territory), a group of trampers (myself, Chris, Nick, Dan, Georgia, Patrick) jumped aboard a watertaxi and hooned across North West Fiord in late December with a mission in mind.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Our Route</td></tr>
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Earlier in the day, after frantic packing in Queenstown, we had received our certificate of 'didymo checked' from the DOC office in Te Anau. The water taxi man eyed the certificate suspiciously. He looked at us sternly, clearly unconvinced by our humongous packs, running shoes and light hearted banter. He wanted to know our intentions... "George Sound...ish," Chris brushed over.</div>
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We watched the scenery whizz by from the taxi. Blurred bush, steep sided fiords, distant tops and the odd towering cliff band zoomed past us. "Weather forecast isn't good," mumbled the boat driver. Fortunately we knew our trip was flexible, we had some ambitious plans, but not a set goal, we just wanted to explore.</div>
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Unloading from the taxi proved tricky, heaving the packs up the ladder and passing them down to the shore. Team work helped... and fortunately no one fell in. As the boat driver made to leave he glared at us standing cheerily on the beach, "You take care out there... it's almost mountaineering you know!!"</div>
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We decided we would heed his warning and take it carefully. We set off along the short section of track which leads to the boat shed at Lake Hankinson. There we took some time inflating our rafts and stowing gear - hopefully we would get quicker at this over the coming days.</div>
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We pushed off from the shore and paddled out across the lake. Dan and Nick's boat looked ready to sink under the weight of them, with all the food and gear they had packed. After an hour of paddling we reached the head of the lake and headed up the track towards Lake Thompson. En route we had to cross two '3-wire' bridges. As I teetered across the wildly swaying bridge, my heavy pack not assisting the feeling that the whole thing was about to flip and send me crashing onto the rocks below, the boat drivers words rang in my head - this did feel like nearly mountaineering - and we were still on a track!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3TgJ30v3mVnjAiBI8QqbMPoCqyRTxkrSqu-bqXZYEQj3PZNS4-uBv1I7ZPacYDMdhoNLx3L8fTRv4nOOCbTUjzYc4yGqd1FyhnFyiQTswbgC94AZD_R0UPjTiqvjSjpfkU_WtdvHowcEQ/s1600/DSCF3550.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3TgJ30v3mVnjAiBI8QqbMPoCqyRTxkrSqu-bqXZYEQj3PZNS4-uBv1I7ZPacYDMdhoNLx3L8fTRv4nOOCbTUjzYc4yGqd1FyhnFyiQTswbgC94AZD_R0UPjTiqvjSjpfkU_WtdvHowcEQ/s640/DSCF3550.JPG" width="640" /></a> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Packraft Inflation at Lake Hankinson</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Heading out across Lake Hankinson</td></tr>
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The light grew dim and we put head torches on for the final section to the hut. It was about 11 pm by the time we stumbled inside, to the surprise of the solo tramper who was trying to get some sleep after a long day on the trail. He did not look too impressed as we tiptoed about preparing dinner, suppressing giggles and whispering as we ate. </div>
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In the morning the sky looked heavy and grey and the predicted rain was clearly on its way. The tramper asked us where we were headed and once told he asked, "So, do you just use GPS and luck for a trip like that?" We replied, "Well, no GPS, but maybe some luck?" He didn't look impressed by our answer and shortly he left. We headed up valley in the opposite direction and by the time we were climbing through the heavily mossed forest the rain began. We weaved up through stunted beech forest to Henry Saddle. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">A bridge crossing shortly after leaving Lake Thompson Hut - this one being a lot sturdier than the wonky 3 wires we had crossed the day before</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Rainy weather down from Henry Saddle</td></tr>
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The pouring rain, wind and fog made the decision to skip the Marguerite Peaks and drop down the track to George Sound Hut very easy. We enjoyed a short paddle across Lake Katherine, and as the little side creeks rose to torrents we scampered down valley to the hut. It was cosy and warm in the hut and we used the fire to dry out our gear and brewed coffee while the rain poured down outside.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Cosy refuge from the rain - George Sound Hut</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Over night the weather grew wilder and we were very happy to have our nice shelter. The first stage for the day was paddling around George Sound into a cove about 10km away. It was still raining, but we decided to continue anyway as the forecast was for it to clear in the afternoon. Fiordland in the rain feels quite authentic and majestic, Nick decided to start counting waterfalls but quickly lost count. We packed our gear more carefully this time, hoping to keep dry gear dryer. The inflatable 'sausage' that forms the centre of the packraft proved a useful place to stow gear.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">It was strange to launch on George Sound and realise we were now on the sea! There was talk of sharks, but we didn't see any. We did go and look at Alice Falls roaring into the sound, all the rain having risen it spectacularly. We paddled up as close as we dared - it was like Nevis Bluff suddenly tumbling into the still water of the sea.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Lake Alice Falls tumbling into George Sound</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Then we paddled onwards down the sound and round the corner into the Southwest Arm. Because of the rain we had altered our route slightly, and now planned to climb up on the true left of Ethne Stream up to Ethne saddle, and from there drop down into the Stillwater River. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">From the cove we packed up the rafts and headed into the bush, keeping to the true left to avoid crossing the swollen river. The rain was easing as we bush bashed up the valley, but the going was fairly slow as rotten logs broke underfoot and poles occasionally poked through moss holes and revealed small chasms below. We were now completely off track. As we reached Ethne Saddle a few rays of sunlight started to glint through and the rain stopped.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">From the Saddle we dropped down into the Still Water River. The river was majestic - flowing deep and black from bank to bank and living up to its name. We inflated the rafts and set out down river. The thickly treed river banks floated past gently - how nice was this!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">After a while the current quickened and the appearance of boulders sent us scurrying to eddy out. We knew at this point the river dropped one contour line quite rapidly. As we walked beside the river we could see huge rapids, followed by an amazing 10 metre waterfall which we named ‘Stillwater Falls’, which was followed by a continued section of huge rapids. It clearly paid to pay attention to a single contour drop!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pack floating on the Stillwater River</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The mighty Stillwater Falls</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIIfOlHP0Pt4VgDTkt_Ubck3Cz2sOdPkrwz_0NjFBmlCgwvlZFBVHo8BmRMvnfEkf9u-zeKUTarcZaVURDu11fJRfx8oBrGA77JgsRuYzXaHIdyfM9i460hgFydD_Jk8VJMsrZ5o1BfqYS/s1600/P1090198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIIfOlHP0Pt4VgDTkt_Ubck3Cz2sOdPkrwz_0NjFBmlCgwvlZFBVHo8BmRMvnfEkf9u-zeKUTarcZaVURDu11fJRfx8oBrGA77JgsRuYzXaHIdyfM9i460hgFydD_Jk8VJMsrZ5o1BfqYS/s640/P1090198.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A short map discussion on route</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4xFB5VE4tjFRimYMs9RLOMW-cfmI-m5K2hs0OLIEgAWXM4ZoqaqQ4IuorGPJGKmYJMR1okxIghg59hyphenhyphen5Y98IYrBozPuCFVRcdnBkEJbpmgzjozai-B1J0-mF7S87s21xt0iDRpHqK5E7/s1600/P1090224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4xFB5VE4tjFRimYMs9RLOMW-cfmI-m5K2hs0OLIEgAWXM4ZoqaqQ4IuorGPJGKmYJMR1okxIghg59hyphenhyphen5Y98IYrBozPuCFVRcdnBkEJbpmgzjozai-B1J0-mF7S87s21xt0iDRpHqK5E7/s640/P1090224.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waterfall into lake... can you spot the tiny packrafters?</td></tr>
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<div class="p1">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguF1YSEtLPRG4M5jLxOAZ6DUnzWRwkUHlFDAygojER2tYnwXhJrDh9ST8Q4IJQHoA3Dgash3eVr211zgAMEAYC6HeOOMGhPhkbdLMWIhZ7APdSB4MGXaB4AkARLmsWSSHoLFnQRyuj_3oh/s1600/P1090220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguF1YSEtLPRG4M5jLxOAZ6DUnzWRwkUHlFDAygojER2tYnwXhJrDh9ST8Q4IJQHoA3Dgash3eVr211zgAMEAYC6HeOOMGhPhkbdLMWIhZ7APdSB4MGXaB4AkARLmsWSSHoLFnQRyuj_3oh/s640/P1090220.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paddling across Lake Marchant in the late afternoon sun<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-M2RIa8373TadrXZVb_qoX1UCxKWiNtx5n2xbStQrGD_NwG7r8vNA79bRpKiq8D89T0CHCC4b9Wf_1fRbY9qh6RtwZ6dIuhVwgQ9uxX8QmyP7rSyiixc0CnOCA2TWXFxsNg9inMU2c_d/s1600/P1090236.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-M2RIa8373TadrXZVb_qoX1UCxKWiNtx5n2xbStQrGD_NwG7r8vNA79bRpKiq8D89T0CHCC4b9Wf_1fRbY9qh6RtwZ6dIuhVwgQ9uxX8QmyP7rSyiixc0CnOCA2TWXFxsNg9inMU2c_d/s640/P1090236.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evening on Lake Marchant<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu8ybNYl47g1xAPRrJSOC8stmm6t65y7XHcUCmE8dSSgAXADjU-PVydHJWIrUkurARC8vukUbbTOsLh9GhbwFIVdf9vz4_gIGMOVQIocGHOkUSx08zPUoeRtkZAzjZV-73SQSu3GHoYU6T/s1600/P1090231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu8ybNYl47g1xAPRrJSOC8stmm6t65y7XHcUCmE8dSSgAXADjU-PVydHJWIrUkurARC8vukUbbTOsLh9GhbwFIVdf9vz4_gIGMOVQIocGHOkUSx08zPUoeRtkZAzjZV-73SQSu3GHoYU6T/s640/P1090231.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Camp gear explosion at Lake Marchant </td></tr>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"></span>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Late in the afternoon we emerged on Lake Marchant and paddled across its calm waters in the setting sun. We spotted a sandy beach where the recently high waters looked to have just receded and decided it would make a nice camp spot. So we pitched our tents and gear exploded everywhere, as we made camp for the last day of 2017 at the far end of Lake Marchant on a sandy little beach, complete with fire, beer, plum pudding, cream and marshmallows! The boys hoped their packs might be a bit lighter the next day?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">In the morning the gear explosion was tidied back away, and tucked into packraft compartments where it would hopefully stay dry. We started up the Large Burn initially on foot. We reached a massive swamp and after wading through the water for a while we decided we should inflate our rafts. With nowhere out of water it proved a tricky transition... one which saw our nice little camera tumble into the swampy depths. I was pretty disappointed and Chris was too - we now had no good camera to document our journey! We would have to make do with Georgia's waterproof and our cell phones. We continued upstream, paddling some still sections and portaging our boats up the swifter parts. Travel was not fast - if we managed 1km per hour we were doing well.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The plan was now to head up onto the tops where we would spend several days traversing the border of the Takahe Conservation Area in the Murchison Mountains. At lunch Georgia noticed a ‘doable’ looking line right up through the beach forest above us. There was some debate, as a nasty looking cliff line cut right through the 800m contour, however on the map the words '800m' sort of hid the cliff band from view. The forest looked okay and the decision was made to give it a go.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">It was slow going through the steep forest. After several hours hard work we reached the cliff band we had been concerned about. Sure enough, it was a cliff. In a typical Chris move he was convinced there might be a way through, so he went off scouting while Dan prepared us all cheese and fish wraps to up the energy levels.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Chris came scrambling back and said he thought we could get up, especially if we utilised the small rope we had brought as a throw bag to haul up the packs. In three stages, involving immense pack hauling on Patrick’s part and various others dotted precariously on the cliff, we managed to get ourselves and the packs to the top.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> Patrick (his arborist skills coming rather in handy!) managed to create a harness out of a sling providing myself and Georgia with some level of safety as we dangled precariously from mossy trees above the 50m drop!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">After the third 'pitch' we plonked down on the flatter forest floor and agreed that we had now well and truly deviated from a standard tramping route. At about 5pm we emerged from the scrub on a sunny terrace and stripped off our shirts, enjoying a brief laze in the sun. But the day was by no means over - we still had to climb onto the ridge proper, up to point 1535, then along a narrow and concerning section of ridgeline to 1585 and descending a long spur to some small tarns near 1124 where we planned to camp.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">A bit of speed walking up the first hill the hearts going and the evening glow on the surrounding peaks and valleys was stunning. We could see across to Myth Tarn dangling precariously in its bush clad valley and the steep sides of Lake Mackinnon a long way below us. Sure enough the ridgeline became steep and narrow at one point and the mountain goats of the party did a bit of pack shuttling for those of us who weren't so confident.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The tops were covered in granite slabs which made for relatively fast travel, but it was still reaching 9pm by the time we started dropping towards the tarns. Dan and Nick made up a delicious strawberry yoghurt milkshake which tasted amazing and gave everyone the energy for the last hour down to the tarn to camp.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWgLFakIcO2ST9S3tLXtQx8dAz6Q-3jRxgcAfvea-euV5OCQF3UhHyGvQ9t6kDtQqFsvhFmp4X3uqG5vCkOgL2yuSUMwXBuGcbSGxeTnXGCmLP_fvxsVk37EonpcBQ5PIw7SKr9dqTFULi/s1600/DSCF3669.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWgLFakIcO2ST9S3tLXtQx8dAz6Q-3jRxgcAfvea-euV5OCQF3UhHyGvQ9t6kDtQqFsvhFmp4X3uqG5vCkOgL2yuSUMwXBuGcbSGxeTnXGCmLP_fvxsVk37EonpcBQ5PIw7SKr9dqTFULi/s640/DSCF3669.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inflating rafts when there isn't much dry land!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc90TSAzhFZJhcCcGKr4klZjmiJVWBB5NZI3J_nKxjOxnxCPpmrzvba2mqH2JObbbC5p_9lDY9XKhiQUYggfJ-eOnjDtj6RTByniGhTA1HlRD5X4dQBi8p3jK_yQVAGivSmMiTLvAu9ejW/s1600/DSCF3690.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc90TSAzhFZJhcCcGKr4klZjmiJVWBB5NZI3J_nKxjOxnxCPpmrzvba2mqH2JObbbC5p_9lDY9XKhiQUYggfJ-eOnjDtj6RTByniGhTA1HlRD5X4dQBi8p3jK_yQVAGivSmMiTLvAu9ejW/s640/DSCF3690.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boat pulling up the Large Burn</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJLzOrik1Cdg7sbRfep4ZsfICbBY6b5iftp5BF_xwvK5fCM3hdfKxqKQUVZVIf89utICij4ZyuQYGgrOdPSC5b3JEu3iP20A4smcVkIaJRNgoUJhSQI6iqiITAfxVaDj6qUCp3Ct1RbFyQ/s1600/DSCF3697.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJLzOrik1Cdg7sbRfep4ZsfICbBY6b5iftp5BF_xwvK5fCM3hdfKxqKQUVZVIf89utICij4ZyuQYGgrOdPSC5b3JEu3iP20A4smcVkIaJRNgoUJhSQI6iqiITAfxVaDj6qUCp3Ct1RbFyQ/s640/DSCF3697.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing up the second ledge</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patrick hauling up packs from the top </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiyb-MiAVNjxbeZ-0m6SashRxiTm2PFQ8rJr_oRa0FjzU5OG7tpYpQePTJ8ot1Of9RqovctuFu50P-loRP7ZHfIXJN2CV4YrPcxImqqdMZTdH489HrXjR2o7Ot_s8Ita8emPYIEBl1Zg98/s1600/DSCF3705.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiyb-MiAVNjxbeZ-0m6SashRxiTm2PFQ8rJr_oRa0FjzU5OG7tpYpQePTJ8ot1Of9RqovctuFu50P-loRP7ZHfIXJN2CV4YrPcxImqqdMZTdH489HrXjR2o7Ot_s8Ita8emPYIEBl1Zg98/s640/DSCF3705.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking very relieved to be finally above the bush</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8tv8hGHwJ0v-7dGZLJ70Yk8n1B-UjkjMOFw9gi1DZSqzH06_I8xF5hkDzCt9jRDNRhk5UMqDVXzXpOUa_qIeoCrOySVNTWXLpBvqyc0F2lg0SKSpcZ-TtsEzPlnqH6nqfNnHYbLggPV-Y/s1600/DSCF3715.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8tv8hGHwJ0v-7dGZLJ70Yk8n1B-UjkjMOFw9gi1DZSqzH06_I8xF5hkDzCt9jRDNRhk5UMqDVXzXpOUa_qIeoCrOySVNTWXLpBvqyc0F2lg0SKSpcZ-TtsEzPlnqH6nqfNnHYbLggPV-Y/s640/DSCF3715.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View back down the valley to the Large Burn where we had been earlier in the day and Lake Marchant</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi0zJxo0LOyYvFxopuXA7ER8LGpZYo_0P7PEWmJWlKRO7L_TkSA7u1fK0rFZ2zpZwy2sNXNbw6CNzCZ3m4IDfesWSxDVZyeFfRQnTuUL_ko-s8uNlnqOsygnKPaHGnziUyMkhQG4M5b4WF/s1600/DSCF3727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi0zJxo0LOyYvFxopuXA7ER8LGpZYo_0P7PEWmJWlKRO7L_TkSA7u1fK0rFZ2zpZwy2sNXNbw6CNzCZ3m4IDfesWSxDVZyeFfRQnTuUL_ko-s8uNlnqOsygnKPaHGnziUyMkhQG4M5b4WF/s640/DSCF3727.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rocky tops make for good progress</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbPHaJIPmwEFLEi66_CA2BDxD4C81ozabx-HBeD1YLdLi_TWQl4ABPwgWsbLmDi6eD5NCtrzgmq63PbfksOtc8Nyozz-9s0VOHhFyasasFEoJGnbTbOq2ej2gRGnDW8bpsoh7g3kGw_Xlq/s1600/DSCF3739.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbPHaJIPmwEFLEi66_CA2BDxD4C81ozabx-HBeD1YLdLi_TWQl4ABPwgWsbLmDi6eD5NCtrzgmq63PbfksOtc8Nyozz-9s0VOHhFyasasFEoJGnbTbOq2ej2gRGnDW8bpsoh7g3kGw_Xlq/s640/DSCF3739.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amazing rock formations around 1388</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiavruqK8W6CVvd0NlltSYjSHDI07RQ3PHzM33Mza-t4FFtfLHgIZmqbK2zABg8AQP9k_S0YD3s0o7PVS2oULn8mVYDro6HsMDcYU8H_wPZgHCgSlVY8n-ieoOBOS_uJFkKsnSKwNebvvnx/s1600/DSCF3748.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiavruqK8W6CVvd0NlltSYjSHDI07RQ3PHzM33Mza-t4FFtfLHgIZmqbK2zABg8AQP9k_S0YD3s0o7PVS2oULn8mVYDro6HsMDcYU8H_wPZgHCgSlVY8n-ieoOBOS_uJFkKsnSKwNebvvnx/s640/DSCF3748.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Negotiating a tricky section of ridge</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmL4c_VBsv66kO9YIM2gcbXIuulIPZF8yLvr41n9se21lTDoyBLf3Du1ACGA8OKsF54xlql_1z4VmlftWy9zpwmElIPXsTdHP_y5V0o1OjlDj2HfTSE0h363lqpBt_fQvCDXl9c_pk7uOR/s1600/DSCF3764.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmL4c_VBsv66kO9YIM2gcbXIuulIPZF8yLvr41n9se21lTDoyBLf3Du1ACGA8OKsF54xlql_1z4VmlftWy9zpwmElIPXsTdHP_y5V0o1OjlDj2HfTSE0h363lqpBt_fQvCDXl9c_pk7uOR/s640/DSCF3764.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Descending towards our camp at the lake as the sun set</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cosy tents in the morning... Dan had already put the coffee on (see rock)</td></tr>
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The next morning 6 weary bodies emerged from tents and drank coffee on the rock in the morning sun. The weather was proving to be beautifully settled which was a very good thing given the next two days to be spent entirely on the tops. We still felt like we were a bit 'behind schedule' so it looked like we would have to traverse past Robin Saddle Hut and continue along the ridge - I was disappointed as this was one of the places I had been most excited about visiting... I guess we will just have to plan another trip!<br />
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We sidled around Mt Irene to a magnificent tarn just below 1191. There we stripped off for a chilly swim and a lunchtime cook up of two minute noodles. We were visited on route by tiny chirpy rock wren and looking down to Lake Bloxham and the Takahe conservation area was pretty amazing. Our route had several more steep sections and there were many places where you had to watch your step - one trip could send you tumbling hundreds of metres down either side.<br />
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We traversed above Robin Saddle and could see the cute little hut nestled down by a tarn below. Then we continued along past Te Au Saddle and towards 1408. At the end of another long day we struck a very steep scramble up bluffs. Chris did a scout for us and once again some good teamwork got us all safely to the top. We spent a second starry night camping up on the ridgetop high above Hidden Lake.<br />
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While we were boiling up water for dinner we heard the strangest bird call, it was a very loud shrieking sound. We all looked at each other - that had to be a takahe surely... but it had come from the Hidden Lake below us, outside of the Takahe zone. 'Can they escape?' I asked, but then we all laughed as we remembered that the takahe themselves have no reason to stick in their 'zone'.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNlWZGAOSY9x2fJvP3PMuEZBGX0QkmN9BCCfpEht39UnkM1nNgAqaeQXQ4IMJect70syW2Ku6X9Z1-5sFaW3f3wv8G_84th-z9SaleYrAB2pB1sZr7tBZe2_IzxvUsYwtCrsaW6x4zzDX2/s1600/DSCF3769.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNlWZGAOSY9x2fJvP3PMuEZBGX0QkmN9BCCfpEht39UnkM1nNgAqaeQXQ4IMJect70syW2Ku6X9Z1-5sFaW3f3wv8G_84th-z9SaleYrAB2pB1sZr7tBZe2_IzxvUsYwtCrsaW6x4zzDX2/s640/DSCF3769.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unnamed lake from 1396</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFEx76R9nT6t9z9mmdd0y3_INvbhy5G_DEVC9SpjoMqgHGha8lTvQcETYnpUKaJIFo4oo-U2yekdqLIqCdnzO7FD0gJMydxvHr878i4UDuy2kpy2FogevByEUB-JOM0CrrzI-9v3SgAAGj/s1600/DSCF3780.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFEx76R9nT6t9z9mmdd0y3_INvbhy5G_DEVC9SpjoMqgHGha8lTvQcETYnpUKaJIFo4oo-U2yekdqLIqCdnzO7FD0gJMydxvHr878i4UDuy2kpy2FogevByEUB-JOM0CrrzI-9v3SgAAGj/s640/DSCF3780.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mt Irene</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGWKLLqKyr3FRFxuSoNpwpMI1AStCPrJAU9dqEtMCYGDVJbtZnY_syMunKL6hNRE1dQotr_b9jagjgNLN6XjVH72M_IBaAtq0UAO8nN8pAx0u3Xns0H5kvt4w7-8YCb128VDM5mYyRYW_/s1600/DSCF3789.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGWKLLqKyr3FRFxuSoNpwpMI1AStCPrJAU9dqEtMCYGDVJbtZnY_syMunKL6hNRE1dQotr_b9jagjgNLN6XjVH72M_IBaAtq0UAO8nN8pAx0u3Xns0H5kvt4w7-8YCb128VDM5mYyRYW_/s640/DSCF3789.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nick on the ridgeline with Mt Irene behind</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRFPOn7tsvJEQI8oDsV9Q473TIuIxleGBhzN0fWZ3dOccCBpBY9jIqD0xOVcDMLANHPMgWrcsqPhJ8bywAJrP6GmUHVpe3H6kXE5zCe6uoFaGzKeNwVOxf6rvAIYrF74XJAERNRtbrr_O/s1600/DSCF3804.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRFPOn7tsvJEQI8oDsV9Q473TIuIxleGBhzN0fWZ3dOccCBpBY9jIqD0xOVcDMLANHPMgWrcsqPhJ8bywAJrP6GmUHVpe3H6kXE5zCe6uoFaGzKeNwVOxf6rvAIYrF74XJAERNRtbrr_O/s640/DSCF3804.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ascending steep slopes to our second camp on the tops</td></tr>
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We had the feeling that it was time to start to find our way out of the 'wilds' and back into civilisation the next day. Nick and Dan had a flight out of Queenstown on Friday morning and it was now Wednesday. We set our course for the Gorge Burn, one of the viable exit options we had eyed up before the trip. The weather was still holding, but had become grey and overcast with the occasional rain spot.<br />
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The terrain had altered subtly and now seemed more gentle, with slightly more rounded rock and boulder fields. Nick enjoyed leading the group weaving through the maze of rock and then a scree descent into Lake Ione. We paddled across the first lake which then fed into Lake Eva. Dropping into Gorge Burn the alpine tussock mingled with stunted beech trees which released great puffs of yellow pollen all over us. There were many beautiful little camp spots in this upper valley.<br />
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The bush proved good travel and it didn't take us long to reach Lake Boomerang. Nick decided he was hot and that swimming the lake rather than rafting sounded like a plan. Fortunately Dan thought it was still a good idea to inflate the raft and so when young Nick froze about half way across the lake he and Dan were able to switch spots.<br />
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At the far end of the lake the Canada Geese had invaded and little mounds of poo covered the lakeshore. Chris found a small swiss army knife on the lake shore and shortly after that I found an old empty packet of peppermints and all of a sudden it felt like we were returning to civilisation. It took us a few more hours to reach the fiord, occasionally we would get stuck in bush lawyer covered tree fall and have to painstakingly clamber our way through.<br />
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Popping out of the bush suddenly on South Fiord of Lake Te Anau was a bit surreal. It was a pebbly beach almost identical to the one the watertaxi had delivered us onto 5 days earlier. Paddling on the fiord was a great feeling and we whooped as we pushed off from the shore and out onto the calm fiord that would take us back to Te Anau.<br />
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We found a nice sandy beach for camping and a fire with toasted marshmallows was an excellent last night on our journey. The talk was much centred around the upcoming Godzone Race in Fiordland which we were all taking part in. We felt that we had learned a lot about travel, pack rafting efficiency and general team work on this trip and there was an excited buzz that we had achieved quite an ambitious route through this rugged country.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8EjpO8FKIW98hTOOcWCkDHxGxCBJroNoXT8JaICrizdxknqcavXG2P9gQT8epKu3VqURcP5V953P4rtMJ2VkRel8wpcZZ5-JoVprbL17lgWQY3gJQLkHLrzTiu3zWMUwn-I4s-T341zO_/s1600/DSCF3819.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8EjpO8FKIW98hTOOcWCkDHxGxCBJroNoXT8JaICrizdxknqcavXG2P9gQT8epKu3VqURcP5V953P4rtMJ2VkRel8wpcZZ5-JoVprbL17lgWQY3gJQLkHLrzTiu3zWMUwn-I4s-T341zO_/s640/DSCF3819.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Carrying packrafts up from Lake Iona<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcvn5V2o1LdfREFKEOiVNFPI0iBED8qxZcA-JEiK56wEc38nwkFZmvmqBg_X1sHPKxFTWzlLS6nnOnh0JdTrB8uie0I3_rV_K_02FKU-hFE0AamL7SBZrv4kC7kT9AV6yHI4ncw5etEqCw/s1600/IMG_3143.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcvn5V2o1LdfREFKEOiVNFPI0iBED8qxZcA-JEiK56wEc38nwkFZmvmqBg_X1sHPKxFTWzlLS6nnOnh0JdTrB8uie0I3_rV_K_02FKU-hFE0AamL7SBZrv4kC7kT9AV6yHI4ncw5etEqCw/s640/IMG_3143.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
Chris enjoying the rocky tops above Gorge Burn</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOdswng8id7Bl8Bf5wixA7-RXwpbw53IykJzc_xSK4yR89AiT7joQ34ynDviCocnHjugJBGuMr5P_xRhQnSpysqf0AnLUGhW2xoNh2xiMfbxRGS4RbUHOtt0vChVivYFhzxQe2enLjNFQk/s1600/IMG_3155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOdswng8id7Bl8Bf5wixA7-RXwpbw53IykJzc_xSK4yR89AiT7joQ34ynDviCocnHjugJBGuMr5P_xRhQnSpysqf0AnLUGhW2xoNh2xiMfbxRGS4RbUHOtt0vChVivYFhzxQe2enLjNFQk/s640/IMG_3155.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Wandering down through the rocks towards Lake Iona<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXghzDQS74PDqWtNKOs-HfjNF75ZwXa0-BnBcceidd8zBcvlitoBCKC3U4-fOnpza-Gu6B5xYEBonaxndCPkYzurHMrQJudu3GVrLmd542Gt1W0uLdOLwkpqEZorjjs3GheVph2Xy5-xqQ/s1600/IMG_3167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXghzDQS74PDqWtNKOs-HfjNF75ZwXa0-BnBcceidd8zBcvlitoBCKC3U4-fOnpza-Gu6B5xYEBonaxndCPkYzurHMrQJudu3GVrLmd542Gt1W0uLdOLwkpqEZorjjs3GheVph2Xy5-xqQ/s640/IMG_3167.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Amazing rock formations... and mordor in the background?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXIybIR7ehrWq13BDe01ihqA2JPc3pm344ZzJcci5LyVmMXHpoCK5E4eHWqNG5cyfaws2Gi8stlfJ2V552KtmcVFpUran03WklGZm4CUGO85mc2Ytt3tUFe3fB6n2jD_BQAJuT12uoIfeI/s1600/IMG_3178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXIybIR7ehrWq13BDe01ihqA2JPc3pm344ZzJcci5LyVmMXHpoCK5E4eHWqNG5cyfaws2Gi8stlfJ2V552KtmcVFpUran03WklGZm4CUGO85mc2Ytt3tUFe3fB6n2jD_BQAJuT12uoIfeI/s640/IMG_3178.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Nick and Dan head out across Lake Iona<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2kkWQIXLYsVFjs2eqLbAEqhlXjC8tUcNEhpFgGcCaTv8GvzheO0HfYEKoXp7_vLwO6s3IiYum8OCLspSbW5y4-ytjkvLFNAZbMYbQReTy3tsiA-DXjM9B0cXTYRZGmpQtB7j7bNU67UGJ/s1600/IMG_3204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2kkWQIXLYsVFjs2eqLbAEqhlXjC8tUcNEhpFgGcCaTv8GvzheO0HfYEKoXp7_vLwO6s3IiYum8OCLspSbW5y4-ytjkvLFNAZbMYbQReTy3tsiA-DXjM9B0cXTYRZGmpQtB7j7bNU67UGJ/s640/IMG_3204.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Emily amongst the stunted beech in the upper Gorge Burn</div>
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Georgia descending the Gorge Burn<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">We paddled down the Fiord in the morning, but as we hadn't done quite enough exploring, we deflated the rafts at West Beach and walked along the ancient Hidden Lakes Track. Chris and Nick got very excited, practically running the track, as the open forest and many rock features would make a stunning orienteering map.</span></div>
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Shortly before we reached East Cove I was walking along and heard a 'whoopee' in front of me. I rounded the corner to see Chris and Nick had plunged naked into Hidden Lake from a boulder right by the track. I quickly did the same thing and before long the whole group was bobbing around in the lake chuckling and laughing. Once clothed again we walked 2 minutes down the track to come across a group of about 15 tourists who had taken the boat across - just as well they had not come a few hundred metres further up the track!<br />
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We walked out to the Lake Te Anau shore and blew up the rafts for the final leg into Te Anau. We paddled strongly across the lake as a float plane glided past and the number of small boats zooming past increased. We pulled up the boats right on the Te Anau lake shore and soon gear exploded again as we unpacked everything and dragged it up onto the footpath. Nick and Chris had been nominated to hitch hike back to the car, so the rest of us lay on the shore eating salty chips and strawberries.<br />
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Over tasty pizzas and beers in Te Anau we ended our journey. At the restaurant we noticed a wall to wall topo map of Fiordland and we plotted our long journey on it... a tiny little circle on a huge canvas of mountains, fiords, rivers... We had hardly covered anything of the amazing Fiordland National Park, the possibility for exploring and adventures endless, just how it should be!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nick by one of the large boulders on the Hidden Lakes Track</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTzX0wYeBxrLlD7C90oH1Vu1L261vPKFgrugwC-YYCXGjpSuL2xu1wQ9HXO-AL7ViVBfsAOWJv4gQ5k-8VgBl1NZ7xGQDYG9QgElmsGHz1InQuwGD4T55DFj11tsEa_V35P5H-2zqUcqTY/s1600/DSCF3845.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTzX0wYeBxrLlD7C90oH1Vu1L261vPKFgrugwC-YYCXGjpSuL2xu1wQ9HXO-AL7ViVBfsAOWJv4gQ5k-8VgBl1NZ7xGQDYG9QgElmsGHz1InQuwGD4T55DFj11tsEa_V35P5H-2zqUcqTY/s640/DSCF3845.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Team Takahe on the shores of Lake Te Anau</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08406950956653207723noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249050746221514503.post-73462832126362645382017-01-14T23:11:00.000-08:002017-01-15T13:08:45.304-08:00The Infinity Packrafting Loop<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-vf1e0IwMU9_YmL28N-Vec9IN9x7FGzstr5YDanXDhJw-e9nipEm0ri3sjv3de0rHKtwRVyjXu5HGfhO9Ndg7lVK6AxZYmoBJyD6nv4VDugOrlqQe3xetn6gGKIxxjOUAm6wmV6Hlj6te/s1600/GOPR0421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-vf1e0IwMU9_YmL28N-Vec9IN9x7FGzstr5YDanXDhJw-e9nipEm0ri3sjv3de0rHKtwRVyjXu5HGfhO9Ndg7lVK6AxZYmoBJyD6nv4VDugOrlqQe3xetn6gGKIxxjOUAm6wmV6Hlj6te/s640/GOPR0421.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy times on the Hollyford</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3>
<span lang="EN-AU"></span></h3>
<h3>
<span lang="EN-AU">The Beginning</span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">This adventure came about from dreams of
exploring a wild fiordland coast line, several newly acquired packrafts and an amazing looking place called the 'Red Mountain'. All of these places seemed like most excellent places
to visit and so after a bit of Internet research about people’s previous
experiences and much google earth and topo-map studying we had a plan sketched
out that we came to term “The Infinity Loop” based on it’s shape.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpOvySr-d1llizH6aNA3FrMnzfuZAynlOElu9pasvB25tKa7_azsuJfmqHR4fbhUFv5G1GOSVk0bDV9E8k6cEISS1WOUqq_F4Za-F0IVWK3w_xLP7JCcxfKByusQm9icfpFpYi_tey3gGB/s1600/15940696_10212320007504096_4994022774955217748_n+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12.8px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpOvySr-d1llizH6aNA3FrMnzfuZAynlOElu9pasvB25tKa7_azsuJfmqHR4fbhUFv5G1GOSVk0bDV9E8k6cEISS1WOUqq_F4Za-F0IVWK3w_xLP7JCcxfKByusQm9icfpFpYi_tey3gGB/s640/15940696_10212320007504096_4994022774955217748_n+2.jpg" width="526" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Infinity Loop</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">So we had a trip and a group of keen
individuals – Matt and La, Georgia, Chris and myself and Tim and Steph who
would start with us then cut off a few days early. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">Post Christmas a weather window opened that
was okay, not brilliant, but good enough for us. A solid day of organising and
equipment chaos then took place as we tried to whittle our gear down enough to
have 8 – 9 days of food, room for packrafts, life jackets, paddles, tents,
cookers and so on. Finally we decided we were ready as our packs were full to
the brim and couldn’t fit any more stuff, so we headed off for Te Anau.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">Over dinner in Te Anau we savoured our last
fresh food in a while and then drove on down the Eglington Valley . A glimpse
of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mt Tutoko just before we dropped down
into Gunns camp filled me with excitement about the adventure to come. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We camped near the road end to the
thunderous roar of the Moraine Creek rapids, and a peek at the rapids in the
darkness made us all wonder about what the lower Hollyford might be like!</span></div>
<h3>
<span lang="EN-AU"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></h3>
<h3>
<span lang="EN-AU"><o:p>Down the Hollyford </o:p></span></h3>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjuEsiXJF4AZ3fPcNmdXMgD56V9AxN79Ba2qa8SEphqJa47otxuFO5f853BYt5k9Yc9rWU0qoovSRTvRcg3takivDOn9eKiqpGN74VnF-wKvfA_urOd6LgIh3Q03LAZ-7_z1MfoJA1Fomj/s1600/P1070676.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12.8px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjuEsiXJF4AZ3fPcNmdXMgD56V9AxN79Ba2qa8SEphqJa47otxuFO5f853BYt5k9Yc9rWU0qoovSRTvRcg3takivDOn9eKiqpGN74VnF-wKvfA_urOd6LgIh3Q03LAZ-7_z1MfoJA1Fomj/s640/P1070676.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying to fit 8 days gear into packrafts at Hollyford road end </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbwwMq19owfHhcOYe0o5mxA0GHhUQ5BMFtT-SaAFBEIg5Y2n5FG6zqnMFRRSQWNw03ZVSyiILOWF7RUAuM7NMLzk_HEGM9gkef6OPftJt_hBDHYeVUCzN4a3ABBmcIkCouS3OlS_oKYzaL/s1600/scene00201+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbwwMq19owfHhcOYe0o5mxA0GHhUQ5BMFtT-SaAFBEIg5Y2n5FG6zqnMFRRSQWNw03ZVSyiILOWF7RUAuM7NMLzk_HEGM9gkef6OPftJt_hBDHYeVUCzN4a3ABBmcIkCouS3OlS_oKYzaL/s640/scene00201+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading down the Hollyford in our convoy of packrafts</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span lang="EN-AU">The morning was a pearly fine and it was
very cool to finally be on the river with all our gear safely stowed inside.
The Hollyford was a beautiful green blue, with beach forest thick on each side.
Up above soared Mount Madeleine, and I could see the toe of a glacier in one of
the valleys just above us. There was a fun little series of wave trains and
then we spotted the take out for the Little Homer Rapid just past Hidden Falls
Hut. </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">We pulled the boats out of the water and up
the muddy bank. We found a still channel of water to float down and then a cleared
track which apparently is used to winch up jet boats. Before long we were back
down at the river. Georgia and I did a swap at that point so I could have a go
in her single. It was great fun to be in the very manoeuvrable<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>one man boat and I enjoyed the little wave
trains that followed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2kTvfnXLWfj6DUHy-jzEn0CL_NHJ7IQCg7Wlti4x-lYN7gREAF4VmxtR4DsGEgtWDkBbEeEVmyovZryaKUkBODvH8HnOxUX5TdWNEC3gLeCEpfCktt-f6gcsT8Q6f409Aajw4UtCMJzH8/s1600/scene00101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2kTvfnXLWfj6DUHy-jzEn0CL_NHJ7IQCg7Wlti4x-lYN7gREAF4VmxtR4DsGEgtWDkBbEeEVmyovZryaKUkBODvH8HnOxUX5TdWNEC3gLeCEpfCktt-f6gcsT8Q6f409Aajw4UtCMJzH8/s640/scene00101.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The jet boat portage at Little Homer Rapids</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">Towards the end of the river there were a
couple of slightly bigger rapids and as I was following Chris and Georgia down
their boat suddenly disappeared into a large wave/hole and flipped! I quickly paddled to
the side and saw that they were both okay and had made it to shore with all
gear and boat. Not wanting to do the same the rest of us took a line that
avoided the biggest wave and there were no more spills. Georgia was not particularly impressed with Chris steering her into the biggest hole on the rapid, but he claimed fault in the lack of spray deck on the boat. She was a bit chilled, but seemed to warm up pretty quick. I decided I got lucky being able to pick my own line in the single!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">Even though it was a clear sunny day<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the river is often in shade and the water temperature is very low, so by the time we
reached windy Lake Mckerrow Island Hut we were all a bit frozen. Fortunately
the hut was in a warm sunny clearing and a good lunch helped. From Mckerrow
Island Hut came a big paddle across Lake Mckerrow, into what was now a strong
face wind. It was going to be a long day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUQPMVRldEatFMQyt12XwOhlEcLw_qr9l9HoAr5J6xpNImdnH5NMYb3H-HEzgsilEEBPyQUlH4Ev2XKj2yMjLaC_0H_Vn9IXIe4g0SF55dunqn8JC38MGJtaMYEdfrJEG6dMXK3zJMrbze/s1600/15941432_10212319906301566_8563066781146691418_n+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12.8px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUQPMVRldEatFMQyt12XwOhlEcLw_qr9l9HoAr5J6xpNImdnH5NMYb3H-HEzgsilEEBPyQUlH4Ev2XKj2yMjLaC_0H_Vn9IXIe4g0SF55dunqn8JC38MGJtaMYEdfrJEG6dMXK3zJMrbze/s640/15941432_10212319906301566_8563066781146691418_n+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunny lunch at Mckerrow Island Hut</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">After a couple of hours paddling huddled in against
the shore trying to avoid gusts the wind dropped and our progress increased
somewhat, although it is never going to be rapid in a pack raft on still water.
By the time we reached the part of the lake where it begins to narrow we were
all feeling pretty tired. Tim and Steph decided to pull out and visit Jamestown, then walk the last stretch to the hut.</span></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">We put Georgia on a tow line (our double
raft with Chris motor was a bit speedier) and set off down the final part of
the river to the coast. We put our heads down and paddled and soon we rounded a corner and could spot the tin roof of Martin's Bay hut. After a solid 12 hours paddling we happily pulled the boats up onto the beach and headed inside away from the sandflies for a great dinner cook up and bed.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhws5vx1V4SQPngWNsX4GHP7MBKXJDBb43o8_bvIfYmMN6mixo62IOSe-fIUAsN3j_ZDNrnVvuE023vNtAorwBFZPJ4AkFWV4AiffCwW1tX1stWR3Gdhio5wuQHykzyFpzeInxueVUezvfu/s1600/P1070691.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12.8px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhws5vx1V4SQPngWNsX4GHP7MBKXJDBb43o8_bvIfYmMN6mixo62IOSe-fIUAsN3j_ZDNrnVvuE023vNtAorwBFZPJ4AkFWV4AiffCwW1tX1stWR3Gdhio5wuQHykzyFpzeInxueVUezvfu/s640/P1070691.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset at Martin's Bay</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span lang="EN-AU"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghZYuvZRLYmSBQ0-XjHg7c3qQ1iCjPji0CTF1Pjp8imLqa6A0NQkKrD6kZNZKuuUEGbDFMEDGOVXccWzVOOxXD3Ll21DXoR0PH27TOzDW10BMzL4q-rZ0i6dvvZvkfZXejiMH37ODzhhWj/s1600/P1070696.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12.8px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghZYuvZRLYmSBQ0-XjHg7c3qQ1iCjPji0CTF1Pjp8imLqa6A0NQkKrD6kZNZKuuUEGbDFMEDGOVXccWzVOOxXD3Ll21DXoR0PH27TOzDW10BMzL4q-rZ0i6dvvZvkfZXejiMH37ODzhhWj/s640/P1070696.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soup in the sunset - we were pretty happy to be there!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3>
<span lang="EN-AU">Walk to Big Bay</span></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5n44Wj7q9MWfgCfPJ7g0AdaZL6WchB_OotIV9eEd0Teu2wO_Ua5NgZAmJLdJG6jc3Xt702iNNU2KMNMUBqky-g8NscELtLX7zJDdBU3eUZzLIAjZSq_lfwLTh5AJcImyZSqdqBNOxH7nP/s1600/P1070704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12.8px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5n44Wj7q9MWfgCfPJ7g0AdaZL6WchB_OotIV9eEd0Teu2wO_Ua5NgZAmJLdJG6jc3Xt702iNNU2KMNMUBqky-g8NscELtLX7zJDdBU3eUZzLIAjZSq_lfwLTh5AJcImyZSqdqBNOxH7nP/s640/P1070704.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading around Long Reef Point</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span lang="EN-AU">The next day the plan was to walk around the coast to Big Bay Hut and then on up to the head of the Pyke River up into the Red Hills. We started off round Long Reef point on a good track, then reached an intersection and decided to head on the beach track as the bush one looked very overgrown. Chris was out in front and as he dropped onto the beach we suddenly heard a loud barking sound and an angry seal lunged towards him. Chris roared back and the seal backed off, but as we tiptoed after him onto the beach we realised there were seals everywhere and we would have to weave amongst angry seals for miles to get along the shore! Suddenly the overgrown track above us didn't seem so overgrown.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgICM-5yZWqM620dVbOy3w9SXJ2xxGKjk6u_Dqerl0kE9-fuRT5lfrEMTvSoJlA8QlJ8LV8cPr0_0hyphenhyphenBMTD9ppB1XZ5EM26SsVOUNdDxwFPK6ONF_HQZ8wBW7LLm85WORzGtCnkatBww1Hg/s1600/P1070709.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12.8px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgICM-5yZWqM620dVbOy3w9SXJ2xxGKjk6u_Dqerl0kE9-fuRT5lfrEMTvSoJlA8QlJ8LV8cPr0_0hyphenhyphenBMTD9ppB1XZ5EM26SsVOUNdDxwFPK6ONF_HQZ8wBW7LLm85WORzGtCnkatBww1Hg/s640/P1070709.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Out on the rocky coast, faster than the bush.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span lang="EN-AU"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdhcM-G9uPUmZiCGZSjfgOfyWC_lYoL5OEEJu__qtumiDXR9HOsj1UKTYBATVL63aJvhGXJNOZBDB6azx13g03BD4vXuQ-XbHYUfhJHxYepngahY_dLq0XezQ6jdclLNQZ9iPUGmSZsiFk/s1600/P1070711.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12.8px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdhcM-G9uPUmZiCGZSjfgOfyWC_lYoL5OEEJu__qtumiDXR9HOsj1UKTYBATVL63aJvhGXJNOZBDB6azx13g03BD4vXuQ-XbHYUfhJHxYepngahY_dLq0XezQ6jdclLNQZ9iPUGmSZsiFk/s640/P1070711.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Georgia on the coast</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTxpoKnk_q_ulmId7_yl7c8aO2-xeuJiJAZHB0h9swohvRlSdraJmM8vtK9BnTkaVnOXhQpyX6JzCjeK_m8-1qaThXDyAwhWgCbmAHMaeVRE0qs-b-9TRjJB0c4gFD9SHI3pDacKafyOLh/s1600/P1070712.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12.8px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTxpoKnk_q_ulmId7_yl7c8aO2-xeuJiJAZHB0h9swohvRlSdraJmM8vtK9BnTkaVnOXhQpyX6JzCjeK_m8-1qaThXDyAwhWgCbmAHMaeVRE0qs-b-9TRjJB0c4gFD9SHI3pDacKafyOLh/s640/P1070712.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our party making our way amongst the boulders... still kind of on the look out for seals</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span lang="EN-AU">Back up we traipsed and spent the next hour smashing along a very muddy, flax covered trail which we lost several times. After an hour we neared the beach again and decided to brave the seals. Fortunately by now we were obviously past the colony and so we could now make better progress along the rocky shore. As we rounded the curve of Big Bay we caught a glimpse of Red Mountain in the hazy distance inland. Given we were planning on getting there today it looked very far away!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-AU"></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Red mountain looking very distant at this point</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Steph striding out along the beach, the point in the background is the one you come around from Martin's Bay</td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-AU">We ate a late lunch at Big Bay Hut and then gladly deposited a bag of food supplies which we would collect on our way back from our first loop. Most of this came from my pack so I was pretty glad to be losing some of my weight! We were all feeling a bit tired from heavy packs, and the four hours to Pyke River seemed pretty long. Fortunately we entertained ourselves coming up with riddles about native birds. A few of the goodies being: "2 cars" (kaka), "omniscient and clever" (godwit), "cutlery invoice" (spoonbill) and "internal theft" (robin).</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the Big Bay huts with Red Mountain in the background</td></tr>
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When we finally reached the Pyke the sun was setting and we were all feeling quite tired. After a brief consultation with the maps we decided to head a further 45 minutes upstream and then pitch camp. The Red Hills would have to wait until tomorrow. We followed deer trails up river and then found a grassy clearing where we set up our tents and went for a quick and freezing dip in the river. </div>
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The view up to Red Mountain was stunning in the setting sun and now it did look a lot closer. Tomorrow Tim and Steph would part ways with us, heading up towards the Red Mountain, then on down the Pyke. We would continue along the Red Hills and hoped we could make it down to the Cascade River by the following night.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rock art on the way to the Pyke</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWx0VR1w_dAg8RwisxG1wjT9Lf0W3qNlLvzorzD6kF_PTN3TOOsbLquzLrSqNxrePsij17o6IOjez7Sm9geZ5C72b2xHjywqaFf5ch509tYfP2ET_j4PaD19scLUFMT5txPFUYvkpA6OKM/s1600/P1070752.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWx0VR1w_dAg8RwisxG1wjT9Lf0W3qNlLvzorzD6kF_PTN3TOOsbLquzLrSqNxrePsij17o6IOjez7Sm9geZ5C72b2xHjywqaFf5ch509tYfP2ET_j4PaD19scLUFMT5txPFUYvkpA6OKM/s640/P1070752.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Camp at the Pyke</td></tr>
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<h3>
Traverse of the Red Hills</h3>
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The bush bash up from the Pyke to point 1166m was slow going, especially with our big packs. Chris's optimistic 2.5 hours soon stretched out to 4 hours, but eventually we emerged from the bush to a great view of Red Mountain and the sharp South-West Ridge of Aspiring looking like the Matterhorn in the far distance.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbCbkp4A3Aj8u6TKbNFHguzSqazuj7EKFRw7JGbWlxk9eY-SoLLauBdZ-xfNSanIi9pDf8hNHVxJOO0jAn55dHTYdZ2IABcmvBM9W9Cii8EcWflyW5_um1ncO6fuOWg3IZ96d5ReU0EQSs/s1600/P1070753.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbCbkp4A3Aj8u6TKbNFHguzSqazuj7EKFRw7JGbWlxk9eY-SoLLauBdZ-xfNSanIi9pDf8hNHVxJOO0jAn55dHTYdZ2IABcmvBM9W9Cii8EcWflyW5_um1ncO6fuOWg3IZ96d5ReU0EQSs/s640/P1070753.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fun times on the bush bash up to the tops</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Above bush line</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matt examines Red Mountain just before the fog rolls in</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGQGpzElLnS-FVmY4ZAB869bGkjIDi3CshbW55Jur8r74yGKhfoaPhzhpMz_crGRMRI1pWgZwKe7fSnSiYwf3Ts17qO5rjGfLJEaMm9nmc58e7soAPvghk9FFpKg89-8ErtEgdB6b-J8ih/s1600/P1070775.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGQGpzElLnS-FVmY4ZAB869bGkjIDi3CshbW55Jur8r74yGKhfoaPhzhpMz_crGRMRI1pWgZwKe7fSnSiYwf3Ts17qO5rjGfLJEaMm9nmc58e7soAPvghk9FFpKg89-8ErtEgdB6b-J8ih/s640/P1070775.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Georgia goes for a paddle up there!</td></tr>
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We had to reenter the bush along the spur for a bit and as we emerged back onto the Red Hills proper clouds rolled in that sadly would stay firmly in place for the rest of our time on the tops. Chris was out in front enjoying the navigation in the low visibility, and Georgia and I noted that the last 'Red Hills' we had been in during Godzone 2016 in Nelson had also looked like this - completely foggy!</div>
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We ate lunch on the spur and wondered what had become of Tim and Steph as we hadn't seen any sign of them since we started climbing. We traversed the tops for the rest of the afternoon, then dropped down to some tarns on the far side of the Red Hills. The terrain was beautiful, with soft mossy clearings, hundreds of clear tarns and clean beech forest groves. We all 'oohed and ahhed' about the idea of orienteering up there.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fog rolled in and concealed the tops, but we could still spot the tarns.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tarn on the Cascade end of the Red Hills</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCExiejWu4zU1rPLrikzNXjD0H3esWljiTeD4WvznHyogxLx5rR1untPVhVgkTRmzg9nHhfSjKV3JBDZDPZUpe34OZJuH9SeD0ndXsl_BrohD_CJXW8V7VOZjKV2TpHda6ZNHGY7oo8GBe/s1600/P1070798.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCExiejWu4zU1rPLrikzNXjD0H3esWljiTeD4WvznHyogxLx5rR1untPVhVgkTRmzg9nHhfSjKV3JBDZDPZUpe34OZJuH9SeD0ndXsl_BrohD_CJXW8V7VOZjKV2TpHda6ZNHGY7oo8GBe/s640/P1070798.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Some beautiful orienteering meadows that we wandered through - heli orienteering?</td></tr>
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In the late evening we dropped down into the forest and down a remarkably clear spur into the Cascade River, right at the bottom of the top gorge. It was late and we were all feeling pretty tired after yet another big day, but so far we were managing to keep up with Chris and Georgia's general ambitious schedule.</div>
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The most unknown part of our trip now lay ahead. We didn't know too much about the Cascade River other than what we had found from looking at Google imagery and topo. The 'travel-ability' of the coast line from Barn Bay was also a bit unknown. The daylight brought light rain and the weather from here was meant to deteriorate so we were keen to get down the Cascade sooner rather than later. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY5jGkReULNCRDWvapB3HzcoQ7GTfESL0CJm5itAUO4_2RsxokrmDsLm_LfSZI7x9QoLCDzg1L0AhG_HqSShw2GBDb-eDE3dc5A6GsN28h7qZZ9zHteUZ_pcfuHK6EVQPw8KuDAy85uxCa/s1600/P1070802.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY5jGkReULNCRDWvapB3HzcoQ7GTfESL0CJm5itAUO4_2RsxokrmDsLm_LfSZI7x9QoLCDzg1L0AhG_HqSShw2GBDb-eDE3dc5A6GsN28h7qZZ9zHteUZ_pcfuHK6EVQPw8KuDAy85uxCa/s640/P1070802.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nearly down in the Cascade, just before it got dark</td></tr>
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We found a nice grassy spot to set up camp on the Cascade River Flats. Sometime in the middle of the night we heard the pitter of rain starting to fall on the tent. The weather change we had been expecting was on its way.<br />
<h3>
Packrafting the lower Cascade</h3>
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It was exciting to inflate the rafts again and soon we were floating down the crystal clear Cascade River, watching the thick bush breeze by on either side. Suddenly our packrafts seemed so worthwhile again! The river was great fun with lots of wave trains and easy rapids. It wasn't long before we reached the gorge we thought we might need to portage. </div>
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We made the call to continue on river because the going seemed pretty good. Just then the river dropped away, so we scouted from the side and made the call to pull the boats round the corner. The river became more bouldery and we would paddle short sections and then scout the next bit to see if we liked it or not.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgEJvP6M-rokSWXwMHFwBL2H-4oISeZHaAAF3AHRiS-15fNiKf2xj-rXuHy17W2bWRQyQ04eEN7KCtL7roGHj6fxZrWZFj2GzEXR7OeP0jfbQgQLRNwuGMwPTozgD8_i4qt3W9LdxEHta2/s1600/16114071_10212319908861630_5067365903314053311_n+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12.8px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgEJvP6M-rokSWXwMHFwBL2H-4oISeZHaAAF3AHRiS-15fNiKf2xj-rXuHy17W2bWRQyQ04eEN7KCtL7roGHj6fxZrWZFj2GzEXR7OeP0jfbQgQLRNwuGMwPTozgD8_i4qt3W9LdxEHta2/s640/16114071_10212319908861630_5067365903314053311_n+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wet times on the Cascade, our GoPro was packed away so we didn't capture any whitewater</td></tr>
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We were pretty cautious, but given our paddling experience and the remoteness of this river we all agreed this was the right way to be. There were heaps of easy chicken lines we could take and the gorge was beautiful despite the steady rain. </div>
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About half way down the gorge I noticed a strong smell of petrol and immediatly worried about our fuel bottle. We pulled over and after a short rumage I unearthed an extremely dented fuel bottle which had been acting as my seat as we bumped over rocks in the river! Luckily it didn't seem like we had lost too much fuel and we were able to fix the leak and stow the bottle in a safer place.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwfzVNC-jHp9wuLsbT_XKXJEUooqNWetpN0uhkVgKbtWJfX6yQs-ui3UGbdbxYNY3QKTBy4Vc-_6L4haZSN6uMgPAN9x3LAdlB3gr9qVmjdBgMHoDE4mZb3rRJy7BtQV17UWus-UTt7n8U/s1600/15873306_10212319904381518_2027457381075924136_n+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12.8px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwfzVNC-jHp9wuLsbT_XKXJEUooqNWetpN0uhkVgKbtWJfX6yQs-ui3UGbdbxYNY3QKTBy4Vc-_6L4haZSN6uMgPAN9x3LAdlB3gr9qVmjdBgMHoDE4mZb3rRJy7BtQV17UWus-UTt7n8U/s640/15873306_10212319904381518_2027457381075924136_n+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wet and chilly 'cracker lunch' on the Cascade</td></tr>
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We passed a pair of blue ducks and spotted several deer amongst the pungas. The river started to level out as we left the gorge and the whitewater became more spread out. We stopped for a nibble in the rain, jumping around to keep ourselves warm. An hour more and we spotted a cow on the riverbank, we knew we had reached the Cascade farm. The wind had picked up by now, so when we pulled the boats up on a big S bend in the river we were all pretty cold.</div>
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We deflated the boats and got moving as quick as we could. We were aiming for the 4WD road which runs out to Barn Bay, but to get there we had to cross a swamp. The swamp tried to suck up Chris first as he teetered around flax bushes, jumping across deep muddy pools. We all followed and walked across some crazy weed water beds which didn't feel safe at all. We still had our lifejackets on to keep us warm, and decided that was just as well given the swamp condition.</div>
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After a while the swamp turned to forest and we climbed over fallen logs and tree routes. Suddenly we popped out onto the wide road. It felt weird to be on a road again. We walked along briskly, the evening growing darker and rainier by the minute. At one point as I wandered along by myself I felt like I was on the set of Jurassic Park, with the jungly bush all around me and rain pouring into puddles. I thought about the fat guy driving his car and getting ambushed by swarming dinosaurs.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrdUTf9aRxnxdaXB9RZvIfggBTgfTeQl5spG4OuAFNLIVWckI-zWWD7JwBAVM1awEeIojAEpMYb0ukpoB4RWkB0VXafnYg2v97JPLfX_yQ42dEAG_ew0j-8xTapz_VmqEyipaSTg9mJew0/s1600/P1070810.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrdUTf9aRxnxdaXB9RZvIfggBTgfTeQl5spG4OuAFNLIVWckI-zWWD7JwBAVM1awEeIojAEpMYb0ukpoB4RWkB0VXafnYg2v97JPLfX_yQ42dEAG_ew0j-8xTapz_VmqEyipaSTg9mJew0/s640/P1070810.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Jurassic Park like forest</td></tr>
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Just as well the others ahead waited for me and I didn't get eaten. We were tired and wet when we finally reached the Hope River and a bach which we had heard about already... There was a small room at the bottom that was unlocked and available for use of passing wet trampers. We 'ummed and aahed' about whether this was the place to see out 2016, but given the time of day and weather we decided this would do.</div>
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We cooked up on the porch while the rain poured down outside and the mosquitoes buzzed around. Nevertheless we appreciated the roof over our heads. Gloom set in over the party when Chris couldn't find the block of cheese and decided it had been left on the side of the Cascade River. But at about 11 pm I went back into the bunk room, hunted around, located the missing cheese, the sticky puddings, cream and whiskey and suddenly our seeing in the New Year seemed a bit brighter.</div>
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Unfortunately it turned out the smelly wee room was a mosquito hive and no one slept well. By morning we were tired and well and truely bitten all over. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqDLVIsowlYL24AvScsiEUadu7BxjbCZH4FR6Q9CXTV8ryoIK1o4fNmXjQrznaT0KhwBxCkPcKC73Ss6z5XkIZraHWoZZbEiHq9LbD-9ZhT5I4Z6Q42TawdLGLHFFMtKXk9rQaG8-bdcNg/s1600/P1070805.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqDLVIsowlYL24AvScsiEUadu7BxjbCZH4FR6Q9CXTV8ryoIK1o4fNmXjQrznaT0KhwBxCkPcKC73Ss6z5XkIZraHWoZZbEiHq9LbD-9ZhT5I4Z6Q42TawdLGLHFFMtKXk9rQaG8-bdcNg/s640/P1070805.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "Mosquito Hostel"</td></tr>
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</div>
<h3>
Barn Bay and the Coast</h3>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJKUeW2rlLkyDQzvSvQ7hilCORRL148wKuBTr3lNLXA5brs9Z07uwPx9PZLpi_6x7eZ9aCvs4VBeYdu9yvVTP_QPTOozLST79tSwL9GVIC8g6yOnBMbrZJbg5XW8x7kKEYpdOCoDC5dGLe/s1600/P1070850.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJKUeW2rlLkyDQzvSvQ7hilCORRL148wKuBTr3lNLXA5brs9Z07uwPx9PZLpi_6x7eZ9aCvs4VBeYdu9yvVTP_QPTOozLST79tSwL9GVIC8g6yOnBMbrZJbg5XW8x7kKEYpdOCoDC5dGLe/s640/P1070850.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">The wild coast</td></tr>
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The rain was still falling, but the mosquitos had sucked enough blood, so we packed up and headed into the rain on the rough track to Barn Bay. The river was up, but tramping with packrafts at this point had it's advantages. We inflated a raft and ferried people and packs across the water.<br />
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Now we had reached the windswept, wild coast again. The bouldery beach swept out before us, piles of broken trees covered the shoreline. In places whole trees had been pushed into the sea by the obviously at times huge swollen river. In the light rain, with chaffing and tiredness from our previous days efforts, it felt a desolate place and all of us would retrospectively agree that this was the lowest point on our trip.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYVA8KO1vALPQRPsOuN-f0ns8KKvOu0hyphenhyphengvunJ6CybWNOxE-8YSux7iQ0HtR9yFkO_8DaKJ8x9MQ6BlSbfHV6B9vw5kj_Jn943jOeCvc099_H0W9NRnS_QM7y05CKPfu33ArwWKTZHuVg-/s1600/P1070813.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYVA8KO1vALPQRPsOuN-f0ns8KKvOu0hyphenhyphengvunJ6CybWNOxE-8YSux7iQ0HtR9yFkO_8DaKJ8x9MQ6BlSbfHV6B9vw5kj_Jn943jOeCvc099_H0W9NRnS_QM7y05CKPfu33ArwWKTZHuVg-/s640/P1070813.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pack raft deflating on the beach</td></tr>
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It was supposed to be our 'short' day, but the journey along the bouldery beach was slow going. The waves crashed in at the shore and if you walked too slow the sandflies started feasting on any flesh available. But you couldn't really admire the setting because you had to watch your feet all the time so as not to miss a boulder step!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidL2TpnBDqWvLgChbOdD8HzUldVt7pjq7lbYIYjmECB4ZTqkEPsXvZThXIdu-6AhV9vjiJpFIKQQGsiF0eyny-JVT3HpMess3rZZCRXj-Aw5slde9ZIBEAVmnNE8N6WsVXTr0Dl96_ibx8/s1600/P1070829.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidL2TpnBDqWvLgChbOdD8HzUldVt7pjq7lbYIYjmECB4ZTqkEPsXvZThXIdu-6AhV9vjiJpFIKQQGsiF0eyny-JVT3HpMess3rZZCRXj-Aw5slde9ZIBEAVmnNE8N6WsVXTr0Dl96_ibx8/s640/P1070829.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boulders, boulders, boulders</td></tr>
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There was lots of interesting rock and debris on the beach, it wasn't long before I started spotting some interesting buoys. I picked up a bright red and yellow one called Southern Explorer... then I heard Matt saying something up ahead. As I approached I saw he held a small bright yellow buoy and was saying "Emily" in a strange voice. Written on the buoy in black faded lettering - my name. I had found my memento of this wild coast and it was coming with me, whether there was space in my pack or not.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVFhxE13XJESRYUjgBCSS_BEEFw_MMVRQB5LbiC-msybRrMkGtftK8YsKtMIbDukTya1SlI4gM96Y3wj3zSr7ueqEmjNbg4WaqiPMOuomV2JaOJw-kwH4R2JG4K7Js_dDVNRbQUU8Qf7Lu/s1600/P1070833.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVFhxE13XJESRYUjgBCSS_BEEFw_MMVRQB5LbiC-msybRrMkGtftK8YsKtMIbDukTya1SlI4gM96Y3wj3zSr7ueqEmjNbg4WaqiPMOuomV2JaOJw-kwH4R2JG4K7Js_dDVNRbQUU8Qf7Lu/s640/P1070833.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The group making slow but steady progress along the shoreline</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk6CMADXQRkBy4wLZ_rDP4FFjyTtpNhw8YMF0PGOYxiIY_UVbTZt1zu8iSVs-r9iTvS8qvK3BE9-ZbNjjvKJ1Wuct168gHCrxQXDN6hkIhVx1HOxjHfwMa5RFsIrxkfA3vd9jMHzwFzsyk/s1600/15977741_10212319907061585_1456852911261329934_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12.8px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk6CMADXQRkBy4wLZ_rDP4FFjyTtpNhw8YMF0PGOYxiIY_UVbTZt1zu8iSVs-r9iTvS8qvK3BE9-ZbNjjvKJ1Wuct168gHCrxQXDN6hkIhVx1HOxjHfwMa5RFsIrxkfA3vd9jMHzwFzsyk/s640/15977741_10212319907061585_1456852911261329934_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chris and Matt doing some dancing or rock surfing?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5bBYHofG3pvg9hdOCkgYg8AlWUCAsfWnbpxOupkiokIsl3QkhBACX2Vu5LcsbNvSa88R5U5C2PAswJTy2_rqNSRzkK7xLTs-PTu2nEfaQhozzBIC_SybKYQ7dHCl2yVpHzglhb-k0q8Mu/s1600/P1070839.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5bBYHofG3pvg9hdOCkgYg8AlWUCAsfWnbpxOupkiokIsl3QkhBACX2Vu5LcsbNvSa88R5U5C2PAswJTy2_rqNSRzkK7xLTs-PTu2nEfaQhozzBIC_SybKYQ7dHCl2yVpHzglhb-k0q8Mu/s640/P1070839.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A break amongst the flax and sandflies, you can see my buoy on the ground beside me.</td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="text-align: center;">We reached Sandrock Bluff and scouted around to find the track over the steep bluff. We had read in our research about this place of a crazy venture 50 years ago to drive a bouldozer along the coast all the way to the Pyke. Legacy of this was a wide track over the bluff down to the other side. Our pace increased after the bluff as the coast became less rocky and more sandy.</span><br />
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The Steeples Rocks were our first sure sign we were close to Gorge River. Next we spotted the distinctive head land and a small windmill. A little smoke rose from the house, so we guessed the Long Family were in. The Long's have been living at Gorge Creek, one of the remotest spots in New Zealand since the 1980's. We knew about them a little from the books they have written about bringing up their family at Gorge River, and were excited about the possibility to meet them.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO91kBoKH85ngP4SWcTuQz3zx8wGxlFWfPtedz6zYyPn_Pi2itSgBwsD8HWfdO8nvuHjd37ZyCM2aFeZ9rLaXstQNBbCMf8KB4NjjphXOtozuBc01WlfS8kcfV_svOUZquSP8pZo8IfHkM/s1600/P1070859.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12.8px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO91kBoKH85ngP4SWcTuQz3zx8wGxlFWfPtedz6zYyPn_Pi2itSgBwsD8HWfdO8nvuHjd37ZyCM2aFeZ9rLaXstQNBbCMf8KB4NjjphXOtozuBc01WlfS8kcfV_svOUZquSP8pZo8IfHkM/s640/P1070859.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Steeples were a sure sign we were nearing Gorge River</td></tr>
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</div>
<h3>
Gorge River</h3>
<div>
Gorge River was quite large and deep. We decided our packraft ferrying technique was going to be useful yet again. We inflated the green packraft and set too shuttling our packs across the river. The surf pounded out on the beech and another time over we were glad we were carrying the rafts.</div>
<div>
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<div>
We were all safely across except Chris who was trying to load his very heavy pack onto the pack raft for a final shuttle. As he hefted his pack into the boat he slipped and fell in the river! We watched helplessly as he kicked around trying to get out. Fortunately he was in a large deep eddy, so after one lap of the eddy he climbed soggily out and got successfully into the boat with his pack.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Once on the other side we wandered over through the flaxes to find a very cute little DOC hut, nestled beside the Long's modest vege garden and hut. We were preparing cups of soup and dehy when Robert Long popped in and chatted with us, inviting us over for a cup of tea later on. We gladly accepted his invite and Lara located a packet of slightly squashed choc-mints to take with us.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVLOZhBBDFCXNN2VRiiekDpovzKA4noBQU7MCamhKZSAT8Zd_3ASyLoGybNBmu_a9m1K3xMDkwNrcnbT9HVatB2s3Z_rWCG0iHwa6_A1RRXeGpMrFDQhGYngAEo3a22B-6QSLUHyyUPtnH/s1600/P1070863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12.8px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVLOZhBBDFCXNN2VRiiekDpovzKA4noBQU7MCamhKZSAT8Zd_3ASyLoGybNBmu_a9m1K3xMDkwNrcnbT9HVatB2s3Z_rWCG0iHwa6_A1RRXeGpMrFDQhGYngAEo3a22B-6QSLUHyyUPtnH/s640/P1070863.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cute DOC hut at Gorge River</td></tr>
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</div>
<div>
The Long's showed great hospitality when we came to visit and it was special to sit in their living room and talk about visitors they had met past and present and get a small glimpse into what life in this remote, wild place might be like. We watched Catherine's footage of the Fiordland Crested Pengiun which nest in numbers on these shores.</div>
<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaMNFlRVYqulE3J65BXMqaI0Mz20SqAO5Q_BswUvCHV3DeBWvD2P4cJOIEFSH-LfsTJXMMH4PJoBA3psEBh98Satw-Blw0M9JrBeuzWZ76Fs8N_luAMhonayh4IEQZ0It826OIdWqZo-u-/s1600/P1070864.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12.8px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaMNFlRVYqulE3J65BXMqaI0Mz20SqAO5Q_BswUvCHV3DeBWvD2P4cJOIEFSH-LfsTJXMMH4PJoBA3psEBh98Satw-Blw0M9JrBeuzWZ76Fs8N_luAMhonayh4IEQZ0It826OIdWqZo-u-/s640/P1070864.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Misty view up the coast from Gorge River</td></tr>
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<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAPXTmg9keFaOB1n5cKqSXEcREAsnwPNe6HgvH5V_tHGQwcl8lbYLZ6hQFi4_W-Jzr8ESLgZDuf1Bt8zQr8c7pvtzIFpJH8Rn4irKH35-u_h3lCYhETzslHnf38uhoBhCmAotGqSAZrPNT/s1600/P1070866.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12.8px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAPXTmg9keFaOB1n5cKqSXEcREAsnwPNe6HgvH5V_tHGQwcl8lbYLZ6hQFi4_W-Jzr8ESLgZDuf1Bt8zQr8c7pvtzIFpJH8Rn4irKH35-u_h3lCYhETzslHnf38uhoBhCmAotGqSAZrPNT/s640/P1070866.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lara collects some drift wood</td></tr>
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</div>
<div>
The rain eased in the night, so by morning it was reasonably dry and we made good progress along the beach. We came to recognise different grades of boulder - there was big boulders, small rounded boulders, medium size rocks, pebbles, and occasionally sand. We followed the dynamite trail created when the buldozer crew blew up a path along the shore to drive their machine. Going was better when the tide was out.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwBRKsGq8eSy6azOLWGGouiDoGfzocm69pJDLDlyGsC4wVfep_Crur3IuROco0S9I6ejkG42j_U_pBzDwMQmlqE-c40IBarkfEApiV4yXOr-J0ft5GI8sej3kidr91BK-XGFBg6KRu4CIQ/s1600/P1070892.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12.8px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwBRKsGq8eSy6azOLWGGouiDoGfzocm69pJDLDlyGsC4wVfep_Crur3IuROco0S9I6ejkG42j_U_pBzDwMQmlqE-c40IBarkfEApiV4yXOr-J0ft5GI8sej3kidr91BK-XGFBg6KRu4CIQ/s640/P1070892.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bulldozer trail blasted by dynamite is the water channel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiOUbzDrrtl4_1kmnZReU4iSlpaG8GDN9b7DXlqnxqAXZ0VYx5zLr1pEdLocoe3s3H5zZMJv1hPae1k6Krg5_d4O_7LBFGKQYGHa3nUb2YCzZ8cWd-yCkvoky-jlTXAJpvlC7eIgQ_4nQQ/s1600/P1070873.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12.8px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiOUbzDrrtl4_1kmnZReU4iSlpaG8GDN9b7DXlqnxqAXZ0VYx5zLr1pEdLocoe3s3H5zZMJv1hPae1k6Krg5_d4O_7LBFGKQYGHa3nUb2YCzZ8cWd-yCkvoky-jlTXAJpvlC7eIgQ_4nQQ/s640/P1070873.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Continued boulder hopping south of Gorge River</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz5uN56gr7qOa6jjb1tKghxuKpo6-mlNTBPZn-4UNHVlqFNCtRt8ZBGvo_0N-VGtNrOy42xh-97GfLn7NO_7pvVBXpC-mOzTzMBlKpYxF1SkF9sX7a7voYwa0GZbnAjto-vf_9EzlZm5ur/s1600/P1070895.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12.8px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz5uN56gr7qOa6jjb1tKghxuKpo6-mlNTBPZn-4UNHVlqFNCtRt8ZBGvo_0N-VGtNrOy42xh-97GfLn7NO_7pvVBXpC-mOzTzMBlKpYxF1SkF9sX7a7voYwa0GZbnAjto-vf_9EzlZm5ur/s640/P1070895.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Georgia teas off at the golf green</td></tr>
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<div>
After 8 more hours of boulder hopping and beach travel we tiredly wandered up the last stretch of beach and back into Big Bay Hut. Our food supplies were hanging in the place where we left them, so it was time for a feast. Matt went out to see if he could catch a big fish he had spotted in the river on our way through while we all went for a skinny dip.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB9LUSYpWv-ichkpvq515zsdRxs5pjtgX5NfPhnti0jI0cFQJ3_FMdHj13mHo6LscMHJMninEUcEFNg9LOrLHzLUZ8Mfcdfet90NVuR347NTU4BicVsx_t1vih0EuDDr2uo4tTWM3XBMGI/s1600/P1070908.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12.8px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB9LUSYpWv-ichkpvq515zsdRxs5pjtgX5NfPhnti0jI0cFQJ3_FMdHj13mHo6LscMHJMninEUcEFNg9LOrLHzLUZ8Mfcdfet90NVuR347NTU4BicVsx_t1vih0EuDDr2uo4tTWM3XBMGI/s640/P1070908.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tired people at Crayfish point... and a bit of crayfish!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy3QZuNWP2ONLp6jLsRU7egPnzThs8MpoIGQjcaVijUP34_b6UKstxuqbTR2pSZPXRlHhPNTFunsu6ovznKDDSnxxwKUA63Aqio9T4vwqImYgl0_2xuHCcP2qddFcb0yJjo-AMFEtBcu3h/s1600/GOPR0498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy3QZuNWP2ONLp6jLsRU7egPnzThs8MpoIGQjcaVijUP34_b6UKstxuqbTR2pSZPXRlHhPNTFunsu6ovznKDDSnxxwKUA63Aqio9T4vwqImYgl0_2xuHCcP2qddFcb0yJjo-AMFEtBcu3h/s640/GOPR0498.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally back at Big Bay</td></tr>
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</div>
<h3>
Pyke River</h3>
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From Big Bay Hut we needed to retrace our steps four hours back along to the Pyke River. It was still drizzling and overcast in the morning and as Chris popped out to the toilet the rest of us started talking about how nice a hut day would be. He reentered the hut to sounds of Star Wars theme song and rebel forces initiating a rebellion: hut day! </div>
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Luckily for Chris Georgia pointed out that there may be a large guided group coming through to the hut today so we should really move on. This was enough to convince us, so we donned our wet jackets and headed off back towards the Pyke. As previously this was the 'riddle' section of our tramp we decided to do a repeat. This time with a nautical theme. "A fruit, and the opposite of a smoothie," was my favourite. </div>
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This got us through to the Pyke River and we inflated pack rafts. The Pyke is a more gentle flowing river than either the Cascade or Hollyford with the biggest hazards being tree snags. The track down the Pyke is rough, so we gleefully floated down river with a tail wind and current speeding us along. Waterfalls cascaded down around us and we could see the Olivine River Valley in the distance.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5oy5ktMoQJlkyAXJbSr_X5CgA1o6PHLjL4PpCIarHqM8hC6QjLNi-x3Ithkdon1yI33ATIUdvonVytNUaJ3oqRWk8YZ1stjjCsGy-_oWm9zJgOoC9L4rKolTLnTN80ZvFIGzWlBC1M8vB/s1600/GOPR0510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5oy5ktMoQJlkyAXJbSr_X5CgA1o6PHLjL4PpCIarHqM8hC6QjLNi-x3Ithkdon1yI33ATIUdvonVytNUaJ3oqRWk8YZ1stjjCsGy-_oWm9zJgOoC9L4rKolTLnTN80ZvFIGzWlBC1M8vB/s640/GOPR0510.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the Pyke</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg87IvFRhM_-T78Eer4OekTcoXNHENVFYm_U8qcGQGK8GW_36EHBwll15MjrgdwCaVzeXxnxrfvs5McGk1B6vDFIXhX9ilZIi83cJRvdsAQr2Ps2EMHczz6BwvJsPVsdjjDPjleXyeHuv91/s1600/GOPR0532.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg87IvFRhM_-T78Eer4OekTcoXNHENVFYm_U8qcGQGK8GW_36EHBwll15MjrgdwCaVzeXxnxrfvs5McGk1B6vDFIXhX9ilZIi83cJRvdsAQr2Ps2EMHczz6BwvJsPVsdjjDPjleXyeHuv91/s640/GOPR0532.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pyke River</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgveIc32IxmhyPIw_X4LvNSEDpdUhUSPgXaFlszeDZhXOvU61OdArAqyRyAfA9gNgQMe2fK0SbgpttEB_7tI12Sh9iF3Sd2HHl4igF0eOGWcjhqXUcz0lcsTowL_2i0XNRsOgp9uNGCpybu/s1600/GOPR0521.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgveIc32IxmhyPIw_X4LvNSEDpdUhUSPgXaFlszeDZhXOvU61OdArAqyRyAfA9gNgQMe2fK0SbgpttEB_7tI12Sh9iF3Sd2HHl4igF0eOGWcjhqXUcz0lcsTowL_2i0XNRsOgp9uNGCpybu/s640/GOPR0521.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Wilmot</td></tr>
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After paddling across Lake Wilmot it was a short paddle down to Olivine Hut. The Hut is in a neat spot, right on the intersection of the Pyke and Olivine River. We decided to spend our final night here, rather than paddle on down to the Lake Alabaster Hut on the Hollyford Track which would probably be full of people.</div>
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After 7 days in the bush it was strange thinking our journey was nearly over. We had started discussing all the yummy kinds of food we were looking forward to, and despite the fact that the trip had been tough and long, we all knew we would be sad for it to be over. We had a great evening in the hut, joking around, going for swims and rides in the old cable car which gets you across the Olivine River.</div>
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Our final day was a beautiful sunny one, with fantastic views of the snowy mountains rising out of thick beech forest. We bumped into "Sammy Stoat", another local 'bushman' who lives up the Pyke. After telling us he was expecting us after talking to Tim and Steph he asked after 'Bean Sprout' and said he had sent him an email. It seemed even in the bush people like to stay well connected.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAbMHuV5DPNpRAxX6_989ywKNFqAiV0DEsdkqE7p2ccRjg7gkvf_XNsbUP4GhxU4qYdXKfKBShHjEFiUmyQPops53ptPReJRLYqgfDuksnFO2gfUjA709ULnVkm8YQTkWND7S56UEC1hT4/s1600/scene00201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAbMHuV5DPNpRAxX6_989ywKNFqAiV0DEsdkqE7p2ccRjg7gkvf_XNsbUP4GhxU4qYdXKfKBShHjEFiUmyQPops53ptPReJRLYqgfDuksnFO2gfUjA709ULnVkm8YQTkWND7S56UEC1hT4/s640/scene00201.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunshine on the Pyke River</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiawQT50Tzsp9Xbog14Mnn-DwAyWI_LP8vlf7aG5xDDNMJuhAoN9Wc-jJUyeIaOL0HB6QqGkf7r70869zYdkStto3o52A1WPKojmSk0A1GxzzopPw4lFA_N7u73YOre3MBco3-5gR14_8VF/s1600/scene00251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiawQT50Tzsp9Xbog14Mnn-DwAyWI_LP8vlf7aG5xDDNMJuhAoN9Wc-jJUyeIaOL0HB6QqGkf7r70869zYdkStto3o52A1WPKojmSk0A1GxzzopPw4lFA_N7u73YOre3MBco3-5gR14_8VF/s640/scene00251.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Admiring passing waterfalls</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ2i9NaSX4IiD69Qx4ETiqzjKljmZ334BVHFxmyZ56uP23lIWRF5AncLUaplTwPxwkCvvgWov38aWX3HmGxmkufdUfchGPoVoyCvPVG8dFNymfLGOLmSG282iEO4WZOmZqmYzbLXLkKk1H/s1600/scene00451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ2i9NaSX4IiD69Qx4ETiqzjKljmZ334BVHFxmyZ56uP23lIWRF5AncLUaplTwPxwkCvvgWov38aWX3HmGxmkufdUfchGPoVoyCvPVG8dFNymfLGOLmSG282iEO4WZOmZqmYzbLXLkKk1H/s640/scene00451.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waterfalls into the river</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu5ZIlnWMHQd5TETmKRwNSONaRYdE1B-1sqERJtgYWXbNzpThdkYmFz0RgrNsT1pepgjVmJhk3xCSGytgnW3IVcxxkKJPXSgfQVVtoFkdAWUl5x6N8lDEGUOqFP-KgF5i7AekYuIyyRtPa/s1600/GOPR0544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu5ZIlnWMHQd5TETmKRwNSONaRYdE1B-1sqERJtgYWXbNzpThdkYmFz0RgrNsT1pepgjVmJhk3xCSGytgnW3IVcxxkKJPXSgfQVVtoFkdAWUl5x6N8lDEGUOqFP-KgF5i7AekYuIyyRtPa/s640/GOPR0544.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying the sun half way down Lake Alabaster</td></tr>
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We arrived at Lake Alabaster Hut at lunchtime and had a gear explosion on the beach. We chatted with the hut warden, cooked up our final scraps and eased ourselves back into normal public interactions. We walked out along the gentle Hollyford Track, finally reaching the carpark at 5pm.</div>
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And so ended the infinity loop. It was just as well we didn't get sucked into making a right turn at the Hollyford River junction and heading back down the river into the figure 8 that we had created with our footprints and paddle splashes.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil3ggR7FKuzU2mgb7-dkv1JTR_jNNQ10g9efoTtsQN15vezL2d27R3oxAI_Ha2LK5RAhS-JuSURblB1xnj-pbsv7lokthZRi7lXueivxzCSOY_WCQXDpjiHT5CyiofQhGq3HHnE9Brg8ec/s1600/P1070924.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12.8px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil3ggR7FKuzU2mgb7-dkv1JTR_jNNQ10g9efoTtsQN15vezL2d27R3oxAI_Ha2LK5RAhS-JuSURblB1xnj-pbsv7lokthZRi7lXueivxzCSOY_WCQXDpjiHT5CyiofQhGq3HHnE9Brg8ec/s640/P1070924.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Matt got excited to carry a bit extra for the last few km</td></tr>
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A great adventure to look back on, long and a bit unknown, tiring and rough, but worthwhile for its remoteness and wildness. A real highlight was getting to meet the Long Family and walking along that coastline. As much as ever it is often the people we are with that makes these trips, so to the "Sept-a-goners", thanks very much for sharing the adventure with me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuFbHCyH2lXsBRqMw6Px5WFPcrZ7w6TnSrzECsc2X4_PaF22x8pzVNR0xOyb1yBV5VUCaSiucRufDcZmlvJgMKAYIZcfYUG-nMaX5iNyjv7RAB3veWIyS5hlCknx2Dge23GjZ2iIPaIma3/s1600/P1070916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12.8px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuFbHCyH2lXsBRqMw6Px5WFPcrZ7w6TnSrzECsc2X4_PaF22x8pzVNR0xOyb1yBV5VUCaSiucRufDcZmlvJgMKAYIZcfYUG-nMaX5iNyjv7RAB3veWIyS5hlCknx2Dge23GjZ2iIPaIma3/s640/P1070916.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emily admiring hidden falls</td></tr>
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</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08406950956653207723noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249050746221514503.post-8304395517928035102016-09-26T14:49:00.001-07:002016-09-26T14:53:40.312-07:00Flying Beasties<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEBXHWY5JyvZRmzb2L0GUjM9a0sptzrMNj0JnkfSauGq3fhW4VPEB0XC6j_Z9ckDLkRm6sg7CL5rnpV2qNuhZnLdgBj3Hvm6MqRUKGBVpgAx59kZu_yyPd9nv7J0QrutM3gOjb3Xu8y7n4/s1600/vlcsnap-2016-09-25-11h21m20s95.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEBXHWY5JyvZRmzb2L0GUjM9a0sptzrMNj0JnkfSauGq3fhW4VPEB0XC6j_Z9ckDLkRm6sg7CL5rnpV2qNuhZnLdgBj3Hvm6MqRUKGBVpgAx59kZu_yyPd9nv7J0QrutM3gOjb3Xu8y7n4/s640/vlcsnap-2016-09-25-11h21m20s95.png" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
I have been really slack at updating my blog since we moved down to Queenstown... I have got several trips I would like to write up and have sitting in my 'drafts' but I just haven't had time at all.<br />
<br />
Strangely enough, when I ever do have a chance to blog it tends to be school holidays...which is when I am mostly off doing trips! So the result is = no blogging.<br />
<br />
Anyway, enough of a rant I thought I would tell you a little story about a flying beastie from the weekend.<br />
<br />
So, Chris and I headed up to Coronet and skied for a bit until the field shut, at which point we headed up the slopes on our skins. Chris has recently acquired a 'flying beastie' otherwise known as a drone. This is strictly for mapping and financial purposes (according to him). Most people would spend some time learning how to fly one of these things in a nice park, before taking it up onto the mountain, with wind and cloud swirling around and the potential for disaster...imminent.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRODUiKZo77zQXZ7BJkvlvLhyphenhyphen8PPh4qjYlA4HuLU67NXM8g1kfooQuHhiWNjNOzJYFrGQBLOmrBObpUpqpTRe1Jdfd-24NH5VxIIbmpNacbVIlpz90_UW0kRz_tPiGGSAKrb7l7Qal0i93/s1600/vlcsnap-2016-09-25-11h25m24s105.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRODUiKZo77zQXZ7BJkvlvLhyphenhyphen8PPh4qjYlA4HuLU67NXM8g1kfooQuHhiWNjNOzJYFrGQBLOmrBObpUpqpTRe1Jdfd-24NH5VxIIbmpNacbVIlpz90_UW0kRz_tPiGGSAKrb7l7Qal0i93/s640/vlcsnap-2016-09-25-11h25m24s105.png" width="640" /></a><br />
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Not Chris though. This was flight number 2. The little drone whisked up into the sky and zoomed out over the slopes before returning obediently to its controller. "Yikes, that wind is a bit tricky" said its owner.<br />
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We continued up to the top of Greengates, which is always a bit eerie when closed, empty and misty. The idea was to ski down a bit, then Chris would get out Drone for a fly and maybe get some shots of me skiing down the mountain. So, Chris headed off and set up Drone and I waited. After a while the buzzing sound started and before long the snow white drone was buzzing right above me.<br />
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I skied down a bit, it soared up, down, sideways in an attempt to follow. Turns out Chris's steering needed a bit of practise, surprising! I headed on down the mountain, past Chris and Drone followed. Eventually I reached a point where I would no longer be able to see Chris any more. Should I go down? I signalled to Chris, but after getting no response and with Drone still buzzing above me I decided to head down anyway.<br />
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The trail entered a fairly tight gully, and as I got lower I noticed that Drone had finally landed mid slope above me. I figured I might as well continue on down, but as I reached the next corner I heard a faint rumble. Suddenly a thought flashed into my mind... could that be the groomer?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbY1rqQAS5CzjyuAHx11omtSJFdHOByFbA8Z6_u-gTjE1Y0TTJbZqT__Pou-guM9660pQghqaMF0cX7u6hU24EpPPQqqH0wEKncrSYDFG05HeqMU3zvpBrQPk6uZyBlp-Cjf8k7K_s_d07/s1600/vlcsnap-2016-09-25-11h35m11s246.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbY1rqQAS5CzjyuAHx11omtSJFdHOByFbA8Z6_u-gTjE1Y0TTJbZqT__Pou-guM9660pQghqaMF0cX7u6hU24EpPPQqqH0wEKncrSYDFG05HeqMU3zvpBrQPk6uZyBlp-Cjf8k7K_s_d07/s640/vlcsnap-2016-09-25-11h35m11s246.png" width="640" /></a><br />
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I spun round and waddled (it is hard to run uphill with skis on) back up the hill as fast as I could. As I did the rumble got louder and round the corner came two very big groomers heading straight for snow white tiny Drone!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo6kXu3Mq5PFMtY1CHIkyH7KwF9I8-cWqG8Q8sY_7U7PlDrJag0wz1vlFnNTcvyI-6fO2Rq31lzhhjqGbOGJW7-XApCygqvifOEQkvLeZSeuLNymfvrsasCUfEqIfOwRyNFlzzDsLi9w7i/s1600/vlcsnap-2016-09-25-11h38m54s102.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo6kXu3Mq5PFMtY1CHIkyH7KwF9I8-cWqG8Q8sY_7U7PlDrJag0wz1vlFnNTcvyI-6fO2Rq31lzhhjqGbOGJW7-XApCygqvifOEQkvLeZSeuLNymfvrsasCUfEqIfOwRyNFlzzDsLi9w7i/s640/vlcsnap-2016-09-25-11h38m54s102.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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I made it up to Drone, grabbed it, unsure if Chris could see what Drone could see, and ran off the trail into the tussocks. One minute later the groomers rumbled past, and the spot where Drone had landed was smoothed out to corduroy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ0mgZnckPhReGw22BNUisb6SKpSiM_ATzeuaoLzyNQFT8_P1DnfXAOJ4w2b8aM1HpuXoP9kiWM1KmBIQ4UMq8QRdUfedfGbxuNz6RGvBBdCJ6y8V1lAKP0-Q9cqysnSfP2ZmZUKNmWz7L/s1600/vlcsnap-2016-09-25-11h50m50s151.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ0mgZnckPhReGw22BNUisb6SKpSiM_ATzeuaoLzyNQFT8_P1DnfXAOJ4w2b8aM1HpuXoP9kiWM1KmBIQ4UMq8QRdUfedfGbxuNz6RGvBBdCJ6y8V1lAKP0-Q9cqysnSfP2ZmZUKNmWz7L/s320/vlcsnap-2016-09-25-11h50m50s151.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the photo Drone took of me as I rescued him.</td></tr>
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Another minute later Chris came zooming down the hill, horrified that his brand new toy had been squashed to smithereens, until he saw the little white thing tucked under my arm. Perhaps this wasn't the best place to learn to fly a drone after all, but it was a fun adventure :-)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08406950956653207723noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249050746221514503.post-6964554088171091322016-01-03T18:59:00.000-08:002016-01-03T19:40:49.700-08:00The Tara Tama 'Cruise' <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnab9ZLELpklbNXChp03fGqXp9bkdfiW0PhlrveS7KgKR8JA3PKkG3kJ6Zzlka2G6e9OjD19nLXlsBwE8l4drU2cP1sigYwdvHqpOZ5NVpTSdIKn-7q2aHUUr5VG3kyF48MbgcKSm9-h_C/s1600/P1050823.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnab9ZLELpklbNXChp03fGqXp9bkdfiW0PhlrveS7KgKR8JA3PKkG3kJ6Zzlka2G6e9OjD19nLXlsBwE8l4drU2cP1sigYwdvHqpOZ5NVpTSdIKn-7q2aHUUr5VG3kyF48MbgcKSm9-h_C/s640/P1050823.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fine views on an evening descent from Tara Tama</td></tr>
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After a busy finish to the year, organising our annual "Christmas Rogaine" and finishing off the school year, we felt it would be only appropriate to squeeze in a pre Christmas adventure. The forecast was looking great and we had a few keen beans to join us - Chris's Dad Ian, our excellent adventure companion from way back Crispin and our orienteering mate and all round keen bean Georgia.<br />
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This was actually Georgia's trip, with a fewer minor 'amendments' by Chris (ie. make it longer, harder, more mountains etc) and was sold to me as a 'nice and cruisey' given that my knee is still in a bad way and I have been resting it for the past few months. We drove up to Arthurs, leaving later than expected as Cris only flew down from Nelson at 6.30pm that day, and managed to organise a night at Geoff and Wendy's lovely bach (this bach also has a spa!).<br />
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In the morning the last of the front was still lingering at the pass, so we lay in bed gazing up at the beach forest and raindrops on the window. Ian put on a record and we drank coffee, lamenting that a few days spent hanging out at the bach doing jigsaw puzzles wouldn't be a bad option either! But the sun was peeping through by now, so we packed up and piled back into Georgia's wee Toyota Corolla.<br />
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Heading down the Otira viaduct the brakes shuddered as 5 heavy trampers and their packs tested the car's abilities. Safely down we parked at the Rolleston River and headed up valley, crossing a fairly high Rolleston River and then boulder bashing on up stream. I could tell I had lost fitness and confidence with my sore knee as the rest of the party skipped off ahead of me. Luckily we had distributed the weight at the beginning, so I had an incredibly light pack.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYJOapQhL1mmXB024AnpclZrbQNwWVs6XGfr556uzlc_s4VC30_5K3I_MLCt4jGC44vyINTvWxbEqTUmQ7Ur24k7ao_WCLnXaz8gs8iKvaCUUs3Rx4BzV0_KphYcvsox-rwO3gP9fXd3sS/s1600/_DSC7560.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYJOapQhL1mmXB024AnpclZrbQNwWVs6XGfr556uzlc_s4VC30_5K3I_MLCt4jGC44vyINTvWxbEqTUmQ7Ur24k7ao_WCLnXaz8gs8iKvaCUUs3Rx4BzV0_KphYcvsox-rwO3gP9fXd3sS/s640/_DSC7560.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Chris in the Rolleston River</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh43KVb9h8etThNMRoQM76IN48WAK1VArknH8Gt3ZAhbYQMP9JorOc4kYqp7_VSxIquwGqOiYMqimVNwDjkyJ5ndGyC6K7vOfUdzuzwj5CTGtHuPHu3-hg0LG2hnhyN79KvonKghX5QpoHb/s1600/_DSC7561.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh43KVb9h8etThNMRoQM76IN48WAK1VArknH8Gt3ZAhbYQMP9JorOc4kYqp7_VSxIquwGqOiYMqimVNwDjkyJ5ndGyC6K7vOfUdzuzwj5CTGtHuPHu3-hg0LG2hnhyN79KvonKghX5QpoHb/s640/_DSC7561.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">En Route up the Rolleston</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIh9BwBYi37JYXAfxbZsF3HXGOTfBNmpOQwQpwnZ99CaTqQD1YLyfy9Pf_JQ_uGoJoBFU0t6wiN3mr5MILjAmi6A5vj2bQjDPDDE5xqgJApkVEQOootQOwFXzuYt-zJjXKERZLJsUBQPDQ/s1600/_DSC7567.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIh9BwBYi37JYXAfxbZsF3HXGOTfBNmpOQwQpwnZ99CaTqQD1YLyfy9Pf_JQ_uGoJoBFU0t6wiN3mr5MILjAmi6A5vj2bQjDPDDE5xqgJApkVEQOootQOwFXzuYt-zJjXKERZLJsUBQPDQ/s640/_DSC7567.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Boulder hopping</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4pKDhJlmXFkePwGKNU8qRHdzgh0GbpPXUU_fKwg8PWMXjYr7V0T1uyB19ttPEPornbx5kvadC9RpMNUtJy4HNQItfZEjbVeEoNgZR4_g3IZC816TX2H3wDlVhw0Jx25mFqwygjQ51Fj16/s1600/_DSC7586.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4pKDhJlmXFkePwGKNU8qRHdzgh0GbpPXUU_fKwg8PWMXjYr7V0T1uyB19ttPEPornbx5kvadC9RpMNUtJy4HNQItfZEjbVeEoNgZR4_g3IZC816TX2H3wDlVhw0Jx25mFqwygjQ51Fj16/s640/_DSC7586.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Looking towards Philistine and Waimak Col</td></tr>
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The weather continued to clear and we sat in sun eating sardines and drinking fresh mountain water from the stream - I was on a high just to be back tramping in the hills. We then had a steep bash up out of the Rolleston River to lake Florence. Chris and Cris enjoyed a fairly sketchy climb over a bluff, while Georgia and I followed a proud Ian, who led the way through a scrubby but relatively easier route up.<br />
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Up on the ridge the climbing was easier and we climbed up until we were overlooking Lake Florence. We ate lunch and made the decision to sidle around Mt Armstrong instead of straight over it based on the time of day and distance we still intended to travel. We skirted around some shingle, over some snow and then up to a small saddle directly beneath Mt Armstong. From here we could see down into Hunt's Creek and the way across to Bjeveld Col (which we all came up with a different way of pronouncing!).<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV-as6C2kpKZXfEAodonyKYVUY-h235DkPZrBQuP_sjJ2eNuP6OdiGqDUgEsr2E4-KuttEGcLtdagCP2mHnqrYYBefsWQwwuF2d8gD_c5R5Ruh7pKNiXvBkdrqldmP_6-GRl67G34Q2BA9/s1600/_DSC7585.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV-as6C2kpKZXfEAodonyKYVUY-h235DkPZrBQuP_sjJ2eNuP6OdiGqDUgEsr2E4-KuttEGcLtdagCP2mHnqrYYBefsWQwwuF2d8gD_c5R5Ruh7pKNiXvBkdrqldmP_6-GRl67G34Q2BA9/s640/_DSC7585.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Georgia is excited about the trip ahead<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvNRdtsBkRrPOgi4_-jM5wnmual2Yg-HthtxZwEuXy-1M7Ug0stminKLuIZJXXDkrBTJ9eXu0kDIMIitFwX0BFCtgkc5iTUyBLLG1WkeF42N6m6NautSdYmCBqxthcMZy8MvwjFWqYBU9q/s1600/_DSC7602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvNRdtsBkRrPOgi4_-jM5wnmual2Yg-HthtxZwEuXy-1M7Ug0stminKLuIZJXXDkrBTJ9eXu0kDIMIitFwX0BFCtgkc5iTUyBLLG1WkeF42N6m6NautSdYmCBqxthcMZy8MvwjFWqYBU9q/s640/_DSC7602.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Ascending snow slopes above Lake Florence</td></tr>
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At the Col we had thought about heading down over 'Taipo's Breast' (primarily because of the name, which for some reason Cris, Chris and Ian seemed very excited about) but instead decided a quicker way would be to head down a massive scree which lead almost directly into the Taipo River. It was a long way down and we had to administer some first aid to poor Ian when he scraped a pile of skin off his shin - he muttered about 'thin skin' and 'getting old' but then continued to move down the scree at a pace that left the rest of us in his dust.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzkrPqurNZ_ynbm9Yp_dV54xQSSFRsWhOYYfUceGva0hT3QQ0EpRBNBqX8vPYdSxYNdFl5ShuhLK1jmK8Nftw7c0nFwgBXtM5LveQIRBNFQjDszhD-kB5UhLulgQeplzbJMXYLST3EHRdh/s1600/_DSC7615.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzkrPqurNZ_ynbm9Yp_dV54xQSSFRsWhOYYfUceGva0hT3QQ0EpRBNBqX8vPYdSxYNdFl5ShuhLK1jmK8Nftw7c0nFwgBXtM5LveQIRBNFQjDszhD-kB5UhLulgQeplzbJMXYLST3EHRdh/s640/_DSC7615.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">A break at the top of the big scree<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ-xOMedfZWdEGDI3sc-vS2XOVh4sTlNruyfH6-ZgGnzkLUCyJ3JPUoFqPEiGbjCxDEx7xi_ETb9A8iERHK2cYNEPudnWIyeqPYxX2-tXa6EhvPABdHVGvAOUFi6az0B8jhiflBzHKKlWW/s1600/_DSC7623.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ-xOMedfZWdEGDI3sc-vS2XOVh4sTlNruyfH6-ZgGnzkLUCyJ3JPUoFqPEiGbjCxDEx7xi_ETb9A8iERHK2cYNEPudnWIyeqPYxX2-tXa6EhvPABdHVGvAOUFi6az0B8jhiflBzHKKlWW/s640/_DSC7623.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Half way down the big scree</td></tr>
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At the end of the scree we entered a slippery gully, then a dense bush bashing section, then all of a sudden we popped out on the track. It felt wonderful to walk on the track, my knee was feeling it a bit by now and Ian was saying he felt tired. We headed up the track, across a mighty swingbridge and located the lovely Julia Hut at about 9pm - after our first 'cruisy' tramping day, yeah right!<br />
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After dinner (which was a fairly massive undertaking trying to feed 5 hungry people) we decided we had better check out the hot pools. We saw a sign painted on a tree directing us down river, so we put on headlamps and wandered out for a look. The river was pretty high, either from the recent rain or snowmelt, and we became increasingly worried the pools may be completely submerged. But after about 10 minutes travelling downstream we were struck by the strong smell of sulphur and located a 5cm puddle amongst boulders that was hot.<br />
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From that moment the excavation began. We quickly realised we forgot to take the shovel provided in the hut for this exact purpose - but never mind, we were with the Forne's - master rock movers! In minutes they were hauling up boulders and the pool was growing. After about an hour we had a pool that was about 2 feet deep and big enough for two people to lie in alongside each other.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Hot pool feet</td></tr>
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We stripped off and took it in turns to enjoy the pool, which did feel wonderful on sore joints! I even spotted some little glowworms twinkling at us on the riverbank as we lay in there, we could hear the Taipo River roaring beside us and the stars twinkled above. All feeling bathed and sulphur smelling, we walked back to the hut for a good sleep.<br />
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The sun was out bright in the morning, and we were a bit late getting started. We wanted to travel upstream and find a place to cross the Taipo, as the bridge by the hut marked on our map didn't appear to exist anymore. The travel upstream was following an old track and after about an hour we reached the place we planned to cross. A quick scout soon revealed that none of us were happy about crossing here - the river was high, swift and steep, with little cascades coming down amongst large boulders.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqAaRRBnZJS8Fr-jL0y1pG93fPfnaHoviyWdyOoH8wqWz2ivt9g6NJOliIPJJeuHSAyJPY2-hzx5sctS2EXO7OidP2v00BiEYAsFFJZV5qSSvbLuzDTkELe-YYUgVG-0CKgsRSgSU5nZHD/s1600/_DSC7644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqAaRRBnZJS8Fr-jL0y1pG93fPfnaHoviyWdyOoH8wqWz2ivt9g6NJOliIPJJeuHSAyJPY2-hzx5sctS2EXO7OidP2v00BiEYAsFFJZV5qSSvbLuzDTkELe-YYUgVG-0CKgsRSgSU5nZHD/s640/_DSC7644.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Chris crosses the swing bridge heading 'up' Taipo<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgreCTlah8dQoDG4-oNzFPhEpjjTetTKVBhSiN7VW-Sof_HWcgZT_7p2UkX_4W-Yq7meHtlNA-wbPVNmKEcrIxXs7yq0eOBvCBVo7aOXWAJn-NwGpoE9KvMIiRrHXibbKCXJ1zLTKRrrsJ/s1600/_DSC7660.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgreCTlah8dQoDG4-oNzFPhEpjjTetTKVBhSiN7VW-Sof_HWcgZT_7p2UkX_4W-Yq7meHtlNA-wbPVNmKEcrIxXs7yq0eOBvCBVo7aOXWAJn-NwGpoE9KvMIiRrHXibbKCXJ1zLTKRrrsJ/s640/_DSC7660.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Blue pool and blue duck... but can you spot it?</td></tr>
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A short debate ensued, with Cris sitting well clear on a rock nearby enjoying the sun, and the rest of us putting in our spoke. In the end my spoke kind of won (I think) and we decided to head back downstream to Mid Taipo Hut, then up to Dunn Creek Hut, climb Tara Tama Peak in the evening and then all going to plan get down to Scotties Biv before dark (and this was the soft option!!!).<br />
<br />
Resolved on our new plan we headed back to Julia Hut (it was now midday) and then on down river. The track was excellent and I thoroughly enjoyed the valley walk. We reached Dunn Creek Hut by 5pm and had a quick cook up of noodles. Dunn Creek seemed like an excellent spot to stop, but what more fun could there be than bagging a peak in the late summer evening?<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLDJxyQvr4x5wm93KgFLoj8Db64vgxm2GGm3fAZIgo40uXx86p4-yDN2eg7vhI10QUjLVuHJ4Bin1wQCHbi-cjdYcXhr_v8PGQbCoYlD3HGqKf1zA00cU7452X403Ks1O6lSaCKn58E3VQ/s1600/_DSC7669.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLDJxyQvr4x5wm93KgFLoj8Db64vgxm2GGm3fAZIgo40uXx86p4-yDN2eg7vhI10QUjLVuHJ4Bin1wQCHbi-cjdYcXhr_v8PGQbCoYlD3HGqKf1zA00cU7452X403Ks1O6lSaCKn58E3VQ/s640/_DSC7669.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Beautiful walking 'down' Taipo</td></tr>
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The route seemed straightforward - we continued on up a track to an avalanche gully, then boulder hopped quickly and steeply up. The terrain steepened and we climbed amongst beautiful alpine flowers. Someone mentioned there could be a 'broccolanche' and from then on we climbed up in fear of such an occurrence.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKgZZyvGlAxXb6c5hWSHKzCofG8JLokBUyv1AkSiTJqUNQ2ImzY5A9m5i_dCLh0cBOh58m3twJFIPrlL_u9Jaqa7jLzN2WBKRfnlE4ewQdxY-YjPZ6pOjFxPge6hTiNoNd7kITEvmDgyD/s1600/_DSC7690.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKgZZyvGlAxXb6c5hWSHKzCofG8JLokBUyv1AkSiTJqUNQ2ImzY5A9m5i_dCLh0cBOh58m3twJFIPrlL_u9Jaqa7jLzN2WBKRfnlE4ewQdxY-YjPZ6pOjFxPge6hTiNoNd7kITEvmDgyD/s640/_DSC7690.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Excellent climbing out of Dunn Creek<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-z9vGEPVvr1aztGQbRM6fnewyQe4UYgSwM00mdwSDYOh4TPNrbhcrVhrzh2kqLwcjfNsVgDBlp-4myVOYPmeD9zA2HZD9ZpNqLgzvtEe6Maa3t0CiSYjlsbNb7JQETX_kBPki60Tzryk/s1600/_DSC7699.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-z9vGEPVvr1aztGQbRM6fnewyQe4UYgSwM00mdwSDYOh4TPNrbhcrVhrzh2kqLwcjfNsVgDBlp-4myVOYPmeD9zA2HZD9ZpNqLgzvtEe6Maa3t0CiSYjlsbNb7JQETX_kBPki60Tzryk/s640/_DSC7699.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Open tops of Tara Tama<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhytdK0hyphenhyphenKkWFHd6M7Xi2SKfJBxuXKB8Zmh9taP7YWWIfE6kqflg5YsDZH5H2gou6o-GEmMbOhXX4KkrverTlpHiRYKdb-hTcjgtbizotDSJCLGnNjw53edXF0LmJ_r1sRW1qetCKl6WYTs/s1600/_DSC7706.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhytdK0hyphenhyphenKkWFHd6M7Xi2SKfJBxuXKB8Zmh9taP7YWWIfE6kqflg5YsDZH5H2gou6o-GEmMbOhXX4KkrverTlpHiRYKdb-hTcjgtbizotDSJCLGnNjw53edXF0LmJ_r1sRW1qetCKl6WYTs/s640/_DSC7706.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Georgia weaves through the boulders</td></tr>
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There was quite a lot of cloud hanging around the top of the peaks, but the wee glimpses of blue I kept seeing above made me think we might just pop out of it on top. Sure enough, after winding up some gentle snow slopes and climbing across some 'plate like' boulder fields we popped out of the cloud on the gentle curving snow ridge to the top of Tara Tama. It really was majestic and we whooped with delight, what better place to be than here?<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic-49YBwpXny41qAC-hbvCiQU0peAi1iHPQoUrg2wOeV4cDUNEOZOUe-9baxU5H635wnFYy74B7uukYfvjHoZqucLw8KYHAbN5BxMBQcDq9BNBedUu-6y35EAUkA3baYPY3LZ0ttzcePdw/s1600/_DSC7738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic-49YBwpXny41qAC-hbvCiQU0peAi1iHPQoUrg2wOeV4cDUNEOZOUe-9baxU5H635wnFYy74B7uukYfvjHoZqucLw8KYHAbN5BxMBQcDq9BNBedUu-6y35EAUkA3baYPY3LZ0ttzcePdw/s640/_DSC7738.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">On top of... Tara Tama!<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0pBJdna_0YRlOZehFVaIDFslTsabVVz-2U_CjhEsa2L_C4irNeQjdJtzP1LeVz0TtMBGaeHZZSEygK1O9EILDI6OG8-ghfOmugNnUUv2jaBH2QB2_4QUrZHqSHSj6ZsPiN7pH3qB6Ebkg/s1600/P1050813.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0pBJdna_0YRlOZehFVaIDFslTsabVVz-2U_CjhEsa2L_C4irNeQjdJtzP1LeVz0TtMBGaeHZZSEygK1O9EILDI6OG8-ghfOmugNnUUv2jaBH2QB2_4QUrZHqSHSj6ZsPiN7pH3qB6Ebkg/s640/P1050813.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">A fine team on top!</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSORleNTf_WRbDj3t2X9a5Er7W4-S25EShBQecYAhVBCQNRqX0Ad7KyjF8i6IQWRCYF2eDTeWmw_yTGrD9X3uIqu4cZkEEza264gj6BIzoRVfKh3rWhbQcJ0e9eeNAICFuLXT0XNL2vvi-/s1600/_DSC7755.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSORleNTf_WRbDj3t2X9a5Er7W4-S25EShBQecYAhVBCQNRqX0Ad7KyjF8i6IQWRCYF2eDTeWmw_yTGrD9X3uIqu4cZkEEza264gj6BIzoRVfKh3rWhbQcJ0e9eeNAICFuLXT0XNL2vvi-/s640/_DSC7755.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Evening descent from Tara Tama<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Spectacular clouds<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjAr3WbmiVutyJjwMlHAjVE-uYASfg7r3QPKT0gtwrGGKiXsBoGevQQQ-YzHI53nWNWN_9az7mx3JWjh_vatvadjdtAX87AuB9fjeIhQlO-GLTXtj3d8OkrFdvjQWDXZi4GqvrCTau8tv0/s1600/P1050832.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjAr3WbmiVutyJjwMlHAjVE-uYASfg7r3QPKT0gtwrGGKiXsBoGevQQQ-YzHI53nWNWN_9az7mx3JWjh_vatvadjdtAX87AuB9fjeIhQlO-GLTXtj3d8OkrFdvjQWDXZi4GqvrCTau8tv0/s640/P1050832.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Inside Scotties Biv</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKWpd6-RUYucMqwuq1qrAyn0DeQrMYjSFnwnRG1NDa90Mz1WSqvEOKWQjRhP2pCONj06VMXyIDgd7UmknDnjTz2umt8lqtbRjcLrUWN8Zt2PfkSwqG8VGf9Fe8Lqr-5ARFENT_dlxEeMlm/s1600/_DSC7810.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKWpd6-RUYucMqwuq1qrAyn0DeQrMYjSFnwnRG1NDa90Mz1WSqvEOKWQjRhP2pCONj06VMXyIDgd7UmknDnjTz2umt8lqtbRjcLrUWN8Zt2PfkSwqG8VGf9Fe8Lqr-5ARFENT_dlxEeMlm/s640/_DSC7810.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Scotties in the moonlight</td></tr>
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The clouds melted away as we descended the ridge and started to climb down a fairly steep gully in the diminishing light. By now it was 9pm and we knew we needed to reach Scotties Biv before dark or risk a 'grumpy Ian!' The downhill was hard on my knee (and usual ankle issues) but finally we reached a scrubby stream, had a short bush bash uphill and we were at the Biv just as it got dark. Another amazing day - cruisy though? not so sure!<br />
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It got quite cold at the Biv and we sat round shivering, eating and discussing plans for the next day. Ian (and Chris and I) had agreed to a family dinner at his sister's place on Christmas Eve - which was the following day. Dinner was to be at 6pm, sharp. We had a big day to get out from Scotties, hitch hike back to the car and drive back to Christchurch. It was going to be tight... and as for cruisy?<br />
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Up at dawn felt hard, but once we had eaten porridge, coffee and the sun had risen it didn't feel so bad. We first had a big grunt back up the ridge, with the Forne boys way out in front. On the ridge we had multiple tops to climb, but the going was good and we made quick progress. A large cloud appeared obscuring the ridge in front of us, and we considered it could be a 'Belrog', but it seemed to let us pass.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIJ0LUfJLBYaTS_Z62MpvdA_YuFGl7_ug39Qz5qCQJlMH5gK_IcD1W45FfZ0iJQ0F1DmiDsQ5ir2N27kY_lUWA7g5iM1gRZaWGlYkxbOEDE4zF8FfpecPQWPOvgkoz09S9FUzRx4FQ8rmQ/s1600/_DSC7830.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIJ0LUfJLBYaTS_Z62MpvdA_YuFGl7_ug39Qz5qCQJlMH5gK_IcD1W45FfZ0iJQ0F1DmiDsQ5ir2N27kY_lUWA7g5iM1gRZaWGlYkxbOEDE4zF8FfpecPQWPOvgkoz09S9FUzRx4FQ8rmQ/s640/_DSC7830.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ian and Georgia on the ridge</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXzMJp4TTb6IILM-Kkt8dtI1gq6TioW-FXBP5pd4tw2dtNg5oM2Xg9Qwh1dJ7TM9vv-YwShkx531JLCdZGcacPPwc0GKFbC2UvHtu3VxJg-QXMp2m0X4I4gP-xB8b8tziZjKxc0sntsNfj/s1600/_DSC7836.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXzMJp4TTb6IILM-Kkt8dtI1gq6TioW-FXBP5pd4tw2dtNg5oM2Xg9Qwh1dJ7TM9vv-YwShkx531JLCdZGcacPPwc0GKFbC2UvHtu3VxJg-QXMp2m0X4I4gP-xB8b8tziZjKxc0sntsNfj/s640/_DSC7836.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chris on ridge</td></tr>
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We got down into dracaphylum land and smashed our way downhill until we spotted a track marker. The track was steep and tricky, and felt fairly typically like a west coast ridge track. We met a nice fellow clearing the track who was heading up to Scotties Biv that night (he would be up there on Christmas Day!) and we thanked him for his work. This track is not a Doc maintained track, but a track maintained by the Permolate group who look after many remote tracks and huts on the West Coast.<br />
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The descent seemed to take forever, but eventually we heard the rumble of the Taipo River and soon enough popped out on its rocky bank. The river was still big, but braided here and looked crossable. We wandered downstream and found a deep but relatively calm section. It looked good, but was followed by a fairly big rapid so we wanted to be smart about crossing. We linked up together, started well upstream and headed out into the river with good forward momentum.<br />
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A couple of times one or other of us lost touch of the ground, but we held on tight and before long we all emerged soaking but safe out of the river. Just then something back on the other side caught Georgia's eye and she said "I don't want to alarm anyone...but there appears to be a small red thing back on the other side!" We all looked and spotted Chris's forlorn little mountaineering helmet sitting on the opposite bank - he had forgotten to put it on in his hurry to organise to cross. He sighed, popped down his pack and jumped back in. He swum strongly across the main flow, retrieved the helmet on head, and then swam back across again. He grinned sheepishly as we all headed for a warm looking patch of grass and nice lunch spot.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTsKI4XI_dlNXLoDxDx53SgA2nlJckI6v1k-KAI1P7R6GrVYSF2CtM0xSNZ12qkPDXoeAvPbmqypDPYXi3534FV1kO6d-Ia4-BkdHyWfdUZnqHixaEc1eIX0NHpKiLf7S5qvqkkG0PsXO3/s1600/_DSC7843.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTsKI4XI_dlNXLoDxDx53SgA2nlJckI6v1k-KAI1P7R6GrVYSF2CtM0xSNZ12qkPDXoeAvPbmqypDPYXi3534FV1kO6d-Ia4-BkdHyWfdUZnqHixaEc1eIX0NHpKiLf7S5qvqkkG0PsXO3/s640/_DSC7843.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Water women?</td></tr>
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In order to make our 6pm Christchurch deadline Chris decided to run on ahead and try to flag down a ride back to our car, then drive back to pick us up. We did a bit of pack rearranging and then Chris headed off at a trot. We followed behind at a more leisurely pace and enjoyed the final easy km's out to the road end where Chris was waiting smugly with the car.<br />
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It was a long drive back to Christchurch, but we made it just an hour late for the dinner. It was time enough to enjoy the buzz of having had an excellent, albeit not-so-cruisey tramp and to set down some plans for a post Christmas tramp... it looked like the high was set to continue!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8tHRpNzMSN8koTrCMN-pBcgyNrBihmF_lxFzL2QJh8exieTyCemBE6-nhe3xXFVJxJDjsMA9kFSTHBzFksEDYQ_bmC7E1FWq0v_YxDucyTBAEWqN_MPXvDzEyP2bIsxnHv8RH2VJyILKg/s1600/P1050834.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8tHRpNzMSN8koTrCMN-pBcgyNrBihmF_lxFzL2QJh8exieTyCemBE6-nhe3xXFVJxJDjsMA9kFSTHBzFksEDYQ_bmC7E1FWq0v_YxDucyTBAEWqN_MPXvDzEyP2bIsxnHv8RH2VJyILKg/s640/P1050834.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving Scotties Biv in the morning<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3qs1zwKzhMQJIHEWwUDJovaFgE21Mjr8NjOcRO5c0hIZNwREQY9teVQ6NXkPEASZ5rFvNLy2dlvBzUyQD7NDrl1JXHxNLu_mr1bUQG4z0eV8qoc96p8iGckPb90kxkO0gXKGvwGGGBoC0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-01-04+at+4.26.14+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3qs1zwKzhMQJIHEWwUDJovaFgE21Mjr8NjOcRO5c0hIZNwREQY9teVQ6NXkPEASZ5rFvNLy2dlvBzUyQD7NDrl1JXHxNLu_mr1bUQG4z0eV8qoc96p8iGckPb90kxkO0gXKGvwGGGBoC0/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-01-04+at+4.26.14+PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Our route, roughly.</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08406950956653207723noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249050746221514503.post-7247857062318061652015-10-05T20:30:00.000-07:002015-10-06T20:37:43.788-07:00Too Fun in the Two Thumb<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0c0lWdh1pIZM8U9vvXoPTtYPUYkz_rhTYvZQm_JCo57SjsYeafwmN4NrwlwHqLXsvALKCCaatxnE3hsTMVFtCDwkJRD0nTzeUQP67H_gVLmbnNG9Xqov_x9yVABsxp-gqvziE-0-ptWEZ/s1600/P1050447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0c0lWdh1pIZM8U9vvXoPTtYPUYkz_rhTYvZQm_JCo57SjsYeafwmN4NrwlwHqLXsvALKCCaatxnE3hsTMVFtCDwkJRD0nTzeUQP67H_gVLmbnNG9Xqov_x9yVABsxp-gqvziE-0-ptWEZ/s640/P1050447.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">TOO FUN IN THE TWO THUMB<br />
Too Fun adventures... this is taken right near the tiger</td></tr>
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A dastardly Westerly flow crept across the Island last week, causing us to abandon our exciting plans for skiing on the glaciers around the divide. We would have to stick far east as possible... we thought about heading for the Kaikouras, but unsure about snow conditions there we decided maybe the Two Thumb Mountains which lie between the Rangitata River and Lake Tekapo (and as they are slightly lower and slightly east of the the divide are not generally as exposed to the Norwest weather) were the more reliable bet.<br />
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So we spent most of a day scheming and planning on a loop which would carry us on ski and by foot around the Two Thumb Peaks themselves. We left late on Tuesday and drove down to Mesopotamia where we camped. The weather was beautiful in the morning (as predicted) and views up to a very snow clad Cloudly Peak were impressive. We were optimistic about the amount of snow around.<br />
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We started up towards Black Birch Creek, crossing paddocks and deer fences with packs festooned with skis and boots proving a tad awkward. As we entered the first gorge of Black Birch Creek we realised there wasn't actually a track and we weren't really sure if there even was a route up this creek! But then we figured there was Dog Kennel Biv at the head of it, so there must be a way up.<br />
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After a bit of boulder bashing we climbed steeply out of the stream, then back down again. The river opened up for a bit, then a second gorge appeared. Some careful manoeuvres were required around a slippery, loose cliff face and then we climbed up out of the river and popped out on a lovely beech forested shelf above the gorge. We grinned, this was a perfect start to the 'Too Fun' trip.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRHeaDPeavFf0UyghIJR0lAfvThSSfdfaCAQ3VR0dbpo-JPSDncWuOEgw0DQY0RK91Bcv1ebgyXqfbbToxHQAvTy5mByMwXzjTK3tS4eP6iOdUOKvv17ffYDWbA_tSyd30TUglGBk4NrlS/s1600/P1050233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRHeaDPeavFf0UyghIJR0lAfvThSSfdfaCAQ3VR0dbpo-JPSDncWuOEgw0DQY0RK91Bcv1ebgyXqfbbToxHQAvTy5mByMwXzjTK3tS4eP6iOdUOKvv17ffYDWbA_tSyd30TUglGBk4NrlS/s640/P1050233.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Climbing out of Black Birch Stream above the second gorge<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Chris with a little bit of gear attached to his pack</td></tr>
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On up we came across the ancient Dog Kennel Biv, which is aptly named for its size. Chris's Dad had a photo of this bivouac from over 40 years ago and not much has changed there! We ate lunch under a boulder, then continued up valley out of the grassy flats and on to the snowy slopes leading up to Cassandra Col. We put skins on our skis and headed up steeply in big zig zags towards the Col. It was a big, steep climb and the last part we plugged steps. Finally we emerged over the crest of the Col at about 2300m, the sun was setting and the wind picking up.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbXTwyzDGkMp_WOBVUf2rsOjZIDhPKYCjOW30RbuXGjx1mPYfGYJRISOI1k6Z_DSnXZKFIl5VYHgTdYdX8Skg5kdjzSjVfq1Z4rGe9x5INaaqVGHs6yuBTMKgdw-JNEwoWpqEp2_Qpyl7q/s1600/P1050249.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbXTwyzDGkMp_WOBVUf2rsOjZIDhPKYCjOW30RbuXGjx1mPYfGYJRISOI1k6Z_DSnXZKFIl5VYHgTdYdX8Skg5kdjzSjVfq1Z4rGe9x5INaaqVGHs6yuBTMKgdw-JNEwoWpqEp2_Qpyl7q/s640/P1050249.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Chris at Dog Kennel Biv<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibqW5ks91OkL3lwJsj2QLquyRs7Fh2es3l5FF1X3BFyq4fJWCsRU1Y4Qgy0WpwfCaSOroSlv_mOxbDXATtEuDRK_xoNQ9GIgDWipG1Y4GftrPF6-irHh8bEEu69V1XKM_kTTNl7i55l5r3/s1600/P1050251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibqW5ks91OkL3lwJsj2QLquyRs7Fh2es3l5FF1X3BFyq4fJWCsRU1Y4Qgy0WpwfCaSOroSlv_mOxbDXATtEuDRK_xoNQ9GIgDWipG1Y4GftrPF6-irHh8bEEu69V1XKM_kTTNl7i55l5r3/s640/P1050251.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Heading further up Black Birch Stream, Achilles at the valley head</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRwaclN8d5KmFuAqoKIbY-TN5uOC1b6oRcdAlm-uL1Qp8JhAP7S8Qmg3FQlHUU3RwU2XVakPxnsmb0PJFsJHRG_YKU3VzK5c7MqI5osuTv04TkQAl9p8pk9yKgq2x5m7kHuiOHxGVtriPQ/s1600/P1050256.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRwaclN8d5KmFuAqoKIbY-TN5uOC1b6oRcdAlm-uL1Qp8JhAP7S8Qmg3FQlHUU3RwU2XVakPxnsmb0PJFsJHRG_YKU3VzK5c7MqI5osuTv04TkQAl9p8pk9yKgq2x5m7kHuiOHxGVtriPQ/s640/P1050256.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">A rather delicious wrap for lunch<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho1j3kWUTcbeNzfEpPjD_hNcFWceG6bWpigmYInaouiAu6883R7HAbp43Cka26uyGgm3mRlpGdRiO_-IyLG0CitHFzHEvISpC_jAZD5qeKGgabFWA9IKghJ6w2fL284jFovxT1Vlp11aGS/s1600/P1050260.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho1j3kWUTcbeNzfEpPjD_hNcFWceG6bWpigmYInaouiAu6883R7HAbp43Cka26uyGgm3mRlpGdRiO_-IyLG0CitHFzHEvISpC_jAZD5qeKGgabFWA9IKghJ6w2fL284jFovxT1Vlp11aGS/s640/P1050260.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Just down the other side of Cassandra Col</td></tr>
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The descent was worth it though - we skied down Iliad Basin in perfect spring corn carving big turns with our heavy packs. Eventually the tongue of snow we were skiing on ran out and we walked down to a perfect tussocky spot at the confluence of Trojan Stream and North East Gorge Stream. By now grey clouds were looming around the divide and we knew that the Norwest was going to send us scampering east tomorrow.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0VkxixsVZSOWaZe-Y5aY1SHE5oi7tHasAxNd9i3MPzSJNM02rdMNz_i3sbSYJZeDZHtWMv1hfNMuGXV58eF5tqvQ0dkxNRq87qkB6W4GPoMjy3pMkIlN0AMcAZf-F6LCAjO8iTB9k95Hf/s1600/P1050270.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0VkxixsVZSOWaZe-Y5aY1SHE5oi7tHasAxNd9i3MPzSJNM02rdMNz_i3sbSYJZeDZHtWMv1hfNMuGXV58eF5tqvQ0dkxNRq87qkB6W4GPoMjy3pMkIlN0AMcAZf-F6LCAjO8iTB9k95Hf/s640/P1050270.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Descending from Cassandra Col in the fading light</td></tr>
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Sure enough we woke to lashing rain and wind. Our little yellow tent was so cosy we were reluctant to emerge and it wasn't until midday that we finally packed up in the rain and headed down North East Gorge Stream. The going was good, except for the occasional squalls that blasted us from behind. We kept glimpsing sun rays on the slopes ahead of us, so we were sure we were walking away from the bad weather.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8bb7ur20_u5U_1Ktb2ThxU_ZJsU_cUZFy_r8Il5yFnqh0E9dZtG0l1LToN3BB3CYpxicaOnBMITAg5zpyKfbQOmtfEM9JXeJ6DalPC-Zlqg_LG-MxpfQO61Qsm1x8UM3fQkzVql0qDVpW/s1600/P1050280.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8bb7ur20_u5U_1Ktb2ThxU_ZJsU_cUZFy_r8Il5yFnqh0E9dZtG0l1LToN3BB3CYpxicaOnBMITAg5zpyKfbQOmtfEM9JXeJ6DalPC-Zlqg_LG-MxpfQO61Qsm1x8UM3fQkzVql0qDVpW/s640/P1050280.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Morning in the rain in the Trojan Stream<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8hNkqy2s4Y1c6xdUWDZOOnVdd3jZ7BSkNV8FftyOQ2nAtCY1biBtWthpabVWKf1J3MbTmqRNUlcRsvP_dIyLsEFrjwEkKdkIJcqnYHfJyK0hfA25KM_Ulngsp3mE3giMEmMa2r0oqKU6X/s1600/P1050289.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8hNkqy2s4Y1c6xdUWDZOOnVdd3jZ7BSkNV8FftyOQ2nAtCY1biBtWthpabVWKf1J3MbTmqRNUlcRsvP_dIyLsEFrjwEkKdkIJcqnYHfJyK0hfA25KM_Ulngsp3mE3giMEmMa2r0oqKU6X/s640/P1050289.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Rock hopping in North East Stream</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: center;">We crossed Two Thumb Stream and then our plan was to head up to pt 2045, ski down into the basin of Third Waterfall Stream and camp there. We had started the long climb up the tussocked spur when the first large snowflakes started falling. Given that we were already soaked through and it was getting late in the day I was not as impressed by this as Chris.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;"><br /></span>
We slogged up and finally reached the ridge in a near white out, with snow blasting us from the west. Chris disappeared from my view and I was thinking about the numerous happy tussocky spots we could have camped in down below us. Suddenly a small rock outcrop appeared and the figure of Chris huddling behind it. I joined him and the wind stopped immediately. This was a great shelter - below us we could see swirling snow and about two metres from the rock was a corniced ridge which dropped away into the whiteness.<br />
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"We could camp here" Chris suggested cheerily. I wasn't sure, but the idea of continuing didn't seem a sensible one, so shovels out we started widening our shelter and building a snow wall on one side to stop all the spindrift coming in. Before long we had made a nice little platform to pitch our tent and I jumped in. It was super cosy inside, although all our gear was soaked. Chris sat outside and cooked, which was a tad miserable given he got plastered in spindrift and spent about 30 minutes trying to get the lighter to work after it got wet.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhuhmPgIBfGXuZoe130exFMpNXPRr7mgMD34aqD1ERevHq8bY5GWjS5y8flzdctN0fgLvJ8MHvmzhrKmtAdUlBO8gkxBY-BcXzHvZnKEV5sGX8tXWOG9UHMTVXR9qPkqNBETYFfCaDlI4c/s1600/P1050297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhuhmPgIBfGXuZoe130exFMpNXPRr7mgMD34aqD1ERevHq8bY5GWjS5y8flzdctN0fgLvJ8MHvmzhrKmtAdUlBO8gkxBY-BcXzHvZnKEV5sGX8tXWOG9UHMTVXR9qPkqNBETYFfCaDlI4c/s640/P1050297.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Our camp high on the ridge in the storm</td></tr>
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Eventually we were sorted and snuggled down deep into our sleeping bag. The wind howled outside and the sides of the tent constantly sagged with loaded spindrift, but we were warm in our little cocoon high on the mountain and the lights of Tekapo twinkled far down below us.<br />
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In the morning the sun was out, but so was the wind. It buffeted around us, sending swirling spirals of snow up into the air. We investigated the wind loaded slope below us, I was very hesitant about skiing it but after Chris dug around we decided it was actually pretty stable. Cautiously we skied down into the valley, quickly reaching gentler slopes and slushy snow.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi63-fufn4rOJC9r_5_SqHwYbaQQZe_Cu0I0VIEXuMMxBTV9PppJOsP520_NcBsigc3c94Z0Epq9ysnRf81yIOF_pUncIgBwV1jHdC-hKu1jo-RQ3oP8zyeSvoMz9xonF9bBx1N7vOuW2BK/s1600/P1050303.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi63-fufn4rOJC9r_5_SqHwYbaQQZe_Cu0I0VIEXuMMxBTV9PppJOsP520_NcBsigc3c94Z0Epq9ysnRf81yIOF_pUncIgBwV1jHdC-hKu1jo-RQ3oP8zyeSvoMz9xonF9bBx1N7vOuW2BK/s640/P1050303.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Our camp in the morning after digging out most of our gear<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvuzoyQTN-13SCBXVPHfBpguzCmtGgAwwIIGB09dj_zR0A0-D6e3Fg5likqEi_R1byxZilU2HyYini-JJDgUVWZyjTi_gMFPoTB6IG1riM96A9xHU0VUv2YJNfho2Z63MX4sMJcCyMZNbn/s1600/P1050313.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvuzoyQTN-13SCBXVPHfBpguzCmtGgAwwIIGB09dj_zR0A0-D6e3Fg5likqEi_R1byxZilU2HyYini-JJDgUVWZyjTi_gMFPoTB6IG1riM96A9xHU0VUv2YJNfho2Z63MX4sMJcCyMZNbn/s640/P1050313.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Dropping down from our camp</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqmZNkqcj9nnB0H8ywp8VlJX6ClF3Mhq1hai_dJRbLw0NCtnXZeLp3yDFlsSDs8dDyuxmaXWCs0NHyydO3SF_2o1ZtKctm34zIfDYX7BPQ-HAGqnvZ9jCKGdhyphenhyphenoYG3tW-Kbci88i_u_oWC/s1600/P1050319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqmZNkqcj9nnB0H8ywp8VlJX6ClF3Mhq1hai_dJRbLw0NCtnXZeLp3yDFlsSDs8dDyuxmaXWCs0NHyydO3SF_2o1ZtKctm34zIfDYX7BPQ-HAGqnvZ9jCKGdhyphenhyphenoYG3tW-Kbci88i_u_oWC/s640/P1050319.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Fine skinning in the next basin</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_OxhpoKz3iG2kMf4ccwZkAwHqs0aI-4D00PaS1VXu6pzsqmQmFWW0_MgVN95wbEbjcpmnbEjJDdBSLowjPhfadWtYEfY1OS5RngmnoOhwbhVerhfX5bRpjevXlpZ2LKVj0wd_k7Lv5C7Q/s1600/P1050320.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_OxhpoKz3iG2kMf4ccwZkAwHqs0aI-4D00PaS1VXu6pzsqmQmFWW0_MgVN95wbEbjcpmnbEjJDdBSLowjPhfadWtYEfY1OS5RngmnoOhwbhVerhfX5bRpjevXlpZ2LKVj0wd_k7Lv5C7Q/s640/P1050320.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Tranisition on the ridge (not the crazy windy one!)</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKuZ8eIIGQI0H-mKU_73x-f_Le_Zjtn7SjiPzPgQ6CQTyNDKxJmjVix8mZabTyMhZGHMXQjfoDTXKphF6SZfL4jUnjDqHl1nnRGQNJbtG8fl2_YW0dVqJS9pHfJvqWFRRpc0lG8b0UOAV_/s1600/P1050322.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKuZ8eIIGQI0H-mKU_73x-f_Le_Zjtn7SjiPzPgQ6CQTyNDKxJmjVix8mZabTyMhZGHMXQjfoDTXKphF6SZfL4jUnjDqHl1nnRGQNJbtG8fl2_YW0dVqJS9pHfJvqWFRRpc0lG8b0UOAV_/s640/P1050322.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Looking back to our camp (on top of bump to left) and our ski tracks down into the basin</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYdDX_6KP1YT4DThncrz2BtiupJ-XhskH941kbDm-7wTTwbSB0l1Q5elLvV19_p3L1_NypZYVcV6aP65AdPbW-AlelUGAaAUPFQbKwF3SeylScYRd82TFnS_vUiyFUGJgWs9-WTOZaPkoo/s1600/P1050331.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYdDX_6KP1YT4DThncrz2BtiupJ-XhskH941kbDm-7wTTwbSB0l1Q5elLvV19_p3L1_NypZYVcV6aP65AdPbW-AlelUGAaAUPFQbKwF3SeylScYRd82TFnS_vUiyFUGJgWs9-WTOZaPkoo/s640/P1050331.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Gentle slopes above Second Waterfall Stream</td></tr>
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</div>
<span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: start;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">From this valley we then skinned up another ridge and dropped down some icy wind blasted slopes into Second Waterfall Stream. The snow cover was good in this basin and we were able to leave on our skis as we climbed up to a saddle which would take us into Blind Spur Stream. It all seemed great until we reached the saddle and then suddenly the wind became incredibly strong. It took me straight back to the Pisa Range during this year's Godzone. </span></div>
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There was a smooth snow slope and then a big corniced drop into the valley below and the wind was trying very hard to suck me and my skis straight over the edge! I ripped them off, lay on the ground to zip up my jacket and then crawled my way up to Chris who was crouched behind a boulder higher up. He had found a wee break in the cornice where we could ski down.<br />
<br />
We gingerly crawled to the edge where the wind abated a little, put on our skis and skied down into the relative shelter of the basin. I felt pretty frazzled by the experience, so we skied on down the hill to find a tussock spot for lunch which was less windy. Huge 'whirling willies' swirled around the peaks above us and the clouds above raced by.<br />
<br />
Another delicious wrap with aoli and spinach greens (the last of these sadly) and we felt re-energized for a high traverse to Stag Saddle. The snow was a mixture of hard wind pack or deep mush which your skis sank down into. Fortunately for me, my weight, ski width and pack size all combined to mean I generally stayed above the snow and could actually ski, where Chris sank down deep and face planted regularly. It is very rare for me to find the going easier than him, so I shamelessly revelled in it.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjroywi1AVdkCkXtIeC9cd24ChHKtrIgftEGCsaB5qONt6J5ebKm1XHZJ5v4NNIxeG0cn6csedSHjnUqB8SiQCPSP54bXcwsUskOaMs31zn6jkXe7CHQlegCIwfF2TtkUXmYZCAEqe6YIgY/s1600/P1050354.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjroywi1AVdkCkXtIeC9cd24ChHKtrIgftEGCsaB5qONt6J5ebKm1XHZJ5v4NNIxeG0cn6csedSHjnUqB8SiQCPSP54bXcwsUskOaMs31zn6jkXe7CHQlegCIwfF2TtkUXmYZCAEqe6YIgY/s640/P1050354.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Chris having fun in the soft snow, Stag Saddle behind and left</td></tr>
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Stag Saddle was windy (surprise) and the day was getting on. Royal hut beaconed from the valley, so we slid on down the valley on a mixture of delicious spring corn combined with aforementioned slush. We got a long way down the valley by skiing on a mixture of snow and snow tussock (which slides remarkably well) and eventually stopped at the babbling brook which leads into Bush Stream.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLH359FBXxMMpSg8Thx33InDqQOB9Lesj6sOUnjrV2nS_IpMtYoxQ-WVqK5UDjfY4u4YWSiS0IgwfYMT5Ept42j4ue6amaytRXyI3DoBe2m_dDpOEVe-gAOPZpuIV0w-I9IKT7sgcXOwAI/s1600/P1050362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLH359FBXxMMpSg8Thx33InDqQOB9Lesj6sOUnjrV2nS_IpMtYoxQ-WVqK5UDjfY4u4YWSiS0IgwfYMT5Ept42j4ue6amaytRXyI3DoBe2m_dDpOEVe-gAOPZpuIV0w-I9IKT7sgcXOwAI/s640/P1050362.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
Chris enjoying the tussock skiing</div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGsQ1TgM65a6otHJ12bg0HknmBa1iczdXqHoSZg-k6K-UFyZwQFJe_6riqfzLDLUxUMr5nXzuCWoz7v2AcUF7wJHHoI9oIQOTNMaBZ7WvMZKjuyfxr4xuuqi058LxcPDZneIX_IsFEKd0Q/s1600/P1050363.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGsQ1TgM65a6otHJ12bg0HknmBa1iczdXqHoSZg-k6K-UFyZwQFJe_6riqfzLDLUxUMr5nXzuCWoz7v2AcUF7wJHHoI9oIQOTNMaBZ7WvMZKjuyfxr4xuuqi058LxcPDZneIX_IsFEKd0Q/s640/P1050363.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Happy times in the walking to the hut</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><div style="text-align: left;">
On reaching Royal Hut we had a gear explosion in the setting rays of sun, trying to dry soaked everything, including our beloved "Spoonbill" sleeping bag. Royal Hut was a great spot for the night and we slept very well in the relative calm of the hut compared to the flapping, spindrift filled night before.</div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt5c1VCaqa7jVOH3aQBsx9gnLj8POzgdvi7nTiHpwhPgo4s5t3p-pDTtHCO0I2HfiDWmAqk6f3DzG62DGT6yN16FKETRvZI0DTDAKRKgVvwor1CMdeOCyXLJXgOT99_dLFGR2hQg4jaqpl/s1600/P1050384.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt5c1VCaqa7jVOH3aQBsx9gnLj8POzgdvi7nTiHpwhPgo4s5t3p-pDTtHCO0I2HfiDWmAqk6f3DzG62DGT6yN16FKETRvZI0DTDAKRKgVvwor1CMdeOCyXLJXgOT99_dLFGR2hQg4jaqpl/s640/P1050384.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Royal explosion at Royal Hut</td></tr>
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The sun was out again in the morning, but so was our now constant companion - the wind. We enjoyed a swim in Bush Stream and drying out on a rock and then continued on up the Te Araroa Trail enjoying being hikers for the day. Near the highest point on the Te Araroa Trail we turned left and skinned up a snow filled basin on the side of Mt Pattisson. From there we descended to the end of the spur that runs off Mt Caton. We created (with just a small amount of vegetation flattening on Chris's part) a small platform to pitch our tent.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB7riv0dJH-hNKkePTEyCTPCgqCYwM2Ac01yCEp0Z7WDSDEYfFBzFBYTNZXurOgqJPFjSwPMeFIvugEXzg3Lqk2lEXShYpoAIRLF0V4Rm3CQR_IsfEqty5QOgWVCm2TBTWkwOTAVZgUPX7/s1600/P1050395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB7riv0dJH-hNKkePTEyCTPCgqCYwM2Ac01yCEp0Z7WDSDEYfFBzFBYTNZXurOgqJPFjSwPMeFIvugEXzg3Lqk2lEXShYpoAIRLF0V4Rm3CQR_IsfEqty5QOgWVCm2TBTWkwOTAVZgUPX7/s640/P1050395.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Warm enough for a dip!</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEmEtGIFbybYpnKkrmvBaBjoM1qhNPyN9SafQZaP86aqNxjtZbfnMydTMGw0IdjwxdaTwwgooxuFfAACzrcJA5LJpwVuJv804FUkYKiSTCAl8awbsu8qS0R7I3BgpIOMJTh_WqtAh1OmBd/s1600/P1050401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEmEtGIFbybYpnKkrmvBaBjoM1qhNPyN9SafQZaP86aqNxjtZbfnMydTMGw0IdjwxdaTwwgooxuFfAACzrcJA5LJpwVuJv804FUkYKiSTCAl8awbsu8qS0R7I3BgpIOMJTh_WqtAh1OmBd/s640/P1050401.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Hiking a section of the 'Te Araroa Trail'<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzg10pE34RiDooYo0s6UieBMtI91uNlhjGo4ataLMMEtSkhyvEZRfsEAygNpdryW3sC5NHWzv8_rfeQNzmmAKnSh5ZpJPwPXKqN6lLebkftKB81Nl_sjBGhLzL-opD81PuCtAlQFDmXU2R/s1600/P1050407.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzg10pE34RiDooYo0s6UieBMtI91uNlhjGo4ataLMMEtSkhyvEZRfsEAygNpdryW3sC5NHWzv8_rfeQNzmmAKnSh5ZpJPwPXKqN6lLebkftKB81Nl_sjBGhLzL-opD81PuCtAlQFDmXU2R/s640/P1050407.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Skinning to a saddle below Mt Pattisson</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhje8f-n46ZrJ9jjdsxlm1O4It_VhXL4cO8OiBmjr48Nrf3RrotEN2kc3e4irNVHbmX_3qGQRfrsNJp_YpL22eqwuPsWG24Euc_F1V8c0oWKQgfQD4y8UetRA1RNA4P_U08JoEG4g6AD8bH/s1600/P1050410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhje8f-n46ZrJ9jjdsxlm1O4It_VhXL4cO8OiBmjr48Nrf3RrotEN2kc3e4irNVHbmX_3qGQRfrsNJp_YpL22eqwuPsWG24Euc_F1V8c0oWKQgfQD4y8UetRA1RNA4P_U08JoEG4g6AD8bH/s640/P1050410.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Chris fighting the wind, or trying to fly</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: center;">By now the clouds were really blowing in and the air was unacannily warm. We suspected the Norwest was out to get us again. Sure enough, another blustery night in the tent. In the morning it was sunny, but the peaks were covered in whirling spindrift. We decided to try and sneak in a final ski run - we had had more ambitious plans but given the weather we opted for Mt Caton. The valley was relatively sheltered again, except for the occasional squall that left one lying on the ground stinging all over from being hit by a million tiny ice needles.</span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikTExUMGGy4x3yLjoikesTiTOwbzEpNdr-zqM7pCUgGrZSZrXHVFuwEPGIdUWStFAi9LD-d5ZmUZzXpAUMlx_Bgy-gANjUE-BFjsV5XX9gvrSsfTs45_0zdfFfUWMPmtOf1Rwm9LnPu_3o/s1600/P1050427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikTExUMGGy4x3yLjoikesTiTOwbzEpNdr-zqM7pCUgGrZSZrXHVFuwEPGIdUWStFAi9LD-d5ZmUZzXpAUMlx_Bgy-gANjUE-BFjsV5XX9gvrSsfTs45_0zdfFfUWMPmtOf1Rwm9LnPu_3o/s640/P1050427.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Our camp in the morning... looks sunny</td></tr>
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We skinned up the valley admiring some beautifully formed spherical snowballs which had deposited themselves on the valley floor. As we climbed up we could see great plumerols of snow being blasted off every rock pinnacle along the ridge. The snow grew firmer as we reached the higher slopes and it seemed like it was going to be a good ski run down.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPsL_qPVrxNR0R_AfpGCaghD-TJjB7G5ebesL1EGqLpBf1VvtFZAgH9dZjoA8_KHx2iAf0gU4kggmBW-pDCI_OZHPkBPSuNC6UbNZRD_T_vdbMc_RCoMWw0K1MSzfmx_YGSAQSIulGp8TG/s1600/P1050436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPsL_qPVrxNR0R_AfpGCaghD-TJjB7G5ebesL1EGqLpBf1VvtFZAgH9dZjoA8_KHx2iAf0gU4kggmBW-pDCI_OZHPkBPSuNC6UbNZRD_T_vdbMc_RCoMWw0K1MSzfmx_YGSAQSIulGp8TG/s640/P1050436.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Mt Caton basin, Brabazon Saddle in the background</td></tr>
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In the upper basin I caught up with Chris and applied layers of Goretex to try and stop the occasional ice blasts from being so painful. We looked up to the ridgeline where the wind was howling.. "shall we look into the eye of the tiger?" I suggested. Chris agreed and we dumped our skis and armed ourselves with ice axes to approach the beast.<br />
<br />
Near the top of Mt Caton the wee pass we reached looks directly West. It was impossible to stand, we crawled to the edge and peered at the howling storm, it was a dark grey colour and roared like a lion. It was then we also noticed that back down valley we could see great dust clouds hurtling down the Rangitata and out to the coast. This really was a tiger!!<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi635aaPfjduZnJsTuD0pMyF2V0l0wiIdCmERPepsdraVfA08xDOH-_OCdq0sRHJEhnaka_8Hnb6g4evrNukpwsCl3_OEZoBid5qC9VoQjjEtlqDFjR3237QYxJlwzNxu09NYI9w8z6j9oP/s1600/P1050444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi635aaPfjduZnJsTuD0pMyF2V0l0wiIdCmERPepsdraVfA08xDOH-_OCdq0sRHJEhnaka_8Hnb6g4evrNukpwsCl3_OEZoBid5qC9VoQjjEtlqDFjR3237QYxJlwzNxu09NYI9w8z6j9oP/s640/P1050444.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Near the head of the basin... dust clouds becoming apparent</td></tr>
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We zoomed back down to our skis as the hailstorm began. The snow was very nice and we descended quickly on our skis, the wind blasting all around us. Then we heard a crack and thunder rumbled around the valley. The rain and hail increased and the Norwest was really after us this time! We ran back to our gear stash, threw it all in our packs and headed down towards Crooked Spur hut.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgccrs-wK11tYJc8CM5rPCtNeQ3WFhnZpMK7NAbFn_WDISt2VhyphenhyphengaeszC-ags08j4E-lG4LE1mMtmGo5MnFfKh-RQzzuwiAmB91RKw7V1R0DHgVAdR1J24QdolQYKmgfsBuMf_7jzcjzG88/s1600/P1050460.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgccrs-wK11tYJc8CM5rPCtNeQ3WFhnZpMK7NAbFn_WDISt2VhyphenhyphengaeszC-ags08j4E-lG4LE1mMtmGo5MnFfKh-RQzzuwiAmB91RKw7V1R0DHgVAdR1J24QdolQYKmgfsBuMf_7jzcjzG88/s640/P1050460.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
Heading down fast ... ferocious wind storm escaping photography</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Rain and thunder in valley, Chris still smiling</td></tr>
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We had to sidle around steep tussock slopes and then on down the spur to the hut. The valley reverberated with the wind and thunder and it was a magnificent feeling to close the old tin door of the hut and have a shelter over our heads. We cooked up some noodles and then Chris said "What was that river like to cross on the way out last time you were here?" I remembered Bush Stream being a steep mountain stream, fine at normal levels but this could be a problem...</div>
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We hurried to pack our gear and then headed out into the storm. We were pretty keen to get out that night because Chris had a fairly important meeting the following day. The ridge is steep as it drops down from Crooked Spur and we scurried along aware of our pointy metal skis poking up into the air like lightening rods. Down in the forest we relaxed a little, until we caught sight of the stream.<br />
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The Bush Stream had become a raging torrent, a mixture of big snow melt from the warm winds and now rain from the deluge as well. Neither of us felt at all comfortable to try and cross, but then Chris being Chris spotted a fallen tree across a rapid further up river. Without really thinking he shimmied out onto the log and then almost completely submerged himself in the fast flowing river as he grappled with the trunk.<br />
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He made it across and then back, grabbed my pack and then came back. It was only then that I suddenly realised what a stupid idea this was. Directly below the trunk was another partially submerged one, with the full force of the flooded river rushing into it. Falling in there would be a very bad idea, and shortly after that the river entered a series of nasty looking rapids. Work commitments or not, for me to try to cross this log was a huge mistake.<br />
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On saying this Chris agreed with me immediately, only now he had to go back across twice to get the packs. Fortunately by now he had worked out a technique of bridging between both the logs until he was across the swiftest part of the current and could touch the ground again. The sky was lit up around us by flashes of lightening and it definitely wasn't the first time this year I have been reminded how easy it is to make mistakes in the mountains if you let your guard down.<br />
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We sullenly trodded back up the hut thinking through many unappealing contingency plans of escape, only to conclude that by far the most pleasant and sensible option was to spend the night in the hut and see if the river had gone down in the morning. We had several more brews, read old Antics magazines and ate chocolate. Just before it got dark we walked back down to the river to discover all that had happened was it had risen further! So we collected some good bundles of firewood and climbed back up the hill for a cosy night in the hut.<br />
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The wind howled most of the night and I hoped the old Crooked Spur Hut was reasonably well attached. After a fairly restless night we woke early to see if we could still make it out in time for Chris's meeting. Down the spur we went in the beautiful sunrise, calmer now too. But the river sounded ominous from afar. True to the sound it was still too big for us to safely cross.<br />
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We sighed. We would have to go with plan b (there was also a plan c, d and e). We would climb back to the hut (now for the third time), back to the stream from yesterday, then climb up over a saddle onto the Brabazon Ridge. We would descend that back into the Rangitata River thus avoiding any river crossing, but necessitating a 1700m climb, ugh!<br />
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We climbed as fast as we could, Chris having removed most of the gear from my pack. The sun was up and it was even quite calm! The calmest day we had had... maybe the Norwest tiger was going to let us escape after all. We ran along parts of the ridge, looking up occasionally to glimpse the sparkling clear mountains on the main divide.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Beautiful tops travel along Brabazon Ridge, pity we were running late!</td></tr>
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Eventually we reached the end of the ridge and could see a steep but easily descendable tussock spur all the way back to the car. Now it was hot and we sweated as we leaped across the final fences and dodged cow poos in the farm paddocks. At the car it was a hasty transition of gear tossed in a smelly mass pile in the boot, a quick glance back at the Two Thumb range and then we put the pedal to the metal!<br />
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So ended our trip. Chris managed to organise a meeting later in the afternoon. The tiger let us out. We had fun. We made the right decision in the end. End of the story. Till next time (-:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying a calm moment on the way home</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08406950956653207723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249050746221514503.post-49570191428665522502015-09-27T23:22:00.002-07:002015-09-27T23:34:57.754-07:00Wedding Anniversary!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Chris and I celebrated our first Wedding Anniversary last weekend, and it was rather fitting that we were up at another wedding in the mountains, at one of our favourite spots - Mt Potts Station in the upper Rangitata River. The wedding was great, a mountain rogaine in fresh powder snow followed by a ceremony in the most spectacular setting you can imagine!<br />
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We drank mulled wine and got great views up valley towards Cloudy Peak. We schemed more exciting adventures to be had up that way and shared stories of adventures already had.<br />
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The following day Matt, La, Chris and I drove up to Mt Potts from Lake Clearwater where we had been staying. There was a thick blanket of cloud in the valley and all the mountains were shrouded in dark cloud. Everyone else had gone home already and feeling a little groggy from the all the mulled wine and dancing the night before, we were a little bit uninspired to go climbing mountains and the washing at home was almost calling us!!!!!<br />
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Luckily we held strong and got ourselves organised to head up Mt Potts. Skis were loaded on packs and we ambled up the abandoned ski field road. I reminisced on my childhood adventures up this road in the days when Erewhon Skifield was the coolest wee club in the Southern Alps.<br />
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The mountains stayed clagged in as we reached the old lodge site for sandwiches. Then we put on our skis and skinned on up. All of a sudden the sun was visible and we popped right out of the cloud. The sun was shining and as we neared the A-frame toilet in the upper basin we felt like we were in a magic land.<br />
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From there we skinned on up to the summit ridge, with the clouds swirling in and out. On the ridgeline we readied ourselves for the descent. We knew we would only get a small amount of visibility before dropping back into the clag, but we relished the sun rays and the fact that we were not at home sorting out piles of washing (-:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Preparing for the misty descent</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matt and La getting organised at the top</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice snow, but difficulty discerning the ground from the sky!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matt enjoying the skiing</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy troops heading back down the Erewhon Skifield Road</td></tr>
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It turned out to be a lovely day in the hills, as well as the perfect way to celebrate our Anniversary.... I think this may be the beginning of a tradition. Thanks for organising such an awesome wedding Nick and Sophie - next year you might have to join the Anniversary celebration (-:Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08406950956653207723noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249050746221514503.post-68019144888027875042015-07-16T15:52:00.000-07:002015-07-16T15:52:27.079-07:00Icicles and Powder Bogs in the Rockburn (ski tramping doesn't always result in skiing)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frost formations in the Routeburn Valley</td></tr>
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Inspired after our amazing weekend at Barker Hut Chris and I were eager for another adventure and the school holidays plus a very fine high sitting right over the country meant it was time to go. As well as that we had another two keen beans to join us - Georgia was excited about coming after spending the last week stuck at work. John (Chris's bro) managed through some intensive last minute organisation to get flights down to Christchurch for the following day.<br />
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The pressure was on and we ummed and ahhed about what to do - weather on our side.... daylight not... glaciers not... The Poseidon Ski Tramp was dreamed up. An ambitious trip, we would head down to the Rockburn. A considerable amount of gear flaff and driving later we found ourselves parked at the start of the Routeburn Track. The snowy peaks surrounded us and even mid afternoon the temperature was cold.<br />
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We headed up valley, laden with skis, tents, glacier gear and much more. The forest was a winter wonderland with icicles hanging from cliffs and trees dripping with snow. Rocks were layered in thick ice and we precariously teetered across streams to avoid we feet.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John heading up through the forest to Sugarloaf Pass</td></tr>
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We turned onto the Sugarloaf pass track and wound on up through the forest. As we reached the bush line the snow became deeper. We put on jackets and found ourselves waiding through dry, unconsolidated powder up to our knees. We fell through to bushes and had to fight our way out again. Nearing the pass Georgia and John (no skis) kept falling through to the bog layer under the deep snow and yelped as the icy water went into their boots.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Georgia examines her 'bogfoot'</td></tr>
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We continued over the pass and down through the forest as the sun set behind Mount Earnslaw. From the Rockburn Valley we continued on up towards Theatre Flat in the dark. We were getting tired and the temperature was at least negative ten as we trudged on through the snow, wondering where a good spot for our tent could be. We crossed the bridge and then came out onto Theatre Flat. The hoar crystals were enormous. Chris suddenly gave out a loud 'whoop' and we rounded a clearing. He had stumbled upon an awesome rock bivvy - a small amount of dry wood and a fireplace sheltered by a huge overhanging rock.<br />
<br />
Suddenly moods improved and we set about collecting water and setting up camp. John got stuck in on the fire lighting business. It was as he was reaching to grab a piece of wood that I noticed most of the sole of his boot had detached from the shoe! I pointed it out to John and he was also horrified... this was not the place to have one's boots fall apart!!!<br />
<br />
As the fire began to crackle we noticed another cracking sound.. above our heads hung the most humongous icicles, big enough to kill you if they came down. They were beginning to melt from the heat of the fire. We put our helmets on and Chris threw wood at them to bring them down. This game went on for some time (Chris was definitely enjoying himself) until most of the ice had come down and we deemed it safe to reenter our bivvy, although John kept his helmet on. We crawled into our tents after dinner and snuggled deep into our down bags to keep cosy for the night.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEzzeV75wIHVw3Kh1-sHtiPbI9wCqgFvUZox8N2HGLHLfJXoL4zwD1KyWbyrLr_gcqtLEF2OBRvZAlsvOxn2WuYLgavmck9IjXXnUJuNEgjxQa_cTDEBzcnfYo966hXD7RXUwKfQX59uja/s1600/P1040738.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEzzeV75wIHVw3Kh1-sHtiPbI9wCqgFvUZox8N2HGLHLfJXoL4zwD1KyWbyrLr_gcqtLEF2OBRvZAlsvOxn2WuYLgavmck9IjXXnUJuNEgjxQa_cTDEBzcnfYo966hXD7RXUwKfQX59uja/s640/P1040738.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Night crossing just before Theatre Flat</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBe-8OOAo4J5Iwaweclq5utka7njgZkCRp8NWUIL50b5QFzpa9Yx4jQgpKP_TFu1E_Lk7RRZlTEf4aZp7eBntH_gkAwqZKXkQH1vA6FZmLAQTL0-e1oNBwIgZNSNIO9JuRMjfg5t0d0UBm/s1600/P1040762.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBe-8OOAo4J5Iwaweclq5utka7njgZkCRp8NWUIL50b5QFzpa9Yx4jQgpKP_TFu1E_Lk7RRZlTEf4aZp7eBntH_gkAwqZKXkQH1vA6FZmLAQTL0-e1oNBwIgZNSNIO9JuRMjfg5t0d0UBm/s640/P1040762.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our amazing bivvy rock and fire at Theatre Flat</td></tr>
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In the morning temperatures were even frostier and it took us a long time to cook porridge, get dressed and pack up camp. We also had to review our plans - given John's broken boot and also the slow travel and quality of snow Chris's plan to climb Poseidon from Lake Unknown seemed wildly ambitious. Even getting up to Park Pass seemed ambitious.<br />
<br />
Nevertheless we decided to give it a try. John and Chris decided crampons were the way to go with his boots, so he strapped them up tight. We headed up valley into a winter wonderland of frozen streams, beech trees dripping with snow. In places where the sun had never touched the snow felt like icing sugar, it was so light and powdery. The problem was this powdery-ness went right down to the bushes and bogs were one had a habit of falling and getting stuck!<br />
<br />
Many hours later we emerged from the last bush and into the open scrublands. Chris proceeded to flip upside down in a huge snow hole in a bank and took some time to right himself skis and all. We stopped for lunch in view of the pass. Despite how close we were we estimated two more hours in these conditions to get there. For the two skiers things might be going to get better from here in, as we could put on our skis and skin up. But for the walkers the snow was just getting deeper.<br />
<br />
A chilly wind swirled around us and we examined Johns boots (both of which were now in total collapse). We ate frozen cheese and fish wraps trying to keep warm. Suddenly someone piped up with "Why didn't we just head into the Routeburn? At least there are tracks... and a warm hut..." Within a minute heads were huddled around the maps... "Well, if we walk fast into the night... we might be able to make it to Routeburn Flats Hut by midnight?"<br />
<br />
That was all it took and the decision was made for a late night escapade all the way back down the Rockburn, over Sugarloaf Pass and back up the Routeburn. Park Pass and Poseidon Peak was not to be, but we decided that our failed attempt simply leaves great options for a repeat attempt... perhaps in slightly warmer conditions.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9dB_ebc_heSDKGsrW3QGybJwbZrqChZs66TOdhRMMzl4TMZkYonDr3mTRNXQ-qDLyjHhKmzGC7udGnOp2MWCpXSePnD1pLwWD0_wmcbZH6oxx03V3aXZznMXfHwb6rmuPD6ls3kAtGHSo/s1600/P1040772.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9dB_ebc_heSDKGsrW3QGybJwbZrqChZs66TOdhRMMzl4TMZkYonDr3mTRNXQ-qDLyjHhKmzGC7udGnOp2MWCpXSePnD1pLwWD0_wmcbZH6oxx03V3aXZznMXfHwb6rmuPD6ls3kAtGHSo/s640/P1040772.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Park Pass in all its winter glory where we turned around</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP2gulAQ5M26e_ctzqNSaGtJ7TzzsXtQrXb0Y_5VfeQP2He8Ld37K-bPNP84Ju3woZfWvn5oXO7oTPAnr57-GCJmW9zSuiZLdghmC7YOf4K5YZdnwaBK60al0aGC9bfZAZRpBfYEYbZD4e/s1600/P1040776.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP2gulAQ5M26e_ctzqNSaGtJ7TzzsXtQrXb0Y_5VfeQP2He8Ld37K-bPNP84Ju3woZfWvn5oXO7oTPAnr57-GCJmW9zSuiZLdghmC7YOf4K5YZdnwaBK60al0aGC9bfZAZRpBfYEYbZD4e/s640/P1040776.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snow clad forest descending from Park Pass</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh593-YlwB8LHZjddNOLq2ztg5k5ehwrAM3uZvU0YujExJ9rET_KQ98EptJt5oQ06g_W7KEkNft7fWUXFL9YZUqVzjjXgKZaTnEr4ynkqCmjkXFGL67ekM6gF4CAnHj7isqaddb0kcsFJax/s1600/P1040784.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh593-YlwB8LHZjddNOLq2ztg5k5ehwrAM3uZvU0YujExJ9rET_KQ98EptJt5oQ06g_W7KEkNft7fWUXFL9YZUqVzjjXgKZaTnEr4ynkqCmjkXFGL67ekM6gF4CAnHj7isqaddb0kcsFJax/s640/P1040784.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing one of the open flats above Theatre Flat, Park Pass in the background</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY6IDh4Q1pzui3_XwERE70T72H3D51kIVBsVvxWeUKYD0XdjbCIJ9tJzONN9fyfIQ_t-sHDrPXi-9PejK-YXhZJy4e2bAgMyVxwaccQnqSD-fVMAWzWcfU4DciGr1D6W3fNaG0_59wsCTn/s1600/P1040788.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY6IDh4Q1pzui3_XwERE70T72H3D51kIVBsVvxWeUKYD0XdjbCIJ9tJzONN9fyfIQ_t-sHDrPXi-9PejK-YXhZJy4e2bAgMyVxwaccQnqSD-fVMAWzWcfU4DciGr1D6W3fNaG0_59wsCTn/s640/P1040788.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A chilly crossing this would have been!</td></tr>
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So we walked back to Theatre Flat and by dark we were winding our way back up towards Sugarloaf Pass. By 10 pm we were descending the pass (Chris sneaked in a bit of nice skiing, but given the lateness of the hour I missed my chance) and back down into the forest again. At the turnoff to Routeburn Chris and John ran back to the car and picked up Chris's spare tramping boots for John. Georgia and I headed up valley, through tunnels of hanging icicles like I have never seen before!<br />
<br />
Finally we reached the cold and deserted Routeburn Flats hut. We created a pitiful fire from wet wood and cooked up lots of yummy hot food. At 2pm we finally crawled into bed and slept very soundly. In the morning we were woken to the sound of voices as a couple of trampers came by. We were amused what they would make of the four sleeping people who were clearly so exhausted from walking the two gentle hours to the hut that we had to sleep in late.<br />
<br />
A guided group also arrived and we entertained them with our rather unusual travels. The sun suddenly emerged and we got a photograph of the four of us ready to head up to Routeburn Falls Hut. A short hour walk and we arrived at the Falls Hut. We stashed our gear and bags and headed on up towards Lake Harris on the hunt for some powder to slash.<br />
<br />
The valley was absolutely beautiful, a frozen land of white and hanging ice. We enjoyed skinning up valley while John and Georgia made good progress on the track. Lake Harris was completely frozen and we looked up valley were we might have descended if things had worked out differently. After a little mission up a side valley which was catching the late afternoon sun we got our only ski descent of the whole trip and it was a crusty slabby beast... this I suppose is the reality of ski tramping. You have to relish the skiing, no matter how average, because you equally likely could end up doing no skiing at all!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUxJZLS52o13xweE43zFZKECVOcNL1xmhPClIGQl-VYBcQc3nLM3DZ-_S3J_8pRfZ8IuEBDPbcpBCgC60xGUOqWjJminfBneYBynJ1axjxiTbgWV9tEEytaOFO0pVxgRccvFyTPvdygx5j/s1600/P1040796.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUxJZLS52o13xweE43zFZKECVOcNL1xmhPClIGQl-VYBcQc3nLM3DZ-_S3J_8pRfZ8IuEBDPbcpBCgC60xGUOqWjJminfBneYBynJ1axjxiTbgWV9tEEytaOFO0pVxgRccvFyTPvdygx5j/s640/P1040796.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The mountain gang at Routeburn Flats hut enjoying some rare sun rays</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuhG9di4ACufq6-NcfhPXhztP6ixGMv64TFih8y1WaTNdXvu9rXBQUSliCt1eD6ccng-iOmXTBSAzN10UznqLjAR45EsHJ5e3N7jTYr7gC5Kf5zLHKbeiK3P_cV7g_bQHSQGP-bb8Mx92X/s1600/P1040806.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuhG9di4ACufq6-NcfhPXhztP6ixGMv64TFih8y1WaTNdXvu9rXBQUSliCt1eD6ccng-iOmXTBSAzN10UznqLjAR45EsHJ5e3N7jTYr7gC5Kf5zLHKbeiK3P_cV7g_bQHSQGP-bb8Mx92X/s640/P1040806.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stunning winter-scape at Lake Harris</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Vwg2wwFqrVPDpT6xVcVFXjCGgs97YYOWzJv0owHLGC4Pt_N1dnmG2WNPD3X3b1JbygCioUzbkxXbAjso-mYmy9i6wk_mkAFVaG4RJjDu5lmkiib3ZeSIiPb8p7t_umzMdtsrMtMzu0pi/s1600/P1040815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Vwg2wwFqrVPDpT6xVcVFXjCGgs97YYOWzJv0owHLGC4Pt_N1dnmG2WNPD3X3b1JbygCioUzbkxXbAjso-mYmy9i6wk_mkAFVaG4RJjDu5lmkiib3ZeSIiPb8p7t_umzMdtsrMtMzu0pi/s640/P1040815.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The snow wallowers</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYf5GN2ObLEtqo15cS_Fw8_uBeSJ_ZRlsWfYxj5eWX_o4ik_NVWpcmDdUHZ8wT4iidxAajifqifd-5PQCVSSeJAIuvldzOMXYywVhXw-jPSkH1qFnVxwK0on3L3WZK5brzfqGya5kWoGhI/s1600/P1040821.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYf5GN2ObLEtqo15cS_Fw8_uBeSJ_ZRlsWfYxj5eWX_o4ik_NVWpcmDdUHZ8wT4iidxAajifqifd-5PQCVSSeJAIuvldzOMXYywVhXw-jPSkH1qFnVxwK0on3L3WZK5brzfqGya5kWoGhI/s640/P1040821.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skinning up above the valley</td></tr>
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In the dark (again) we walked back down the slippery track to the hut. There were a couple of others staying, but zero fire wood to warm the place. So a frosty dinner it was again, but nonetheless a three course meal with poppadoms to start. (I was working on my guiding catering after being put in my place by the picnic hamper affair produced by the guided walkers we had met earlier in the day).<br />
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The sun on the deck was a welcome sight in the morning and we enjoyed its rays as we packed up. We then cruised back out to the car, appreciative of the easy track which allowed us to take in the magnificent peaks around us and plot further adventures into this excellent part of the country.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja3djuGwS_LWgN4KECFHuxgAyD3DuN6fkQ4q9E0u_WQDCTi6yT2EPncNnHgpPh3N88GOD6XeBzl-k7P1VuOjoPn-GPYHc8Ga1goDALtKhRhD6ix1l6yWZu8qLTVm8hYwCLqI70wuiQTTUS/s1600/P1040827.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja3djuGwS_LWgN4KECFHuxgAyD3DuN6fkQ4q9E0u_WQDCTi6yT2EPncNnHgpPh3N88GOD6XeBzl-k7P1VuOjoPn-GPYHc8Ga1goDALtKhRhD6ix1l6yWZu8qLTVm8hYwCLqI70wuiQTTUS/s640/P1040827.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More sun rays on the Routeburn Falls balcony</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Gjkyg1Yequ5hAXqpR7dNC0QTWzsFnSQHbagGyxKKC66vEHFd5FmJE3avaPrOZ_c-H1BdsVrMMaeFud2zfMbP8fOowy0bieA4VHyvJ_eHRoa6qFfoWmGc-tZyX9Zdo7TflZnZ8ErptXID/s1600/P1040829.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Gjkyg1Yequ5hAXqpR7dNC0QTWzsFnSQHbagGyxKKC66vEHFd5FmJE3avaPrOZ_c-H1BdsVrMMaeFud2zfMbP8fOowy0bieA4VHyvJ_eHRoa6qFfoWmGc-tZyX9Zdo7TflZnZ8ErptXID/s640/P1040829.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful snowy forest and even more sun!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJGqIJ6cv7nYYIJH9IRnntnjSW793Mh4sMyj_k908DZYkE9KMVowvqf9H4kTCPoqFGt6XLm0CLI-y9mGqrPfmS3g6104XA40ltZhOxNN866M5rhpGa63vPRCG01mqx_GvmA7Ng4wWJGBcN/s1600/P1040844.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJGqIJ6cv7nYYIJH9IRnntnjSW793Mh4sMyj_k908DZYkE9KMVowvqf9H4kTCPoqFGt6XLm0CLI-y9mGqrPfmS3g6104XA40ltZhOxNN866M5rhpGa63vPRCG01mqx_GvmA7Ng4wWJGBcN/s640/P1040844.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Standing on the 'jelly blobs'</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Rlu0Mt0dZBL8aa-aamaOirjBAJ4agvMFy4Magp8m9QqaPPJCtNuTXhwtG2jQX66aQjz-ohu3hSnryg0NQWzvkcYRl9pcm9hNLEpqi4gZBuzkx7RybmU4NdqnFO63D38oDD4N7YNp0Kmd/s1600/P1040860.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Rlu0Mt0dZBL8aa-aamaOirjBAJ4agvMFy4Magp8m9QqaPPJCtNuTXhwtG2jQX66aQjz-ohu3hSnryg0NQWzvkcYRl9pcm9hNLEpqi4gZBuzkx7RybmU4NdqnFO63D38oDD4N7YNp0Kmd/s640/P1040860.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing the Routeburn</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB8sSE29e2jQmDYAboZydtGep4v1H828LrwiYrr5HSa9nFHnN5C3Nx34Qk3TMRkhsS5Dh75VhE6E2bCf3KbzxirjIrJTEiEZNNyaPhd0KyYyYJuqoJqSgyez1bmCJeE3DVjRkFdjBDI68V/s1600/P1040867.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB8sSE29e2jQmDYAboZydtGep4v1H828LrwiYrr5HSa9nFHnN5C3Nx34Qk3TMRkhsS5Dh75VhE6E2bCf3KbzxirjIrJTEiEZNNyaPhd0KyYyYJuqoJqSgyez1bmCJeE3DVjRkFdjBDI68V/s640/P1040867.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Nearly the end of our tramp</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ice daggers waiting to drop on an unwary passer by</td></tr>
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A long drive back to Queenstown, pies, then up the Crown Range and up the windy road that leads to the Snow Farm on the Pisa Range. We wanted to cram in one little adventure more before we headed back to Christchurch. We hired John and Georgia skis and gave them a quick lesson about how to skate ski before heading out to the Bob Lee hut which is out on the snow farm trails. <div>
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Georgia and John were not so sure about the skiing as we whizzed around them, but they slowly got the hang of it and eventually (in the dark) reached the hut. The hut was well stocked with dry firewood and quickly we had a lovely fire going and we luxuriated on the warm bunks. It was the perfect way to end our wintry adventure which didn't quite work out as planned. But then it wouldn't be an adventure would it?</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice skating conditions to finish off at the Snow Farm</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Stunning sunrise at Bob Lee Hut</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08406950956653207723noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249050746221514503.post-53868874428180185642015-07-07T04:00:00.000-07:002015-07-07T04:00:37.978-07:00Barker Hut is Awesome!!The forecast lately has been quite wild with some good southerly storms making their way up the country. For the first weekend of the school holidays we decided a mission was in order and luckily our friends Matt and La were keen to tag along.<br />
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We spent most of Thursday night at my brothers getting absolutely nowhere with planning what to do and where to go. Everyone wanted to do something different and the weather didn't look good for our original plan of a mission in to Barker hut (hopefully with skis).<br />
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Chris and I are still hooked on the idea of ski tramping, although since breaking my very light weight skis last year he has been a little less ambitious with his ideas. By the end of Friday the weather had changed again, enough to convince us that Barker hut was a go. So we whisked home from school, organised our gear and jumped in the car to collect Matt and Lara.<br />
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We were taken back to China for a brief period as we stopped at Church corner to sample the menu at Yummy's Chinese Takeaways. As we drove out of town it started spitting and by Porters Pass it was raining quite heavily. The idea of walking for several hours up the cold Waimak in the dark did become less appealing and we started fantasising about baches in Arthurs Pass - we are ageing!!!<br />
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Luckily the rain stopped and a bit of snow sliding in the car at high speed to the road end at Klondyke Corner had us revved up and ready to go. Headlamps on and packs loaded with skis, food, glacier gear, avalanche stuff... and we were ready to go. Fortunately Chris's pack seemed to have developed some tardis like qualities and an enormous amount of stuff seemed to disappear in there.<br />
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As we set out up the Waimak the snow and rocks sparkled with ice crystals and the pale shapes of the snow clad mountains wafted above us - it really was beautiful. We planned only to walk as far as Anti Crow Hut and given it was already 10pm this was fine by me.<br />
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The river was freezing and reasonably high to cross, so when we hopped out of the last crossing onto Turkey Flat our tights froze and started sparkling as well. We wound our way across the flats, then a brief spell in the bush popped us out at Anti Crow Hut. We woke a couple of hunters who were cosily ensconced in the hut, but politely got up and moved away their belongings out the way for us.<br />
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We slept well and woke to the sound of rustling at about 6.30. Chris was keen to get up and get going, because we had a fair way to walk and we wanted to get up to Barker with the chance of skiing on the glacier before dark. Porridge, coffee and we were off, crunching across the frosty grasses. La decided a bach weekend might be needed after all.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading out in the morning from Anticrow</td></tr>
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Crossing the river was absolutely freezing and by the 8th crossing we were beyond howling or yelling, our feet were painful and we trudged in silence. Slowly our feet began to thaw and we were able to take in the dawn surroundings. It was a bluebird day, with pink light just touching the highest points on the snowy peaks.<br />
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At Carrington hut we stopped for a quick coffee brew on the porch, which required some arm twisting from Chris who was itching to get up the mountain. The sun was out and we basked in its gentle rays. On up the White River we were warming up and Matt even striped down to his merino singlet. We continued up river, now boulder hopping and climbing over avalanche debris.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starting to soak in the rays shortly after leaving Carrington hut</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyTWAlVfHF2Ey7_pJliSCE-dZ-D7veerEwE4xLr_Am0A9kvoAMyyiuhXjtWY-9c-iSYnHU_27EtmfQ3ftzro2CXU2_Kr1VI6rJXQXdScsBeMlTL_uIjBE4ksd97cUuZN1YaE5NwyuzU8oK/s1600/P1040624.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyTWAlVfHF2Ey7_pJliSCE-dZ-D7veerEwE4xLr_Am0A9kvoAMyyiuhXjtWY-9c-iSYnHU_27EtmfQ3ftzro2CXU2_Kr1VI6rJXQXdScsBeMlTL_uIjBE4ksd97cUuZN1YaE5NwyuzU8oK/s640/P1040624.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Continuing on up the White in the sun</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skirting some avalanche debris in the White River</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marmaduke Dixon Glacier high above us</td></tr>
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At last we could see the little red blob that is Barker Hut sitting high up amongst a sea of white. The Marmaduke Dixon Glacier poked its green tongue down at us and some friendly keas cawed from the valley. The snow was soft and fluffy now and Chris and I were happy to continue up the steeper section to the hut in running shoes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQyt50Xk-0t43ASbwVK12AguCFFjKn-F_3eLSZQEX-IHPQ8zcL6LdXhuZ9_KyoFJ5alivUvdu_G3kSDqds_HX7j1bXJLskdY4Br24BJjVg_9CvdwOPMyY10hSTa23-84qjZIZ2Up6HaU0q/s1600/P1040637.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQyt50Xk-0t43ASbwVK12AguCFFjKn-F_3eLSZQEX-IHPQ8zcL6LdXhuZ9_KyoFJ5alivUvdu_G3kSDqds_HX7j1bXJLskdY4Br24BJjVg_9CvdwOPMyY10hSTa23-84qjZIZ2Up6HaU0q/s640/P1040637.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matt and Lara on the final climb to the hut</td></tr>
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Barker Hut really is a great spot, perched on a cliff overlooking the White Valley with the White Glacier that flows from Mt Murchison (the highest mountain in the park) tucked in behind. The hut has a wee balcony and is well insulated. We sat inside and brewed up some noodles and soup.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barker hut in all its red glory</td></tr>
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Then it was time to get moving as the day was slipping by. We organised our gear for heading up the glacier and put on ski boots and harnesses. Out the door and we got our first ski run down into the basin which leads to the glacier. Having carried the gear this far it was awesome to get to use it!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmTzCRcG8ixkG7p-hhs9Sm_MyeKkf7hTanv3pl7tyh__eM5dg401VUOGkcStoQAZgpEL6whHb4KsW6Dj1H-Wi3511fU809uHmzTDiFC1sMgEbbPlCJrzC0wRHsOAE3c1rigeo9PXe9-SNB/s1600/P1040641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmTzCRcG8ixkG7p-hhs9Sm_MyeKkf7hTanv3pl7tyh__eM5dg401VUOGkcStoQAZgpEL6whHb4KsW6Dj1H-Wi3511fU809uHmzTDiFC1sMgEbbPlCJrzC0wRHsOAE3c1rigeo9PXe9-SNB/s640/P1040641.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The gentle climb from the hut, just visible perched on the small knob center right</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skinning uphill, Lara and Matt can be seen as tiny dots center right</td></tr>
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We skinned uphill, through nice powder that was just a little wind affected in patches. The mountain views around us were magnificent. Matt and La were on foot, and plodded a neat trail through the snow towards us. We reached a point where the basin turns gently right and continued up a broad ridge. From there we dropped steeply down a gully and onto the White glacier proper. Not that you would know as it was white all around.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking at the amazing alpenglow from Kahutea Col</td></tr>
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As we skinned on up towards Kahutea Col at the top of the White glaicer the mountains around us turned peachy pink in the alpenglow of the sunset. It was truly beautiful and we were very happy to have made it this high in one day to enjoy the sunset. From the col the summit of Mt Murchison is one tantalising steep rock step away - but there was no time for that! As the sun set and it began to get dark Matt and La popped over the Col.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ski transition. The summit of Mt Murchison is just behind.</td></tr>
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We took off our skins, clipped in our boots and attached our lights to our helmets. Matt and La started down, but were keen for us to wait for them one the descent (fair enough). The powder was perfect at the top and those hard earned (albeit rather cautious turns) made everything worth it. My legs felt like jelly after about three turns, but we took our time and waited every so often for Matt and La.<br />
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Now it was completely dark and we were skiing by our lights. Watching Chris's light come towards me with the occasionally swoosh of powder was quite surreal. Once back down in the basin we cruised ahead of Matt and La and reached Barker hut just on 6.30. The hut was cosy and we quickly brewed up hot drinks and dinner. Then we lay on the bunks and listened with rather a lot of amusement to Matt reading chapters of Bear Gryll's "True Grit". The story of a Norwegian soldier's harrowing escape to Sweden was truly unbelieveable.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1oTf-BpLo0Dxg_IbR1LYPm2SzMzh1d01jwPwdZVnhc58qdUJNHvUWEoKW95U8_IKYYbzIJHMCOSu0F0vCTJUYalaoCS5MzWaZRnVKEMD3WPgGXbQ5uBzoVp_s9n-nWoTZ4-8CO5qjr86g/s1600/P1040682.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1oTf-BpLo0Dxg_IbR1LYPm2SzMzh1d01jwPwdZVnhc58qdUJNHvUWEoKW95U8_IKYYbzIJHMCOSu0F0vCTJUYalaoCS5MzWaZRnVKEMD3WPgGXbQ5uBzoVp_s9n-nWoTZ4-8CO5qjr86g/s640/P1040682.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cosy times at Barker hut</td></tr>
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<br />
We fell asleep to the sound of the wind hammering outside as the Norwester began to pick up. In the morning a true blizzard was upon us. Just walking to the toilet was a mission, with blasting snow driving into your eyes. Chris decided he needed to do one little ski run before we left, so he headed up the hill behind the hut. His descent through heavy wind blown snow with almost zero visibility convinced him it was time to head down the mountain, and I sadly decided against skiing down the valley from the hut because I wasn't confident in the crappy snow with such poor visibility.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1dbrQvzw6gI4zNiAICWnHfMgGKVSMx5rEy8fvV6T1Ew_CDxGKw3pRkoINhluhMUtt5drMvdwR9NCuBuzfavR4qbWxg5Fc_Fj7oeb9SKfmXKQbMTXzfUYpZIFtJ0651A8VRXR-Q9lGbSYV/s1600/P1040692.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1dbrQvzw6gI4zNiAICWnHfMgGKVSMx5rEy8fvV6T1Ew_CDxGKw3pRkoINhluhMUtt5drMvdwR9NCuBuzfavR4qbWxg5Fc_Fj7oeb9SKfmXKQbMTXzfUYpZIFtJ0651A8VRXR-Q9lGbSYV/s640/P1040692.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading out of the storm</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc5AAkkZ3avQOPeY1QXn9EnMQqh4Pi31i6yQIn8c1hfUrDbRm5aN5nMRSSXSGEq9klTXkxR-VRjEw_T1cNANzldxQ57Q05AsxmaABhvVfjmVKiqo9-i6ipv7jtPvesTUiS7KwnwbuOeiVj/s1600/P1040697.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc5AAkkZ3avQOPeY1QXn9EnMQqh4Pi31i6yQIn8c1hfUrDbRm5aN5nMRSSXSGEq9klTXkxR-VRjEw_T1cNANzldxQ57Q05AsxmaABhvVfjmVKiqo9-i6ipv7jtPvesTUiS7KwnwbuOeiVj/s640/P1040697.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rock shelter</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZylvbTCBcOAob8LM7w0c2YxBuBBp9Z1ifTRoh_kIo1BevVN3hSfEUDmv0h-ExyS1Q2g_m17V8WVcHv4MU0UNnitnSS6yhL3TyCNPr2S5QKTQqP6LENWq3zcBVWbM4WGw7ZGet_vOeIiFZ/s1600/P1040700.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZylvbTCBcOAob8LM7w0c2YxBuBBp9Z1ifTRoh_kIo1BevVN3hSfEUDmv0h-ExyS1Q2g_m17V8WVcHv4MU0UNnitnSS6yhL3TyCNPr2S5QKTQqP6LENWq3zcBVWbM4WGw7ZGet_vOeIiFZ/s640/P1040700.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The two oranges</td></tr>
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As we got lower the weather cleared a bit and we could see down valley again. About half way down we came across a huge fresh avalanche debris. The avalanche had come from high up the mountain and funnelled down a narrow gully, piling up high in the gorge. It was tens of metres high and we scrabbled over one at a time and fairly quickly!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4eXx_bd7NPvmgOfDwIDpL45hmeTUGoY4b8cmlxfnj571i2jKMJD3KpPj29qSTlYbo2GIETkuifIjS0rrnpvaWcINuJn9iijtpwclt2l6uUg2jPVq0kIzRcFsntDK8vrrzl8P5OiQhlobl/s1600/P1040703.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4eXx_bd7NPvmgOfDwIDpL45hmeTUGoY4b8cmlxfnj571i2jKMJD3KpPj29qSTlYbo2GIETkuifIjS0rrnpvaWcINuJn9iijtpwclt2l6uUg2jPVq0kIzRcFsntDK8vrrzl8P5OiQhlobl/s640/P1040703.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Then the sun popped out again!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWJWpWz-o4hwpcbryOuisVqWyjET0zoci3TnwtA7WEjQ7pCV5KgcIUxY0b1t0FKsgMAgIXPh8TvbB_E0W5LBylVZHk9f4ttvy9vrykwPo1zOGzztBl6O_CCwoXvxMNlKk7dh4G4wnlO17t/s1600/P1040714.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWJWpWz-o4hwpcbryOuisVqWyjET0zoci3TnwtA7WEjQ7pCV5KgcIUxY0b1t0FKsgMAgIXPh8TvbB_E0W5LBylVZHk9f4ttvy9vrykwPo1zOGzztBl6O_CCwoXvxMNlKk7dh4G4wnlO17t/s640/P1040714.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Further down the White River</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8meO_yt9EmIAVfDfBaq6MVOO_TiTRTJZvA6JYOmlBdkQM6E2XCcdpI4_VZmxHLSqvgdkk8mNmy5cJ6C1BHuX56k80v9cPZdYvIn9kE6RTqOG8ZFfrqRvoYPrjpdi0o1c5M2g_3LjyzjAB/s1600/P1040717.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8meO_yt9EmIAVfDfBaq6MVOO_TiTRTJZvA6JYOmlBdkQM6E2XCcdpI4_VZmxHLSqvgdkk8mNmy5cJ6C1BHuX56k80v9cPZdYvIn9kE6RTqOG8ZFfrqRvoYPrjpdi0o1c5M2g_3LjyzjAB/s640/P1040717.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back into grasslands</td></tr>
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Back at Carrington the temperatures were warmer and the river crossings seemed much more pleasant. We stopped for a quick brew up at the hut and then it was a long amble back out down the Waimak, admiring the stormy peaks behind. By dark we reached the Anticrow hut again, then completed the last hour out to Klondyke. A delicious basket of wedges and fish at the deserted Bealey Pub finished our awesome weekend ski tramp to Barker Hut! Highly recommended +++++<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWjTT7YzWv8Zq6b0jJRiwhawnQOFdVnBr70z-1Dcakqb0zEEiOSQbgKRSA5mXETbaNvGTKjVTZlU1BJaT0mMDIeyumLHZfZx-z7y9FoKhUMqrWxS-t3bF1MxqNP1USHESmeemoPW0Rmu9P/s1600/P1040720.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWjTT7YzWv8Zq6b0jJRiwhawnQOFdVnBr70z-1Dcakqb0zEEiOSQbgKRSA5mXETbaNvGTKjVTZlU1BJaT0mMDIeyumLHZfZx-z7y9FoKhUMqrWxS-t3bF1MxqNP1USHESmeemoPW0Rmu9P/s640/P1040720.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last light as we head towards Klondyke Corner</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08406950956653207723noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249050746221514503.post-75628564901294937382015-03-11T17:47:00.001-07:002015-09-27T23:37:57.173-07:00Godzone 2015<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieu_GvckJfn5Z82Fbxlrs7cev1GHkWNmPCC62025DRWO95dkgA2EeRyX80lf_ygr3jpMR8mdPBr-NXr65Xqw4MQux2bj-ZawkPkzaJ3pU3XfJ2F_dYC4v14vNkVdrYYMoQyOq0EnY4ywuB/s1600/P1040159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieu_GvckJfn5Z82Fbxlrs7cev1GHkWNmPCC62025DRWO95dkgA2EeRyX80lf_ygr3jpMR8mdPBr-NXr65Xqw4MQux2bj-ZawkPkzaJ3pU3XfJ2F_dYC4v14vNkVdrYYMoQyOq0EnY4ywuB/s1600/P1040159.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chris and I enjoy some Chimpanzee Drinks on the summit of Mt Una (2300m) two weeks before Godzone</td></tr>
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In October Chris raced the World Champs in Ecuador and won with Team Seagate. Following a race is always a good way to get a bit motivated, and I felt inspired to challenge myself in Godzone 2015, especially given the awesome mountain location of Wanaka. But I was teamless and I wondered if I would get the chance...<br />
<br />
In December teams started to lose members and suddenly I found myself with several potential teams. After a bit of indecision I joined Team Chimpanzee Bar - with Greig Hamilton and Milan Brodina and after a bit of further hunting, Rob Creasy. Rob had never done anything like Godzone before, but had a strong athletic background in Ironman and triathlon. Greig and I go way back on mountain missions, and Milan has lots of good adventure racing experience behind him. I was nervous about how it would be racing with a new team, but very excited as well.<br />
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We spent a weekend together before the race and got on really well, with similar expectations and motivations. So, on Thursday 27th Feb we gathered in Wanaka to ready ourselves for the race...<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Day 1</span></div>
After a frantic Friday spent organising gear boxes and then a very sleepless night we were up at 3 am to board the bus to... who knows where? I spent most of the bus ride debating if I should stop the bus, because I was so desperate for a pee. In the end, gazing out at all the cascading waterfalls became too much and I tiptoed to the front of the bus past all the snoozing teams and asked the driver to pull over!<br />
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The bus parked us at Haast Pass, and the track up to the Brewster Glacier. It was raining and I was very nervous. I knew the start of this race would be tough - straight up 1200 metres and we would be going quick.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVp_UsJk0YD3fwzP88hC2baNQ0Apxe6HE9GMH6e6648k9utDKoIW5kHK1WajoIYt7ghmFHXD8A-Yqkg0eho2nD0DdpL-wsDi2cLNZ8plp_twm8-6xgd3jEUfCNr2XVPiKkjoVkiCZwDfBq/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-03-12+at+10.31.06+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVp_UsJk0YD3fwzP88hC2baNQ0Apxe6HE9GMH6e6648k9utDKoIW5kHK1WajoIYt7ghmFHXD8A-Yqkg0eho2nD0DdpL-wsDi2cLNZ8plp_twm8-6xgd3jEUfCNr2XVPiKkjoVkiCZwDfBq/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-03-12+at+10.31.06+AM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Heading to the start of the race.. Milan looks relaxed!</td></tr>
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Behind the start line I didn't have time to think much - a quick hug and kiss from Chris and then bang, we were off! A mass of bodies cramming through the start banner and then splashing through the stream. I ran fast and didn't waste energy worrying about where my team mates were, I knew they would find me soon.<br />
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There was a jam at the start of the track, then we were heading steadily up. Sure enough my teammates were all nearby and soon we were setting a comfortable pace up the hill. We overtook a few teams and then continued steadily up. It wasn't too long before the bush changed and we were up in the open, with rain and wind pelting down. We stopped to put on jackets and then continued up past Brewster hut and onto some slippery rocks.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9oHTuVwoLPQAj0Vfau73vYpuQ24RKfCKpcJXGqRw4EMOilscUCgXOnB4Kft31yiCp6kM5juLB9mEqB5cLTSgDtb9xHhATQaoHZ9GA8N1MwuSr0YF4lBT3YT5NAhq1UxhIz2P3wM9fgEbL/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-03-12+at+1.32.56+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9oHTuVwoLPQAj0Vfau73vYpuQ24RKfCKpcJXGqRw4EMOilscUCgXOnB4Kft31yiCp6kM5juLB9mEqB5cLTSgDtb9xHhATQaoHZ9GA8N1MwuSr0YF4lBT3YT5NAhq1UxhIz2P3wM9fgEbL/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-03-12+at+1.32.56+PM.png" width="430" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teams near the turn around point by the Brewster Glacier</td></tr>
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<br />
We were nearing the glacial lake when Team Seagate appeared heading down already. Chris said they had cancelled the glacier traverse because of the weather, so we would just go as far as the lake then turn around. It was disappointing, but the weather was a bit average. As soon as we reached the descent we caught a few teams who found the slippery rocks challenging. We traversed onto the ridge, where the fog made the navigation tricky.<br />
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Greig was on form and we hit the checkpoint on the ridge perfectly. We had to run sections of the ridge, it was blasting wind and rain but we didn't want to waste time putting on more clothing. We bashed down through the forest and caught Next Generation on the last section of track before the TA.<br />
<br />
We transitioned quickly and inflated the canoes. The raft down the Makarora River went pretty quickly, the river was starting to rise from all the rain! Just before the TA the river channels became very confusing compared to what was marked on the map and we ended up having to carry our canoes some distance to the TA which really strained my lower back.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhilX5nSePVnX6hf7DGYLfbYupWR3i2BfncoQQfzPmU1eHrLZSaPmtDXR3bwFKs9KCwReESAMWeRKEknEb3COXNJnpWgrJxQPNnEpGGKYdRcaKPFA28QkMXlYru-XJ9t5lNqokCZU_NPtD4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-03-12+at+1.34.14+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhilX5nSePVnX6hf7DGYLfbYupWR3i2BfncoQQfzPmU1eHrLZSaPmtDXR3bwFKs9KCwReESAMWeRKEknEb3COXNJnpWgrJxQPNnEpGGKYdRcaKPFA28QkMXlYru-XJ9t5lNqokCZU_NPtD4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-03-12+at+1.34.14+PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Makarora River before the rain really came.</td></tr>
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At the TA we found out that we were now about 2 hours back on the front teams, so we hurried off on the trek. We chose to climb the hill following a fairly vague track towards the Albert Burn, which retrospectively cost us about 40 minutes. I was feeling a bit low at this point, the others kept running and my running shuffle is so slow.. I felt I was going slowly but I also felt a bit helpless to do anything about it...<br />
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Finally we reached the Albert Burn turn off and it started to feel a bit more like a tramp again. After getting ferried across the river by some race officials in a raft we scrambled up the side of the swollen Albert Burn. It looked like we needed to cross, but the river was clearly flooded and given we had just been rafted across it seemed ludicrous to cross back again. First we climbed high, but that didn't work as we found ourselves in ever steeper terrain. Milan was hanging onto a couple of dodgy bushes over a massive abyss - at which point I suggested an alternative route.<br />
<br />
We clambered back down to the river and spotted the Bivouac Colts forwarding the river - that looked incredibly dodgy so we decided to persevere with the side of the river we were on. We found we could wade and climb our way round most of the bluffs, and slowly we made it up river to the point where the track crosses back to the side we were already on.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile Bivouac was stuck on the wrong side of the river. There was a massive waterfall which they would have to cross directly above, so even if they had saved time on the other side I felt we had made the right choice not to have to make that dangerous crossing.<br />
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We headed up the track and could hear distressed shouts from Bivouac as they tried to swim the river, I hoped that they were all okay! Soon the track opened onto more grassy river flats and we caught Next Generation who had also had some trouble in the river, but like us had stayed on the true left.<br />
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Fortunately Bivouac weren't far behind either and had made it across the river without drowning. All three teams raced on up the valley. The track went up and down like mad and it felt like the climbing would never end. We decided to have a short 30 minute<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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sleep in the tent. We pitched it quickly and hopped in. I lay there awake, but enjoying just being off my feet, listening to the rain patter down.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Day 2</span></div>
Before any time really the alarm beeped and we got going as fast as we could. We could see the Bivouac lights above us and quickly realised we had bashed down into the stream too early. Greig took a very undesirable route (as far as I was concerned) up through some thick scrub. You had to take both hands and haul yourself up one step at a time. I was finding the going pretty tough and was struggling a bit mentally.<br />
<br />
We worked out that we needed to climb high on either the true left or right and ended up deciding to stick on the left. After a few more hours of slow bashing we reached the ridge-top and gazed down into a chasmous stream. On the map it only looked like one contour to drop into the stream, but in reality it was a very steep descent.<br />
<br />
Several teams including Bivouac and Tiki Tours had stopped here for a sleep. JJ popped over and asked where we were planning on heading. I said that we would try to find a way down and he said that they would either follow, or call the chopper if we needed it! I hoped not!<br />
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Clinging onto little tussock clumps we slowly made our way down. Even though it was dark I could see that a fall would send one tumbling down into the river several hundred meters below. Greig took a hairy line direct into the river... and Rob followed him. Milan and I took a slightly easier alternative, clinging on to dracophylim bushes until we eventually reached the stream.<br />
<br />
Finally I got to eat the apple crumble I had made up ages ago! I felt slow as Team Tiki Tours raced past us, but I think the fast pace up Mt Brewster had taken a lot out of me. We slogged up the spur, and finally as the dawn broke we could glimpse the large structure of Kea Chalet right up on the pass. We had a very steep headwall to scramble up, and I wasn't very reassured when Greig said, "Just hold on tight to the tussock bushes...but don't pull them too hard cos they aren't really <i>that </i>secure." Great!<br />
<br />
Torpedo 7 caught us back up at this point, having had a sleep in the valley too. Lots of teams seemed to have decided that some sleep was a good idea early on in this race which was proving tough from the very start. At Kea Chalet we were very surprised to meet Absolute Wilderness. They had been setting an awesome pace from the start, but had stopped for an hour sleep at the Chalet. It was fun to see Lara, but then we found out that one of their team members had badly injured his knee the night before and would not be able to continue the race. I felt really bad for them, it would totally suck to have to pull out of the race!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG1rhll8duJiOE6S-UZTGFZeReiR7KZeG7bKcQRZOZFOLfezq_NOjc289tbGk0cqWzlwtvHHvVfgPe2zWn_6v3RYgfSiyRksEU5I-Nxz14MY57TsDh5nkYE1PY39cz3PG1MxVzpB9ptT-e/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-03-12+at+1.35.02+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG1rhll8duJiOE6S-UZTGFZeReiR7KZeG7bKcQRZOZFOLfezq_NOjc289tbGk0cqWzlwtvHHvVfgPe2zWn_6v3RYgfSiyRksEU5I-Nxz14MY57TsDh5nkYE1PY39cz3PG1MxVzpB9ptT-e/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-03-12+at+1.35.02+PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kea Chalet finally popped into view as the sun came up</td></tr>
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We headed off down, down, down into the valley. There was a whole lot of burnt off scrub which made the going easier. My knees felt really sore, so I took some neurofen which helped a bit. Finally we were down in the river and completed a couple of hairy 3 wire bridge crossings. Then a long section of track walking saw us pop out on some grassy flats. Greig and Milan were feeling good, and we did a bit of running towing before being thwarted by fence crossings which seemed extraordinarily hard on our stiff sore bodies.<br />
<br />
We reached the TA early in the afternoon. Bivouac was spotted heading down the river flats not far behind us. Milan and Rob were having some trouble with their canoe, so Greig and I cruised a bit. Getting some food down and taking a few little turns at having a nap...<br />
<br />
Milan and Rob then swapped places in the raft and the speed increased a bit. I was starting to get really bad stomach cramps, so I decided I needed to stop eating sugar. Somehow I let water get into my omeprazol tablets (these help stop acid forming in your stomach) so they had turned into a very unsavoury soup which I couldn't really take any more. The problem was I had a real shortage of savoury food, so I was struggling to find any food that I actually wanted to eat, which is never a good thing.<br />
<br />
The East Matukituki became fairly still as we reached the end of it and we were relieved to finish the canoe section and get on to coasteering. There was a wee walk to the Lake Wanaka Coastline, then we were heading round an easy shoreline. However, the shoreline rapidly became trickier and soon we were forced to swim around the edge through the cold water.<br />
<br />
As we reached the furtherest tip both Milan and Rob were starting to get pretty cold. We then had to swim 400m to the other side of the lake. I could hear both Milan and Rob struggling to breath they were so cold, but nevertheless they hooned off across the lake, leaving Greig and I wallowing behind. The safety boat came to check on us and we assured him that being the fat members of the team has certain advantages!<br />
<br />
Once on the beach we shivered our way along to the transition. About half way there we found Milan and Rob huddling against each other trying to warm up. Milan looked scared, he was cold enough to be worried about how cold he was! We got to transition and Greig put Milan into a sleeping bag. The rest of us got on with transitioning while Milan warmed up.<br />
<br />
The sleeping bag proved effective and soon we were ready to leave on our bikes. Bivouac had a made a break on us at this point, and we saw them at multiple points along the ride into Wanaka.<br />
<br />
As we pulled into the transition at Wanaka we were told we needed to make a short video about how we were going. In our overly tired, slightly dazed state Milan and I made a poor movie. Rob had started to get bad blisters on the first trek, so he had these seen to while Greig and I marked up the new maps and Milan helped with the cover seal.<br />
<br />
My maps kept blurring in and out of focus as I tried to mark them up, it seemed ridiculously hard to concentrate on anything! I remember asking Greig, "Could I just have a wee sleep on the maps?" to be told sternly no and hurry up. The course looked like a monster, there was so much to go. Really we were just starting the race!<br />
<br />
Simone (who we stayed with in Wanaka and was originally going to race on the team) popped her bright face round the tent and said hello, it was cool to see her and have her wish us well. The organiser Paula also popped over and gave me a hug, I asked her why and she said I looked so sad! I think I just felt overwhelmed by the monster task ahead when I was already so fatigued.<br />
<br />
After almost an hour organising maps we set off down the road and found a nice pine needle patch to sleep in for a solid 3 hours.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Day 3</span></div>
<br />
That was a great sleep and when we woke we all felt a bit more race ready. We stormed up the 1000m climb up Clifford Track, but lost the track at the airstrip in a moment of lack of concentration and it took us 40 minutes to sort out where we were.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDRil45SBBRV7luMIp2RVYKtWEfPUQs6rkfs5SXzYmhr4cScrQuBpGGOxMYIrQcNo9ZM3GEprWG7SE97B28ia2xKeAj9o-FZrOqwU1h-rj80ek0kRamCyREu0fUZf4SvWtdPn8uHqmGmfm/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-03-12+at+1.27.40+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDRil45SBBRV7luMIp2RVYKtWEfPUQs6rkfs5SXzYmhr4cScrQuBpGGOxMYIrQcNo9ZM3GEprWG7SE97B28ia2xKeAj9o-FZrOqwU1h-rj80ek0kRamCyREu0fUZf4SvWtdPn8uHqmGmfm/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-03-12+at+1.27.40+PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The barren and exposed tops of the Pisas</td></tr>
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<br />
We climbed on up, slowly reaching the top of Mt Pisa as the sun came up. Unfortunately so did the wind! It was the strongest wind I have ever experienced by a long way. Greig was flung bodily from his bike onto the ground hurting his face and leg. Milan and I got stuck clinging on to our bikes trying not to be sucked off the edge of the Pisas. Greig and Rob had to come back and shuttle the bikes at several points, and all you could hear was an extreme roaring sound.<br />
<br />
My lack of food the following day had finally hit me and I couldn't get any food down without feeling sick. Things were looking a bit grim for Team Chimpanzee at this point in the race....<br />
<br />
After taking about 2 hours to go 2km along the ridge we finally started to descend. The riding was technical and I found most of my balance had also disappeared. Then Rob got the first of 4 flat tyres as we descended to Roaring Meg Hut. It is amazing how fast things can go wrong and time can be lost. We knew Bivouac now had about 2 hours lead and sure enough there was Next Generation coming up behind us, having caught several hours on us.<br />
<br />
But this was such a monster race we didn't let our bad ride get us down. We knew we just had to keep racing smart, and there was plenty of time to make up for it. We rode on the 4wd track which supposedly sidled, but really just climbed alongside the Kawarau river. Tim caught us just on dark and in the pouring rain, as we attempted to find our way along some confusing deer fences to the checkpoint. He out-foxed us, and got a lead heading down into the river.<br />
<br />
We were now on the Queenstown trails, and we rode more efficiently, keeping an eye on each other as we got a bit sleepy and swerved off the track. We had nearly been riding for 20 hours and we were well and truly ready to be over with this ride!<br />
<br />
There was a tricky checkpoint beside the Rivermouth at Frankton and Lake Wakitipu, and we spent a little bit of time hunting around. Then we got confused following the track to the finish, but eventually sorted it out. Reaching the TA ahead of Next Generation was satisfying, even if it turned out they had been getting McDonalds at Frankton. We got to bed straight away and slept solidly in the race organisers tent for 3 hours. It was a really good sleep and usually after a really good sleep the racing improves too!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Day 4</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgfoW6bINy1GAAKTxS8VjN_xccnDJYASIgtvtYYLWwf8NySB-EuL1IiUo27j2VATzgmHJUEaCHTFL2O_Q4MIvS5O8Wpokk28C_fjbjb-aq7MFDioXycsby_g7uIUfZmYiwGTEUACrRbsUD/s1600/IMG_1524.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgfoW6bINy1GAAKTxS8VjN_xccnDJYASIgtvtYYLWwf8NySB-EuL1IiUo27j2VATzgmHJUEaCHTFL2O_Q4MIvS5O8Wpokk28C_fjbjb-aq7MFDioXycsby_g7uIUfZmYiwGTEUACrRbsUD/s1600/IMG_1524.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arriving in from the Lake Wakitipu paddle in lovely calm conditions</td></tr>
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A lovely dawn saw us paddling across a gentle Lake Wakitipu, and after a few hours reaching a checkpoint on the lake shore. I ate a can of tuna, and that tasted great so I knew I was also getting back my appetite. At the TA the wind was starting to pick up, so we were happy to be off the lake. Next Generation came in just after us, they had paddled strongly to across the lake. We got some hot soup and I downed a lamb pie! It tasted delicious and my belly felt so much better with some food in it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZbPQSdnFPUxcwpxFBZVTOg5IeHJJYz_qvzNoyhaNXbbPiIcN9BPErGeEI_CmFojmh_yeLz-a8MpHXFCs1UBiVZPE7mzX88xrYMc12EcdJTuG6moDf1MRhAU4Oy89PRD1APOuXeo-vt4nJ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-03-12+at+10.31.50+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZbPQSdnFPUxcwpxFBZVTOg5IeHJJYz_qvzNoyhaNXbbPiIcN9BPErGeEI_CmFojmh_yeLz-a8MpHXFCs1UBiVZPE7mzX88xrYMc12EcdJTuG6moDf1MRhAU4Oy89PRD1APOuXeo-vt4nJ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-03-12+at+10.31.50+AM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eating some delicious soup and pies <span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">on the way out of the Lake Wakitipu TA</span></td></tr>
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Once again Milan and Greig were feeling strong on the climb and a bit of towing action helped Rob and I speed up the hill. Rob was starting to struggle a bit having put up with incredibly sore blisters from the start of the race and I hoped he was going to be okay. We climbed well up to the top of the first range, then dropped quickly down into the Nevis Valley. We wanted to get as far as we could while it was still daylight.<br />
<br />
We climbed up into the Garvies near the Roaring Lion where Mat, Lara and Georgia and I had carried our bikes into Blue Lake Hut a few months earlier. At least we weren't carrying our bikes this time! We headed across the amazing green grass swamplands and then the final climb into the Garvies. Rob was really finding it tough going, fortunately Greig picked up on this and helped him out with food and towing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwvlrdah7EcgtiHW_EguJP-xi42orKYoIDkNPLluh-RUD6q9yh1tc6V75GZSQaP5XFxrD71A73TQf3DmBzlWWPFboDr8CF9egrd7RXlcje3zzeIjRVrXob6bg0HfKWBWOzoQHyBcD95y_c/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-03-12+at+10.32.10+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwvlrdah7EcgtiHW_EguJP-xi42orKYoIDkNPLluh-RUD6q9yh1tc6V75GZSQaP5XFxrD71A73TQf3DmBzlWWPFboDr8CF9egrd7RXlcje3zzeIjRVrXob6bg0HfKWBWOzoQHyBcD95y_c/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-03-12+at+10.32.10+AM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading off on the Garvie Mountain Trek</td></tr>
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On the ridge we could just glimpse a route down to the lakes where our checkpoint was, before the darkness fell. We descended slowly to the lake, got our checkpoint, then headed back the way we had come. We had decided this would be the easiest and most direct way to access the next checkpoint by the big lake. It was definitely an advantage having been in this terrain some months earlier, I had a good mental picture of the terrain.<br />
<br />
Our progress down the ridge slowed significantly, mostly due to Rob's very sore feet, and Greig's headlamp died so he had to borrow Milan's and Milan was walking with a very faint one. We kept on and eventually reached the lake where Greig waded out to the wee island to get the checkpoint.<br />
<br />
I was feeling really alert and awake with the navigation, which was a great feeling. Greig was also navigating strongly. Greig had a chat and said something very effective to Rob, we gave him a couple of neurofen and suddenly the pace picked right up again. We reeled in Bivouac Colts over the following few hours, and as the mist closed in Greig navigated us perfectly down the Titan Rocks to the beginning of the track down to Piano Flat.<br />
<br />
We passed a tired looking Bivouac team, and then we decided it was time for us to have a sleep. We pitched the tent and had a good 1.5 hour sleep. We didn't think this would quite see us to the end of the race, but we thought it would get us a good part of the way there.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Day 5</span></div>
We woke in the tent feeling groggy, Rob was especially stiff and sore, but we got going and after a few hours we walked into the TA at Piano Flat. It was great to see Viv and Dave there, and they made me a lovely cup of coffee. Rob had his feet seen to again. At this TA Bivouac was also transitioning, and we had caught Torpedo 7 again as they had had a bad night up in the Garvies. We heard that Seagate had finished the race and won - woohooo! But lots of teams ahead and behind had been finding the race really tough, which made me feel a bit better, maybe it wasn't just me!<br />
<br />
We set off out of Piano flats on the bikes ready for the orienteering. My knees were both feeling really sore, so a bit of a tow from Milan was much appreciated. We started the orienteering in Waikaia Bush with some sneaky manoeuvring with Torpedo 7 who were having trouble getting into the map because they got mixed up whether the map was grid or magnetic north.<br />
<br />
After the first section we took the controls in a different order from them so we could do our own thing. Greig started to fade a bit, having worked so hard to get the whole team quickly through the Garvie's the night before had finally taken its toll. It was my turn to navigate and I wasn't sure how it would go, but I took it slowly and ticked off the features. As the controls started to go well I got more confident and into more of a flow.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjryTMaM_vklbKUuem_uKS2ita-eqk6M5Cil9FAl3dIhWg1nkzUNmFgc3BGDkAdf-qiRPJYPWXI8Aze9ZF2ygW6P9bM9DFCJ-84_bEURQXXexmuU7pmvnN8pwAGLUR-azeSQLMtbFVDu21S/s1600/P1040193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjryTMaM_vklbKUuem_uKS2ita-eqk6M5Cil9FAl3dIhWg1nkzUNmFgc3BGDkAdf-qiRPJYPWXI8Aze9ZF2ygW6P9bM9DFCJ-84_bEURQXXexmuU7pmvnN8pwAGLUR-azeSQLMtbFVDu21S/s1600/P1040193.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the trickier controls on the Waikaia map. Finding the way from K to L seemed quite challenging for my tired brain!</td></tr>
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Greig was still following closely to back me up. I felt proud of the way I navigated through the controls cleanly, even though we had been racing for nearly 5 days! We jumped in the river at the end of the orienteering to cool off, because now we had a massive climb out of Waikaia and up onto the Old Woman Range.<br />
<br />
We could see Torpedo 7 just ahead, they pulled further ahead as we climbed out of the valley. Milan pulled my bike up the hill, I just focussed on keeping up with it! Then we were riding up the technical bog lands. I pushed myself to ride what I could and we made good progress to the Potter's Hut turnoff.<br />
<br />
We continued along the range and stopped to put some extra layers on as the sun set and the temperature dropped. The sun set was really beautiful and we had a good goal in mind - we wanted to get to the Old Woman Hut for a 1.5 hour sleep, which should see us good to race hard to the end.<br />
<br />
The wind was strong again as we descended towards Duffer's Saddle. We were freezing when we reached the hut, but we were very grateful for the warm mattresses and quickly fell fast asleep.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Day 6</span><br />
The alarm went off one second later! We were all shivering, it was cold even in the hut. We put on a few more layers than we probably needed, but we knew we had a big descent to Cromwell. As soon as we set off we spotted lights out in front of us, and convinced it was Bivouac we rode hard to catch them. This was pretty foolish, because we soon overheated and had to stop and shed layers. Then we discovered that it was actually a short coursed team, and so we resumed at a more sensible pace.<br />
<br />
The descent to Carricktown was tricky and I kept thinking I was going to crash. Rob was incredibly patient behind me not making any rude comments. Finally we made it down to the main road and stopped to take more layers off. Now it was a road ride all the way back to Wanaka. Rob and Milan took turns leading out while Greig and I drafted. They powered us along, and I had to take a couple of no dose to keep alert and not crash into someones wheel!<br />
<br />
It was awesome seeing Lucy and Lance cheering us along on the road, even though it must have been about 3am! Eventually we turned off on the mountain bike trail to Albertown. But this went on endlessly! We tried not to stop, and as the light of the day slowly crept in the landscape revealed itself to us. We turned off on the Dean's Bank track and feeling wobbly from so much endless riding we finally reached Dublin Bay on Lake Wanaka.<br />
<br />
Here we could see Tiki Tour just setting off on their paddle - that was the third place team! - so we had caught them up big time. Torpedo 7 had also just left, but they were understandably devastated to realise that in the night they had missed one of the necessary sections and a checkpoint along the way, so they were out of the race.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvUCwkuvNZQGMXQGH1Km3GbTQ_o4aO0GLuGLTF12zbDI5us0uGrahgvveZcoqTkA_kAYuoNAZ3UMAMk85gY3bExuhYCMOWUOGcu5eUu8DoHez3F23uGG-4fSdRsl0teoRD19tE3n5UtdGZ/s1600/2015-03-05-Godzone-56.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="577" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvUCwkuvNZQGMXQGH1Km3GbTQ_o4aO0GLuGLTF12zbDI5us0uGrahgvveZcoqTkA_kAYuoNAZ3UMAMk85gY3bExuhYCMOWUOGcu5eUu8DoHez3F23uGG-4fSdRsl0teoRD19tE3n5UtdGZ/s1600/2015-03-05-Godzone-56.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paddling on Lake Wanaka</td></tr>
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We were happy to be on the last section of this epic race, and I was very excited about reaching the finish line that day, hopefully as soon as possible. As soon as we set off the wind began to pick up, but we paddled confidently through the first series of checkpoints. At the furthest checkpoint the wind became so strong and the waves picked up sufficiently that we had to ferry glide and zig zag away across the channel.<br />
<br />
Heading downwind to the second to last checkpoint we could not land on the shoreline where we needed to, the waves were breaking and the wind made it very hard to steer. There was not a single boat in sight, and we pulled up on a beach and walked to the checkpoint from there. I was really freaked out, and we didn't think we could relaunch from where we were until the wind died down a bit.<br />
<br />
So, sad and a bit scared we decided to wait. We sent a message to the organisers saying we were ok, but wanted to wait for it to calm down a bit before we continued. We dried ourselves out and slept. Given how quickly Milan and Rob had become hypothermic in the lake during the lake swim we thought it was dangerous to continue.<br />
<br />
Eventually one of the organisers boats pulled up and asked what we were up to. We explained our concerns, and they said they had just followed Bivouac round the headland to the last checkpoint. I was really gutted that we had let Bivouac past, but that was the decision we had made given the conditions we were experiencing.<br />
<br />
The safety guys stuck with us round the headland and the wind had died a lot since we had been there earlier. Rob and Milan capsized, so we paddled back and assisted them to right themselves. Then it was all on to see if we could catch Bivouac. We did catch them at the checkpoint, but on seeing us they were spurred into a flurry of paddling and we could only match them. They still had a few minutes lead and we soon saw we would not gain the lead.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzYa7QwfpLBmImmB9WUWjA0SJhysexVb9ANd402vSYX6kho0IUf4xE6ml6LopQ1k02fkFrpSQVNtiosH_WIc5HivMkwvOrCF5hj7dAjh0b7AVUrA6VsivT2aRYp4Wjos0jDwuH1UjK8SMg/s1600/2015-03-05-Godzone-77.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzYa7QwfpLBmImmB9WUWjA0SJhysexVb9ANd402vSYX6kho0IUf4xE6ml6LopQ1k02fkFrpSQVNtiosH_WIc5HivMkwvOrCF5hj7dAjh0b7AVUrA6VsivT2aRYp4Wjos0jDwuH1UjK8SMg/s1600/2015-03-05-Godzone-77.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob and Milan pull up on the beach</td></tr>
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So it was unfortunately a much less jubilant finish than I had hoped for, we were stoked with how we had gone as a team, but for me I was definitely frustrated by our finish. Greig was confident we had made the right decision given the capabilities of our team. But I like things to be perfect and that was definitely not the perfect finish!<br />
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A little bit of disappointment when talking to the media at the finish.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy5VB5N9ZrGR0PvTSGOBzuCxt5dgdlhyVd_XCmj_eFx9bIoPKZ3HjxZFx8gJhP1r4EmanXmEW2LTcU1w-FinEaPeM2R2ov6M9Btr-3L_SJtwUajJFznpE42OurcZx4WRlKotpc8h2-zAae/s1600/2015-03-05-Godzone-84.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy5VB5N9ZrGR0PvTSGOBzuCxt5dgdlhyVd_XCmj_eFx9bIoPKZ3HjxZFx8gJhP1r4EmanXmEW2LTcU1w-FinEaPeM2R2ov6M9Btr-3L_SJtwUajJFznpE42OurcZx4WRlKotpc8h2-zAae/s1600/2015-03-05-Godzone-84.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greig hopping out of the kayak for the last time</td></tr>
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Never mind, now I just have some frustration fuel to do it better next time, whereas otherwise I would have been much more satisfied with our performance. We walked over the finish line and gave each other a big hug. It had been a monster effort for all of Team Chimpanzee and I think we can all be proud of our strengths that made us the team that we were!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking to the finish line</td></tr>
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Kebabs at the store never tasted so good - <span style="text-align: center;">ever! It was great to see Fraser at the finish and share stories with a grinning Chris who produced us many hot vege pies to eat. Rob made me laugh as we dropped him home to sleep that night, he said "I wish I could phone myself up a week ago and have a wee chat, let myself know just what I was in for!" I don't think I would do that though, because we had definitely had an adventure - the unknowns and twists and turns had made the race really exciting.</span><br />
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At the end, checking the website and seeing all the cool messages of our many followers was really special. I love how so many people get excited and sucked into the adventure of this race and I think that is part of what makes it so addictive! Hmm, seems I may yet need one or two more of these kind of adventures (-:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team Chimpanzee at the finish line</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Thanks to the Godzone Website for many of these photos!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08406950956653207723noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249050746221514503.post-27679920910122663242015-01-16T16:32:00.000-08:002015-03-10T17:11:39.209-07:00Kahurangi Ghost Ride Part 3<span style="font-size: large;">Day Four</span><br />
In the morning snow blanketed the ground and thick cloud hung around the tops. Every so often snow would start drifting thickly down again. After a day spent dragging our bikes up through thick forest with no track, it was a little disappointing to have finally reached the ride-able part only to have it become unrideable again due to being covered in about a foot of snow. We made a big bowl of porridge for breakfast, then coffee, then heated up two minute noodles for morning tea. We were unsure whether to call it a hut day, or to continue.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cozy times at Ghost Lake Hut</td></tr>
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Our rations were a bit low and the snow was continuing to accumulate, so we decided it probably made sense to continue. It took us a fair while to pack and put on all our layers of warm clothes - reluctant to leave the cozy hut with its amazing views. The trail from Ghost Lake hut winds up the mountainside further, and then traverses high on the ridgetop. We had to push our bikes due to the amount of snow, and the wind blew waves of spindrift at us. It felt wild, but with all my warm gear including my balaclava ad woolen mittens I felt toasty warm.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interesting riding on the ridge section</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snowy lashes </td></tr>
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There were sections were the track became very narrow and the side dropped away steeply. Given the coating of snow and ice these sections became challenging with a bike, so we did some shuttles. Eventually we reached the end of the ridge and dropping. We were able to scoot along on the bikes, holding tightly onto the handlebars as the front wheel was thrown about in the thick snow and hitting the odd rock and log. We entered the forest and had to stop every so often for a warm up dance, shaking the blood back into our fingers and feet. We rode down to Lyell Hut where we stopped for some food.<br />
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Shortly after arriving there we heard voices, and then two trampers arrived. They had been amazed to see our fresh tyre tracks in the snow, because we had clearly come from the opposite direction to them - which meant we must have somehow come through from Ghost Lake Hut. We confirmed their suspicions, and they were rather amazed given what they had heard about the route through. They asked us if it was now quite bike-able. We grinned and explained that it really wasn't. <br />
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From Lyell Hut we continued the massive descent down to the Buller River. The track is amazing, beautifully ride-able even when coated in a layer of snow. Occasionally we had to hop off and run with our bikes to try and warm up. Eventually the snow started to turn to rain and the track became leafy and green instead of white and black. Then we popped out at the car park at the end of the trail, and amused some road workers stopping for a smoko by running around on the grass wildly flapping our hands trying to warm up.<span id="goog_90328577"></span><br />
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We ate cheese and crackers under the shelter while the next rain shower came down, then rain around in the sun outside when it peeped its head out for a few minutes. Time to get moving again, it was 4 pm and we had about 50km of road riding to reach Murchison. The ride was a mixed bag, moments of "this isn't so bad" riding along in the sun interspersed with misery as the rain poured on us, our toes and fingers froze and the cars and trucks roared past.<br />
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We were in one of these misery spells as we pulled into a campground at Murchison and requested a warm cabin. After a hot shower we were rejuvenated and headed down to the pub for a delicious feed.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally made it to our warm cabin in Murchison</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Day Five</span><br />
Breakfast in Murchison consisted of porridge, then a vege pie and coffee at the cafe. It was still raining, and very cold. There was snow on the hills above Murchison just a few hundred meters above us. I was starting to feel frustrated about how cold it was, and I wasn't looking forward to 100km on the main road with trucks swooshing past. We set out in over-trou and jackets, but soon had to stop and strip has the sun came out.<br />
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Half an hour later, as we neared the turnoff to Lake Rotoiti, we found ourselves in heavy rain which turned into snow. Thoroughly sodden, we huddled at the road shelter and a friendly campervan driver boiled some hot water for us. Revived by the hot drink we continued, making good progress with the southerly tail wind. We reached a roadside cafe at Tapawera and enjoyed a big pile of spicy wedges and coffee.<br />
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Further down the road we hunted for the road bridge the map showed us crossing to get access to Flora Saddle. It seemed to be non-existent, so in the end we ventured reluctantly out onto a swing bridge which had a "Unsafe - do not cross!" sign attached to it. <br />
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The climb to Flora Saddle was steep and unrelenting. Chris towed me for a while, but started to run out of energy and I suggested we could just go a but slower. The rain turned to snow now, and before long we were back off the bikes pushing through ever deepening snow. This was all starting to seem a bit ironic, we had spent all winter hoping for snow like this and now, when our skis were packed away in our garage at home, here we were with our stupid bikes in the snow!<br />
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Chris had to stop and chow down some squeezies and food as he ran out of energy. We kept on up the snowy road, and reached the car park at Flora Saddle. There was about a metre if fluffy powder on the ground and the beech forest was dropping under the weight of all the snow. It felt like we had been teleported back to Norway - never before had I seen the New Zealand forest as snowy as this. We pushed our bikes on to the Flora Saddle Hut, which was fairly cold and uninviting, but we soon had the fire going and dried out some of our gear. We snuggled into our Spoonbill Double Sleeping bag as the snow continued to pour down outside.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flora Saddle Hut</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Day Five</span><br />
During the night the temperature must have risen, because we awoke to the sound of big blobs avalanching from the hut roof. Outside the snow was soggy and we were suddenly back in typical NZ snow conditions. We rode and walked down the track toward the Gridiron Rock Shelter, stopping to chat and share stories with trampers coming the other direction. There was a lot of windfall on the track which made travel slow.<br />
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Eventually we climbed up onto Barron Flats and the snow petered out, turning to mud bogs. Still, the riding was good as we traversed the flats and the temperature was still increasing. We were able<br />
to ride again in shorts and polypros for the first time in days. We rode past our friends place 'Moonsilver' way up on Barron Flats, then navigated through a maze of tracks to the ridge high above the Cob River.<br />
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From there it was a steep, rocky descent down to the warm lands of upper Takaka. The last 20km into Takaka felt a bit like hard work with a head wind, but finally we reached the town and found ourselves a comfy cabin - given this was our 'honeymoon' I decided we could afford some luxury! Dinner was some delicious falafel wraps at the local takeaway shop. The weather seemed to be improving - it was mild and dry, but the lady at the campground told us that gale force winds were expected tonight - great!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Day Six</span><br />
Sure enough, the wind came up in the night. The tin roof on our little cabin banged around, and the trees outside swayed. At least the sun was out in the morning, and after a nice breakfast we set out on the final stretch of our big Kahurangi Loop. Today we would return to Browns Hut at the start if the Heaphy Hut where our car had been parked for the last 6 days. We thought the ride would be pretty easy, but a howling head wind and the occasional freezing rain squall ensured that even this day was no easy ride. At Collingwood we turned left and headed up the long valley which leads to the start of the Heaphy Track. <br />
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We spotted the turnoff we had taken years ago when we headed up to Boulder Lake on a tramp through the Dragons Teeth. We stopped at the funky cafe at Bainham and had a long chat with the owner of the cafe, and then a farmer from the Mackenzie Country who was very interested in our journey.<br />
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The very last stretch of the ride was tough, the wind determined to stop us from reaching Browns Hut. But finally we did, and we had connected a great loop. Weather conditions had definitely made a challenging trip into a very challenging trip, but a true adventure it had been and I couldn't have wished for a better kind of honeymoon.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08406950956653207723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249050746221514503.post-10941401747261198642015-01-07T02:16:00.000-08:002015-03-11T17:59:58.756-07:00The Kahurangi Mission Part 2<span style="font-size: large;">Day Three</span><br />
At Goat Creek Hut, halfway through the partially completed Ghost Ride, we woke to an overcast sky. We knew this day was going to be a challenging one... Reports weren't great for the state of the track from about 2 km up this track until we reached Ghost Lake Hut in about 18 km and up a very large hill covered in thick native bush.<br />
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We set out from the hut after porridge and were happy to find we could ride quite a bit further than we thought we might be able to, including a small part of the first climb. But finally, at the site of a small tarpaulin and some pick axes, we reached the end of the road (so far). It took us a bit of time to rearrange all the gear from our bikes into our packs, but finally bikes were hefted onto backs and we set up off some weird moonscape terrain following some pink markers. Before long these petered out and based on the map we decided there may have been a trail marked earlier heading off up the hill. So, back down we went to the track end.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chris packing bike shoes away at the end of the formed trail</td></tr>
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Second hike-a-bike departure saw us scrabbling through some dense bush, bikes pushed in front of us as the track became ever steeper. So steep in places that I couldn't climb it without dumping my bike, so Chris had to come back for some strenuous bike shuttles. About this time it started raining, and I could sense this was going to be a day to remember.<br />
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Eventually we reached a sort of saddle point, and lumbered the bikes back down the hill and finally out into the open. Now we were able to put them on our shoulders again for sections, and navigate our way through semi open bush. The temperature was dropping and so were my spirits when Chris suggested we still had about 4 km of pushing/carrying to go to get to Stern Creek Hut, which is not nearly half way between Goat Creek and Ghost Lake Huts.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Somewhere in the bush halfway between Goat Hut and Stern Creek Hut</td></tr>
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Suddenly we popped out of the scrub to find a premium bike trail! Whoopee! Things were looking up again as we swooped our way to the hut. Inside it was warm and cozy, with a gas oven and evidence that the trail builders were inhabiting this hut at the moment. The rain was getting really heavy now, so we enjoyed cooking vast piles of two minute noodles up. It had taken us 4 hours so far - which based on most peoples recorded tramping times wasn't bad going.<br />
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Finally we decided we should get moving, so we reluctantly stripped off some of our layers and headed out into the pouring rain. We were able to keep riding on the track, although by now some of the most recently formed sections were getting a bit squelchy. It was cool thinking that we might well be the first people ever to have ridden this amazing track!<br />
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Up ahead through the rain we saw a small bulldozer and two jacketed men, They looked a little surprised to see us - but when they realised we were on bikes they just shook there heads. "I feel so, so sorry for you" one man said, as if we had just lost a relative. This was a little concerning, however Chris and I just laughed it off... "how bad can it be?" we asked ourselves. I was starting to feel quite weary in my arms by now though...<br />
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The markers now directed us up a steep forested spur. At first we were able to carry the bikes, but soon it got too steep and bushy and narrow and we were back to the painstaking hauling, pushing, heaving and pulling of the bikes through the forest. Bikes just have so many parts that stick out and get stuck on stuff!<br />
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It was raining constantly and for hours we battled up the spur. I was just getting colder and colder because I couldn't move fast enough with my bike to keep myself warm. Every so often I got little reprieves when Chris would pop back for my bike and I could walk up hill unhindered for a while. As the light faded Chris attempted to ascertain where we were on the map, but he wasn't sure and I suggested putting up the tent here wouldn't be such a bad idea?<br />
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He would have none of it, so upwards we continued to struggle. The bike I was lugging through the bush at that moment wasn't actually mine - it was Sophie's. She had lent it to me to try out...I was glad that right now she couldn't see the treatment it was receiving! The bush just seemed to get thicker and thicker, and I was starting to reach the end of my abilities to get the bike any further.<br />
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As we rounded a corner in the dim light I could make out a steeper, thicker section of bush to bash through looming up ahead. I put the bike down. "I'm leaving it here," I said. "You can come back down from the hut tomorrow to get it or something". Chris, ever the optimist, said he would shuttle it a bit further, as he felt sure it was going to get better soon. I trudged on up ahead, and then all of a sudden in front of me I could see that the going got slightly easier as we were emerging above the bush line.<br />
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Resolve suddenly renewed, I came back down and took my bike again. I bashed up ferociously, yanking and pulling the bike behind me. I was determined now to see this thing through. Chris emerged behind me grinning, "you did that bit quick" he said. Now things kept getting easier as the bush diminished behind us and we battled up through smaller scrub.<br />
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The ridge rose up ahead pf us for a long way though, and now we needed to mount our big helmet lights. Chris thought it was still at least an hour to the hut. We downed some more ginger nuts and then found ourselves on the formed trail again! But this time the trail was unrideably steep and rocky, but at least we could walk pushing our bikes unhindered. It felt amazing just to be able to move freely and push the bike alongside again.<br />
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We put more layers of clothing on now, as the temperature was still dropping and we were soaked through. Up and up we pushed, round some hairpin bends and on up. We spotted lights of a town far below, and disorientated we tried to work out if that was Murchison or another hut, or what? We gave up worrying and continued up.<br />
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Just as we reached the top of the climb the rain turned to thick snow. From here we managed to get on the bikes, and we wobbled our way along the track. We crossed some boardwalks, struggling to keep our balance. We guesses excitedly that this must be Ghost Lake beside us. I felt so relieved to have made it. We dismounted and climbed again, and I started to get worried that maybe the hut had run away... or was never built!!<br />
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But then it emerged. I was so happy to see that hut. We stashed our bikes underneath the hut and then entered the spacious kitchen area. My suspicions from the morning had been correct, this had been a day I would never forget. But, in a mere 10 hours of extreme effort, we had made it up to Ghost Lake hut, and definitely proved that you should never say something is impossible.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHRxnW0Bj6gfWAgIneZ_dc5rnB1DbVK52BVkegAnABSIUomCD1BZ-xUvrizhG5T4AjHCLTCWt5yXB_e5Q_Bl3dUHzMB79cVfUDad73w2ZhJchVBPYlQY2WnFHZswBnlvja1Z1KbkiMolPY/s1600/P1030023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHRxnW0Bj6gfWAgIneZ_dc5rnB1DbVK52BVkegAnABSIUomCD1BZ-xUvrizhG5T4AjHCLTCWt5yXB_e5Q_Bl3dUHzMB79cVfUDad73w2ZhJchVBPYlQY2WnFHZswBnlvja1Z1KbkiMolPY/s1600/P1030023.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ghost Lake Hut the following morning</td></tr>
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To be continued...<br />
Ps. Apologies for the lack of pictures for this post...it was raining and dark and we were carrying our bikes (-: Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08406950956653207723noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249050746221514503.post-35365353305632490462015-01-04T17:14:00.002-08:002015-01-05T01:04:26.874-08:00The Kahurangi Ride Part 1Most people imagine honey moons are all about lying on beaches and drinking wine in the sunset. We decided that sounded nice, but perhaps a tad boring and unenergetic. We wanted an adventure! So, we put together our favourite things - biking, beaches (particularly wild west coast ones), good food, bush bashing, unexplored territory, mountains... presto! The Kahurangi Moon Ride!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4pu3KUK9BhpKUCRW18I78xfzgJbBVR4fXtCQkEp9fV6mxoLZdHA6dS6Vd-uUm_YayOePQx0r1btIuTThCXoZgCFROLXtrAZB7Lkz7ykPHKi_U1k9TeIjvNneub0KyMSK0pYcOAijGuuvs/s1600/Kahurangi+Map.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4pu3KUK9BhpKUCRW18I78xfzgJbBVR4fXtCQkEp9fV6mxoLZdHA6dS6Vd-uUm_YayOePQx0r1btIuTThCXoZgCFROLXtrAZB7Lkz7ykPHKi_U1k9TeIjvNneub0KyMSK0pYcOAijGuuvs/s1600/Kahurangi+Map.png" height="400" width="395" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is our planned trip</td></tr>
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As soon as this plan came to fruition we realised one snag - the Heaphy Track was only open to bikers for one more day this season. Brown Hut became our necessary starting point, and we would have to ride through the track in one day.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Day One</span><br />
At 8 am the dew at the Brown Hut Road end was just starting to evaporate and the sandflies just starting to gather forces. Another vehicle pulled up with three excited bikers about to ride the track as well - they were catching a helicopter back to their car that night. Using a selection of Revelate gear bags on our bikes and because we had just enough food for a day and a half before we reached Karamea our packs weren't too heavy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1eE-a2o0c4xWm7XWI2g_iB6LjmO4ZkFrF5DE6s2SElqIsyhaZ6mJE3hJvq1E193pzaS8hbUwJDnp1HypWew6Hrys0xIx5uxadTQztJ8I5HcenTahOlJ-6almQcN5xVjys8WaeanY-pBUl/s1600/P1020878.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1eE-a2o0c4xWm7XWI2g_iB6LjmO4ZkFrF5DE6s2SElqIsyhaZ6mJE3hJvq1E193pzaS8hbUwJDnp1HypWew6Hrys0xIx5uxadTQztJ8I5HcenTahOlJ-6almQcN5xVjys8WaeanY-pBUl/s1600/P1020878.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starting out on the Heaphy Track</td></tr>
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We started weaving up through the forest towards Perry Saddle. The sun was out, but the air still crisp. I love the feeling at the very start of an adventure - thoughts about the coming days and what they might bring were in my mind. After an hours climbing we reached a lookout, and then sidled across to the Perry Saddle Hut. From there the track meandered through native bush and patches of high alpine tussock.<br />
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The day was heating up, but the temperature high up on the Gouland Downs was cooler. We reached Gouland Downs Hut and I pointed out the amazing cave systems which Mat, Lara and I had explored on a trip into the Heaphy in May this year. We passed a few walkers coming the other way, but no other bikers. The swing bridges which caused hassle in May were avoided as the rivers were easily fordable. After that the track winds up again through beech forest, before emerging at James Mckay Hut.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGmUyEMb8bWrFGsHQ8ietDgcR7B6_pGuxq_NcmzhwP65RPnaB20O8jpRUTjozFK-xtal45xkG8ueOtFNK0Vp2da0OTGF-BYIKMj7Xpiki9CfkTqN2j5TSzQKi5zoZ2Xz2NwXJ0WfxCt3pc/s1600/P1020909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGmUyEMb8bWrFGsHQ8ietDgcR7B6_pGuxq_NcmzhwP65RPnaB20O8jpRUTjozFK-xtal45xkG8ueOtFNK0Vp2da0OTGF-BYIKMj7Xpiki9CfkTqN2j5TSzQKi5zoZ2Xz2NwXJ0WfxCt3pc/s1600/P1020909.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bridge crossing just before Gouland Downs Hut</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisKyt7FrD_gd8sFN_Nw84Hv1cggTDKjYOOPqRqhauc9WLMAEjDMfYpBYSWeYcgjPq-a0MJLQiBNjkIT6kULEYkCbNvnpt_vfHlhK0m20fzOVWUoDKQ5fXa9EAcYLBBi9mZIQvOjD03fHos/s1600/P1020929.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisKyt7FrD_gd8sFN_Nw84Hv1cggTDKjYOOPqRqhauc9WLMAEjDMfYpBYSWeYcgjPq-a0MJLQiBNjkIT6kULEYkCbNvnpt_vfHlhK0m20fzOVWUoDKQ5fXa9EAcYLBBi9mZIQvOjD03fHos/s1600/P1020929.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Open tops on Gouland Downs</td></tr>
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"This is your last day, isn't it?" A man staying at the hut smugly asked us. The feeling between trampers and bikers on the track seems to be mixed. Other walkers asked us enthusiastically about the ride and track conditions. We ate lunch on the hut veranda - with the famous view down to Heaphy Beach, a tiny bright speck far down the valley.<br />
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The descent down from Mckay Hut was muddy, but glorious, swooping through beech forest that gradually transformed tropical jungle dense with ferns and nikau palms. By the time we reached Heaphy Hut it was late afternoon. There was no one around and we lounged on the grass, eating afternoon tea and swatting at the sand flies.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Sx-Vjur4H6O4fcHWUrtCy76jVVtokNayM_GlRc9qwqSEIW3P2-DHXHjvtgBwE_wgKcsTJ_oN8md47A7o-zgrBt0vgOBTIbEqRNRSjabEVDEJT8TFhf4KiElynV2VuP3XpNX1Zlj5my9a/s1600/P1020934.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Sx-Vjur4H6O4fcHWUrtCy76jVVtokNayM_GlRc9qwqSEIW3P2-DHXHjvtgBwE_wgKcsTJ_oN8md47A7o-zgrBt0vgOBTIbEqRNRSjabEVDEJT8TFhf4KiElynV2VuP3XpNX1Zlj5my9a/s1600/P1020934.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whale tusk at Heaphy Hut</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzGbmjBkZrxJjpTNBmd-0T2kjCiEItJIY9Va9nEdOM1CWQC8YE_PP1OzyMrgulxtCijzIxFJJISVb3szaIiECtSrmCh8wmNuHtwCsocVpJi0B-wDdT-JZ8E_hPN345vWrBFuZclOGCJC80/s1600/GOPR0032+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzGbmjBkZrxJjpTNBmd-0T2kjCiEItJIY9Va9nEdOM1CWQC8YE_PP1OzyMrgulxtCijzIxFJJISVb3szaIiECtSrmCh8wmNuHtwCsocVpJi0B-wDdT-JZ8E_hPN345vWrBFuZclOGCJC80/s1600/GOPR0032+(2).JPG" height="284" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying the Heaphy Coastline</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbo7VTXULRgcd1xeaTACo8Icfw_DCdI0SrBYj5iag4a6tz7Xwq8Rx1McE6JrLqwYZtBdcKofjRsme99esvj7kkuZmB2ZdXnjVJkKcPJTqyNyJGySsWZR0TG0S2Z6pByblBBk12CqGzJgMZ/s1600/P1020961.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbo7VTXULRgcd1xeaTACo8Icfw_DCdI0SrBYj5iag4a6tz7Xwq8Rx1McE6JrLqwYZtBdcKofjRsme99esvj7kkuZmB2ZdXnjVJkKcPJTqyNyJGySsWZR0TG0S2Z6pByblBBk12CqGzJgMZ/s1600/P1020961.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A sandy spot required a push</td></tr>
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The last stretch out from Heaphy Hut is the best bit of all. The track winds alongside the crashing sea, in and out of the Jurassic-feeling forest. The sun was just setting when we crossed the final bridge at Kohaihai and hunted around for a premium tent spot. Day one was complete - a great start to our adventure.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Day Two</span><br />
The bugs were biting in the morning, so we scampered through breakfast and then took off on the main road heading for Karamea. The sun was out and so were the friendly people of Karamea, enjoying the warmth. We stocked up at the supermarket and sat on the bench outside sipping coffee and eating ginger kisses.<br />
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Then Chris decided it was time for some hard work, so he put attached the tow rope to my bike and started towing, fast! We made a speed ascent of the Karamea bluffs. The descent was long and lovely and warm, so it wasn't long before we were back on the coast at sea level. I glanced back over my shoulder at the height we had come down from and imagined that this must be a mild version of the feeling a para-glider would get once they landed after leaping from a mountain.<br />
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We turned off the main road at Seddonville and pulled up outside the sleepy pub. The publican was a friendly man, but he warned of "man-swallowing-sized-boulders" on the ghost road we planned to ride. Unfazed, we drank ginger beer and created sandwiches in the sun.<br />
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On up the road we entered the gates to the "Old Ghost Ride" which follows up alongside the spectacular Mokihinui River. After a climb the riding just got better and better, swooping down through some intriguing trees. There were some very exciting sections which we dismounted for - the track winds around some steep bluffs and there is a 200 m vertical drop down into the river. Then follows a series of swing bridges which get you across an incredibly steep bluff, which was a real challenge to negotiate in the early days of the river access.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3SmRsmGxumqBmoP0C8MtQLRdyS-V7ZE_j_UsGLf29bRr7iKKdVpR7Fb-PiyKKMlCedb-PkIrnGYdeOziE-n5d-Mv8Ugu4WE2_HQiCJG4llyu5_LE-9xCiO3icwueMERQx2mdUy5D7i3to/s1600/P1020984.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3SmRsmGxumqBmoP0C8MtQLRdyS-V7ZE_j_UsGLf29bRr7iKKdVpR7Fb-PiyKKMlCedb-PkIrnGYdeOziE-n5d-Mv8Ugu4WE2_HQiCJG4llyu5_LE-9xCiO3icwueMERQx2mdUy5D7i3to/s1600/P1020984.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amazing bush heading up the Mokihinui River</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijeBaktR9QGSp3ook8w7GA3ISWyKwwt32qspHv7N0xCzfZP9mipS_SQnQNltxiRqQEWN3W4XR6RAm6zdZlLxjMepNHeh_NkwVt2136Vd5KTgJR1AYsO35B9Tn9uRuLkriONHzCqU7780pH/s1600/P1020999.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijeBaktR9QGSp3ook8w7GA3ISWyKwwt32qspHv7N0xCzfZP9mipS_SQnQNltxiRqQEWN3W4XR6RAm6zdZlLxjMepNHeh_NkwVt2136Vd5KTgJR1AYsO35B9Tn9uRuLkriONHzCqU7780pH/s1600/P1020999.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Biking across one of the numerous swing bridges which span the big slips on the Old Ghost track</td></tr>
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Eventually we crossed a small side creek and then we could spot Specimen Point Hut ahead. This is one of the new Huts installed by the Lyell Backcountry Trust. It is a well situated hut, with great views over the river and an ingenious bug proofed deck. We enjoyed some snackerills (Chris word for small food rations) and then continued to the Lyell Hut which sits where the Mokihinui branches into two parts. The far side of the river was farmed a long time ago and I could imagine I had stepped back in time to very early New Zealand.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9eP8zd5rfu44lTTZyXC_4-bZl9IfKDstEQ228Rtq9RaDaV4aT-FHqRpBkeGvVjqB_din9RBSKyp0fXgHB1egVs9csxGT9ge958_mjDII_MQIVguFCaX2k-dyHMK14WGEQdOszPWPRcY7l/s1600/P1030002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9eP8zd5rfu44lTTZyXC_4-bZl9IfKDstEQ228Rtq9RaDaV4aT-FHqRpBkeGvVjqB_din9RBSKyp0fXgHB1egVs9csxGT9ge958_mjDII_MQIVguFCaX2k-dyHMK14WGEQdOszPWPRcY7l/s1600/P1030002.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great riding up the river</td></tr>
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We had an entertaining chat with a group at Lyell Hut. The older men in the group had biked in from Seddonville and were very interested in our bike setups which looked appealing compared to their fully rigid bikes. Chris chatted with them outside, while I got trapped inside the hut with two women on a mission. Their mission: to dissuade us from taking our bikes through the Ghost Ride.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7UrVUXzOh0Ww7y6-SroFAYp_7kTda3Bg3PEDG6WhE0emUCAi5r98r18KKdKMJEICV1H87AOGNrfrEfi-yGOV3KhyphenhyphenEBKqB8H19esHtKDiTvbZl_9TXDQpnry8rnWdHFCEPJ9_eHqrVIa_H/s1600/P1030008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7UrVUXzOh0Ww7y6-SroFAYp_7kTda3Bg3PEDG6WhE0emUCAi5r98r18KKdKMJEICV1H87AOGNrfrEfi-yGOV3KhyphenhyphenEBKqB8H19esHtKDiTvbZl_9TXDQpnry8rnWdHFCEPJ9_eHqrVIa_H/s1600/P1030008.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from Specimen Point Hut</td></tr>
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Having just tramped right through they said it would be entirely 'impossible' to get through carrying a bike. I heartily agreed with them, but the more I tried to agree the more they seemed to doubt my sincerity. Finally I felt I might have had them convinced when Chris entered back into the hut with the older men. "These guys are crazy,"one of the men announced as he walked in. Uh oh! Aware that these blokes and Chris were about to refuel the women's fire I decided it was time for Chris and I to leave right away.<br />
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So we were on our way again, riding through some lovely flowing track through beautiful native bush. After a brief panic when Chris missed the track end and proceeded to ride a further 20 minutes up the track while I was left 'coo weeing' forlornly at the junction we made it to the quaint old Goat Hut.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0s8vwqqcHC5GHITwWDZAL6kYHVrcdv4lKvdQRVMmFjcIAg8VJBtO2D87cCdcvEpeT_438p4FZRauphyphenhyphenUuFda-G-8zGQ32ybOkbJDgT75gsXrXK9XIbzArCHyBRNAP5Rnr4A6UA5OACA8w/s1600/P1030013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0s8vwqqcHC5GHITwWDZAL6kYHVrcdv4lKvdQRVMmFjcIAg8VJBtO2D87cCdcvEpeT_438p4FZRauphyphenhyphenUuFda-G-8zGQ32ybOkbJDgT75gsXrXK9XIbzArCHyBRNAP5Rnr4A6UA5OACA8w/s1600/P1030013.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arriving at Goat Creek Hut</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Based on the hut book the foreigners seemed to love this hut for its old character and brightly painted exterior, but to us it seemed like a fairly run of the mill tramping hut compared to the fancy new ghost ride huts. Inside it was dark, but there were too many sand-flies outside, so we stayed in to cook and eat. We needed the awesome fly proof veranda of Specimen Point!<br />
<br />
As the dark gathered we eyed up the map. Would we make it through to Ghost Lake? It didn't look to bad on the map... but the ladies words stuck in my head. "It'll be fine" said Chris, so I snuggled down into my sleeping bag and feel asleep.<br />
<br />
To be continued....<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08406950956653207723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249050746221514503.post-22479928931889504542014-07-29T03:30:00.000-07:002014-07-29T03:35:27.039-07:00Trip to Barron Saddle<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfr-HKlOL6-neuX9c5ycdmWlIbGx2TeIeMD8da-AFa0jpSlz9zSPkh4LcBVaaWO0FJQqKe_icqCxWIOwQMElHURtOhc1tFtrMkwQsdUQdylO1PfXYkL8jdsalzMTpOoUpKmyC-vF9LpQru/s1600/P1020551.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfr-HKlOL6-neuX9c5ycdmWlIbGx2TeIeMD8da-AFa0jpSlz9zSPkh4LcBVaaWO0FJQqKe_icqCxWIOwQMElHURtOhc1tFtrMkwQsdUQdylO1PfXYkL8jdsalzMTpOoUpKmyC-vF9LpQru/s1600/P1020551.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Skinning up towards the Metelille Glacier, Mt Cook</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Week
two of the school holidays and it was time for another adventure. We were supposed
to be organising the National Ski Orienteering Champs at the Snow Farm in
Wanaka – but there had been so little snow we thought perhaps we should call it
off.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">After
a quick phone call to the Snow Farm however, we were assured that there was
enough snow to run the ski orienteering. This gave us a timeframe – we would
need to be ready with courses planned by Friday morning. It was only Monday, so
surely that was plenty of time to squeeze in a trip.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">We
decided to head down to Mt Cook, and Joe decided to join us too. After a bit of reading and consultation with CMC gurus
we decided a ski trip to Barron Saddle sounded like a cool challenge for us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Leaving
Christchurch late on Monday night we drove South laden with gear. We crept into
the Wyn Irwin Lodge at 1pm, and marvelled at the fluffy snow lying all around. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">In
the morning it was very cold and clear and all the peaks of Aoraki stood above,
looking blue in the morning light. The hut warden gave us some good tips about
the route in and we set off walking through the snow towards the Mueller track. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHK-UnDcbJzaT5s-nP3CgEb5c2PiapGlDxVBlMJIOj5PnoZu9Q7UNTbNXFdtkdZMWxnfS23RgoitCDhkhNVolDpmYbUTU4S5LXkrhH2_jdNrlItJEohhhiLIqQ59uBCUO6V6l_J3geJ4bY/s1600/P1020526.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHK-UnDcbJzaT5s-nP3CgEb5c2PiapGlDxVBlMJIOj5PnoZu9Q7UNTbNXFdtkdZMWxnfS23RgoitCDhkhNVolDpmYbUTU4S5LXkrhH2_jdNrlItJEohhhiLIqQ59uBCUO6V6l_J3geJ4bY/s1600/P1020526.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Snow on the bushes on the way up to Mueller Hut</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">We
climbed up through snow covered bushes and slowly we warmed up as the sun came
out. The views were magic, with fresh snow around the Sealy Tarns and sparkling
peaks. It took us a long time to reach Mueller Hut, and we realised we were
probably going to be finding Barron Saddle in the dark.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkuFDC1hg9x4-_hyphenhyphenMhRMNlXhvgj7SN8DHicXPMOQZVSvt5jmNMsQO_2P8c7azAezMoiC2Vo2TIGKHp8kWOpSAljm0Q636RyCbCi-NtV3IQDzOS4_CEkpfCN90wz8MeoLmKBZS7Ej01i-X4/s1600/P1020534.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkuFDC1hg9x4-_hyphenhyphenMhRMNlXhvgj7SN8DHicXPMOQZVSvt5jmNMsQO_2P8c7azAezMoiC2Vo2TIGKHp8kWOpSAljm0Q636RyCbCi-NtV3IQDzOS4_CEkpfCN90wz8MeoLmKBZS7Ej01i-X4/s1600/P1020534.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Skins on after Sealy Tarns</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg90-_hOd9mN-NNYigIvLtuDnnpQYR01LwCjj9hyd6AcH900mEv-SK_bSCgb9T3xJRYWNtzmkeooUSpu5q9bD9vkKnKyDRKTY4Obn-6zVHRP2TFONWUIByOMa-XyhsatSq2E6R4JXL4tmId/s1600/P1020543.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg90-_hOd9mN-NNYigIvLtuDnnpQYR01LwCjj9hyd6AcH900mEv-SK_bSCgb9T3xJRYWNtzmkeooUSpu5q9bD9vkKnKyDRKTY4Obn-6zVHRP2TFONWUIByOMa-XyhsatSq2E6R4JXL4tmId/s1600/P1020543.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The markers to Mueller Hut</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">From
Mueller we had a small descent on some lovely powder and we whooped as we
passed a couple of Australians returning to Mueller around the Kitchener
Slopes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">We
put our skins back on then and climbed up for a long time until we reached the
Metelille Glacier. By now the sun was sinking. We put on our skis and with
heavy packs turned our way down into the blue freezer of the Mueller Glacier.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGEyakgXbPsDwOfUcF0F8zl1_BEkO4QEVxyEFMn7JN8S2yPkYbkvE1FylEzGUB46SE1fRek2ikULD5sFCPjz-Ji-FjLuHgNsrsuBrN9WVxTxetPfPuHn1ZAFR1cepdVsFuNR9gsRHF23S_/s1600/P1020557.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGEyakgXbPsDwOfUcF0F8zl1_BEkO4QEVxyEFMn7JN8S2yPkYbkvE1FylEzGUB46SE1fRek2ikULD5sFCPjz-Ji-FjLuHgNsrsuBrN9WVxTxetPfPuHn1ZAFR1cepdVsFuNR9gsRHF23S_/s1600/P1020557.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Nice lines on the Metelille</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">After
a short scout we found a way down some loose snow covered moraine onto the
glacier. We decided to rope up as it was getting dark and we didn’t know what
lay ahead – we had been told that the Mueller glacier is pretty straightforward
with few crevasses.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">We
skinned over the lumpy glacier to the true left side and headed up. It was a
long skin and became a little eerie when we had to cross huge ice avalanche
debris which had plummeted down from Vampire Peak above. The avalanche had
managed to climb about 100m uphill onto the glacier.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">The
sky grew dark and we put on our headlamps. Chris lead on and the glacier became
flat and wide. Finally we reached the head of the glacier, removed our skis and
boot-packed up onto Barron Saddle. It was a relief to be up at the Saddle, and
we grinned at each other. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnlT16mc5e1h9zDNO9u07Uf0vActB9dPgGhRxQt1XiAhGMg6RCAZWOCUIZLgxC2F8AR4qlxWKIfaCPTlDLTUkIZQ0p14LsicMBCoFuLK_I2dwfq9Ed8K_gDmIqvj8PwQLYywVpRB3b0Xeg/s1600/P1020563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnlT16mc5e1h9zDNO9u07Uf0vActB9dPgGhRxQt1XiAhGMg6RCAZWOCUIZLgxC2F8AR4qlxWKIfaCPTlDLTUkIZQ0p14LsicMBCoFuLK_I2dwfq9Ed8K_gDmIqvj8PwQLYywVpRB3b0Xeg/s1600/P1020563.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Digging the hut door open</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">However,
at that moment mist rolled in and a strong cold breeze started to blow. We put
our heads down and ploughed along the ridge towards the hut that we knew was
nearby – and suddenly there it was right before us, a very welcome sight.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Later
in the night after a yummy feast I went out to the loo and the moon had come
out. It lit up all the peaks opposite from Mt Sefton to Scissors, and I could
see our route up the glacier as if it was daylight!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">The
next day was misty with light snow blowing by so we enjoyed digging a toilet
path and just being where we were. In the afternoon the mist cleared completely
and it was beautifully sunny again, so we decided to investigate our route out
for the next day. </span></div>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaLPJfmmeRGT9wEcivauwaw0cEYIkjx68iltsW647PtPtwszuO7RfLIbX1_drmb4XHFvziZPo3U1mNUs6tiNuJbZy5uJmasDqaKT-ccuIHWr4_JaO1UwfsYlZvJ6ShjFYFdOlUL5xGbjkz/s1600/P1020571.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaLPJfmmeRGT9wEcivauwaw0cEYIkjx68iltsW647PtPtwszuO7RfLIbX1_drmb4XHFvziZPo3U1mNUs6tiNuJbZy5uJmasDqaKT-ccuIHWr4_JaO1UwfsYlZvJ6ShjFYFdOlUL5xGbjkz/s1600/P1020571.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">A steep climb after leaving Barron Saddle</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK9nMDZBkj30TYYftkyXwKdTfDbXnN_y3tDtpuJDEnnNzKkPpZfkFvUF7BrG7MdXjDZjleh22tnsmkgFBjIvQ_pk00LHgZHnicp9qjDMGUHF60mt80SouJ-4Rhv120Z_O-_cmcan0iWmdR/s1600/P1020576.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK9nMDZBkj30TYYftkyXwKdTfDbXnN_y3tDtpuJDEnnNzKkPpZfkFvUF7BrG7MdXjDZjleh22tnsmkgFBjIvQ_pk00LHgZHnicp9qjDMGUHF60mt80SouJ-4Rhv120Z_O-_cmcan0iWmdR/s1600/P1020576.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">We
wanted to ski out via the “high route” along the range that leads to Mueller
hut. There was a short ski down from the hut, then we climbed up a gully and
out onto a broad glacial spur. We looked up and could see a clear saddle high
on the side of Mt Darby and assumed that must be the saddle which lead into the
Sladden Glacier. </span></div>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAlULIFAglkjKDH6VJyGFwjanYSxgNBbZSU3N0iBbZegc0kQXu-WnRtcEqsRz3LNVtYRXmErIlLYL895wGFWsIdmd-2Oq25j6Dkd9dbvMmFgd97imgKinqz4EADbC3hwYZOYRBlxRGO_Kj/s1600/P1020593.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAlULIFAglkjKDH6VJyGFwjanYSxgNBbZSU3N0iBbZegc0kQXu-WnRtcEqsRz3LNVtYRXmErIlLYL895wGFWsIdmd-2Oq25j6Dkd9dbvMmFgd97imgKinqz4EADbC3hwYZOYRBlxRGO_Kj/s1600/P1020593.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Skinning Up</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">We
skinned up the slopes towards the saddle. The last section of the saddle was
steep; it was only about 20 metres high with a gentle basin below. We started
boot packing up with Chris out in front. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Just
then I heard Chris shout and I saw snow moving in front of me. I immediately
lost my footing and floated with my skis back down to the bottom of the slope.
Chris had released a small slab avalanche. Joe had stuck his strong skis into
the snow hard and held onto them as the avalanche went past. It was very small
(grade 1) and no harm could have been done, but I still got a fright. It
happened so quickly! </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYIFdUA50YIqdOHxfMAX2tzs3XG8CTjsW7qdol3Fzzt1owPGi4EQCtscaTE6PRiFE5E5QDL-6saiv78wvmqhXxLTNvXj59r6ZzgpXhFO3BzXUSQHZ6Glm5hyphenhyphenwuO71Lra6nhdWQs4jJ2Uf3/s1600/On+Darby+Pass.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYIFdUA50YIqdOHxfMAX2tzs3XG8CTjsW7qdol3Fzzt1owPGi4EQCtscaTE6PRiFE5E5QDL-6saiv78wvmqhXxLTNvXj59r6ZzgpXhFO3BzXUSQHZ6Glm5hyphenhyphenwuO71Lra6nhdWQs4jJ2Uf3/s1600/On+Darby+Pass.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">On the saddle below Mt Darby</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">From
the top of the saddle we looked down to the Sladden Glacier. Our hearts sank -
the drop was steep! Directly below the saddle were bluffs. Chris and Joe spent
about an hour scouting about for a route through. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">After a lot of indecision Joe
managed to find an exposed, but good way of traversing directly across to some
snow gullies which lead down to the glacier. We were surprised at the exposed
nature of the route – I remembered reading something about traversing steeper
slopes, but this route was crampons, ice axes, ropes and anchors stuff! </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRadh2jOnqLvdui-KZTAsm4DdOr2jMAenzqbCwRxws9zZ3-LifdsxSBFXxgP0KBY-V8fXp0eQdT8BqvAlGtyyD2XgraJ-Yf8nlltxCjXztYCKAaG-m1jXLf8BWkvxna3QlWRKHv1p_0Ceu/s1600/P1020599.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRadh2jOnqLvdui-KZTAsm4DdOr2jMAenzqbCwRxws9zZ3-LifdsxSBFXxgP0KBY-V8fXp0eQdT8BqvAlGtyyD2XgraJ-Yf8nlltxCjXztYCKAaG-m1jXLf8BWkvxna3QlWRKHv1p_0Ceu/s1600/P1020599.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sladden Glacier</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">We
enjoyed some lovely but careful turns back down the gentle slopes, then down
the steeper gully into the basin before Barron Saddle. The mountains around
provide a continual stunning backdrop in this area. I was thinking how lucky I
was to be able to go places like this, but how careful you need to be.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz6cr1HPbQuS9lHJ4i_kTMLA-1UYaCcmavwFrnGRpzCyll96tyUZ8ka821Ab9SdtsdYdWTbKc5kYlsON9sgifsiGWxYTsXBU317-9Hsvq0R0PdKQNeU50CyPZQaDFX1h3NQ6Yl-LZHcziV/s1600/P1020583.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz6cr1HPbQuS9lHJ4i_kTMLA-1UYaCcmavwFrnGRpzCyll96tyUZ8ka821Ab9SdtsdYdWTbKc5kYlsON9sgifsiGWxYTsXBU317-9Hsvq0R0PdKQNeU50CyPZQaDFX1h3NQ6Yl-LZHcziV/s1600/P1020583.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Leaving Barron Saddle in the morning light</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">In
the morning the sky was clear blue, with pink over the Scissors. We skied
confidently down our tracks from yesterday, our skiing improving over the days.
Up the skin tracks we went and reached the Saddle in good time. The sun was
just rising on the other side of the saddle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">We
put on crampons and stowed away our skis. The snow was not great, with a fairly
soft loose layer on top of a very icy hard layer, yucky for a secure ice axe
placement. We cautiously made our way along the ridge, until a small step. I
decided it was definitely rope time, so we set up an anchor and belayed the
step. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpK2t4WTDO7nrztr-G5_aYppShS_nEuONg-G-r531Rkh5nd93MzBmioSk3kpEg9nVu-Q_eSzgqyLZCZhlp9SkbFQu6JKVFKD8lSWT6ElnevDz6kpoUAHylPk7d1drv0xre3tW9ezpLW40V/s1600/Darby+Pass.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpK2t4WTDO7nrztr-G5_aYppShS_nEuONg-G-r531Rkh5nd93MzBmioSk3kpEg9nVu-Q_eSzgqyLZCZhlp9SkbFQu6JKVFKD8lSWT6ElnevDz6kpoUAHylPk7d1drv0xre3tW9ezpLW40V/s1600/Darby+Pass.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">The steep climb from the saddle</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6dwrfjBZabnF7tyMienN2NMWN_yXhqlJFVbOu2QJ-g2yAXPhzbQ2As9tMyZ59Q9AtxCLJStU8d8BLdGMvDWnNnObcjhyCOAAW_LGr3pavzQKj1MLMKFh0T_MnzVBclfpWxr_nbMIXE-Mc/s1600/P1020600.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6dwrfjBZabnF7tyMienN2NMWN_yXhqlJFVbOu2QJ-g2yAXPhzbQ2As9tMyZ59Q9AtxCLJStU8d8BLdGMvDWnNnObcjhyCOAAW_LGr3pavzQKj1MLMKFh0T_MnzVBclfpWxr_nbMIXE-Mc/s1600/P1020600.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I was way too focussed here to notice that cool plant growing on the cliff!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">We
continued along the top of the bluffs and then it was just a small rock/ snow
gully scramble which we also roped and into the snow gullies. It felt great to
get off the exposed terrain – in particular we had felt our packs! We descended
down to a ledge for lunch.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtiNkbae1d1_lWZY47A_4jGKFdkWV59eATRhvWy-bQ7gI_2RnzCVKUeRBqo9wVX5U2mCVCQmtXreMX9JnUd1V9zRx-wSu1FVq3ZasuzLuIP89WFVW_NQJo0_jqX_O4bbHIzn1Sp80VOrd7/s1600/P1020609.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtiNkbae1d1_lWZY47A_4jGKFdkWV59eATRhvWy-bQ7gI_2RnzCVKUeRBqo9wVX5U2mCVCQmtXreMX9JnUd1V9zRx-wSu1FVq3ZasuzLuIP89WFVW_NQJo0_jqX_O4bbHIzn1Sp80VOrd7/s1600/P1020609.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Phew! A nice spot for lunch</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">That
little section had taken us 2 hours to get along! We munched sandwiches and
hoped the rest would be more straightforward. From where we sat there was a
steep sidle onto the flatter and happier slopes of the glacier. Chris headed
across with no issues, and I clipped my skis on feeling sure of my decision.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">As
I soon as I started traversing I hit a hard patch of wind packed snow and
suddenly my ski was off and before I knew it I was tumbling down the steep
slope! I kicked my feet in hard and managed to stop, but not before my ski
disappeared off down the hill. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">I
felt such a fool, what a stupid mistake. I think my ski boot had not been
properly in my binding! I had to put my crampons on because the snow was icy
underneath, and I shakily cramponed my way over the Chris, feeling very upset.
He then went over and managed to rescue my ski from further down the hill and
brought it over. The front part was completely snapped – my new ski was broken!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Luckily,
when I put them on I could still ski, so we made some gentle turns on fresh
powder down onto the Sladden Glacier. We skinned up the glacier and then I had
to crampon down onto the Metelille – even though my ski worked I didn’t trust
it on steeper ground.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYiZ4w2FPp1Askj33Di7RHsx_2iwDUmxXrELOsbLxinhVIJlEGYWqelUHXwRMQMRPOtz36A6b-dUL4c5YAr6uK-xqT_Nv72l57ek8qV242TsTUAKOJFz8QFdkjCkO6sjVowmF7c1x1Q_gt/s1600/P1020622.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYiZ4w2FPp1Askj33Di7RHsx_2iwDUmxXrELOsbLxinhVIJlEGYWqelUHXwRMQMRPOtz36A6b-dUL4c5YAr6uK-xqT_Nv72l57ek8qV242TsTUAKOJFz8QFdkjCkO6sjVowmF7c1x1Q_gt/s1600/P1020622.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Some nice easy sking on the Annette Glacier</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">The
others made light turns down the glacier. It was late afternoon as we crossed
the Metelille and the snow was lovely. Fresh powder and amazing views, we
enjoyed a few extra runs up and down the hill.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">As
the sun set we descended off the Annette and back to our skin tracks round the
Kitchener. There were many loose snow avalanches that had come down from here,
but luckily for us now it was late in the day and things were freezing up
again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">It
was crampons on again to traverse the steeper slopes and then a short skin back
to Mueller Hut just on dark! What a day it had been. The Taiwanese man staying
at Mueller was very surprised to see us and made us a delicious cup of tea. He
was even more surprised when he found out we were going to head on down to MCV
that night – but that was where our dinner was and we wanted dinner.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">The
first part of the ridge down from Mueller was beautiful skiing and sparkled in
our torch lights. I then had to crampon down to the tarns, while the boys
whooped their way down through nice powder on skis. There was a lot of loose
avalanche debris here too from sun in the day – night-time skiing has its
advantages.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">The
Mueller track was now slippery with a thick ice coat from all the people
walking on the snow in the day. Joe thought the steep ice covered stairs were
the most treacherous part of our day and took several painful slides!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">The
lights of the village twinkled below us and we got hot walking down. Finally we
reached the bushes and the turn off to Wyn Irwin – where a hot meal and even a
hot shower awaited.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">The
following day was spent madly planning orienteering courses in the lovely
setting of the Old Mountaineers Café. The new slip which we learned had taken
out Gardiner Hut coming off the side of Aoraki was clearly visible from the big
window. We also learned that the friendly tea giving Taiwanese man at Mueller
had been helicoptered down because he had been missing for two days!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">We
left the Village in the afternoon headed for two days of fun Ski Orienteering
action at Snow Farm. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">I
love being in Mt Cook, it is the most amazing place. But on this trip I also
learned how easy it is to make a silly mistake - the mountains are risky business! I wonder if I can fix my ski...</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjovyTNosUUYid8Hs4p0USBJBF4o_vHL8rV1XgTZwiqmknHx9zLLNDSie7iiStifLSelw6GtTexJWmnMn1dV1QdCsMvVQVHu0xjer8pUEGaq-Wx7bR6mh99S8MlwT6FaqEfDiduuDeb8rQ9/s1600/P1020628.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjovyTNosUUYid8Hs4p0USBJBF4o_vHL8rV1XgTZwiqmknHx9zLLNDSie7iiStifLSelw6GtTexJWmnMn1dV1QdCsMvVQVHu0xjer8pUEGaq-Wx7bR6mh99S8MlwT6FaqEfDiduuDeb8rQ9/s1600/P1020628.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">There is Mueller Hut!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">P.S.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">We
found out later that the route we took over Mt Darby was not the route actually
described in the NZAC Backcountry Ski guide. That route follows a ledge at the
2000m contour (much lower than we were) around Mt Darby. It sounds like it has
some objective danger (rock fall, ice cliffs) but is quite probably not as
steep. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08406950956653207723noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249050746221514503.post-90066336274007883872014-07-13T05:04:00.000-07:002014-07-13T05:04:43.232-07:00SkiTramping Comes to Life!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXYEE1Cl_0dMUOXQSd5vz0tnhAAD8cr1xYwkXP8WUtaP4WZF61emh4CLDQxrrcYmG9PBBMxwBuqRmmYD9B05oRSW-b15Wt1UXBXT7trdn7Dhis4b8Wb3D9zZt3ZOmijkdk7upjDQuGAAZr/s1600/P1020462.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXYEE1Cl_0dMUOXQSd5vz0tnhAAD8cr1xYwkXP8WUtaP4WZF61emh4CLDQxrrcYmG9PBBMxwBuqRmmYD9B05oRSW-b15Wt1UXBXT7trdn7Dhis4b8Wb3D9zZt3ZOmijkdk7upjDQuGAAZr/s1600/P1020462.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SkiTramping down the White Glacier to Barker Hut!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After a long and rather dark term (interspersed with some good wee weekend missions which I have failed miserably to blog about) the school holidays finally arrived! The snow forecast had been dry and hopeless, but my hopes went up on the blustery cold Wednesday Run with a Southery front in full force just a few days before the holidays were about to start...<br />
<br />
Which turned into not much. However, on Friday night we witnessed a large high settling itself over New Zealand. This was good. But Chris needed to do a not very overdue tax return, sigh. So Saturday saw Chris taxing and both of us scheming. After several hours of intensive excitment the tax was done, a mammmoth winter mission in Arthurs Pass planned out and a huge amount of gear loaded into the car.<br />
<br />
We planned to carry:
5 days food
Skis and ski boots
Glacier gear - rope and harness + prussicks
Avalanche trancievers, shovel and spade each
Crampons, ice axes
Tramping boots
Sleeping bags + mats
Tent
Cooker
Hmmmm...this sounded like a lot! Was it possible? Would our new found sport the "SkiTramp" actually be viable? Well, we were about to find out.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWgFtUoaWf_o2v77T6BUH18FpN9CmVh_RLW-kwajHsRwOOcf1aHWCsAzbhREQWsjwCq2BTVofsEVtTZIV5vocFTC4Uz9yudsottpLijRPsLJEapqCT_1_PF3JuVCtDnfcHVwIZR41yqDr-/s1600/map.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWgFtUoaWf_o2v77T6BUH18FpN9CmVh_RLW-kwajHsRwOOcf1aHWCsAzbhREQWsjwCq2BTVofsEVtTZIV5vocFTC4Uz9yudsottpLijRPsLJEapqCT_1_PF3JuVCtDnfcHVwIZR41yqDr-/s1600/map.jpg" height="504" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> The yellow is extra part we never quite managed, the red is what we did in the end!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So, we left Christchurch at 6.55pm ready to walk to Carrington Hut up the Waimak. We returned at 7.30pm to our flat armed with Souvlaki, but having forgotten the rope and harnesses.
At 9.30pm in the cool mountain air we finally left the car and headed up the moonlit valley to Carrington. The river was cold, but fortunately for me I have a horse that carried me across, so my boots were warm and dry.
My alarm bleeped 12.00am, so we walked a further half hour up the valley and then finally pitched our little yellow tent on the final grassy flats before Carrington Hut.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtQYa_0jjv-KqbAeGQ6vQlx703lngBedgdssANTfGoTnmDT09FLlkbu-NWhdFt5n4o_-aO5yDr5uno1qBd-rc4mggbl9gto28SwaUDyYEXjQyOHBKhBdFoYV23KGSiMBmxGpezXJZAVNie/s1600/P1020345.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtQYa_0jjv-KqbAeGQ6vQlx703lngBedgdssANTfGoTnmDT09FLlkbu-NWhdFt5n4o_-aO5yDr5uno1qBd-rc4mggbl9gto28SwaUDyYEXjQyOHBKhBdFoYV23KGSiMBmxGpezXJZAVNie/s640/P1020345.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camp in the Waimak River</td></tr>
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A very warm sleep in our amazing Spoon Bill (the double down bag like you have never seen before) we got up on light and headed to Carrington hut for a frosty breakfast. From there we cruised on up towards Harman pass, but the conditions slowed us down. The rocks were coated in slippery frost or invisible sheets of ice. The snow (or what looked like snow) was actually more the consistency of china plates, shattering only when stomped on hard, or sometimes not at all.
So it was crampons on up the rocks to the Harman Pass which we reached around midday.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY1pgJrrpLU9ohcIaDPqGPgxL0FlBY3vATDeR3PVkb0D4sFAS5J-IUjVCZyWpneL6gANN-3p4QsT3VIFzlmmY-V2OTeDbvR4T4T09wIw7juPQMsv0ZwOWtdmbwLCW-eCrkY9Ge09SKFzRD/s1600/P1020353.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY1pgJrrpLU9ohcIaDPqGPgxL0FlBY3vATDeR3PVkb0D4sFAS5J-IUjVCZyWpneL6gANN-3p4QsT3VIFzlmmY-V2OTeDbvR4T4T09wIw7juPQMsv0ZwOWtdmbwLCW-eCrkY9Ge09SKFzRD/s640/P1020353.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chris in the icey upper White by the Clough Cableway</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5X12X-HQZkmFMuzsfn8Hj51GzEKIGwfKI8P2tOgrEuQMdnIaxV7rzTZHH-9AhaaBEYvvEOQsy-S8GO6heZuPGvCxTD-ekcmLDSr7150gF5sILfUHjji4pb-1AjTsBnRwtAS9Q76FZvG5h/s1600/P1020359.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5X12X-HQZkmFMuzsfn8Hj51GzEKIGwfKI8P2tOgrEuQMdnIaxV7rzTZHH-9AhaaBEYvvEOQsy-S8GO6heZuPGvCxTD-ekcmLDSr7150gF5sILfUHjji4pb-1AjTsBnRwtAS9Q76FZvG5h/s640/P1020359.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slippery slopes up towards Harman Pass</td></tr>
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At this point Chris saw that his plan for our trip was "a little bit ambitious" (his words). So we had the second complete trip replan that we have had on Harman Pass (remember Tim, Hadleigh and Ian?)
Luckily at this point I stepped in with a new proposal and Chris liked it!<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE0sD3dLcG8qjqD21Gl7PWB0LOJIPISViDrGoZDsEf13DAmsx3pRW71t2uT8XSb8K1sQ6lH-rgAiSE-4Dcq_JOSmZwxU_CQB6EYYmhravQgqdWLdnrmM_DIHFn1ew6p_LCaiKyiSCtU1S5/s1600/P1020366.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE0sD3dLcG8qjqD21Gl7PWB0LOJIPISViDrGoZDsEf13DAmsx3pRW71t2uT8XSb8K1sQ6lH-rgAiSE-4Dcq_JOSmZwxU_CQB6EYYmhravQgqdWLdnrmM_DIHFn1ew6p_LCaiKyiSCtU1S5/s640/P1020366.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Setting off from Harman with a new plan in mind...</td></tr>
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The setting afternoon sun saw us skin and walk up the dark and slightly ominous Whitehorn Pass. The slopes loom above and you have to grovel up a very narrow terrain trap gulley - not the place to be after heavy snowfall. Our snow conditions were more dinner plate ice, however, after a short crampon descent we put the skis on and scraped our way down the pass.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDnZ2XG4ZTW8tp8u7oSv26KrawKg6Gi6rMz6oDbccEaljrtFV9T-EdsXJQpaGY4FZ4StjhZ7BT-fA0h-m4cAkWODyE53g4KdyVg6af9-fm5b-cilPuaQVGi9ITPTS05z5z8N2vLrulr3rn/s1600/P1020371.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDnZ2XG4ZTW8tp8u7oSv26KrawKg6Gi6rMz6oDbccEaljrtFV9T-EdsXJQpaGY4FZ4StjhZ7BT-fA0h-m4cAkWODyE53g4KdyVg6af9-fm5b-cilPuaQVGi9ITPTS05z5z8N2vLrulr3rn/s640/P1020371.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading up to Whitehorn Pass</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhjCeRFdANgzhZQ9Oyl7B4nDJGc3XWz1hfh0hhNyaCmULYm9YiO3G4PWso7tiI4kqvYoVms0CJ9MMUltxykZc-X9f4NFQjgllTJxhZLmhy0X6YqiMT48IPzT8YF_rs1JS2JhOY4izTcci2/s1600/P1020379.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhjCeRFdANgzhZQ9Oyl7B4nDJGc3XWz1hfh0hhNyaCmULYm9YiO3G4PWso7tiI4kqvYoVms0CJ9MMUltxykZc-X9f4NFQjgllTJxhZLmhy0X6YqiMT48IPzT8YF_rs1JS2JhOY4izTcci2/s640/P1020379.JPG" /></a><br />
<br />
The veiws were awesome even if the skiing was not, and the reality that we were sliding down the hill with all our gear on our backs.
After a while the skis were replaced by crampons, and as it got dark we changed back into tramping boots. The rocks were icey down lower and you had to be careful of footing in the big bouldery riverbed. We picked up the little Doc marker that leads you out of the bush and down the scrubby ridge towards Park Morpeth.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIkbP2xoybQQuqeHwy0rkWLij1PpXMr5g9OsUmS2UxkGOk9q75hDx1WK9TNEpXE_ZiPWphjisKhE1U4hAFLjpnL2FEv9CnF5XKuei0PR9V4xvl6BtbqvpR05YFffUTBJrtXO_iC3AaMLmc/s1600/P1020393.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIkbP2xoybQQuqeHwy0rkWLij1PpXMr5g9OsUmS2UxkGOk9q75hDx1WK9TNEpXE_ZiPWphjisKhE1U4hAFLjpnL2FEv9CnF5XKuei0PR9V4xvl6BtbqvpR05YFffUTBJrtXO_iC3AaMLmc/s1600/P1020393.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arriving at Park Morpeth - I was of course carrying both sets of skis</td></tr>
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We were happy to reach the Park Morpeth Hut and cooked up a nice feast in the cold dark. The hut was pretty cosy with warm dry boot liners and a solar light to brighten things up! Numerous hot drinks and we were ready for sleep.
The big high weather system was proving true and the next day was brilliantly sunny again.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivJcaaJsL4W7uY8zL_KrBaebUGZl1nGRPLAXdx_XrVdbQLsxcuG3zJ_qrY3VBkUQffRnSCRjLQiBkR9n5GllxBBSsouK_fPyG6Sf755UIHvMyJtxqfAJUqD65wcuTQTtWFdnXRvwGW1sjh/s1600/P1020398.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivJcaaJsL4W7uY8zL_KrBaebUGZl1nGRPLAXdx_XrVdbQLsxcuG3zJ_qrY3VBkUQffRnSCRjLQiBkR9n5GllxBBSsouK_fPyG6Sf755UIHvMyJtxqfAJUqD65wcuTQTtWFdnXRvwGW1sjh/s1600/P1020398.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice grassy meadows in the Wilberforce</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdOeZoX207tImnC6lCgvMspmJK5a38t3D_Y4TGFwpj5KJFley-xtj3n5EGXoGBsC4D_jlmbgM9taZzqTwPLWQc5_w11tCqqSGFkiWsxcNGFw19RTAg1MkqkWwJPYn9xLBrbcg-j15OlkQ0/s1600/P1020402.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdOeZoX207tImnC6lCgvMspmJK5a38t3D_Y4TGFwpj5KJFley-xtj3n5EGXoGBsC4D_jlmbgM9taZzqTwPLWQc5_w11tCqqSGFkiWsxcNGFw19RTAg1MkqkWwJPYn9xLBrbcg-j15OlkQ0/s1600/P1020402.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
Our new plan meant we now had a nice day wandering down the Wilberforce River Valley, admiring the ice clad summits from the Valley floor. After a late start we headed away. The Wilberforce is a lovely remote valley with nice meadows to walk on. We passed the Urquharts Hut, then on down we had to ford the Unknown and Griffiths Rivers as they joined the Wilberforce (Brrr!)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheGC3KZZ44gt-KUK2QisHt2RlWfAyIIybPAPG72DvtADoourdphryvLt-kwD6iiuyxNnmPtZrNwVsi8EP8MZ86EFFYzTM0HCmRPnXQlXDBoDlseXJNxpR-klAaUsGidb0_2-exB0nwvU9m/s1600/P1020404.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheGC3KZZ44gt-KUK2QisHt2RlWfAyIIybPAPG72DvtADoourdphryvLt-kwD6iiuyxNnmPtZrNwVsi8EP8MZ86EFFYzTM0HCmRPnXQlXDBoDlseXJNxpR-klAaUsGidb0_2-exB0nwvU9m/s1600/P1020404.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sometimes the valleys aren't so bad...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxHZslr0aJD-2aXJJSxmiAxj8TgWcE6Oi9rMh9KoIG8B5U9UO2X7EVDp_5iXwgc4JmTC8GRKuwm9BANq6PA37Bc8Mcq9mFzPAoE3fbO3F3OqaIEUDpgSiqBdWBm74GP554DPVwac1sKNYM/s1600/P1020408.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxHZslr0aJD-2aXJJSxmiAxj8TgWcE6Oi9rMh9KoIG8B5U9UO2X7EVDp_5iXwgc4JmTC8GRKuwm9BANq6PA37Bc8Mcq9mFzPAoE3fbO3F3OqaIEUDpgSiqBdWBm74GP554DPVwac1sKNYM/s1600/P1020408.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This peak (Mt Findlay) tickled our fancy too!</td></tr>
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Lunch again in the setting sun, then we were rock hopping up the Weka Stream. We spotted three blue duck in the river which was cool. The rocks were big and slippery, so we cautiously headed up river. The crossings in the Weka became more difficult because of the steep and narrow terrain, but it wasn't too long before we headed left out of the river and up some scree to a flat terrace where we planned to camp.<br />
<br />
We had been debating all day whether to head up the Burnett Stream and over the easier White Col, or to go up Weka and over the more unknown and challenging route of crossing the Kahutea Glacier and up to Kahutea Col. We had ended up deciding that the Kahutea sounded like a good adventure. Now we looked on the steep route up through Bluffs onto the crevassed Kahutea Glacier and in the fading light it looked a bit daunting!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-syezgCRsNejILlmNUK8A5gqqzMLe6zTCxzFHDOP2yqBLDozJPBD5MQ-Cm61BhLKfJat_6w1YFp-W7iuscR9wbVd8_v9sNAO2B5N8hxdQxLreZmqYsCkTltsCNVd9IsJD-gmA_g5h_j4O/s1600/P1020420.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-syezgCRsNejILlmNUK8A5gqqzMLe6zTCxzFHDOP2yqBLDozJPBD5MQ-Cm61BhLKfJat_6w1YFp-W7iuscR9wbVd8_v9sNAO2B5N8hxdQxLreZmqYsCkTltsCNVd9IsJD-gmA_g5h_j4O/s1600/P1020420.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camping in Weka Stream</td></tr>
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Chris had to venture far to find some molten water while I pitched the tent and warded off frozen feet and hands by jumping around wildly. I think it was about -10 as I climbed into the Spoon Bill, boots and waterbottles stashed cunningly down its bottom end and cooked up some water. Chris was back and we cooked a feast in the dark, with the snowy peaks towering high and mighty in the moon light above - it was a beautiful campsite!<br />
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We slept in a bit late - it was hard to get out of the warm tent! But we finally emerged and got going, sidling up through the ice to the base of the bluffs. It looked icey and steep and I was having cold feet (literally!). We decided to leave the packs and scout for a route. Chris climbed an icey gully which I didn't like the look of, so I sidled out to the left to find a very nice snow ramp that led me to the same place as Chris.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX7PBepgQ3XNJTD7XzsCGTg-MROYNjDQig4AhrS2PLt9AO1_DaXtEsvUcHk-ujYpmaCK84ywZfsqsJL7KV_ATLyvgqAUzXh_ZL4fdtyVP40_607mk23iRQewxLXj1dq9sxuJqqrocbMut5/s1600/P1020424.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX7PBepgQ3XNJTD7XzsCGTg-MROYNjDQig4AhrS2PLt9AO1_DaXtEsvUcHk-ujYpmaCK84ywZfsqsJL7KV_ATLyvgqAUzXh_ZL4fdtyVP40_607mk23iRQewxLXj1dq9sxuJqqrocbMut5/s1600/P1020424.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approaching the bluffs (left) to which lead onto the Kahutea Glacier</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<br />From there we found a nice route heading to the right, which involved a steep wee descent into the icey gully and then back out into some gentler slopes that led directly to the glacier. Woopee! There is something very satisfying about finding nice ways through tricky terrain.
We down climbed, and laden with packs reclimbed the route. How much harder it is with a heavy pack! But we were soon over the rise and into the broad basin which runs all the way up alongside the glacier to Kahutea Col.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPVvr9WoBzKL_L16VgmZXNcOCOPeip_Fw2d8ANRhiX_0xRjXEw_uRfJAEih3vq4UPY6Fnrljklollsy-KKPqXdCHB4N5vUw-jOu3gHIsudhs-8FR54IXWl4CyRPnnhXmfpKIOlt6xp2OuG/s1600/P1020426.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPVvr9WoBzKL_L16VgmZXNcOCOPeip_Fw2d8ANRhiX_0xRjXEw_uRfJAEih3vq4UPY6Fnrljklollsy-KKPqXdCHB4N5vUw-jOu3gHIsudhs-8FR54IXWl4CyRPnnhXmfpKIOlt6xp2OuG/s1600/P1020426.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reclimbing the scouted route</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq6d3LPgCyZAunSWCD5cS1zpBptyIGQs8nxZorJjH7SyPoCvfl9rg1Bl-mhUd6QstQfo0nwF0biw5nNzRq9uhvXbSVVl_vlAHbjVdlbLtkcNgx3N6hkVKJ33FM9y8B0CjEe7h5kXVIf1BJ/s1600/P1020444.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq6d3LPgCyZAunSWCD5cS1zpBptyIGQs8nxZorJjH7SyPoCvfl9rg1Bl-mhUd6QstQfo0nwF0biw5nNzRq9uhvXbSVVl_vlAHbjVdlbLtkcNgx3N6hkVKJ33FM9y8B0CjEe7h5kXVIf1BJ/s1600/P1020444.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the lower Kahutea Glacier</td></tr>
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It was neat to be up there, the route looked good and the blue crevasses of the glacier hung at a safe distance off to our left. Glaciers are always magic and this one felt cool. The sun was out and the snow was quite pristine.
We climbed up on the rope, getting very hot in the process. Chris moved up so fast that the rope was taut even though he was kicking steps!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMqiVvyWs1dnT8TCs2Xnb0LsyPCTMm7v4ZPdxOn2kgQ4rx9a9v0HFJJ_rpTEnWN37g4mP7NKmekR5rCiWgJ_r0TYNdILM2uRjlsOmfMqw4SNY7GpxsjkEOh0XX3jm3alJTiH0vwwqVGjES/s1600/P1020449.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMqiVvyWs1dnT8TCs2Xnb0LsyPCTMm7v4ZPdxOn2kgQ4rx9a9v0HFJJ_rpTEnWN37g4mP7NKmekR5rCiWgJ_r0TYNdILM2uRjlsOmfMqw4SNY7GpxsjkEOh0XX3jm3alJTiH0vwwqVGjES/s1600/P1020449.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking back down the Kahutea Glacier</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We reached a steeper section and found ourselves looking into a deep blue crevasse. We headed closer to the ridge to see if we could skirt round next to the rock, but some poking with my axe revealed a certain eerie hollowness that I didn't like one little bit! So we decided to head up a snow steep gully directly onto the ridge, then we could easily drop back onto the glacier above the crevasse. This worked out fine and soon we were heading over the last snow dome to the Col.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3lJvS-OaYM0sLI1LmQh_cshFXMg8wyxe76DNKhBOqZBYy2vrcpSfq30iZQMF4M8YWjoysfeGH2AkZigm3dpRasj_G26-C9B_XC7xqz42xAAPvy0EsbLGmH8Tx0lsdQ-P6vgAVJWywZ8CL/s1600/P1020454.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3lJvS-OaYM0sLI1LmQh_cshFXMg8wyxe76DNKhBOqZBYy2vrcpSfq30iZQMF4M8YWjoysfeGH2AkZigm3dpRasj_G26-C9B_XC7xqz42xAAPvy0EsbLGmH8Tx0lsdQ-P6vgAVJWywZ8CL/s1600/P1020454.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chris on the Kahutea Col</td></tr>
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The wind had picked up and was blowing whirling snow willy's around - we felt so much like we were back in Norway. On the Col the view of the White stretched out before us - lovely and crevasse free and very ski able! We decided to see if we could get up Mt Murchison, but some average snow conditions and our single lightweight ice axes turned us around. Nevermind, back to the Col we went and in the very cold wind mounted our skis and hooned down into the sun.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUyyD9Hb9XzQxRnXh1AmutTTOjCugtdHtg0UVMklTPx1shHjp2t3o_93pGUckLTbHhdEGVoHH9FnxrICaal6MoNTvJ15hpb9JhLdDut1pPO4pDKDA_F44r7Rod9yjJHt4vd4hp9v0PcnCW/s1600/P1020459.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUyyD9Hb9XzQxRnXh1AmutTTOjCugtdHtg0UVMklTPx1shHjp2t3o_93pGUckLTbHhdEGVoHH9FnxrICaal6MoNTvJ15hpb9JhLdDut1pPO4pDKDA_F44r7Rod9yjJHt4vd4hp9v0PcnCW/s1600/P1020459.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well earned lines on the White Glacier</td></tr>
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The glacier snow was very wind affected, but the gradient was lovely. We cruised down the White carving a few turns on the way. We skied all the way down to Barker Hut bar one little hill at the end! All that ski carrying had been well and truely justified in our minds. There was a nice Czech couple staying at Barker hut whose prints we had seen on the White. They were surprised to see our skis - they said they were ski mountaineers but were still waiting for the snow to come!<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZHzkWEYNrzi2L62OSHitCCpBH-LL_thDGPDahUzxT33lY0yHVm7H1SumdwBSPX2co63NCe61SLeBq2kaUDWGX1RhAkKIsI-DtYz5RsB28gj8mXOH016iV9pBUvt26_3pWW7dH616V6TM2/s1600/P1020483.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZHzkWEYNrzi2L62OSHitCCpBH-LL_thDGPDahUzxT33lY0yHVm7H1SumdwBSPX2co63NCe61SLeBq2kaUDWGX1RhAkKIsI-DtYz5RsB28gj8mXOH016iV9pBUvt26_3pWW7dH616V6TM2/s1600/P1020483.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barker Hut in the setting sun</td></tr>
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Barker felt luxouriously warm compared to our tent and we had a great night eating, cooking and enjoying the view. It was a cool place to be. We schemed some future SkiTramp missions whilst eating breakfast the following morning, and have decided a long spring day traverse from Mt Ambrose to Browning Pass is definitely a future goal in the sport of the SkiTramp.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1AIYWceUAc4VmoD2s8GTi1cs6W03Xll_CFrB23tMpK5FGDztMKk_3QdqWlJYjLjrb1g0Efv5OCpKGVeW0V-ZY0bkkZfRHb4N-o2G7zLiw5Ra2ZEP8ZiyEMl2mIblsbmUs0nV0nyLuZt2R/s1600/P1020492.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1AIYWceUAc4VmoD2s8GTi1cs6W03Xll_CFrB23tMpK5FGDztMKk_3QdqWlJYjLjrb1g0Efv5OCpKGVeW0V-ZY0bkkZfRHb4N-o2G7zLiw5Ra2ZEP8ZiyEMl2mIblsbmUs0nV0nyLuZt2R/s1600/P1020492.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving Barker Hut in the morning</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC1fwqwz6v0rrK2psUjk4ztLJlPGanBiCnTrBOUqJ5VnvikEkKqd77SWB-ScXLHyfcQveiAHKETZ4W5PpIxJviFTTH1nJM5u_UD-qODfabRvRjoKosN8R0Hgjblut6CJEaJ-2337_6A9VB/s1600/P1020499.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC1fwqwz6v0rrK2psUjk4ztLJlPGanBiCnTrBOUqJ5VnvikEkKqd77SWB-ScXLHyfcQveiAHKETZ4W5PpIxJviFTTH1nJM5u_UD-qODfabRvRjoKosN8R0Hgjblut6CJEaJ-2337_6A9VB/s1600/P1020499.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skis stowed, crampons on again..</td></tr>
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We walked out from Barker that day, into the cold Waimak Valley. My new ski boots had been great (Dynafit TLT 5 Performance) - super lightweight and comfy. We had seen that we could carry full ski mountaineering gear and our legs didn't crumple. We had had a neat adventure in the NZ mountains and we are now ready for the next SkiTramp (-:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgehWRODbTfNrZD0qUcZDLQ6eM1ayuB2U14zHyr1BfdNS7RPu5EdftNIaD-Fx21NdAbhgrpsx0H9nQlLHS8laiIjFgwsVsRHYS3CA_oRMH2BTRhVJYKcYKewO3Sj6u3uk6KcPnI6JtZzKEj/s1600/P1020505.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgehWRODbTfNrZD0qUcZDLQ6eM1ayuB2U14zHyr1BfdNS7RPu5EdftNIaD-Fx21NdAbhgrpsx0H9nQlLHS8laiIjFgwsVsRHYS3CA_oRMH2BTRhVJYKcYKewO3Sj6u3uk6KcPnI6JtZzKEj/s640/P1020505.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Kea's farewelled us descending from Barker Hut</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08406950956653207723noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249050746221514503.post-63008938448442392972014-03-20T02:09:00.003-07:002014-03-23T15:44:20.761-07:00Manakau Mission<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij45gV_ROvJbpjSlaqKR4YE455Ynz7scgZ4GmfJTli1hbx8nUV-HIkG9fRRffogR-X1QQWTXEP79ElLzuV1ZynA_NcMxrpzk3aEkxqhIlKsmEGbuGjkCvuARhYTqlODMzFf7whaV-JrQgk/s1600/P1010444.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij45gV_ROvJbpjSlaqKR4YE455Ynz7scgZ4GmfJTli1hbx8nUV-HIkG9fRRffogR-X1QQWTXEP79ElLzuV1ZynA_NcMxrpzk3aEkxqhIlKsmEGbuGjkCvuARhYTqlODMzFf7whaV-JrQgk/s1600/P1010444.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great evening views from high up on Manakau</td></tr>
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Four weeks out from Godzone, Chris, Rhys, Matt and I decided a proper mountain adventure was exactly what we needed to make sure we were fully prepared for this year's Godzone. Seeing as Godzone is based in Kaikoura, that seemed like a sensible place to plan a mission.<br />
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Unfortunately we were all at work and Chris had a little spare time to sit down and ponder a map - this normally results in bad consequences. Sure enough, he soon had us all convinced to embarking on an ambitious two day trip, which involved an ascent of Manakau (2600m) the highest peak in the Seaward Kaikoura Mountains.<br />
<br />
Matt, Chris and I (being Christchurch based) piled three bikes and a whole heap of gear in the car on Friday night and headed up towards Mt Lyford. Lara was busy heading the other way to spend the weekend training down in Geraldine with her team mates from "Chimpanzeebars". Somehow we couldn't find a map, so in the dark made a night time car nav blunder that cost us half an hour! Not a positive start.<br />
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Finally we found the intended carpark at Kahutara Stream. At about midnight Rhys pulled up - having missed the turnoff he too had driven about half an hour more than needed, some navigators we all were! After a good sleep the alarms rang out at 7 and we were up and off on our bikes. The road is a good quality 4WD track which winds up over 1000m to Blind Saddle. The clouds cleared and it was a beautiful morning with the bush clad steep sided peaks close around. The hills are covered in scrub including lots of wild spaniard, and travel in many of them looked tricky.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcNzAqIzNf7B7QLEYn1CgZB0AbfPgiRwxs52iu8rS0YXEqr78xb2qK4WFb9BdUz4AJeLBx-i9FraT5kBtumd7qcoSEI0J4syMZhyphenhyphen2szgDQonS4HQTVNbpU0ia3EYCvq6CoPUC4x429rDVK/s1600/P1010465.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcNzAqIzNf7B7QLEYn1CgZB0AbfPgiRwxs52iu8rS0YXEqr78xb2qK4WFb9BdUz4AJeLBx-i9FraT5kBtumd7qcoSEI0J4syMZhyphenhyphen2szgDQonS4HQTVNbpU0ia3EYCvq6CoPUC4x429rDVK/s1600/P1010465.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Above the cloud on Blind Saddle</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-plqxX8OBQg5fZZsgmyDBT8QXqVXq1-c2YwjmEBVjVJ6HJZugG8POg4_7JEMHu4wRpqp38avhPGWgyk3fXfjOzkdDBONBHEZbhIN8PD8IU4-en_MExTva82GtnPNPVB_p-2QdN6zXNpo/s1600/P1010402.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-plqxX8OBQg5fZZsgmyDBT8QXqVXq1-c2YwjmEBVjVJ6HJZugG8POg4_7JEMHu4wRpqp38avhPGWgyk3fXfjOzkdDBONBHEZbhIN8PD8IU4-en_MExTva82GtnPNPVB_p-2QdN6zXNpo/s1600/P1010402.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Biking up to Blind Saddle</td></tr>
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After a hot and humid climb we descended down the other side of Blind Saddle into the amazing Clarence Valley. I was loving the feeling of being here early morning, sometimes a Friday escape is really worthwhile. We then biked up Valley, following the Clarence River. The water was running low in the river and the temperature soared. After a quick stream soak which Matt strangely declined we headed up the next hill to the top of Limestone Hill, another 1000m climb. This turned into a bike push and we all felt a bit hot and pooped as we neared the summit.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-plqxX8OBQg5fZZsgmyDBT8QXqVXq1-c2YwjmEBVjVJ6HJZugG8POg4_7JEMHu4wRpqp38avhPGWgyk3fXfjOzkdDBONBHEZbhIN8PD8IU4-en_MExTva82GtnPNPVB_p-2QdN6zXNpo/s1600/P1010402.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHv-vXjKogmbhTJXc7pYqbe4zSg3FgL2b_DUB8vNN4hfo9rwKFUpYVvFWV92F5C1r1OVZQwY09AcF7-ZJoWtQNppWyCq9ZldFmoszpZXp3Of-UBTlGX46nWFDb64cnWUNhtKl40q0MaPQm/s1600/P1010462.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHv-vXjKogmbhTJXc7pYqbe4zSg3FgL2b_DUB8vNN4hfo9rwKFUpYVvFWV92F5C1r1OVZQwY09AcF7-ZJoWtQNppWyCq9ZldFmoszpZXp3Of-UBTlGX46nWFDb64cnWUNhtKl40q0MaPQm/s1600/P1010462.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The road winding down into the Clarence River</td></tr>
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<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhesD138__Q7hPuxYP7vH2QKbLrRnopCgr16JaNHXQ2fWYDCx3xcFmOfUiUk1aHVh5HNCO8ABDkUoKN-O7Ue4ocAg4y-eQWdXYZsHGREOcvXoPfydPM6VQLemJjTQsyJAoVtWwcGV_BnMjq/s1600/P1010407.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>On top Matt was definitely feeling the effects of the heat. My sandwiches went down well, and so did a yummy boiled egg. I must remember to take boiled eggs on adventures more often - they really are delicious.<br />
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I knew to get to the base of Manakau we had to climb over two saddles, then descend to Dubious Bivouac. From there we could access the ridge that Chris thought looked 'fairly climbable'. From our lunch spot we looked across the two saddles and on to the flanks of Manakau itself. We left our bikes in a neat pile on the summit and headed down grassy tussock slopes to crest the saddles one after the other. By this stage we had all run out of water, so the creek at Dubious Biv was to provide the next water stop. We saw several chamoix along the way.<br />
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<br />
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<br />
By the time we reached Dubious (a tiny wee 2 man hut) it was 5pm and we all dived in the Dubious stream for a swim. Mat was feeling decidedly bad from heat and dehydration. We now had a 1800m climb directly up the ridge to Manakau. As we climbed the sun set and the hills turned pink. The ridge became more difficult, with some steep scrambling involved. Mat was feeling really bad at that point, so he made the good call to head back to the hut.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6F4IxXzeyMRDqyXnjA6ctzVnB-u0q2fmI9iY0t5lIrdHAwo_xb-IT4aiNRIqDNgvQMpw3g_tpQO0mMB4nIgGrr3IQb0KsgBtcgQJbAVAgEPeZZ_7YUT22JlJ3n4XDXIzwXoxzQicnZBVR/s1600/P1010458.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6F4IxXzeyMRDqyXnjA6ctzVnB-u0q2fmI9iY0t5lIrdHAwo_xb-IT4aiNRIqDNgvQMpw3g_tpQO0mMB4nIgGrr3IQb0KsgBtcgQJbAVAgEPeZZ_7YUT22JlJ3n4XDXIzwXoxzQicnZBVR/s1600/P1010458.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally on the ridge up Manakau</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqvZTYJO0G-FmL4qoUE3xV5Zm6nMS3gL6tOBOArPlrNb5ozSZRKDV1y3ev8XPZH8x0bn7jijgF8fKgjvQ3wHQFSEJEi0Fd1NgiZmk8S-uxMP7BO4LWG5azXYktEvTKfSV93KOe6RVnbbqk/s1600/P1010430.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqvZTYJO0G-FmL4qoUE3xV5Zm6nMS3gL6tOBOArPlrNb5ozSZRKDV1y3ev8XPZH8x0bn7jijgF8fKgjvQ3wHQFSEJEi0Fd1NgiZmk8S-uxMP7BO4LWG5azXYktEvTKfSV93KOe6RVnbbqk/s1600/P1010430.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chris enjoying the climb</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0uv2aBvHafMp78MJF8AZZPyMClgytsSYExgN8HIEZiK3tOtx3jspNH3KvqjniG-I0H_tFJ233a_RsqPPdNLy2N5AwQ7uIDDTop3kG_CvPz4Pfmkt4I60xgkLfEw-uuKre0edlIDBz_lx2/s1600/P1010422.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0uv2aBvHafMp78MJF8AZZPyMClgytsSYExgN8HIEZiK3tOtx3jspNH3KvqjniG-I0H_tFJ233a_RsqPPdNLy2N5AwQ7uIDDTop3kG_CvPz4Pfmkt4I60xgkLfEw-uuKre0edlIDBz_lx2/s1600/P1010422.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All feeling it was time for a rest!</td></tr>
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<br />
We climbed on up through a wee bluff section just as the sun went down. Rhys and I were a bit concerned about descending this in the dark, but Chris spotted a better descent route directly down the face with a sidle back on to the ridge. We had a nasty down climb which Chris needed to lend a shoulder to help me reach the ground and then we were on easier ground again. We climbed up and up and I was feeling pretty knackered after about 4500m climbing all day!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOW87TSzQ3ufhpL2xGlzbO2PmRDwzl_C9_aSJSAC1B_VC4IhmulJoBffgxD7njOzIFzJy8XTylvc772ypa19ERaBJrSfrJoGkf__ZhB4Kxr_B-67mznMWzYXTYoHGNdHtXDU0RG2b69kc9/s1600/P1010451.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOW87TSzQ3ufhpL2xGlzbO2PmRDwzl_C9_aSJSAC1B_VC4IhmulJoBffgxD7njOzIFzJy8XTylvc772ypa19ERaBJrSfrJoGkf__ZhB4Kxr_B-67mznMWzYXTYoHGNdHtXDU0RG2b69kc9/s1600/P1010451.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My trusty 'Source Bladder'</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoVfg36d4P-CaFzE7azBggC-_91SuSGgksu6vcq4fA1SklQvoYq-h3iBlnbfhodP_pp6WDHfCBpqzqASIWqNWFmep9U_YEmnpyDhmkAADX00a56ShC_Qw79jIop7nlak1txFow9E0G43-R/s1600/P1010448.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoVfg36d4P-CaFzE7azBggC-_91SuSGgksu6vcq4fA1SklQvoYq-h3iBlnbfhodP_pp6WDHfCBpqzqASIWqNWFmep9U_YEmnpyDhmkAADX00a56ShC_Qw79jIop7nlak1txFow9E0G43-R/s1600/P1010448.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some rock scrambling in the sinking sun</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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It was quite surreal to reach the top just as it got really dark and look down on the twinkling lights of Kaikoura. My source bladder was great because I was still really thirsty from such a hot day. The wind was blowing, so we didn't muck around. We dropped down some steep scree slopes avoiding some bluffs. After what felt like an age of awkward sidling we found ouselves on a magnificent scree which we could run down. Rhys's goal for the trip was to bomb down some scree in the dark - he certainly managed that!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWZPdJaAHMLcTaAwhaikOdx9hJqID3zY3Nsqi8FeoJP0x_Z_8VDSw7PDYAnbNCVe5P42dSu7RxcfoX9Ci-pSvd1j14qJxUk4n7TiZMBYKkJ2fjk5VBslH33R3PLc0rpunvjjCiloTajX9b/s1600/P1010456.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWZPdJaAHMLcTaAwhaikOdx9hJqID3zY3Nsqi8FeoJP0x_Z_8VDSw7PDYAnbNCVe5P42dSu7RxcfoX9Ci-pSvd1j14qJxUk4n7TiZMBYKkJ2fjk5VBslH33R3PLc0rpunvjjCiloTajX9b/s1600/P1010456.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black on top - the lights you can see are Kaikoura!</td></tr>
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The ridge was quite difficult to get down in the dark, so we spent some time scouting to find our original route. We were all feeling hot and tired after the 3 hour descent, when we finally arrived back at Dubious Biv at about midnight. We had another quick swim to clean off in the river as the night was so mild, then cooked up a wee feast in the hut. Mat was feeling cross when we got back, having been asleep and still not feeling great, so he mooched off for a midnight swim and came back in a better frame of mind.<br />
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Morning dawned hot and clear again. We needed to get going reasonably early, as we had about an 8 hour trip out still and we didn't want to get back to Christchurch too late. The day was heating up already as we scrambled through bush directly after leaving the hut, and then climbed the slopes up and down and up again back to Limestone Hill.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAtV7A8omSZh0QWTUE42O9s3Cj0UY4ZaICjYGNBT7kADOi35Hj95I0U7-jXnvaTprp0kkKt1XCOiiGA_DYySilxfqX3O04PR1MqaboVH4Dz1wIXs1z5-u-BKD-ww9Nkmv057TtMUBl7n5a/s1600/P1010414.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAtV7A8omSZh0QWTUE42O9s3Cj0UY4ZaICjYGNBT7kADOi35Hj95I0U7-jXnvaTprp0kkKt1XCOiiGA_DYySilxfqX3O04PR1MqaboVH4Dz1wIXs1z5-u-BKD-ww9Nkmv057TtMUBl7n5a/s1600/P1010414.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dubious Biv by morning</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh09HsTcaCz6E-XEz2mVC5cqgtO3G87xALc-JJ9CemmWpieq2SRhAOn6wGGnLjVDoYV4caBG5DlFWMDSR9MzHxcG4KNDzv9SWw31p4-CHCj9KYQOHlobzYCAy9R-W7fcdC1WikIX8Grs8Ux/s1600/P1010412.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh09HsTcaCz6E-XEz2mVC5cqgtO3G87xALc-JJ9CemmWpieq2SRhAOn6wGGnLjVDoYV4caBG5DlFWMDSR9MzHxcG4KNDzv9SWw31p4-CHCj9KYQOHlobzYCAy9R-W7fcdC1WikIX8Grs8Ux/s1600/P1010412.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking back out over two saddles</td></tr>
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Our bikes greeted us, and a tricky downhill which ripped Mat's tire apart. A quick toilet paper and superglue fix seemed to hold for the day! Back down by the river we basked in the water and Chris built a damn to deepen our bathing pool. Mat was feeling better and diving into the water at every opportunity. We cooked up a two minute noodle feast for lunch, and then rode the 20 km back to the base of Blind Saddle. There are some great Doc huts in the valley which would be cool to stay in, I like the idea of a trip back to this area. But we had to get back to town, so we climbed up the hot road finally making Blind Saddle at about 4pm.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhesD138__Q7hPuxYP7vH2QKbLrRnopCgr16JaNHXQ2fWYDCx3xcFmOfUiUk1aHVh5HNCO8ABDkUoKN-O7Ue4ocAg4y-eQWdXYZsHGREOcvXoPfydPM6VQLemJjTQsyJAoVtWwcGV_BnMjq/s1600/P1010407.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhesD138__Q7hPuxYP7vH2QKbLrRnopCgr16JaNHXQ2fWYDCx3xcFmOfUiUk1aHVh5HNCO8ABDkUoKN-O7Ue4ocAg4y-eQWdXYZsHGREOcvXoPfydPM6VQLemJjTQsyJAoVtWwcGV_BnMjq/s1600/P1010407.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chris in stream</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHv-vXjKogmbhTJXc7pYqbe4zSg3FgL2b_DUB8vNN4hfo9rwKFUpYVvFWV92F5C1r1OVZQwY09AcF7-ZJoWtQNppWyCq9ZldFmoszpZXp3Of-UBTlGX46nWFDb64cnWUNhtKl40q0MaPQm/s1600/P1010462.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading down into the cloud</td></tr>
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As we whizzed down the other side back into the Waiou Valley the easterly mist came rolling in and we had to put jackets on. A quick descent and we were back at the cars. We parted ways with Rhys, and headed back to town. We'd had a very tough weekend, but a great adventure and it was pretty cool thinking this amazing weekend was just a "training" trip for an even greater adventure just around the corner...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08406950956653207723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249050746221514503.post-89129087722058437282014-01-20T19:57:00.003-08:002014-01-22T15:46:58.937-08:00Blogging again and the Gardens<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSLP31m6KnZSIcXCO3y76HVwPRDRJlhVSqMOvdSaHyDsYaDTH5Y_pWM7pozBVpHfsMIxW3mjcyvku6KrjzJteRs-Lb95sv5kQdwzchynNCDBSa-AA0MxKWDP2KNmBZ2rTY_MbBfuxxpLIz/s1600/P1010179.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSLP31m6KnZSIcXCO3y76HVwPRDRJlhVSqMOvdSaHyDsYaDTH5Y_pWM7pozBVpHfsMIxW3mjcyvku6KrjzJteRs-Lb95sv5kQdwzchynNCDBSa-AA0MxKWDP2KNmBZ2rTY_MbBfuxxpLIz/s1600/P1010179.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gateway to the Gardens!</td></tr>
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It's been a while since a tale has been told, but I have really missed recording the adventures of Em and Chris on the blog. More than anything, I like to record the stories for myself. It's great to be able to look back at the fun times and mad adventures we've had over the previous year. Although we got up to heaps of adventures last year most of them have sort of faded, hence my decision to blog again.<br />
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We shall see how it goes, given my time is limited with school teaching these days, but I'll do my best. Chris has even agreed to have a go at writing some posts, so watch that space.<br />
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We had a great adventure in the wild west right after Christmas. The weather is so crucial when planning a trip to the West Coast, and we spotted a wee fine gap beginning on Boxing Day. So between a yummy Christmas breakfast at my brothers and a Christmas lunch we madly threw together ice axes, ropes, cookers, tents, boots, packs and 6 days worth of food. Our plan was a trip into the fabled Gardens of Eden and Allah on the West Coast, a magical place and wilderness area notorious for its difficult access and sparkling peaks.<br />
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We cut Christmas lunch a little short and drove to Arthur's Pass, our rendezvous with Matt Scott and Lara Prince, as well as Sia Svensden who we had persuaded to be part of our trip. I didn't feel too bad about zooming away on Christmas day, my Mum was leading by example having been off tramping on the Milford, good on her!<br />
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A cosy night's sleep at the pass with the trains rumbling by and a reasonable amount of gear faff later and we were ready to leave for Hokitika. We piled into Matt and Lara's wee car and journeyed over to the Coast and the start of the track up the Wanganui River.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiciGkWSgvctXtDto9J-ZJQFaJkJ3lrtqK-tFGmbx2VPTnZc_GAjn_MtpKkocaWcZNBKCx0sJrQoUUktLXxGrPGRg8cuneUY-URx0wU4OYW3X7OaziTJKi2vo527naF_BnWZmA18trYHfX1/s1600/P1010112.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiciGkWSgvctXtDto9J-ZJQFaJkJ3lrtqK-tFGmbx2VPTnZc_GAjn_MtpKkocaWcZNBKCx0sJrQoUUktLXxGrPGRg8cuneUY-URx0wU4OYW3X7OaziTJKi2vo527naF_BnWZmA18trYHfX1/s1600/P1010112.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A swing crossing on the way in.</td></tr>
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The Wanganui was running very high, not from rain, but snow melt. We boulder hopped up to the crossing point at the Cable Car to Hunter's Hut.<br />
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Last time Chris and I walked in here it was our first ever trip together to climb the Amazon's Breasts on the Bracken Icefield. Then the river was small enough to wade across. Now we needed to utilize the magnificent cable car to cross, we had to turn the big levers to haul Chris up the opposite side, and then he could haul the rest of us across one by one.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG3K4Qz6oUaEXBm0JyShxXwdXd8dG4SyJc-2hLnLRKpHqAfoqODwOMOeGh8B_4tlYmOVUHDehtWs9gVcIJacqXB8x86HGu-DsRUOr1KcRy3X_jI69Uly06oGOr-89gvvt7VO0RmXeajWuM/s1600/P1010098.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG3K4Qz6oUaEXBm0JyShxXwdXd8dG4SyJc-2hLnLRKpHqAfoqODwOMOeGh8B_4tlYmOVUHDehtWs9gVcIJacqXB8x86HGu-DsRUOr1KcRy3X_jI69Uly06oGOr-89gvvt7VO0RmXeajWuM/s1600/P1010098.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking up the Wanganui.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxbBquEi-FEvHGWUYkYZBzZkty4rbV-r62IlynoOjFMa5Ks1PllTKp9WWpH11YoqA33Fok73Tw3L4Y-apMEBrpjmA28sB8k7XV45D7_VQTy4OjPtMW9q4QNUzAia8Ikw1wGu1EfFrAvfJm/s1600/P1010093.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxbBquEi-FEvHGWUYkYZBzZkty4rbV-r62IlynoOjFMa5Ks1PllTKp9WWpH11YoqA33Fok73Tw3L4Y-apMEBrpjmA28sB8k7XV45D7_VQTy4OjPtMW9q4QNUzAia8Ikw1wGu1EfFrAvfJm/s1600/P1010093.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matt and Lara walking in.</td></tr>
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Our packs were feeling heavy and when we reached the hut at about 8 pm we decided this was a sensible stopping point. Unfortunately on the way up Lara had lost her glasses, so she managed to fashion this wonderful glacier monocle from strapping tape and a spare lense at the hut. It's still sitting at Hunter's Hut, so if you forget your glasses it's all yours!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLp5FNTD1ss1qTLSUgDiMoixOHif4V6tBYnEQceS7lJ6jGgyFlFACvmC_aaib6m4w6AAtG4YrguMmH1VSNcNudQpkkvoqeIiapYdgkjK1rrxpimtKLNWWwMgPoow709f_4q_u8nkixhofl/s1600/P1010105.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLp5FNTD1ss1qTLSUgDiMoixOHif4V6tBYnEQceS7lJ6jGgyFlFACvmC_aaib6m4w6AAtG4YrguMmH1VSNcNudQpkkvoqeIiapYdgkjK1rrxpimtKLNWWwMgPoow709f_4q_u8nkixhofl/s1600/P1010105.JPG" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The monocle zombie!</td></tr>
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The 27th dawned clear and beautiful as we headed up the Lambert River, across the swing bridge which has recently been replaced, and on up the well marked trail onto Lambert Tops. It's a big climb with heavy packs, and we only reached the tops after about 4 hours of climbing. The tops are scrubby at first, then open into some lovely alpine vegetation with tarns and meadows.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg34dw82erCB2tzEgh67tY_jp_M41zwHftJM9r9uvRiJ9foMjZv1f-j8-RnqZLATQQjcFHjnVCZP4E_eeqEomkCkNxBvvIQUvpRf32bWQ9B0UuiENDc2y_QBr9tGEdp93WLYaT7SP26vFee/s1600/P1010114.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg34dw82erCB2tzEgh67tY_jp_M41zwHftJM9r9uvRiJ9foMjZv1f-j8-RnqZLATQQjcFHjnVCZP4E_eeqEomkCkNxBvvIQUvpRf32bWQ9B0UuiENDc2y_QBr9tGEdp93WLYaT7SP26vFee/s1600/P1010114.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful forest up Lambert Spur.</td></tr>
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At this point our party faltered and we ended up making the decision to split - Matt and Lara would camp at the tarns and head back down to Hunter's Hut the following night. Chris, Sia and I would continue into the Gardens, along to Adams Col and down to Adams Flat, then back to Hunter's hut in two days time to meet back with Matt and Lara. We felt sad to have divided, somehow defeated, but it is important in the mountains to be clear about your feelings and ambitions, which don't always align perfectly with every other member in the group.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeevesU761RaJsPTI6R4M51FtjJHEJ1mP8VK3TuAvmo_gdEj3Nt52BReTW-A7pMSNlb1BEiV-eWzoruYnpes8v7YE2iL7mTAwn8boQGC1YSeOGJPthAwD_qhoZ_JtrzJLblwpRfWsr3yUW/s1600/P1010128.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeevesU761RaJsPTI6R4M51FtjJHEJ1mP8VK3TuAvmo_gdEj3Nt52BReTW-A7pMSNlb1BEiV-eWzoruYnpes8v7YE2iL7mTAwn8boQGC1YSeOGJPthAwD_qhoZ_JtrzJLblwpRfWsr3yUW/s1600/P1010128.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On Lambert Tops looking down to the tarns where Matt and Lara camped.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNNy76FVGxzQ_f2eQg5k1Rc7jWp9J0Rrb_q9cYjckmLZKb9ZlWv5JOcf0I-HprEoStAiXoWRsOxPgD_13LnvcNYoziy8bW-LqtRoKMIvXExJmO5xWvt7gMUA3HSuEsxkPCvEQhbyfNuN3B/s1600/P1010130.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNNy76FVGxzQ_f2eQg5k1Rc7jWp9J0Rrb_q9cYjckmLZKb9ZlWv5JOcf0I-HprEoStAiXoWRsOxPgD_13LnvcNYoziy8bW-LqtRoKMIvXExJmO5xWvt7gMUA3HSuEsxkPCvEQhbyfNuN3B/s1600/P1010130.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ascending the snow saddle.</td></tr>
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We continued over a snowy saddle towards Mount Lambert, then veered left towards the looming walls of Lambert Chasm (my name) where the Lambert glacier tumbles down into an engulfing gorge which is the upper Lambert River. First we descended a gully with many <i>luminous</i> boulders (<i>luminous: a very large rock which is sitting right above you and looks like it might tumble and crush you if you breath too loudly; Chris and I coined the word on the trip as we encountered them quite often) </i>were Sia had a wee "I am not sure if I shouldn't go back with Matt and Lara" moment, but, determined girl that she is, continued on.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3odnzIapDsDJN3MUfUSEqi8MicLN7DD1MzKeSo6i858ARLNfEcVpeF8SUjcYIyhkm_yHGlLUpFw34dzASYng14MDeWGXXubzttjjw9ninbT5_2FlNSKu1ZbnlEYTZT-8ms01LmWfX4gwu/s1600/P1010138.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3odnzIapDsDJN3MUfUSEqi8MicLN7DD1MzKeSo6i858ARLNfEcVpeF8SUjcYIyhkm_yHGlLUpFw34dzASYng14MDeWGXXubzttjjw9ninbT5_2FlNSKu1ZbnlEYTZT-8ms01LmWfX4gwu/s1600/P1010138.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 'luminous' gorge we had to descend and the snow grass slopes we sidled around.</td></tr>
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We sidled round some hairy snow grass slopes that had unforgiving drops, doing a little pack shuttling on the way. Just as the sun was setting we found ourselves thankfully on easier slopes and picked a flat spot for our tent. Chris and Sia constructed a great rock wall while I cooked tea. In the dark we sat looking across at the mountain range across the valley and sipping hot chocolates. I saw a bright light right on the mountain top which suddenly went out. "It must be a climber!" we exclaimed.<br />
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Then the light came on again - Chris flashed his light back at the light, which was slowly moving along the dark ridge, shining and then disappearing. "Late to be on the summit", I commented. After a fascinating 15 minutes transmitting signals to the climber, the light suddenly disengaged itself from the ridge and started climbing up into the sky. Oops, Venus was definitely playing tricks with us tonight!<br />
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After a squishy night with three people crammed into a two man tent we hopped up to find another clear day on the 28th. Just like the previous two days the clouds seemed to gather around the divide at about midday onwards, spilling from the East but remaining mostly fine on the West - we guessed correctly that the weather was crappy in Christchurch. We climbed up gentle snow slopes to the prominent boulder described in the NZAC "Canterbury and Westland Alps" guidebook. To access the glacier we scrambled up a short steep rock ridge, and looked down to a valley of white. Beneath us was a great bergshrund, but we could see that a little earlier on the ridge there may be a way down.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSsXxvbovFRKlWi72zXeRyujDWjLv9mGBFXFnCIDcQS_ZcswSQPuTvnuqPLY_MGVnGxc4TTgJsd2EF8IM0J8QvVMX5xfRwpdY6NOXcA9ip6-CD6QfzaZD1XZMC3bSNevCr1q-T-WJSdEdy/s1600/P1010140.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSsXxvbovFRKlWi72zXeRyujDWjLv9mGBFXFnCIDcQS_ZcswSQPuTvnuqPLY_MGVnGxc4TTgJsd2EF8IM0J8QvVMX5xfRwpdY6NOXcA9ip6-CD6QfzaZD1XZMC3bSNevCr1q-T-WJSdEdy/s1600/P1010140.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breaking our camp on the ledge.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI_MrOw_ooHdY1hZhhKmIv_xmdjEJG8ZoiZwhHTbV9NF_u_iRpa7g86gTaI0B6IELI8WbLvFYMlYl2Fxl4T5CF17t7YEjtYj1mBBCQqGXnyw34XVFQFvIEqMb7msQU_xRzLe0hYUc-AxE5/s1600/P1010148.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI_MrOw_ooHdY1hZhhKmIv_xmdjEJG8ZoiZwhHTbV9NF_u_iRpa7g86gTaI0B6IELI8WbLvFYMlYl2Fxl4T5CF17t7YEjtYj1mBBCQqGXnyw34XVFQFvIEqMb7msQU_xRzLe0hYUc-AxE5/s1600/P1010148.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sia climbs the ridge before the glacier.</td></tr>
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We climbed to a different point and found an easy route onto the glacier. In a brisk wind we roped up and Chris belayed me down the slopey section past some crevasses onto the flat expanse of the Garden of Allah. Great icefalls tumbled down on either side of the glacier, but right in the middle was cravasse free and beautiful - it really did feel unreal to be in that remote Garden. We walked roped up to Satan Saddle, the clouds rolling in and then dispersing again to give magnificent views of Kensington and Farrah Mountains.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK5gyogX-KZhlb5hhaR1UT9-cpy5G1ny8sAig73oWDYj0Ue5zddLAbFVALl5VO1wlukUr1QecKaoX7lmZ5Fjr7QwqJg93qfvzjNG-ZEkxEwn-oEmq-VOSDisi4fuEV0Ywa0xj_1cWFCza0/s1600/P1010153.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK5gyogX-KZhlb5hhaR1UT9-cpy5G1ny8sAig73oWDYj0Ue5zddLAbFVALl5VO1wlukUr1QecKaoX7lmZ5Fjr7QwqJg93qfvzjNG-ZEkxEwn-oEmq-VOSDisi4fuEV0Ywa0xj_1cWFCza0/s1600/P1010153.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the Gardens at last! The small pointy peak in the sun is where we accessed the glacier.</td></tr>
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There was less snow as we dropped down towards Adam's Col and Ice Fall lookout where we stopped for lunch. A great prow of rock poked up like a gate overlooking the broken spires of the Beelzebub Glacier. We found a lovely warm sheltered spot for lunch and wished we could share the spot with the rest of our party - camping at Adam's Col would be magical and Angel Col and the Garden of Eden were right there for the taking. However, we had agreed to meet Matt and Lara the following day, so these delights would have to wait for another trip.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWzVVU1hqmb265YOwWo8sLVTG9TQ-JBxXHCRlrERqjCKjlwp_E3R7qxccBgNM2yU0JrcRFINpgzoZx6en5WELFXGWLGJYBJbVz17ubNrUCbV1vXT1mithF-drApOLCZwapAMF6D0105lLz/s1600/P1010155.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWzVVU1hqmb265YOwWo8sLVTG9TQ-JBxXHCRlrERqjCKjlwp_E3R7qxccBgNM2yU0JrcRFINpgzoZx6en5WELFXGWLGJYBJbVz17ubNrUCbV1vXT1mithF-drApOLCZwapAMF6D0105lLz/s1600/P1010155.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picnic spot on the Garden of Allah.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEickOJ_zguCKvahCaasgtPnaelO0M7Gh4SBSWNonik8KWBFXTZBpbTqjbp0xcS128ZoWX9yhevS087SfClGLZLQCQf7I3RxSAQS5DrGXc26SbNJpOuLqq61nHVe0Ae55uEuUChw5_SUzRPW/s1600/P1010167.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEickOJ_zguCKvahCaasgtPnaelO0M7Gh4SBSWNonik8KWBFXTZBpbTqjbp0xcS128ZoWX9yhevS087SfClGLZLQCQf7I3RxSAQS5DrGXc26SbNJpOuLqq61nHVe0Ae55uEuUChw5_SUzRPW/s1600/P1010167.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adam's Col looking back towards Satan Saddle.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
At 2.30 after crossing the foot of the Garden of Eden we started the tricky descent off the bluffs and down to Adam's flat. There was some time spent scouting a route - we chose the solid rock further to the left of the glacier, rather than the loose and luminous rock filled descent recommended by the guide. After several hours of route finding and careful down climbing down the steep rocks we found ourselves back on the ice. We cramponed down the lower Beelzebub, enjoying the afternoon sun and the magnificence of our setting.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxpsPyGeA5NEKp-cOMnhl6JU0f2E6vQw9_LON1CNOea9ew5F2H1zcJ-bCRsQ4aGbISbfTOX0S5vWH6DfWgunIFAYv0Ust3wPZReX2zB0gH02K_vOo3O7HWsurtmU57Wc-fUSwHxS-5Tpbl/s1600/P1010171.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxpsPyGeA5NEKp-cOMnhl6JU0f2E6vQw9_LON1CNOea9ew5F2H1zcJ-bCRsQ4aGbISbfTOX0S5vWH6DfWgunIFAYv0Ust3wPZReX2zB0gH02K_vOo3O7HWsurtmU57Wc-fUSwHxS-5Tpbl/s1600/P1010171.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sia wonders "where exactly did we come down?"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbP0TZDKgxYdtPufak08LoGOqtB3flw3att1o_Wkq5o3o0eGdl3W-aiNQOyMNwalbrIBh8r7cCjzGoDNuz3tVB98sFEDT-Gg-ThgKdmUN677ZOfbZsRUAKtRKVDRzRELLdogesn4TPTN9M/s1600/P1010174.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbP0TZDKgxYdtPufak08LoGOqtB3flw3att1o_Wkq5o3o0eGdl3W-aiNQOyMNwalbrIBh8r7cCjzGoDNuz3tVB98sFEDT-Gg-ThgKdmUN677ZOfbZsRUAKtRKVDRzRELLdogesn4TPTN9M/s1600/P1010174.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally down the bluffs and onto the ice of the broken Beelzebub Glacier.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOLZSaWTsDf4fqGs6oQWa7pTWvt7yL3faoa0HhU9EmDMZsX6MzAO8paA1LaiJ8TQ7r2AxKBgTP-RvM0NalPrTK4OliRC6yXvyQCdz8cNEmmf3jdRR2yJncoxgSFIOI556nBR_RNKD-j6Nb/s1600/P1010180.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOLZSaWTsDf4fqGs6oQWa7pTWvt7yL3faoa0HhU9EmDMZsX6MzAO8paA1LaiJ8TQ7r2AxKBgTP-RvM0NalPrTK4OliRC6yXvyQCdz8cNEmmf3jdRR2yJncoxgSFIOI556nBR_RNKD-j6Nb/s1600/P1010180.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A waterfall on the first flat part.</td></tr>
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Sheer rock walls dominated on either side of the valley, the broken Beelzebub piled down one side of the head of the valley and the ice cliff at the tale of the Garden of Eden the other. Once upon a time these two glaciers meet, and one could walk all the way down them to Adam's Flat! Hard to believe right now. I couldn't help wondering what the Garden's might become if the glaciers disappear.<br />
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We reached the first flat section of the Adam's River in the late afternoon. We had a snack, and then continued down a steeper bouldery section. At the very base of this section Adam's Flat is visible just a few hundred metres away, but the river cuts into bluffs on the true right. The options are an icy ford or a sketchy bluff climb. Chris managed to swim/run the river without a pack, but the fast flowing, turbid afternoon waters and unforgiving rapid directly after the crossing sent off warning signals in my mind - the bluffs it would have to be.<br />
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We scouted around till I spotted a climbable route, with a tree directly above it to make an anchor. Chris climbed up with the rope and slings and fashioned an anchor in the setting sun. From that we belayed each other across the tricky section, and I belayed Chris (the pack mule) with each of our packs. Adam's Flat was finally in our grasp after 12 hours on the move. We found a lovely spot in the tussocks and alpine moss just as it got dark.<br />
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The sun shone into the tent and woke us, all feeling a bit bleary eyed and achy from the previous day's adventures. A slow start with a bit of time spent brewing a mountain coffee and we were ready to leave the meadows of Adam's Flat.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX9dvwCDVYkTsQImQrFRAzKMlSZ6T1geD9MwjZB4dVTuvrkoRMuiX-Zbvg4UcWSZShZYwq9Jykw9JoPEmvfZN9e1JiTV0qZqCPWm89w9i4bAMkmH8djOtAdCVEUqsRYn8yEJRkMwAnxuzX/s1600/P1010187.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX9dvwCDVYkTsQImQrFRAzKMlSZ6T1geD9MwjZB4dVTuvrkoRMuiX-Zbvg4UcWSZShZYwq9Jykw9JoPEmvfZN9e1JiTV0qZqCPWm89w9i4bAMkmH8djOtAdCVEUqsRYn8yEJRkMwAnxuzX/s1600/P1010187.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying the sun and a coffee at Adam's Flat</td></tr>
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We crossed the river (which was running much smaller in the morning) and then headed down river. If you walk out via the river to Hunter's Hut it is described as a hard, full, two days walk. This didn't appeal, so we decided to attempt the route back onto the Lambert tops.<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA4CqnFg-UcstH6SLQJ44fIp1DoIylBkifbzbaOJNZ_vcbwfkUl_omgPjRVf7jr1ZxB3VgJ_QZxY2LmJXHEUJBIbrxtI6G-qcl7UgKN6QO_tYb522gyalqzgem88PEj3EIy14exvld_eMm/s1600/P1010217.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA4CqnFg-UcstH6SLQJ44fIp1DoIylBkifbzbaOJNZ_vcbwfkUl_omgPjRVf7jr1ZxB3VgJ_QZxY2LmJXHEUJBIbrxtI6G-qcl7UgKN6QO_tYb522gyalqzgem88PEj3EIy14exvld_eMm/s1600/P1010217.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
We located a scrubby gully that looked like it would give us access onto the ridge above Aciphylla Creek. It was scrubby and steep as we climbed up and up, overlooking the Adam's River. Poor Sia had sustained painful blisters along the way, and was finding the climb very sore.<br />
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After a steep exposed rocky section at the top of the gully (where I managed to stumble upon a chamois hangout underneath a large boulder) we made it onto the ridge. Aciphylla Creek has that name for a reason, so we gingerly edged our way down the ridge trying not to get too spiked.<br />
<br />
After lunch at a tarn we headed on up the river, past a blue duck! and then to another gully which looked climbable. The Aciphylla Creek appeared to turn into a chasm-like slot canyon that didn't look at all friendly to climb.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw47b8cb1MaC5e-T1FRYYwD7PhaKrdQqYWGRir45JyHV23f3JSHlIdp0-8-hYYeNArrKqsoB-c8TSYYrpABluw8oq9RxSBKuqiRITOHlPs2AGM8PhLIOuZ95DSqBZXlr4seOMaGquOwx5U/s1600/P1010194.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw47b8cb1MaC5e-T1FRYYwD7PhaKrdQqYWGRir45JyHV23f3JSHlIdp0-8-hYYeNArrKqsoB-c8TSYYrpABluw8oq9RxSBKuqiRITOHlPs2AGM8PhLIOuZ95DSqBZXlr4seOMaGquOwx5U/s1600/P1010194.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing the scrubby gully from Adam's flat onto the ridge</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKtTHiLM5LZVCMhFjgiNR5D6k3Z52nYWWy50AzJ9gNk1VU47Sf6H7v4Xz8a3a1kQpv-C90zl_6D3J1myen1ApRG6MmRHQN-ns7JOG-tJtmyksGd94iUi2_8oUpy-fA1M0P9j4HQcI3M9wd/s1600/P1010196.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKtTHiLM5LZVCMhFjgiNR5D6k3Z52nYWWy50AzJ9gNk1VU47Sf6H7v4Xz8a3a1kQpv-C90zl_6D3J1myen1ApRG6MmRHQN-ns7JOG-tJtmyksGd94iUi2_8oUpy-fA1M0P9j4HQcI3M9wd/s1600/P1010196.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A steep scrabble at the top past the chamois hangout</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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A pack of about 6 keas hunted us as we climbed the gully with the clouds coming in from the East and West this time and the odd spot of rain. With tired feet we realised we needed to climb higher again to avoid the gorge. The snow grass peetered out and we finally looked up and saw we were not far at all from the base of the snowy saddle we had crossed only two days previously - it felt like ages!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDC0qYzA78_9P1jXH9nKvXnHqeZef0Rd0CnUplEuM-ebIXHn4Du21NbrH4-gKNVmgN_X2Tl_XVplfepTgBFESMIc1nLHWiKHtQyy2UED4zZh9HajZ0HZfPZUi4WMlBcGGJlBQX2eDAknbm/s1600/P1010213.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDC0qYzA78_9P1jXH9nKvXnHqeZef0Rd0CnUplEuM-ebIXHn4Du21NbrH4-gKNVmgN_X2Tl_XVplfepTgBFESMIc1nLHWiKHtQyy2UED4zZh9HajZ0HZfPZUi4WMlBcGGJlBQX2eDAknbm/s1600/P1010213.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing out of Aciphylla Creek.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0_lTWZNuNZatksZgXs49sOoLL5J32kEN69hL16SSqTjiO5Rn_CeYqgyJOhQsd8sXib9DDCvbLd8425jPJ3Lw4cNDFOUKoeESMKJHMv8VKrY0FOX710C8Dg8A9CdF2wtCc4qeMJEc-S6oJ/s1600/P1010216.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0_lTWZNuNZatksZgXs49sOoLL5J32kEN69hL16SSqTjiO5Rn_CeYqgyJOhQsd8sXib9DDCvbLd8425jPJ3Lw4cNDFOUKoeESMKJHMv8VKrY0FOX710C8Dg8A9CdF2wtCc4qeMJEc-S6oJ/s1600/P1010216.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing the final scree slopes to the pass.</td></tr>
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Because of the clouds the snow was firmer, so we put our crampons on and headed up the snow to the saddle. Sia breathed a great sigh of relief to be back in familiar country. From the saddle we had a big descent down the Lambert Tops and into the forest. We rocketed downwards, weary but keen to get to the hut before it got too late.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgivs6vxNnLvlNteVHSp6Sq560WerzJmTrX3lXnRi6fvQm5a31Qu8zqerlORYVm9lVh8DPNTT2ekhi-JfA8P4gI0OhYC7LNQ2b_gQMs-oJbWO32eP9TX9-TpUbx23iXgOs-juQcrxbrWPn/s1600/P1010224.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgivs6vxNnLvlNteVHSp6Sq560WerzJmTrX3lXnRi6fvQm5a31Qu8zqerlORYVm9lVh8DPNTT2ekhi-JfA8P4gI0OhYC7LNQ2b_gQMs-oJbWO32eP9TX9-TpUbx23iXgOs-juQcrxbrWPn/s1600/P1010224.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Descending Lambert Tops in the cloud. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaa1GsD5hldPpg1jMf8Y3ZzQ8ZUmRROJwfGTJO-uIdECCMcKVeXtLYemPhkgB1E_KN3jINnmKC-QRHb5FmhsFad2R8ane7rDPQEBhlMzEgk3ZhgTIzjLaxQilZICOAe3JOaV2Ws-4FLL52/s1600/P1010228.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaa1GsD5hldPpg1jMf8Y3ZzQ8ZUmRROJwfGTJO-uIdECCMcKVeXtLYemPhkgB1E_KN3jINnmKC-QRHb5FmhsFad2R8ane7rDPQEBhlMzEgk3ZhgTIzjLaxQilZICOAe3JOaV2Ws-4FLL52/s1600/P1010228.JPG" height="480" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coming down through the different vegetation bands</td></tr>
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By 11 pm we reached the bottom of the forest and crossed the slippery swing bridge over the Lambert River. I caught my breath as a tired Sia lost her footing on the bridge and nearly tumbled 100 metres down into the raging torrent below!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Iu9ApsHxgy2uMWh6i42Di6prA5OnVi4f525M7he5fvKKwF6VqPc_s6nbLLPUiAU__B03PB27PsZcr3kd7KYUP40aamg7MO2zzefSf8BNWiZYWOG1EFwHPpDO5bV8TDNKbJ-_iTQr6khc/s1600/P1010233.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Iu9ApsHxgy2uMWh6i42Di6prA5OnVi4f525M7he5fvKKwF6VqPc_s6nbLLPUiAU__B03PB27PsZcr3kd7KYUP40aamg7MO2zzefSf8BNWiZYWOG1EFwHPpDO5bV8TDNKbJ-_iTQr6khc/s1600/P1010233.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sia crossing the bridge, just after she slipped and nearly fell in! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKDnpfWSMDcwTe3U4ksIjtYs9o0NXr02euf1U3rgXeBoqsqPlzziMeSItHsClWFpI7yp9-JEllZ94PD5jsFc78WIWQwsuHMX8bVrQ2-KtfohCVSiEynAcgcq9sfw7EE39OB3eFQ-HcmwiK/s1600/P1010236c.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKDnpfWSMDcwTe3U4ksIjtYs9o0NXr02euf1U3rgXeBoqsqPlzziMeSItHsClWFpI7yp9-JEllZ94PD5jsFc78WIWQwsuHMX8bVrQ2-KtfohCVSiEynAcgcq9sfw7EE39OB3eFQ-HcmwiK/s1600/P1010236c.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reunited in the hut and leaving in the rain.</td></tr>
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Once safely across the river we wandered down, knowing the Hut was close by now. We sung and hummed and caught site of an elusive glow worm. At 12.30 we were greeted by the site of the hut, and a happy-to-see-us Matt and Lara. We exchanged tales while we cooked up some dinner - they had spent a lovely night on the Lambert Tops, climbed the snowy saddle, and then come down and done a day trip up to the Blue Lookout.<br />
<br />
The rain came in the night and it was lovely lying listening to it patter on the tin roof. More excited chatter in the morning with our reunited party and we finally got going in the rain. We had the cable car crossing more sorted this time, and enjoyed swinging across the swollen Wanganui River. On the way out we met another big party planning a ten day trip into the Gardens - with a forecast of heavy rain for the West coast we weren't sure about their chances.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdcS1YZfFqKdAzm7myexxyqdnXr68x0BJ830RWan5hidp-g1HoxWuf5YO7TSJ3wzub041p8hFuWG79xQFMG0fdMZUpqE5nNsajNpFvl54DiaDKH0UP_2RGVfFlC76HhTGJ3Ego0-S4epq7/s1600/GOPR0363.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdcS1YZfFqKdAzm7myexxyqdnXr68x0BJ830RWan5hidp-g1HoxWuf5YO7TSJ3wzub041p8hFuWG79xQFMG0fdMZUpqE5nNsajNpFvl54DiaDKH0UP_2RGVfFlC76HhTGJ3Ego0-S4epq7/s1600/GOPR0363.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exciting times on the Wanganui cable car.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyXbP2I26bz6e4YyjeHXTMTXc_nMOaJHBJm4-7EEUhgYvf1SkhLfjz6tpi4QQC0maTz04j0UmtfnIIu7Nm7z0IYdEUVg-lxkFehLsjSf9RSXVMHrGiGEJAzWRTLfONDvU-85WAy9QCRVgk/s1600/P1010239.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyXbP2I26bz6e4YyjeHXTMTXc_nMOaJHBJm4-7EEUhgYvf1SkhLfjz6tpi4QQC0maTz04j0UmtfnIIu7Nm7z0IYdEUVg-lxkFehLsjSf9RSXVMHrGiGEJAzWRTLfONDvU-85WAy9QCRVgk/s1600/P1010239.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clearing after rain as we walk out down the Wanganui River</td></tr>
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The weather cleared as we neared the West Coast and we trotted along, eager for the road end. We had a real adventure in those mountains, but as is often the case I came out feeling like I really had just wetted my appetite for West Coast adventures, it is such an amazing area and I wondered when the next time the weather, holidays, and other commitments would coincide to enable another visit.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdLDzVkG5mNJhP5UICk1YGuTAlfzuYomd7wX_UQNqVxuqGP5BCLPCgkR73DrNG1r2BQXrTobZST_vYc6nhAtoqMAwTPA0oMpQLQgHeBi3_v16dC7293sOoH0I9rH59XpNhAGKTHuL5CwOl/s1600/P1010242.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdLDzVkG5mNJhP5UICk1YGuTAlfzuYomd7wX_UQNqVxuqGP5BCLPCgkR73DrNG1r2BQXrTobZST_vYc6nhAtoqMAwTPA0oMpQLQgHeBi3_v16dC7293sOoH0I9rH59XpNhAGKTHuL5CwOl/s1600/P1010242.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Year at the pass with the gang</td></tr>
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We drove home via delicious Indian in Hokitika (since when could you get vegetarian Indian in Hokitika???) and spent two days basking on delicious food while the rain came down in Arthurs. Funnily enough we spent most of that time pouring over climbing guides and maps to scheme our next adventure. So our journey had come to an end, the weather was poo, and it was time to go back to Christchurch. Next stop - mountain bike orienteering in Auckland and Rotorua!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI0-6pjJdx-hM0cb0AZkpt_Jtb2IOPoo7GoSxQYjTnyTB3EY8_ubd8H_2HVxI4nll7kjxKJIcUcaPUsL7ZtLks-9twzQol_0unGl9ocK_wTOVOR4kyRYjWRNJwcSTij4Nn23YXL8xq3Yr2/s1600/P1010156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI0-6pjJdx-hM0cb0AZkpt_Jtb2IOPoo7GoSxQYjTnyTB3EY8_ubd8H_2HVxI4nll7kjxKJIcUcaPUsL7ZtLks-9twzQol_0unGl9ocK_wTOVOR4kyRYjWRNJwcSTij4Nn23YXL8xq3Yr2/s1600/P1010156.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chris tries to impress the ladies with his hot pink lips!</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08406950956653207723noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249050746221514503.post-19926728565712462712012-09-09T03:45:00.002-07:002012-09-09T03:49:12.623-07:00Chris in France<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Nhi-QAYZdyC5LEq4gPQJLDE5Ibz5zYcdcX9varRNbtVk_6PyMBZpZ0IiCwTR9TD-A1jwTGq5V0YToPeLx3-jOBslZPLjNYXm-WInrUfsG00338Zf3AhnVsMO0MBlk6G025dGOcFrGbEA/s1600/IMG_0070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Nhi-QAYZdyC5LEq4gPQJLDE5Ibz5zYcdcX9varRNbtVk_6PyMBZpZ0IiCwTR9TD-A1jwTGq5V0YToPeLx3-jOBslZPLjNYXm-WInrUfsG00338Zf3AhnVsMO0MBlk6G025dGOcFrGbEA/s640/IMG_0070.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L'Argentiere la Bessee (our home for the next week)</td></tr>
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After a successful race in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, China it was off to France with the rest of the Seagate team (Nathan, Trevor and Sophie) to prepare for the Adventure race world champs.<br />
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Having finally got a new camera, after destroying the previous one swimming in TWALK, I thought I had better post some pretty pictures and a quick update of my adventure racing mission.<br />
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<br />
After arriving in Nice, we hired a car and drove to L'Argentiere la Bessee, where we are now staying for a few more days until the start of the race. Along the way we managed to find a couple of spectacular passes, exciting all of us to come back sometime to do some cycling here. With around 2000m vertical accent and smooth asphalt it is road bike paradise.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidN4LoqCONVb0vUxMLiF4E9lYN7dRChTCnC5M2ic1TAbnUFm8BW5Jn04R9FRdeJXd7ES0Hf8Y-zaqZfnCnxdGV6dGv-KN8LzCKTQNPLYvHllNiRzcQzth5lkZdFYUFKLj3dVwryEz-W606/s1600/IMG_0022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidN4LoqCONVb0vUxMLiF4E9lYN7dRChTCnC5M2ic1TAbnUFm8BW5Jn04R9FRdeJXd7ES0Hf8Y-zaqZfnCnxdGV6dGv-KN8LzCKTQNPLYvHllNiRzcQzth5lkZdFYUFKLj3dVwryEz-W606/s640/IMG_0022.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caserne de Restefond (near Col de la Bonette 2715m)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIFOxwSfppdUARs9yOT_ktmrYbBW9yEzDw49OTTaypF3-0-aj_6lUxZQtBZPZoph8LjMb3D8z-YJKptSeEzFleH0yj-XsJsxe015p5r1qc7mM1mqd6jTSXvU_MOQHt3eCFlsGCVbgYJuYw/s1600/IMG_0047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIFOxwSfppdUARs9yOT_ktmrYbBW9yEzDw49OTTaypF3-0-aj_6lUxZQtBZPZoph8LjMb3D8z-YJKptSeEzFleH0yj-XsJsxe015p5r1qc7mM1mqd6jTSXvU_MOQHt3eCFlsGCVbgYJuYw/s640/IMG_0047.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Col de Vars</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;">We also managed to find some delicious baguettes and cheese, although it seems like I am the only one who is really excited by the smelly sock cheeses :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwAdCSpRlbg9WyaKvyDIr8Rdn2i-6RQ8v8l-pwc0FxaFO0X8-eMzSGtHxxdrJgGGM44zL5tiYsERhxO6iMfmTwuBxIEH2fwocu_BXfxrr1xxTepqfX0MI4JL6TYsLjLZ67HhOdr0NATzMu/s1600/IMG_0031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwAdCSpRlbg9WyaKvyDIr8Rdn2i-6RQ8v8l-pwc0FxaFO0X8-eMzSGtHxxdrJgGGM44zL5tiYsERhxO6iMfmTwuBxIEH2fwocu_BXfxrr1xxTepqfX0MI4JL6TYsLjLZ67HhOdr0NATzMu/s640/IMG_0031.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jausiers</td></tr>
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<br />
The following day I went for a short run up the hill behind where we are staying. There are heaps of cool trails for MTBing and running, so lots of places to explore. Unfortunately I have developed a 'man cold' so was not eager for a big mission like I was hoping.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijwgvnneKSQDAGPA9fQeokDRLj7QtoCjJzepyrwN5RWV2HUYT2D99Vis8dp_GNXFafFkjABm2G-GwHaW2rRG1UjmcVWA5Uocq3oMb5_FgIR9vs138GrtU4lmY1OO9s-RzFV9hXQuALmGNj/s1600/IMG_0065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijwgvnneKSQDAGPA9fQeokDRLj7QtoCjJzepyrwN5RWV2HUYT2D99Vis8dp_GNXFafFkjABm2G-GwHaW2rRG1UjmcVWA5Uocq3oMb5_FgIR9vs138GrtU4lmY1OO9s-RzFV9hXQuALmGNj/s640/IMG_0065.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ridgeline above L'Argentiere la Bessee</td></tr>
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The next day I went for a short bike, but otherwise mucked around trying to get rid of my cold.<br />
Feeling slightly better yesterday, although still with a sore throat, I went for a fun day mission with the others up into the mountains across the other side of the valley.<br />
<br />
It was a beautiful day, hot and sunny, so we got some good views of the surrounding area and had a refreshing swim in Lac de l'Ascension about halfway round our walk.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixwQzmjOsYA2ZvVESh7HoI75Ap0ST_qVYkWzv_iVcIrV6x5raaByOivlGapwfAYh8Bctx-xs1CmRYaQnw40t7uPszzMdW-0luq9yWGVW-w4dLpgCmyHDbtwcbekxU46KvfNib05AtadBRZ/s1600/IMG_0077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixwQzmjOsYA2ZvVESh7HoI75Ap0ST_qVYkWzv_iVcIrV6x5raaByOivlGapwfAYh8Bctx-xs1CmRYaQnw40t7uPszzMdW-0luq9yWGVW-w4dLpgCmyHDbtwcbekxU46KvfNib05AtadBRZ/s640/IMG_0077.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nathan excited by the taste of an Awaken bar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6NFBfFTdfaRBx3NoTfw76-rAcL7AWWqSJIO0bbdS6hg1SawQc2Ha9vKRGoSDQ1Noww3pXwdnJz8Ur8wRv8dTgRXhzbEujqHQVBXNZIo-5OnoGflON9Q_chRhUt_LXPhp7koTnkU929hCq/s1600/IMG_0104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6NFBfFTdfaRBx3NoTfw76-rAcL7AWWqSJIO0bbdS6hg1SawQc2Ha9vKRGoSDQ1Noww3pXwdnJz8Ur8wRv8dTgRXhzbEujqHQVBXNZIo-5OnoGflON9Q_chRhUt_LXPhp7koTnkU929hCq/s640/IMG_0104.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lac de l'Ascension</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0o_bX7FQRZv6-kZLmROZWQd5Jw0IUH16uUEoccFfdh5geVuskljcl6-zf5L7HsFrAurlzR_Rf3mN-Kd4ls2-xOGCAlRUswmz3vcfOT6raNudGyTHlVldrAHLHhwAyc_2dXMobLsK8wXuh/s1600/IMG_0116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0o_bX7FQRZv6-kZLmROZWQd5Jw0IUH16uUEoccFfdh5geVuskljcl6-zf5L7HsFrAurlzR_Rf3mN-Kd4ls2-xOGCAlRUswmz3vcfOT6raNudGyTHlVldrAHLHhwAyc_2dXMobLsK8wXuh/s640/IMG_0116.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Col de la Moutiere</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoXH8Y51nidORCafShVJip1Z9sQumm-cu9ILri87BcwfxryQKbSDaDR0LhM_LY2pG1MzvvP_mbI8o8FPR7FLyy-tOy7wX9LQllppSrZbm_fTHXAbP6ET2yWJDC8_yZQhsJnp4TBBVaWfH3/s1600/IMG_0117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoXH8Y51nidORCafShVJip1Z9sQumm-cu9ILri87BcwfxryQKbSDaDR0LhM_LY2pG1MzvvP_mbI8o8FPR7FLyy-tOy7wX9LQllppSrZbm_fTHXAbP6ET2yWJDC8_yZQhsJnp4TBBVaWfH3/s640/IMG_0117.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking back down to L'Argentiere</td></tr>
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Today is another hot sunny day, so I might head out soon for a short bike ride, but otherwise still taking it easy to fully get ride of my cold. We then have one more free day before the pre race stuff begins on Tuesday with a gear check and some other organising stuff. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08406950956653207723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249050746221514503.post-24583200418140097422012-07-12T03:36:00.003-07:002012-07-12T03:36:35.049-07:00Chilling in the South<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qKLoUjP_WQw/T_6WoYpAdSI/AAAAAAAAGYk/qlE3OlEo0uo/s1600/05072012183.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qKLoUjP_WQw/T_6WoYpAdSI/AAAAAAAAGYk/qlE3OlEo0uo/s640/05072012183.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Walking along the ridge, you can see the slopes of Treble Cone Ski Area on the far ridge</td></tr>
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Finally I got some school holidays! So after a brief 12 hour run around the hills for the annual <a href="http://www.rogaine.org.nz/main/Results/HOW2012Results.htm">Heights of Winter Rogaine </a> Chris and I decided to head South for a week. We had heard that there was lots of white fluffy SNOW and that there were many big storms coming! We were very excited.<br />
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We headed down south on Monday in Chris's parents little Rav. The day was crystal clear and we eyed up the foothills as we drove through the paddocks leading to Ashburton and then on through to Lake Pukaki. The night was frosty cold and clear. Inches of frost coated the ground and I wandered down to the moonlit lake shore to see the gleaming peak of Aoraki looming in the darkness, with stars twinkling above.<br />
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Our cooker decided to stop working (trusty MSR of 15 solid years!) so we lit a big fire and roasted our salmon on that! As it was freezing we huddled into our 2 second pop up tent which was filled with vast quantities of down bags for a cuddly night.<br />
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In the morning there was a low mist hanging around and it was freezing. We drove through to Twizel and then on up to Lake Ohau skifield. At this point we still believed ourselves to be camera-less after Chris decided to take our great camera for a swim during TWALK earlier in the year.<br />
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As we climbed the ski road the view down to Lake Ohau was stunning, clear blue with the low mist still visible hanging around in the basin. We were in sunshine and a light dusting of Ohau snow. The Southern Alps sparkled off to our right (you'll just have to picture this scene!)<br />
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We skinned up the field on our touring skis using skins. The sun was just setting when we reached the ridgeline and a great gully descent. The snow was average - a crusty layer which one occasionally entered. But it was a fun to be on the skis anyway!<br />
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As dark fell we headed on down to Wanaka to a cool overnight camp near Wanaka (about -10). In the morning we had a little latte by the lake, then we drove on the many bends up to Waiou Snow Farm for some cross country ski action. By now we had discovered Chris's phone could actually take photos, so we got that into action.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jVOoOH6xIRg/T_6WiDDh_7I/AAAAAAAAGX0/eY87htS8OUo/s1600/04072012141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jVOoOH6xIRg/T_6WiDDh_7I/AAAAAAAAGX0/eY87htS8OUo/s640/04072012141.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Wonderful trails at Waiou Snow Farm</td></tr>
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We had a great two days hooning around the trails. There wasn't much snow on the Pisa range, but the groomers had done their job well and the trails themselves were in great nick. We had fresh groomer tracks all to ourselves most of the time. We skied out to stay at Bob Lee hut overnight, and cranked up the fire even thought it was -11 so we were really cosy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JGPz9p1h7ro/T_6WgPhBq7I/AAAAAAAAGXk/S1JcfdNs-SA/s1600/03072012137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JGPz9p1h7ro/T_6WgPhBq7I/AAAAAAAAGXk/S1JcfdNs-SA/s640/03072012137.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chris is quite enthusiastic to get to the hut</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bs4dBd7I4Mw/T_6Wg0mIUbI/AAAAAAAAGXs/JN0ogit-Q8Y/s1600/04072012138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bs4dBd7I4Mw/T_6Wg0mIUbI/AAAAAAAAGXs/JN0ogit-Q8Y/s640/04072012138.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mmmmm, pancakes for breakfast!<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UmKicqciSm8/T_6WlEqQhUI/AAAAAAAAGYM/Q4pCXDnNY8E/s1600/04072012174.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UmKicqciSm8/T_6WlEqQhUI/AAAAAAAAGYM/Q4pCXDnNY8E/s640/04072012174.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Sun setting on perfect grooms</td></tr>
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Pancakes were for breakfast with a view of Southern Alp for dessert.... Then we skied all day and returned pooped to the car at 5pm. We zoomed back down to Wanaka and splashed out on a $20 cabin in Glendhu bay for the night. Someone had lit the outdoor BBQ fire, so we had another 'fire warmed' outside meal. The following day - and still wondering why all this perfect weather and no big storms as predicted - we drove up to the famous Treble Cone for a ski.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W8FoUllH0Dg/T_6WnUbGUiI/AAAAAAAAGYc/nbGkuCL5xFA/s1600/05072012181.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W8FoUllH0Dg/T_6WnUbGUiI/AAAAAAAAGYc/nbGkuCL5xFA/s640/05072012181.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approaching the top of Cone 1 - I was still smiling because I hadn't seen the way we had to go down</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Unfortunately</span> at the moment it is really Treble Ice & Tussock. We skinned up some tricky gullies and onto the steep ridge line of the Cones. Then we had to make a rather nasty descent onto the piste, where a ski patrol guy questioned our peculiar lines. Fortunately after we explained we were just out for a 'look about' he happily let us through the barrier and into the back country.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UtlnS54TpUQ/T_6WpOdyEbI/AAAAAAAAGYs/HPeZcHKsV6g/s1600/05072012184.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UtlnS54TpUQ/T_6WpOdyEbI/AAAAAAAAGYs/HPeZcHKsV6g/s640/05072012184.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I like climbing mountains</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5xf3tA-hi1w/T_6WqZ2DgTI/AAAAAAAAGY0/iBDWJB5DPYQ/s1600/05072012186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5xf3tA-hi1w/T_6WqZ2DgTI/AAAAAAAAGY0/iBDWJB5DPYQ/s640/05072012186.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chris sports the green boots on top of a rock</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Some slopes were lethal and others were just brown and tussocky. I managed to slide down a slope which was like water ice on tussock. Luckily the views were stunning and our route was actually skiable from top to bottom, even if that did require significant amounts of tussock jumping.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zt0EO2FyQEs/T_6WrXbk9uI/AAAAAAAAGY8/eWVLiDC837w/s1600/05072012189.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zt0EO2FyQEs/T_6WrXbk9uI/AAAAAAAAGY8/eWVLiDC837w/s640/05072012189.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">The shadey gully we skinned back up out of. The ridge on the near peak in the sun is the one we skied down all the way into the valley. Our line looks fairly interesting when viewed from the bottom!</td></tr>
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We skinned quickly back up the shadey valley so as not to get told off by ski patrol again (it was after 4.30) and then enjoyed freshly groomed piste back to the car.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g97R4dHLD1M/T_6Ws0ejXQI/AAAAAAAAGZE/Yv3dszH9AQA/s1600/05072012192.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g97R4dHLD1M/T_6Ws0ejXQI/AAAAAAAAGZE/Yv3dszH9AQA/s640/05072012192.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Sweet views down to Lake Wanaka</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Sadly our trip was coming to an end, but we decided to make a quick side trip to Round Hill Skifield on the way home. The round hill lived up to its name, but we did get some more great views of Sefton and Aoraki. We also discovered that Round Hill has installed a crazy rope tow which runs 780 vertical metres up a 40 degree scree slope! Not enough snow at the moment, but we will be keeping this one in mind next time there is a big dump!</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-byZIitwDEtU/T_6Wt1gmaJI/AAAAAAAAGZM/5kdqqe6Xzr8/s1600/06072012198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-byZIitwDEtU/T_6Wt1gmaJI/AAAAAAAAGZM/5kdqqe6Xzr8/s640/06072012198.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Sussing out the route into the Two Thumbs from Round Hill ski field for next time....</td></tr>
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We spent that evening in the Tekapo Hotsprings and got all warm and toasty before we climbed back into the wee green tent on the shores of Lake Tekapo. In the morning the weather was stunning, again, so I ran up Mt John while Chris ran round the Tekapa orienteering map where he is installing a permanent course. We drove home to a hot dinner and evening of Le Tour at Chris's parents place. It was a really fun start to the ski season, but I hope these storms blow in soon....we have both wet our appetites for more!<br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cR1BWy7H7Uo/T_6Wu7HjgAI/AAAAAAAAGZU/g7SNOTxCRig/s1600/07072012205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cR1BWy7H7Uo/T_6Wu7HjgAI/AAAAAAAAGZU/g7SNOTxCRig/s640/07072012205.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Chris cooking porridge for breakfast in the frost with Mt John in the background</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08406950956653207723noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249050746221514503.post-39888819510973185722012-04-17T18:44:00.006-07:002012-06-05T22:24:53.599-07:00Godzone Adventure Race<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Unfortunately this post has no pictures (other than a few I stole from the website) because a week after the race during TWALK Chris decided to take the camera for a swim......we hadn't downloaded the photos at that point...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">After an extremely busy term at school it was time for Easter and for most people, a nice relaxing 2 week holiday. Somehow things don't often work out like this for me, as I had decided to join a team to race in the Godzone Adventure Race - a 5 day race starting in Queenstown, New Zealand.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Leading up to the race things were hectic - Chris was also racing for his team Seagate and he was busy trying to organise himself and me. We had stuff all over Chris's parents house, bike boxes and paddle gear were exploding out the door! Meanwhile I was </span>desperately<span style="font-size: 100%;"> typing up thousand word essays in amoungst thinking about what food I could possibly eat for 5 days and what shoes should I wear!?!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Easter Friday came and Chris had already headed down south with a laden car and lots of my gear. It was a beautiful fine day when I met with Tim, Elisha and Rob my team mates. Rob is from Scotland and was the oldest on the team (I believe he is an old mountain marathon running acquaintance of yours Ally?) Elisha is only 19, so he was the youngest competitor in the whole race. Tim was the original founder of the "Go Team" and having down lots of orienteering and rogaining he was the chief navigator for this race.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">We had a very slow drive down to Queenstown, eventually making it the house we were sharing with another team. We had a couple of days to organise ourselves before the race started on Monday. Logistics were challenging for us, as none of us had ever done a race such as this before. We each had a bike box, and four 'gear boxes' in which to distribute our gear. But each box did not necessarily appear at each transition so you had to make sure you got your gear in the right box for the right stage. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">After a very busy Saturday we had our boxes sorted and early on Sunday morning we dropped them at the race head quarters. We spent an hour lurking round Queenstown wearing our O gear (mine I discovered to my horror even had hole ripped in the bum!) before hopping on the bus and heading down to Te Anau. By now we were already pretty sure the race would start in Milford Sound, but it was supposed to be a secret.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">We filled up with pies in Te Anau, and by now we were all starting to feeling pretty nervous as the race start was looming closer. It was nice hanging out with Chris a bit and getting some last minute tips off him as we gazed across the lake. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">At the start of the Routeburn Track we were finally given our much anticipated 2 sets of maps, and spent the rest of the spectacular trip peering at hundreds of kilometers of map we were about to cover. Our first thought was that there was lots of bush and tricky route finding on the treks - it was going to be a tough race!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">When we finally arrived in Milford sound we were dropped at our bikes and given half an hour to sort out our bikes and paddle gear, before jumping on the bus for a final time to be dropped off at the Ferry Terminal. Teams had the option of sleeping inside the terminal building, or camping in the domain. We chose to camp in hope of getting an earlier night.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Tim and I dived into the tent and spent time planning the maps while the others cooked dinner. Then we all wandered down to the terminal building for the race briefing. By now the race was feeling very real and we would only have a couple of hours sleep before we needed to be up and boarding the ferry by 3 am. </span><br />
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<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WR5AkCyHFGc/T87lSBokTnI/AAAAAAAAGVU/AAXzIJPsEzs/s657/6912799886_62fcf2507e_b.jpg" />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">I had a very restless sleep I was excited and nervous. Several times in the night Elisha thought his alarm had gone off and started getting his gear packed only to see it was still too early. When the alarm did finally go we were up and ready to go very quickly. We carried our boxes down to the start and then ate as much breakfast as we could stomach in the ferry terminal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The boat ride out to the start was exciting, the Sound was pitch black still and we tried to grab a few more minutes sleep. Eventually the engines slowed and team numbers were called to get on the little boats which would ferry us to shore. The atmosphere was very exciting - it was still dark but the whole shore was lit up with teams scrabbling around finding their kayaks and getting organised. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">At 6 am we entered the water in our kayaks and headed out to the foot of a waterfall. It was still dark and the sea was quite choppy. There were at least 60 double kayaks bobbing around in the water, lit up by headlamps and the distant glow of the Real Journey's Launch we had been dropped off in. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">In no time at all the race director had blown a horn and we were off, charging towards the launch. Kayaks were going everywhere and Rob and I got pushed right into the launch itself in the desperate fight to get around the boat and start heading back down the fiord. There was quite a surf and it was a real battle to keep the boat going straight. We kept yelling out to our team mates to try and stay together.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Dawn broke as we were about half way down the fiord and the distant terminal building came into view. Teams had become more strung out now and it was much more peaceful as we neared the end of the paddle. Some dolphins came jumping out of the water right by our boats.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The day was grey and misty, so we piled on a few dry layers before heading off on stage 2, a bike ride up through Homer Tunnel and over into the Eglington Valley. We set off on our own and felt the first real surge of excitement that the race was finally underway. We rode together at a good steady pace picking up a few teams along the way. Tim got a bit of a tow from Rob and Elisha on the last section of the climb, up through the tunnel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Then we emerged on the other side and enjoyed the ride into a bit of sunshine over the Divide and down to TA 2. Now it was time for a canoe down the Eglington River, which was running very low and we needed to be off the river by 7pm before it got dark.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">We didn't have much skill on the river to begin with, but we slowly started to get the hang of it as we went down. Some of the time we had to jump off and run with the canoes, and one of ours sprang a leak so we had to stop to pump it up. Some teams passed us while we caught up with a few, and after about 6 hours on the river we finally rounded a bend and entered the gorge.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The gorge proved pretty straightforward, and as we were floating through the last part of it a small figure appeared on a rock above us and shouted that it was only 15 minutes to the transition which meant we would make it off the river before the cut off, phew we were relieved!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">At the TA 3 we moved quickly to organise ourselves for the monster trek. We knew it could take 24 hours, so we packed lots of food and heated up some water to eat some Backcountry dinners on our way out. We had a quick gear check as we were leaving, and then we were straight into some very dense manuka scrub which made eating dinner tricky! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">We lost a bit of time trying to take a more direct route through the scrub and ended up bashing back out to the fence line to try and follow that. I was thinking to myself that Chris would be loving this (how right I was!). By now Chris's team Seagate, Subway and One Square Meal were all some way out the front chasing the lead - they were several hours ahead of us. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">As it got really dark we found the start of the tramping track we would follow up the mountainside. Lots of teams had overtaken us while we were lost bashing around in the bush and we were amused to overtake lots of them on the hill climb instead - we thought navigation was supposed to be our strong point not leg speed! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Up and up we went for what seemed like an eternity. Eventually after some debate with the altimeter and another team we arrived at the marsh plateau where checkpoint number 1 was located. It was a very satisfying feeling to have finally reached the first checkpoint. From there we climbed higher out of the bush and onto a the shoulder of a mountain. The wind had picked up and it was raining a bit so we were wearing all our warm clothes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">We traversed through a series of shingle slopes and gullies eventually arriving at the main ridge we needed to descend. Our route choice was to climb over a couple of distinctive hills on the ridge in order to descend a very straight and direct looking ridgeline into the forest. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Unfortunately I don't know if we could have picked a worse ridge, the tree fall was worse than I have ever seen. We bashed and grovelled our way down the ridge until eventually it became so impenetrable that we dropped off into the creek - this proved marginally better and at about 4.30 am we emerged from the bush.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">It was raining and we decided that it was time for a sleep so we put up the tent and crashed inside. Despite lying in a thin bag on a tiny mat I slept very well and felt cold but ready for more when the alarm went off two hours later. We packed up quickly in the daylight and headed down the river.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The next control was in a tricky place in the forest which was part of the reason we decided to sleep through the last of the night so that we would reach it in daylight. We followed up a tussocky river bed and then up into the trees again. Our spirits were very good after our sleep and we passed several teams who looked like they had spent the night wandering around lost rather than sleeping. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">We made a small mistake climbing to the control by taking the wrong ridge, but then we got back on track and after another small correction we were in the right gully climbing to the control. From there we carefully descended the long ridge into yet another river valley. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">When we reached the hut at checkpoint 6 we were surprised to find we had moved ahead even more places. From the hut we had to continue up over another mountain range. Coming here in daylight meant it was much easier to pick a good route up an enormous scree slope and we climbed steadily as the afternoon wore on. The day had turned out remarkably sunny and we got very hot as we climbed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">We reached the top of the range and descended down a much nicer forested ridge than the previous night into the final river valley which lead all the way out to the transition. There was a good track to follow once we got some way down the valley so we made good progress even though it was dark again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The temperature tonight was very cold and we realised we would have to put on lots of clothes for the bike ride. We ate some hot food at TA 3 and took a bit of time to organise oursleves. Tim sorted out some blisters on his feet and in my attempt to help him I strapped his light onto the wrong bike and forgot to put the lid on his bladder! Not so much help really, but I guess I tried.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">We took off on the bikes eager to set a good pace and pick up some teams along the way. We found a member team Mazda bashing around looking for the first control in quite a panic and helped him find the control. Then we crossed the freezing river looking for a 4WD track which didn't seem to exist.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">We passed the next few freezing hours biking up the river valley, sometimes on a track and sometimes pushing our bikes through tussocks and matagouri bushes. When we reached the hut with the checkpoint we wanted to have a sleep but the hut was already full so we pitched our tent for a very chilly two hour sleep. I shook so much that it wasn't a very restful sleep.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">It was still quite dark when we set off so we kept our lights on and bashed up river pushing our bikes most of the way. We had to go on up the river for many more hours and then finally the sun rose and we turned left up a side river and in to the control. Much to our relief the second half of the mountain bike ride was dominated by rideable 4WD roads so we enjoyed a gentle climb and windy traverse.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The sun was shining warming us up for the first time. We had a big grunt up to a saddle, whoosh down the other side and then up again very steeply to a pass. Just before we finished the bike leg we took a wrong turn and managed to ride back over the pass we had just crossed. I was very confused when the stream was suddenly running in the wrong direction and Tim and I shared a pretty low moment for making such a dumb navigational error.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Back we went over the pass again, trying to put our mistake behind us we arrived in the transition many hours after we had expected to get there - but at least it was still sunny and we had some good hot food and all felt excited about going out on the next trek.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">We knew this trek was going to be another big one so we put in lots of food, over 24 hours worth. Tim and I had been through some ups and downs with our navigation, but had decided that by working closely together and constantly checking up on each other we had the best chance of not making mistakes. We found the first control down in the stream with no difficulties, so then we had to climb up through the bush for a long way to reach the open ridge.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">We had a fun time climbing the ridge, we kept finding things which people had dropped as they were going up - we found lip balm, gurney goo, a drink bottle, a packet of crackers and even a small pottle of jelly with peaches! I had a sore throat so that went down very well indeed!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Rob, Elisha and I got very sleepy when we were traversing along the ridge. I could only just keep my eyes open and was stumbling along the ridge - I think that the freezing sleep from the night before had had its price. Fortunately we weren't far from the next checkpoint and cozy hut. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">There was a man at the checkpoint who was keeping the hut warm with a smokey fire and I was so grateful to crash on the floor and sleep. After the other team that was there left we crawled onto the two bunks and got 1.5 hours warm sleep. I felt so much better when we started off again and was back helping Tim with the navigation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">In the dark we stumbled around for a while trying to find the right ridge and ended up just taking a north bearing towards the pass we had to climb. By now Rob was having serious issues with his foot, he had strained something in the front of his foot from all the downhill and biking. He was taking lots of painkillers but he was clearly in pain over the rough ground. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">We had to smash through some thick scrub to get back on course - we had veered slightly to the left of the saddle - and then we climbed up prickly spaniards and tussocks to reach the saddle just as the sun was rising. The sunrise was amazing, absolutely orange sky with sun rays beaming through. We traversed across and then descended a very long tussock ridge which was very slow and sore for Rob, he ended up having to do most of it backwards!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">As we neared the end of the ridge we spotted a fit looking team marching out of the valley in the wrong direction. We thought it was a bit odd because they were not wearing race bibs and walking in the wrong direction. We kept descending down the tussocky slopes until we reached a nice hut, where we filled up bladders and the boys ate muesli and milk.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">By now I was finding it hard to eat anything because I had a very sore throat and my meusli bars were tasting particularly disgusting. I found plastic processed cheese slices to be remarkably tasty! We kept a good pace up the river and soon passed a snoozing team Mazda. Tim was just talking loudly about the virtues of canned corned beef so I shushed him as we crept passed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">We reached the side gully which we knew lots of teams would try to use to access a pass which lead down to the control. We were very unsure about which route to take especially given the close contours in the side gully. When we got into the gully the stream immediately became a waterfall with cliffs on each side. Tim and I didn't take long to decide we didn't like the look of it, so we dropped back into the main stream and set off up that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Little did we know we were the first team to make the decision to head up this stream! The route up the stream was quite challenging and we had to find our way up slippery boulders and through tree fall. Team Mazda caught and overtook us again as we headed up the forest. Finally the forest became less and we emerged into an open gully filled with huge spaniards and prickly scrub! The pass we needed to climb didn't look far away but the travel was painfully slow. Most of the time we tried to bash up the slippery creek but sometimes we were forced in amongst the spaniards. Rob found it very painful on his sore foot.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Finally after several hours of intense bashing we emerged on the saddle and looked down to see Team Mazda still stuck in the bushes. We quickly sidled over the pass and contoured round to the upper col. By now we were all starting to feel the effects of 3 days on our feet and we were a bit hobbly and sore as we descended another 600m down a tussocky river basin and found checkpoint 19 just as it got dark.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Tim pulled a delicious can of spaghetti out of his pack and I gobbled it up, it was </span>slimy<span style="font-size: 100%;">, cold and yummy! We could see some lights on the hill coming down behind us so we hurried off down stream. We still had many kilometers and another 1500 m pass to climb and descend to reach the </span>transition<span style="font-size: 100%;">. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Tim and I were both feeling a bit sleepy, but we were determined not to stuff up the navigation and paying close attention to where we were helped keep us awake. It was a cold night again and we had our thick fleeces on when we reached the saddle. It was a very steep descent down, with huge slippery tussocks all the way interspersed with prickly spaniards. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">We found the easiest way to get down was to slide on our bums, so we slid down bumb bump bump for hundreds of meters. I thought this made a pretty comical sight, but Rob was in a lot of pain and Elisha was feeling very sleepy so I don't know that they enjoyed it so much. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">In the river bed Elisha stumbled along half asleep with Rob helping him out. Tim and I were feeling remarkably awake, the map reading and sense of nearing the finish keeping us alert. Finally at the transition after slowly negaotiating the river terraces it was now about 2am. All the officials at the transition were up and eager to hear our story and even made us hot soup!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Tim made a fantastic captain speech "we will organise our gear for precisely 20 minutes, then sleep for 30 and be prepared to leave on the dot at 18.45" Given it was 2 am this didn't quite make sense and Tim stammered..."Oh, that was my altimeter reading, opps!" We all cracked up laughing and set to with the task at hand.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">I slept in a the haybarn for about 20 before Tim woke us again. Elisha had about 30 minutes sleep and a Red Bull so he was feeling fired up and ready to go. We charged off down the road, Tim and Elisha so much so that I gave them a firm 'calm down' talking to. We sped into the first checkpoint in the dark, then made our way round the shores of lake Wakitipu on old 4WD roads. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Rob was having a rough time, he was struggling to eat enough to keep himself going strong. He swiped out a contact </span>lens<span style="font-size: 100%;"> and then he got a flat tyre. We fixed it for him while he had a power nap beside the road. We had a bit of trouble finding the way through to the checkpoint beside the lake - I found myself on a walking track.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">I got a bit frustrated with the maps - especially in places like that where they had gone to extra trouble to have a map insert and show all the detail but it was still incorrect! Tim gave me the creeps when he said "Don't worry Em, this is definitely right, I have biked on this map before!" I knew there was no way he could have biked here before and he was having a good dose of sleep deprived d</span>éjà vu!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The bike ride went on for ages as we battled up valley into a strong head wind, then turned down wind for a while, then back up wind again. The Earnlaw burn of trek 3 sparkled up above us and I was sad we had missed out on the final trek (having missed the cut off the night before) but I think it would have been pretty awful for Rob with his foot so maybe it was just as well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">We finally reached the kayaks in Gelnorchy and had a very relaxed transistion into them. I did try to hurry the boys along but they were faffing around in a happy state to be nearing the finish. Rob and I resolved to talk to each other constantly on the final paddle to keep awake, so our conversation drifted around the adventures we had had over the week.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">We saw the odd strange thing such as a baby face in a tree or a baseball bat in a cloud, but generally everything seemed right as we cruised in on a big tail wind and a good 1 meter surf to push us in to the finish. We collected the 2 checkpoints along the way and before we knew it we were grinning at each other as we neared the shores of Queenstown. We could make out a wee crowd on the beach and sure enough there was Chris. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">He finished the race a day earlier, doing the whole course and winning the race with team Seagate in 4.5 days. He was very pleased to see us and I was very happy to see him. We ran altogether through Queenstown up to the finish were we got a bottle of champagne and some pizza from the race organisers. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">We were all so excited to be finished and it turned out half of our parents had all made a mad dash for Queenstown on Friday, having followed the race so closely online they came down to join the excitement. The Go Team finished very proud of the way we worked as a team and excited to do more!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The following night the prize giving was held up at the top of the Gondola with an amazing view across Lake Wakitipu. It was really fun to catch up with everyone and compare stories from the race. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Chris and I had been thinking of going for a tramping trip down South after the race, but Chris still had a sore throat and I was actually feeling a bit tired, so we decided a cruisey journey home with Mum and Dad through St Bathans sounded more appealing. We managed an interesting 'scenic bush bash' around the lake and plenty of coffees on the road too. If you made it to the end of this long story then well done - I decided a long story could only do justice to the great adventure I had (-:</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08406950956653207723noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249050746221514503.post-16937196234456337052012-04-17T17:31:00.002-07:002012-06-05T21:58:20.169-07:00Cloudy Peak Mission<font face="Georgia, serif"><span style="font-size: 100%;">We've been back in New Zealand for 5 months now and I haven't managed a single post! The shame! The trouble is not lack of fun trips to write about, it's lack of time afterwards to do it! I have started studying again and seem to find zero spare seconds in my day. Nevertheless, I am determined to do some trip posts again.</span></font><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; ">Since Christmas there have been several 'highlight' trips, one being a 5 day sea kayak adventure we did in Marlborough Sounds, another was a week's mountain bike orienteering carnival down in central Otago. But the one which I really want to write about on here was an amazing trip I did up Cloudy Peak with my friends Grieg and Clare. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; ">It was the same weekend as Sprint theBays Orienteering up North, which Chris had decided to do. We decided we needed to do a really good trip to make him jealous. We had a three day weekend, and I foolishly left Greig entirely in charge of the trip planning without paying the slightest attention to what he had in mind. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; ">We drove up the Rangitata to the Erewhon Station and parked our car under the shade of some trees because it was a baking hot day. We had a picnic and then trotted off down the road towards the river. I soon discovered the river was the most delicious temperature for swimming, so spent some time drifting lazily down stream.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; ">We were walking in to a high valley where we planned to camp for the night before hopping up early to have a go at climbing the Great Prow. This rock climb was rated around 10, 12, and 14 was the top grade so I thought it sounded ok. I'm not sure if Greig had quite mentioned the fact it was at least 9 pitches yet.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; ">Trying to avoid a scrub filled mountain side we traversed high early, only to discover we had actually come up one whole valley too early and needed to go down again. "One of the countries top navigators" wasn't performing so well thus far. Once back down in the river we found the correct valley to head up and sure enough it was a full on scrub bash grapple climb out of the river and up a steep ridge, my favorite thing!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br /></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Finally as the day wore on we emerged onto a beautiful grassy alpine meadow with a tinkling clear stream running through the middle. The great prow loomed up ominously before us and I had my first realisation that this thing was going to be scary! </span>Trying<span style="font-size: 100%;"> to put that thought to the back of my head I enjoyed a delicious dinner and snuggled down into my warm bag.</span></font></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><br /></span></font></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif">Too soon the alarm went off and we slowly got oursleves organised in the dark - it was about 4 am. We started walking up the river in the pitch dark, then realised we might not have any more water on the way up so Greig had to run back down and fill up our bottles. As light began to fill the valley we could see little lights way up on the cliff above us - there were two other parties out on the same climb as us.</font></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif"><br /></font></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif">Next thing I heard a thumping sound and turned round to see Greig sprawled out on the rocks. He had tripped up and sliced his hand open! Clare and I suggested perhaps having to lead the whole route today wasn't the bast plan, but Greig was pretty happy once we had strapped his hand up with MeFix and strapping tape. We started climbing the long scree slide which takes you to the base of the climb.</font></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif"><br /></font></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif">Finally we reached the first of the small bluffs and Clare happily free climbed her way to the top, leaving me with no option but to reluctantly follow. We scrambled up a series of easier bluffs until at last we reached the base of the Great Prow. It was now very light and we could see it was going to be an overcast day with some cloud hanging about the tops. We were hoping Cloudy Peak might not live up to its name, but this looked unlikely.</font></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif"><br /></font></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif">We could see the others climbing up slowly above us, and everynow and then there would be a sound like a screaming buzzard as a little rock hurtled its way towards us, I found that quite terrifying so as Greig lead the first pitch I danced around out on the scree slope avoiding rocks and telling Clare that I wasn't sure about this!</font></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif"><br /></font></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif">Finally it was our turn - we were going to climb simultaneously on the double rope. My pack felt terribly heavy - we had 9 hours worth of water and clothing and I had taken Greig's gear as well. We struggled up the climb until there came a crux I just couldn't climb with the weight on my back. I dumped my pack, climbed up and then leaned over and managed to get a sling onto the pack and haul it up as Clare held it out to me. </font></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif"><br /></font></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif">Feeling very desperate I had to leave the pack again and climb up to Greig. I wasn't sure what to expect when I reached him and told him I had left the pack halfway up, but he calmly abseiled down and climbed back up with my pack. We unloaded a bit of the weight from my pack and continued on up into a nasty chossy section and a dodgy anchor point. This was the lowest point of the climb for me - we had taken a long time to get this far and it felt very exposed. I didn't want to keep going, but I didn't really want to go down either.</font></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif"><br /></font></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif">Luckily for me Clare was very positive and encouraging and we slowly kept climbing pitch after pitch. Greig's good route finding skills found us back on route again. Some of the pitches had very big exposure which I was out of practice with. The cloud was starting to come in and obscure our view back down into the valley.</font></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif"><br /></font></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif">Eventually we reached what we believed was the final pitch, but it was hard for Greig to find a route through that was only grade 14. He did find one, but it involved a super airy move around a ledge out to the right. From their we scrambled up some rock gullies and into a little cave. The last pitch was a right grovel trying to climb up a chimney with an ice axe (for hammering in pitons) which kept getting stuck. I was so determined to get up that thing that I strained and pushed and pulled until I was up and safe and poor Clare was left struggling away on her own. </font></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif"><br /></font></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif">By now it was 7.35pm and I was seriously worried about the time, given it was about to get dark, it was very cloudy and we still had to negotiate our way down the mountain. We climbed on up the rotten ridge, first in our climbing shoes, then we changed into our light weight boots again.</font></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif"><br /></font></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif">Finally at about 8pm we reached the top of Cloudy Peak. We stopped for only a moment and then continued our hurried route down the mountain. I was finally back in terrain I knew, so I went ahead and tried to pick the best line down the loose rock ridge. I have never used a GPS in the mountains before, but this time round I was so grateful for it! </font></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif"><br /></font></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif">Greig read the map, but the GPS provided a great backup to confirm exactly where we were. We knew we needed to reach a saddle and from there the descent was much more straightforward. We started heading down a progressively steepening gully and stumbled across a little waterfall which meant we could fill our empty bottles with some much needed water.</font></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif"><br /></font></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif">Greig guessed we were one gully too far across, so we scrambled across quickyl and in a very short break in the mist I caught a glimpse of a clear route all the way down to the saddle. I was so happy to see this and we descended carefully down to the saddle. By the time we reached the saddle it was dark and you could only see a few metres ahead because of the thick fog.</font></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif"><br /></font></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif">Clare was really feeling the effects of the day by now, but I was quite energized because I was so happy to be alive! (-: We made our way down the endless scree slide, on the look out for our 'poo spot' which was the spot where we had left the scree and climbed the bluffs. We knew once we reached that spot we were back on familiar ground. </font></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif"><br /></font></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif">Clare and I were quite fixated on finding our poo spot, until Grieg pointed out we should just keep going down - did we really want to find the place we pooed 13 hours ago? After negotiating a small bluff the slope of the scree lessened until finally we were back in the valley. We were much higher up than earlier and we found ourselves bashing through thick scrub.</font></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif"><br /></font></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif">After a few stops for food and rest along the way our safe little tent in that beautiful meadow was calling us. Greig saw a huge pyramid shaped rock and I saw a deer with very reflective wide spaced eyes - it was only Clare who had the sense to shout out - "Guys, its the tent!" We cooked up some water and ate instant potatoes with tuna - completely delicious. Then we crawled into the tent well and truly spent after 19 hours on the mountain.</font></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif"><br /></font></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif">We slept in late and then emerged to a fairly grey day and the voices of the other climbers descending. They had had a much shorter climb, being of a much superior climbing level to Clare or myself, but also said they had found the route challenging.</font></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif"><br /></font></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif">We walked out chatting happily about the fun of the day before and managed to follow the newly slashed route that the other climbers had made through the scrub section. After bum sliding down the last steep section of tussocks and bracken we met the climbers sitting outside their 4WD truck beside the river. The offer of a ride out was too good to turn down, so we enjoyed a bumpy ride back out to the car sharing stories of adventures.</font></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif"><br /></font></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif">Chris was so jealous when he heard about the trip. Sprint the Bays had been good, but nothing quite compares to a good scary climbing trip with some great mates!</font></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif"> </font></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif"><br /></font></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif"><br /></font></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif"><br /></font></div><div><font face="Georgia, serif"><br /></font></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08406950956653207723noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249050746221514503.post-64818407436766106412011-11-24T15:28:00.000-08:002011-12-13T02:34:26.680-08:00Adventure Race Tasmania<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe8kfcylsdc17mTr3SGhgFfolxE5Rr-JNohijwBib_jCvgxuekXHXVJCOeJsSSxTyiBbs_VNeAhwsikOyhKOaopZBt1T6DeLOZ5b4gncgtIqI9kNWl-pEfEdY2WeOUEXCmyK191VFVWI63/s1600/P1050528.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe8kfcylsdc17mTr3SGhgFfolxE5Rr-JNohijwBib_jCvgxuekXHXVJCOeJsSSxTyiBbs_VNeAhwsikOyhKOaopZBt1T6DeLOZ5b4gncgtIqI9kNWl-pEfEdY2WeOUEXCmyK191VFVWI63/s400/P1050528.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px;"> </div>The annual World Adventure Race Champs - this time in Western Tasmania - had come around again and always seems to excite and frustrate those of us who follow these mad races. Because I am writing this well after the event it is impossible for the outcome not to flavour my post - those of you who followed the race online will understand.<br /><br />We weren't really able to follow the race anyway, there was a strict "no spectators allowed" rule. So Viv, Karin and I decided to follow the general route of the course by car and enjoy some great camping and picnicking along the way, catching up with the race if and when possible.<br /><br />I would have liked to post during the race, but this part of Tasmania is very sparsely populated and so there was virtually no internet access. The race started in Burnie at 9am, as the teams paddled out into the sparkling sea on inflatable kayaks and round the beautiful coastline to Penguin.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKg4rTohPtnIgJ9pDw9yjQ7e98fXr35We6RnJ62lxFTSSOjhw6Wjr08KNeyEw85rruHLy3FaN9EIhRmbm_9GXuKzWJxPywR82FvzIevyLCV32gqROvHpXi3vsOEFUVaJhqVmRmj4lsD8hyphenhyphen/s1600/P1050154.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKg4rTohPtnIgJ9pDw9yjQ7e98fXr35We6RnJ62lxFTSSOjhw6Wjr08KNeyEw85rruHLy3FaN9EIhRmbm_9GXuKzWJxPywR82FvzIevyLCV32gqROvHpXi3vsOEFUVaJhqVmRmj4lsD8hyphenhyphen/s400/P1050154.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"> On Burnie beach minutes before the race start<br /></div><br />We saw the racers paddling into the beach and transitioning to a trek at Penguin. From there we decided to take Karin to a nearby wildlife park where we were able to see Tasmanian devils and koalas, as well as close up kangaroos, potaroos and pademelons...all different kind of unusual roos which one might frequently encounter Tasmania.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicz3G1wINOGBJqHFfdg4XOh2oDlTWhL32x_fOenuzItGrMQFs9yN4N5JdOqF9mLHrCoBnMgbmfjiP6EogUQ5VTokAYSa-KVR-R2Nt-1hyHdyGR1MeohzDbFCecqb5WTDCrAQ1TkrWnPU_8/s1600/P1050183.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicz3G1wINOGBJqHFfdg4XOh2oDlTWhL32x_fOenuzItGrMQFs9yN4N5JdOqF9mLHrCoBnMgbmfjiP6EogUQ5VTokAYSa-KVR-R2Nt-1hyHdyGR1MeohzDbFCecqb5WTDCrAQ1TkrWnPU_8/s400/P1050183.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"> Cute koalas sleep most of the day<br /><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7hP46m0-oixbvNRySdi0Wl_oGbT0QhmSTLEzJFjd8uwSN1yLB6ycuAvQVGxjmLi5vrb6irsnGaFP6jWGkBedK5a7wh7qafeAya3TUdonoaxFNjAlBJAIKYqr_GTrJtTwMfuwUxeXOQUmG/s1600/P1050186.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7hP46m0-oixbvNRySdi0Wl_oGbT0QhmSTLEzJFjd8uwSN1yLB6ycuAvQVGxjmLi5vrb6irsnGaFP6jWGkBedK5a7wh7qafeAya3TUdonoaxFNjAlBJAIKYqr_GTrJtTwMfuwUxeXOQUmG/s400/P1050186.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div> Tasmanian devils<br /></div><br />We spent the night back in Burnie. The following day we drove through to Tullah and met teams arriving in after 24 hours racing, looking very cold and tired having just completed a canyoning and kayaking section in cold waters. Seagate had a good lead, but had just been told the big blow that they had been given a massive 4 hour penalty for accidentally forgetting their spot GPS device on the second leg.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg345eYINFi91NxkucgwI3mjiQ2qZK9fWAH5XPs8408-EN4-pqUlZvHi9wdmoU-Suyts93F8XflSoJUqfVYyV4mqDReG_sUpqUG8HFZh6EsSMczKSKYvV2CgbQFCTIOJsWXzB6IpVsY0zuy/s1600/P1050212.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg345eYINFi91NxkucgwI3mjiQ2qZK9fWAH5XPs8408-EN4-pqUlZvHi9wdmoU-Suyts93F8XflSoJUqfVYyV4mqDReG_sUpqUG8HFZh6EsSMczKSKYvV2CgbQFCTIOJsWXzB6IpVsY0zuy/s400/P1050212.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"> Arriving across the lake - this was the checkpoint where Seagate were told about their 4 hour penalty<br /><br /></div>I felt so bad for them, but they took it amazingly calmly and continued onto the bike section just as darkness fell. Aaron's team (Karin's Dad) Silva came in second place and headed away about 1 hour after Seagate.<br /><br />We drove through the pouring rain feeling very sorry for the racers who would be biking through it to arrive in Strahan on the West coast of Tasmania late in the night. This was the place where teams had their compulsory 6 hour sleep. Seagate arrived in the early hours of the morning having had another disaster - Chris's derailleur had broken so he was having to ride single speed costing the team lots of time.<br /><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaXsOoXV-stdpiC6GKrzCptJ0OQsZ48uo2M_9tRO-mGBKSZcdldhRKsvyLfEC9h4AKMwolqUBpvBiUMEoWCQ0wMBJfFmh_kar0S9mqfPm1LXv-9FS3L7KUqolQaNW0CWVGF01HCSLP7O-R/s1600/P1050235.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaXsOoXV-stdpiC6GKrzCptJ0OQsZ48uo2M_9tRO-mGBKSZcdldhRKsvyLfEC9h4AKMwolqUBpvBiUMEoWCQ0wMBJfFmh_kar0S9mqfPm1LXv-9FS3L7KUqolQaNW0CWVGF01HCSLP7O-R/s400/P1050235.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"> That day Karin and Viv had a great time on the old steam train which runs from Strahan to Queenstown. I took a walk through the beautiful forest near Strahan and enjoyed mucking about in the picturesque village.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhLUqTIQQ1prt4S5ZhRRU9mW0xCEC9qOGC8GT7Zhe5TLIpb_kGAunxWAjTfYVbqzeeap9YTD-nJ8QnDF5cBLJdqtnXnnSSfAQpWzYEuzuSZH3psyRmnoSiYuseiXeAQH_WFEFkemmFifM7/s1600/P1050237.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhLUqTIQQ1prt4S5ZhRRU9mW0xCEC9qOGC8GT7Zhe5TLIpb_kGAunxWAjTfYVbqzeeap9YTD-nJ8QnDF5cBLJdqtnXnnSSfAQpWzYEuzuSZH3psyRmnoSiYuseiXeAQH_WFEFkemmFifM7/s400/P1050237.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div> The fern walkway<br /><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSHpU76zlJR-hagZR5uHZU-npHh8b_fRy6WSbgkcNttXpDpB7dkwJxWnSGN91Mqv0niW7GXrqng49RGHk1YfFLayjvc5CeHE5-6bsJKfDLfwMnc8LNx_NcqQCPFq10eft6TvX-6VxFmZxT/s1600/P1050248.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSHpU76zlJR-hagZR5uHZU-npHh8b_fRy6WSbgkcNttXpDpB7dkwJxWnSGN91Mqv0niW7GXrqng49RGHk1YfFLayjvc5CeHE5-6bsJKfDLfwMnc8LNx_NcqQCPFq10eft6TvX-6VxFmZxT/s400/P1050248.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div>Fern fronds are so cool!<br /><br /></div>Strahan was actually one of the last points we could see the team until almost the finish of the race, so we would spend the next few days travelling back from west to east coast. We drove out to the Hentley Dunes and enjoyed the beautiful and wild beaches which abound on the west. We found a great campsite at Trial Harbour, toasting marshmallows on the fire and falling asleep to the sound of crashing waves.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgip8wkQvpT9aQ9AuDiSXlLLA4X5JLd9fMAJLFAHWo_9GPohi8U84q4uiLbKuU4dfMEDx4sQq0txkSfUnQkQ21nrUQAmZirsHwMcVOt7cEuRelVT-QakroyLZfJkSMZCQYpRO7BGFvxb8wl/s1600/P1050264.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgip8wkQvpT9aQ9AuDiSXlLLA4X5JLd9fMAJLFAHWo_9GPohi8U84q4uiLbKuU4dfMEDx4sQq0txkSfUnQkQ21nrUQAmZirsHwMcVOt7cEuRelVT-QakroyLZfJkSMZCQYpRO7BGFvxb8wl/s400/P1050264.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">Viv and Karin enjoying the beach (and sandcastles) near Strahan<br /><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSKOYPgkG4hU_pbcPb2aHKbwIKqbJFpuDb00fUlnOruhnp6Lyrtd04DxA-7E9SjRPTOuyK83wUqlSLnypmQApe5dGuJi2mzRa2BvAwhnvXb89FyzswapfgJDSOSTqDAxJj4iJPpoPKRhW9/s1600/P1050286.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSKOYPgkG4hU_pbcPb2aHKbwIKqbJFpuDb00fUlnOruhnp6Lyrtd04DxA-7E9SjRPTOuyK83wUqlSLnypmQApe5dGuJi2mzRa2BvAwhnvXb89FyzswapfgJDSOSTqDAxJj4iJPpoPKRhW9/s400/P1050286.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div> Our beautiful campsite at Trial Harbour<br /></div><br />The following day we followed the course of the race through to Corinna in the Tarkine Wilderness Area. There is a car ferry to cross the river and the forest closes in around you as you drive through - it had a distinctly NZ West Coast feel. We camped at Julius Creek with a little resident wallaby and kookaburra. Teams had to paddle the nearby Arthur River as far as Kanunah Bridge, from there they would cycle out to the coast again.<br /><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaZUYfKooJNhqYb0CCAchtyQ81KLs0cwb2NJ-ph4oymtOb1RHrRMp-_c4NNbSu3grHpHNTrFnJX4DT0apoPpgOoJFXZIlZsbWKi7y-G_Jcu5n1uMsJf8DnIV1ZqddQbu0uljzE9CSGOOI3/s1600/P1050303.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaZUYfKooJNhqYb0CCAchtyQ81KLs0cwb2NJ-ph4oymtOb1RHrRMp-_c4NNbSu3grHpHNTrFnJX4DT0apoPpgOoJFXZIlZsbWKi7y-G_Jcu5n1uMsJf8DnIV1ZqddQbu0uljzE9CSGOOI3/s400/P1050303.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">The windswept west coast of Tasmania<br /><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqt19moOZc0Js7X2Yyxo-FFPOL1CpfVM1QU1dmvmvbjrNJGhn-rvLMQZKeoqsyk06zzIQu2-tXKnw9E7uXp9RSa7DnCVZsGQDZbvvHB32gUzfDoMOQZhRziVCeU4SAiQgUmgIhx72GDvLH/s1600/P1050327.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqt19moOZc0Js7X2Yyxo-FFPOL1CpfVM1QU1dmvmvbjrNJGhn-rvLMQZKeoqsyk06zzIQu2-tXKnw9E7uXp9RSa7DnCVZsGQDZbvvHB32gUzfDoMOQZhRziVCeU4SAiQgUmgIhx72GDvLH/s400/P1050327.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div> A little wallaby peeks through the undergrowth at Kanunah Bridge<br /><br /></div>By now they had been racing for nearly 6 days. Seagate still held over 2 hours lead, but with their 4 hour penalty the win was slipping away. Team Thule had raced well and overtaken Silva, so were almost certain to now win the race.<br /><br />We drove to Rocky Point with its golden sand beaches and blue waters, and then around to Ships Harbour to find Seagate sitting out their 4 hour penalty and watching those hard fought minutes slip past as first Thule and then Silva raced past - it was awful. However, Chris was remarkably positive - especially when Nathan asked the small crowd which had gathered around if there was anyone willing to lend Chris a working bike for the final ride - and a local man offered his most excellent old school Avanti commuter bike complete with bell!<br /><br />They took off at about 7 pm on the final leg, 20 minutes down on Silva. We raced to the finish, excited to see the finish of this saga of a race. Thule had already finished about an hour earlier, and as we entered the stadium we saw the lights of Team Silva coming in to the track for a final loop on the velodrome. Karin was very happy to see Dad after 6 days spent with me and Grandma - she really had been the most wonderfully natured little 4 year old to hang out with.<br /><br />About 3 minutes later Seagate raced in after a incredibly fast ride averaging about 32 km an hour! It was lovely to have Chris back, but Team Seagate were pretty disappointed with the outcome of the race. They gave it everything, but it seemed like everything had been against them.<br /><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir78C5nVMhx_IesUSk5oJeYEnoefkc8gc6odp_X0GNx-cFJ0be5BZmqfjoviLQoTGQWwQHUVUsp6E15jmfe0tmoY29CRibbyeWsE-h2hl__edXoyl345xzrBGW9QD1XLj0RUMUatApbPoX/s1600/P1050357.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir78C5nVMhx_IesUSk5oJeYEnoefkc8gc6odp_X0GNx-cFJ0be5BZmqfjoviLQoTGQWwQHUVUsp6E15jmfe0tmoY29CRibbyeWsE-h2hl__edXoyl345xzrBGW9QD1XLj0RUMUatApbPoX/s400/P1050357.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"> Seagate racing in to the finish<br /></div>After nearly 6 days of hard racing they retired to the hotel for a very well earned sleep. The next day was spent cleaning and sorting tonnes of muddy wet gear.<br /><br />The prize giving wasn't for a few more days, because there were still many teams fighting for positions and to finish the race within the 10 day cut off. We decided to escape Burnie for a night and headed up to Cradle Mountain National Park with Nathan, Jodie and Sophie.<br /><br />Cradle mountain is a neat place - alpine tussocks and beach forest trick you into feeling like you are back in New Zealand - until a wallaby hops past. The mists were down low and it was could and windy as we pitched our tents in the campsite.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGyStZ4Y0aaRCC-l4CP4zWTH5RkeG8bk7tLO-ibRMMKDpCegyB9GWs96l78Ug_avhJYJa9T5qiGF9wj_dBqdsKJACspQ71GlryY9mlIW2o_lYDrb7YWNm1L1MHqJVsJU2EdyRJGjx7mJ5_/s1600/P1050362.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGyStZ4Y0aaRCC-l4CP4zWTH5RkeG8bk7tLO-ibRMMKDpCegyB9GWs96l78Ug_avhJYJa9T5qiGF9wj_dBqdsKJACspQ71GlryY9mlIW2o_lYDrb7YWNm1L1MHqJVsJU2EdyRJGjx7mJ5_/s400/P1050362.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">Chris looks pretty lively emerging from the tent!<br /></div><br />Rain came down most of the night, so the following day I packed in plenty of warm clothes before meeting up with Jodie for a little mission up to Cradle Mountain. It was still very cold and windy as we set out from the empty car park and climbed the ridge up towards Cradle Mountain. Still, we were both loving getting out into the mountains!<br /><br />We crossed a tussocky plateau and then climbed up amongst great pillars of rock, feeling like monkeys as we clambered up the big boulders. Mist swirled about the summit, adding to the atmosphere of being up there. A quick clamber then run back to the car made it a very satisfying round trip.<br /><br />The next day back in Burnie we took a run around Rocky Cape and enjoyed a quick swim in the crystal clear waters. After the prizegiving that evening the rest of the team said their farewells and buzzed back to Nelson, while Chris and I had a few more days to potter around Tasmania before our return to New Zealand.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYSONP0CkNYMX6PfLM1JmxNrKZiViARjGJ2YVX8-84w76mt6idORQ9dylG_45XR47lOwyznGFhwTh68xGG410OkCnvsvbrsFjziNk96iC92Il5OINm2gwnGMbmT07BrynTqHlnQ6U1-T27/s1600/P1050394.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYSONP0CkNYMX6PfLM1JmxNrKZiViARjGJ2YVX8-84w76mt6idORQ9dylG_45XR47lOwyznGFhwTh68xGG410OkCnvsvbrsFjziNk96iC92Il5OINm2gwnGMbmT07BrynTqHlnQ6U1-T27/s400/P1050394.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"> We spent our first night at beautiful Fortescue Bay in Tasman National Park<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYvG4umgeLNPSo87xsjNLmgHpStJhywC6DAPyYqIN0uWTxr8sK-ESsbz4paU2rWlLqsN2oLMwdMV3IfqsuajxG5OAgM3dLdn0ACcJ7g3NXtt8WJobUATF7pptMgx5gAkhfQMC_4wyKPJZg/s1600/P1050399.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYvG4umgeLNPSo87xsjNLmgHpStJhywC6DAPyYqIN0uWTxr8sK-ESsbz4paU2rWlLqsN2oLMwdMV3IfqsuajxG5OAgM3dLdn0ACcJ7g3NXtt8WJobUATF7pptMgx5gAkhfQMC_4wyKPJZg/s400/P1050399.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div> Curry for tea<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpzceEtid63l0zVRWK5V1YkeqzN9qLbWOHY5gPnjVGDdqZeFkKavsSXsZSF_7jCsEldHwusTsBdy4fMaeXyO5muk-qxud7FoeD-01u-8I8f5dr2AUo7mUfx8tw4eGwVYO9XMEVvJD0rlsr/s1600/P1050402.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpzceEtid63l0zVRWK5V1YkeqzN9qLbWOHY5gPnjVGDdqZeFkKavsSXsZSF_7jCsEldHwusTsBdy4fMaeXyO5muk-qxud7FoeD-01u-8I8f5dr2AUo7mUfx8tw4eGwVYO9XMEVvJD0rlsr/s400/P1050402.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div> Breakfast at Fortescue Bay<br /><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9yFFcqquJ4kkCGNXB0Hu4y-tU44YTdnQNqmaPXhBGEAne9qUjxUh4VcV-Sbjdo5e0S4B-QInetbSwi7C_V_YlqBZBX1ahJqP3NX-2GqzCSN94zaB6quOpi6QuijZtIpWGtG-oEELZv8ge/s1600/P1050421.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9yFFcqquJ4kkCGNXB0Hu4y-tU44YTdnQNqmaPXhBGEAne9qUjxUh4VcV-Sbjdo5e0S4B-QInetbSwi7C_V_YlqBZBX1ahJqP3NX-2GqzCSN94zaB6quOpi6QuijZtIpWGtG-oEELZv8ge/s400/P1050421.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div> We came across these cool fossils on the coastline near Eaglehawk Neck<br /><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0xZv7P0c_mwbtOnoY26dRVcC0vtmNPCFedZzqNPuQwpVAYxgKSUHN7yHsLb3AheehjBuzPDilScmkII9ObkNlGx40Mhd868Q6IdYV32b38NBE36adXMmUHe_11zHxUleVaowZmN080isX/s1600/P1050423.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0xZv7P0c_mwbtOnoY26dRVcC0vtmNPCFedZzqNPuQwpVAYxgKSUHN7yHsLb3AheehjBuzPDilScmkII9ObkNlGx40Mhd868Q6IdYV32b38NBE36adXMmUHe_11zHxUleVaowZmN080isX/s400/P1050423.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div> Cathedral Arch<br /><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9cicEINydP_7XUEidQBb9QBqsI4ZDaqGZpxzXtdDswfxNo_kExByAKGr94RVfqFqMw45UXW8ulU8H2-x9H1yQf_z-kn8FfKp_3SFIy7_i_cJt0vMJOd1n6oKQ8lz2RO9e2us6JZmcVLBc/s1600/P1050400.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9cicEINydP_7XUEidQBb9QBqsI4ZDaqGZpxzXtdDswfxNo_kExByAKGr94RVfqFqMw45UXW8ulU8H2-x9H1yQf_z-kn8FfKp_3SFIy7_i_cJt0vMJOd1n6oKQ8lz2RO9e2us6JZmcVLBc/s400/P1050400.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div> Fortescue Bay<br /></div><br />The highlight of our trip was a night spent out on the Freycinet Peninsula camping at Wineglass Bay. We walked over a little saddle in the late evening and then dropped down to the magnificent sweeping beach that is Wineglass Bay. We walked barefoot along the golden sand as the waves crashed onto the beach, this place could be treasure island!<br /><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIrD9cqZ7cfFaX6DzR0rVVfS2UTfteyOAh-NrmRL2ZBotCoIpm5gItWdKxGLYiXJmJXLrEltMoV9zsUewUemSvCVIIWR9RwZAPQa-89LRlaYQ1YVBCKVhJFXkHRqCujij68X8OYpL4i613/s1600/P1050457.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIrD9cqZ7cfFaX6DzR0rVVfS2UTfteyOAh-NrmRL2ZBotCoIpm5gItWdKxGLYiXJmJXLrEltMoV9zsUewUemSvCVIIWR9RwZAPQa-89LRlaYQ1YVBCKVhJFXkHRqCujij68X8OYpL4i613/s400/P1050457.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">The amazing evening view of Wineglass Bay<br /><br /></div>We reached the far end of the beach and the little campsite just as it got dark and millions of stars came out in the dark sky. Having expected this well known beach to be very busy we were pleasantly surprised to meet only two fellow trampers on our trip. I guess November is a good time to visit.<br /><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdbwyOH3fCTknsYvD0Sltq1aUpE9yrMHgXBEZRFQDPE-kEoIN_L5e9AdZaVBL8mkmfzxEOh-7OMCogAmtpWSuu5BLbJG_tF9Cf8w4okWXr8sGTv5c3Z3EcjwG8qEeurJHPDAdZizifW-rw/s1600/P1050459.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdbwyOH3fCTknsYvD0Sltq1aUpE9yrMHgXBEZRFQDPE-kEoIN_L5e9AdZaVBL8mkmfzxEOh-7OMCogAmtpWSuu5BLbJG_tF9Cf8w4okWXr8sGTv5c3Z3EcjwG8qEeurJHPDAdZizifW-rw/s400/P1050459.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"> Treasure Island?<br /></div><br />The next day was our final day in Tasmania and probably the best. We ate breakfast on the beautiful (and now very still) beach, before climbing up over Mt Graham and then Mt Freycinet. The views down to the bay were amazing and we wished we had another night to spend here!<br /><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-jydWZxZNmSS8a_yKRKcHUArS9qMYxnu0HJienMTziMAVJG9npPJ4hzRKGC5UOBFRLf3n4AJys7qhSO-EYoxUAnDfmCvWkUQ_ko5e2Dz_cQoVbvXkN4mhxpbIplc6-NIpdCjUoL1zEYw/s1600/P1050465.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-jydWZxZNmSS8a_yKRKcHUArS9qMYxnu0HJienMTziMAVJG9npPJ4hzRKGC5UOBFRLf3n4AJys7qhSO-EYoxUAnDfmCvWkUQ_ko5e2Dz_cQoVbvXkN4mhxpbIplc6-NIpdCjUoL1zEYw/s400/P1050465.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"> Breakfast on the beach<br /><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-DrXgdyEHC4kD-Phh6dC2_mefYb_l6iSHzcV2LmuKy7xlGXmkuMhd6o_2nyJBA1MPgLqksIJtT0Z0K-D19HgzPphxpOk_cyJWQcX0K0pKxnpb0CcsXRGaXAC6egLJ1nA4AMVEn86Uv9W1/s1600/P1050470.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-DrXgdyEHC4kD-Phh6dC2_mefYb_l6iSHzcV2LmuKy7xlGXmkuMhd6o_2nyJBA1MPgLqksIJtT0Z0K-D19HgzPphxpOk_cyJWQcX0K0pKxnpb0CcsXRGaXAC6egLJ1nA4AMVEn86Uv9W1/s400/P1050470.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div> This is a little advertisement for all my Norwegian friends to come visit this side of the world (-:<br /></div>We had a picnic on top amongst the shade of some Eucalyptus, then wandered down through the ever changing forest to Cooks Beach. We were now on the opposite side of the peninsula from Wineglass Bay and we walked along windy Hazards Beach. The last section of track wound through the forest back to the carpark - a very nice 7 hour walk which is described on the sign as a 3 day tramp, hmm?<br /><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieoQicW_dGvNko5-1b4rjQR4qPFA_aLcYKV_mH50OyJ4xQP5IjobfLAefQzn6b3GHORnSy6NCuRnKWqXBYBvnPy-B1_RFJdY6bAHsnwUWU-oSXNVV5IEIVsUzJBMXkrnEc6Y_hwXDhE6ar/s1600/P1050485.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieoQicW_dGvNko5-1b4rjQR4qPFA_aLcYKV_mH50OyJ4xQP5IjobfLAefQzn6b3GHORnSy6NCuRnKWqXBYBvnPy-B1_RFJdY6bAHsnwUWU-oSXNVV5IEIVsUzJBMXkrnEc6Y_hwXDhE6ar/s400/P1050485.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"> Casting a spell on the top of Mt Freycinet<br /><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3JDJgWjVzipHZTaaXqiDUMhk79mIPAGU0haD8TUHRZVmzz-Je0X0u963ZoP87yGU09KbrzlPC2ki_sCOpquIOa4qr51YSJQ6ZDfO1q3_GKftvE2q7C9eMdujuegMibkb32QGoghLuL_pr/s1600/P1050524.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3JDJgWjVzipHZTaaXqiDUMhk79mIPAGU0haD8TUHRZVmzz-Je0X0u963ZoP87yGU09KbrzlPC2ki_sCOpquIOa4qr51YSJQ6ZDfO1q3_GKftvE2q7C9eMdujuegMibkb32QGoghLuL_pr/s400/P1050524.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div> Walking along Hazards Beach<br /></div><br />Early the following morning we started our journey back to Christchurch, New Zealand and the many more adventures which no doubt await us in that amazing country.... But don't worry, I'll make sure the Silly Billies continue to post their silly stories here for you to read (-:<br /><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrn2eVeQxpD3qzYIT9iMghaxQTBsKdgavpVMtug0lbe57Ejq9vOkYogv5wJxcOqqXNAyIyFjJlFUPMQGlX5YKqMo5hFSA71RwweI73r4dJHDqkpbQ-t7PkrqH2QZkhQIqg0KMqd27dnHKg/s1600/P1050542.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrn2eVeQxpD3qzYIT9iMghaxQTBsKdgavpVMtug0lbe57Ejq9vOkYogv5wJxcOqqXNAyIyFjJlFUPMQGlX5YKqMo5hFSA71RwweI73r4dJHDqkpbQ-t7PkrqH2QZkhQIqg0KMqd27dnHKg/s400/P1050542.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"> A silly billy in tree form?<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08406950956653207723noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249050746221514503.post-6119604208553104732011-11-07T19:45:00.000-08:002011-12-13T01:34:49.367-08:00Returning to Down Under<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcKMF3u7PiJeVCvcEIALUMcA8Wcgo_XLFRGDho90iVavOymgEDTqjGkkrHW4eosSdmh1faxPXRthAd4b0gMmgbpa7yHjx3iHCpPnN3ZgDpuTRBptRL77oOG5d5lraHLIznR8PwmECgDwFz/s1600/P1050127.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcKMF3u7PiJeVCvcEIALUMcA8Wcgo_XLFRGDho90iVavOymgEDTqjGkkrHW4eosSdmh1faxPXRthAd4b0gMmgbpa7yHjx3iHCpPnN3ZgDpuTRBptRL77oOG5d5lraHLIznR8PwmECgDwFz/s400/P1050127.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px;"> </div>We felt right at home flying into Tasmania, over green pastures and small sunny towns. After landing in Launceston airport we rented a hire car and made a beeline for the local bakery and a delicious vegie pie! Such a delicious pastry and so unattainable in the rest of the world (-:<br /><br />We took our car into the Walls of Jerusalem National Park, which backs on to the well known Cradle Mountain NP. We had two days to fill in before the rest of Chris's adventure racing team arrived - so we decided to head into the bush for an overnight tramp. The fog was hanging very low and it felt like rain was on its way as we wound up through the bush, passing through Eucalyptus forest filled with amazing tree ferns!<br /><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMSV-8uflt2T2yTRzsyO4-H6p8nS_CtspKQnba9tW2m4Bq4n8GyXWv78wANOviwkRzulcOZTsdRn1LxLrMmED1xJuzbcP6LPtJGyuPzyPQflyufF-a6j5GwzS25b-xwOXZ2Nc9C3ZsjmPt/s1600/P1050134.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMSV-8uflt2T2yTRzsyO4-H6p8nS_CtspKQnba9tW2m4Bq4n8GyXWv78wANOviwkRzulcOZTsdRn1LxLrMmED1xJuzbcP6LPtJGyuPzyPQflyufF-a6j5GwzS25b-xwOXZ2Nc9C3ZsjmPt/s400/P1050134.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;">Chris amongst the ferns<br /></div><br />We made our way up to Chapter lake on a very small and forgotten track. The lake is beautiful, densely crowded by thick bush with delicate falls cascading off a small rock outcrop. We had a little feast to cook up - including some good old corn-on-the-cob.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnv6hOZERUDuKPyEIgiOkdHTcJf_rEHX0eH-eNjTMkXvJtLE5J-th1yGy5Gj08cjwg3CkTpP_Q7HNSUpMav8eR-EqntbjNnoylIbZPFydIdMZycquNpRTvXn67W-9-cJoJy6hin_yz1bxJ/s1600/P1050121.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnv6hOZERUDuKPyEIgiOkdHTcJf_rEHX0eH-eNjTMkXvJtLE5J-th1yGy5Gj08cjwg3CkTpP_Q7HNSUpMav8eR-EqntbjNnoylIbZPFydIdMZycquNpRTvXn67W-9-cJoJy6hin_yz1bxJ/s400/P1050121.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"> A very atmospheric Chapter Lake<br /></div><br />The following day was very rainy and little brown leeches wriggled at us on the forest floor. We were entirely unperturbed because we thought they were friendly little worms - even when Chris found one had wiggled all the way up his pants!<br /><br />We drove to Burnie, spotting a beautiful echidna (or spiny ant eater) along the way. That evening the rest of team Seagate arrived - it was great to be hanging out with Kiwis again. We went to bed that night feeling excitement and anticipation for the race to come.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN04lFp7C_9ypMaizsMuLOYdYNMa25SCN-N57yjMZigh1SbVoi_Au2vNsghwqYEIcIOQGxnzH2CITjftojymTEZ4KTVICRddhuDejl0ONG0S3hZOL5y-jCYr5T3UZwKFVY6e_rZnUVuazG/s1600/P1050144.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN04lFp7C_9ypMaizsMuLOYdYNMa25SCN-N57yjMZigh1SbVoi_Au2vNsghwqYEIcIOQGxnzH2CITjftojymTEZ4KTVICRddhuDejl0ONG0S3hZOL5y-jCYr5T3UZwKFVY6e_rZnUVuazG/s400/P1050144.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;">A friendly echidna<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08406950956653207723noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249050746221514503.post-4259271603892172762011-11-07T19:41:00.000-08:002011-11-24T18:51:56.817-08:00Adventures in China<style type="text/css"> </style><style type="text/css"><!-- @page { margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --></style><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPEr6WR35pdln2Yn4DWVOuZVbdjhcu0DvFUpVOlizDPBSAHVIbfMjG0pRqklYnyduSq7P6cSVuwXIpQSplk9BU2ZQmazxXOCSVMaZ6ShZTXyWai6cmcT1RFlMp3mLnDM7O1j5fD_G2ukBx/s1600/P1040482.JPG"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPEr6WR35pdln2Yn4DWVOuZVbdjhcu0DvFUpVOlizDPBSAHVIbfMjG0pRqklYnyduSq7P6cSVuwXIpQSplk9BU2ZQmazxXOCSVMaZ6ShZTXyWai6cmcT1RFlMp3mLnDM7O1j5fD_G2ukBx/s400/P1040482.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"> </div><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >Arriving in China</span><br />We flew to Beijing Airport and then took a domestic flight with Air China to Kunming. On the flight we were served this very strange looking fruit – white with little black spots like a slice of dalmatian dog! We chuckled about the weird and wonderful things ahead of us (we later found out this peculiar and tasty thing was a dragon-fruit). <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">After a long taxi ride in rush hour traffic through Kunming we caught a rumpty bus to take us a further 4.5 hours to Dali where Matt and Lara live. Due to a series of unfortunate events they were currently at the hospital in Hong Kong, but we knew our friend Joe would be at their place.</p><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrW2HKNefk2h4o3foRjWC2l9vMgWZHuxzhe6Qfn0YQS1SBduTOh2d2RiSL-C84d5nWl1D-7OwRwprh1r5sACtynyBUH6oahEPV3E7GyaHJ31UG_0eDAbooEjK3pIEyG5JocZH9s69-nATq/s1600/16102011690.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrW2HKNefk2h4o3foRjWC2l9vMgWZHuxzhe6Qfn0YQS1SBduTOh2d2RiSL-C84d5nWl1D-7OwRwprh1r5sACtynyBUH6oahEPV3E7GyaHJ31UG_0eDAbooEjK3pIEyG5JocZH9s69-nATq/s400/16102011690.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div> Sunset from Dali </div> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Communicating with drivers was pretty challenging, but we did finally find ourselves in Dali old town around midnight. Lugging our gear up the hill we located Matt and Lara's on the university campus with the help of Joe's detailed instructions and it was a great thing to yell out “Joe” and see a familiar face pop out of the third floor balcony.</p><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEubDF59ZSdHasyWL3dH2qvzl0Peli391ALf6FeDG1AhjnH6-tj3mdbqHKOJaQmlhGPln9hYvullHKAQiM0uWQbrJGUQqLLd3pbHWgkcZ9PdvhWw3tRry5vAKuOeWlFtbMPeXQ2mB5n-Fd/s1600/P1040474.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEubDF59ZSdHasyWL3dH2qvzl0Peli391ALf6FeDG1AhjnH6-tj3mdbqHKOJaQmlhGPln9hYvullHKAQiM0uWQbrJGUQqLLd3pbHWgkcZ9PdvhWw3tRry5vAKuOeWlFtbMPeXQ2mB5n-Fd/s400/P1040474.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"> On the streets of Dali the following day with Joe<br /></div><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The next day we mucked around in Dali old town, taking pictures of the lanterns and temples. We ate lunch at a little noodle place where the man actually made the noodles right in front of you by pulling and twisting some kind of pastry. The whole place felt a bit like a scene from Kung Fu Panda.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;">A trip into the Cangshang mountains</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Backing right on to Matt and Lara's place are some great green mountains – the Cang Shang mountains, the highest of which is about 4100m! We packed lightly because we hoped to stay in guest houses along the way and Joe was sure we would be able to buy food as we went.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">On the first day we climbed up a steep path, through a graveyard and then on up to the “Cloudpass Walkway”. This was a broad terraced and paved path winding around the steep mountainsides, with a clear view down to Dali and the Er Hai lake below.<br /></p><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSztT50Nslez83ETbYNb78gk28ZBtL2IlNfW9hvshZqRFnCQxxnxX9lsMiSYGoPViLzowlPlt1d81mwsh3u7Ttta6cDrbgezUylKHpY7dpu5HyKVMFN89-WiABIDLHYALPawOn2gu4fUAr/s1600/P1040508.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSztT50Nslez83ETbYNb78gk28ZBtL2IlNfW9hvshZqRFnCQxxnxX9lsMiSYGoPViLzowlPlt1d81mwsh3u7Ttta6cDrbgezUylKHpY7dpu5HyKVMFN89-WiABIDLHYALPawOn2gu4fUAr/s400/P1040508.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />A little shrine along the path</div><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">After a bit of exploration, locating some food and visiting a temple we climbed on up to the Higher Land Inn which Lara had recommended we stay in. We had a hilarious time with the innkeeper there, he spoke to us quickly in Chinese and then roared with friendly laughter when we stared blankly back at him.</p><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbmsc0deyJl5YDXAORPwhm7anoOvjg0LDb-PQtenVMzQgunGvDxmpFoHWjBYP5FAzSETAbJfHhmTrfKvOnW2FvAh3lCszxyKg7Jdeph5VbWkq7-iWMYD6HxULrJn6TWF5NG2mIEOwOjCDY/s1600/P1040514.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbmsc0deyJl5YDXAORPwhm7anoOvjg0LDb-PQtenVMzQgunGvDxmpFoHWjBYP5FAzSETAbJfHhmTrfKvOnW2FvAh3lCszxyKg7Jdeph5VbWkq7-iWMYD6HxULrJn6TWF5NG2mIEOwOjCDY/s400/P1040514.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />A hairy critter I spotted along the way<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNwIlv-4vo_jzsZ-TSWLxg4jaS8YJpJtNqWdJujDOpP2S9JUiCtkVGkgftPGUyYMKFqP0HLE52TG_eJl_UJTJJmVCScFXfetKnxIqnm305sEqfsyxNxajn-g-MHmhyphenhyphenh2sqGc9q61z1NeOF/s1600/P1040537.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNwIlv-4vo_jzsZ-TSWLxg4jaS8YJpJtNqWdJujDOpP2S9JUiCtkVGkgftPGUyYMKFqP0HLE52TG_eJl_UJTJJmVCScFXfetKnxIqnm305sEqfsyxNxajn-g-MHmhyphenhyphenh2sqGc9q61z1NeOF/s400/P1040537.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Chris on the Cloudpass walkway<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">He cooked us a wonderful “Family Dinner” - curried eggplants, tofu, beans, rice, stir fried vegies. We enjoyed the evening talking to a couple of young French guys who were also staying over – while Chris went for a quick run all the way down to Dali and back again to get our tent (and for a bit of extra training).</div></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1mNa4wVgZyjhmtTCidmPDly3HQsmybaHC4uPwO2HOsXavhHIHIhSRPEHvypAXWilEEk9VonJwAu0zwZw8eETzWjsTUwGgF-6cLnQbh1eG4e_HwSWHfniXcBr7qPNrgzG9BjR6LccfOy56/s1600/P1040547.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1mNa4wVgZyjhmtTCidmPDly3HQsmybaHC4uPwO2HOsXavhHIHIhSRPEHvypAXWilEEk9VonJwAu0zwZw8eETzWjsTUwGgF-6cLnQbh1eG4e_HwSWHfniXcBr7qPNrgzG9BjR6LccfOy56/s400/P1040547.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Family dinner!</div><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The following day we climbed up steeply following the path the innkeeper had directed us to. The trees became shorter and more stunted until we finally emerged into the sun to see blue sky above and clouds below.<br /></p><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHxRKLiMd4RirLG9z1qN793Dqy3b1xssLqfyWDK6aZZ4l3rMKBq93ndkDu1cqIxer3JTE8Fe8jK4Sh4qor7TmtOwA6IHf89AygIsnCZzeQ1Q2usx3OlZte6RKAQkVw55o3qm-Wb6xjj-sE/s1600/P1040550.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHxRKLiMd4RirLG9z1qN793Dqy3b1xssLqfyWDK6aZZ4l3rMKBq93ndkDu1cqIxer3JTE8Fe8jK4Sh4qor7TmtOwA6IHf89AygIsnCZzeQ1Q2usx3OlZte6RKAQkVw55o3qm-Wb6xjj-sE/s400/P1040550.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Climbing up through the forest</div><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">We came to a huge construction site at the top of the (fortunately) incomplete gondola. Heaps of workers were building a big ugly plastic staircase up the mountainside. We wandered past them, wondering who could have seen this construction as a positive thing.</p><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN_MLPxiVlkK31ZS1o7fcxPjdkgaBS44KccgEkWxMwlPFNN8Qw21lh0jolEtjYOnFwrzIrO8lL0CmbTCIIbB3SBt2suvrYr3ifmfHz3mjlBMoNYmK5h4LrlQR5UsztIr7neNQjlUFeohqK/s1600/14102011561.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN_MLPxiVlkK31ZS1o7fcxPjdkgaBS44KccgEkWxMwlPFNN8Qw21lh0jolEtjYOnFwrzIrO8lL0CmbTCIIbB3SBt2suvrYr3ifmfHz3mjlBMoNYmK5h4LrlQR5UsztIr7neNQjlUFeohqK/s400/14102011561.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The crazy "plastic stairway"<br /></div> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">By now the air was getting pretty thin and I was finding I got way more puffed than usual walking uphill. We reached the ridge, and then clambered along a fairly knife-edge but hand-hold-abundant ridge-line out to Mulong Peak (4100)! Cool! The wind had picked up now and was whipping up from one side of the ridge, and clouds and mists were constantly spilling over obscuring our view before suddenly revealing tantalizing glimpses down to the valley's below. It was an amazing ridge.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO44WK4lgy-W43YMISBZ_nhf0iXFAZAPKahYCAtV2TZCZUmPRK3rr0IyLwFaHfERzG_cD3ex0HToV83g-5la-lhJSB1zVERQWl53e8mUvqDi9KW7Jd7GUE6Hj24-qcbGKowxnZ39T8r1qP/s1600/P1040583.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO44WK4lgy-W43YMISBZ_nhf0iXFAZAPKahYCAtV2TZCZUmPRK3rr0IyLwFaHfERzG_cD3ex0HToV83g-5la-lhJSB1zVERQWl53e8mUvqDi9KW7Jd7GUE6Hj24-qcbGKowxnZ39T8r1qP/s400/P1040583.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><div style="text-align: center;">On our way to the first summit - Mulong Peak<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAmao_W4UsxR-8vicXANxyuvWmfpEcnRJOs2W1ceOOvHAnRBZE9quwwL7oqE11ca2OnjsA3GdymAC3GkEbe4relFFEmnyADdJ8pNHDD1QMcJsNqtm45f6ffR6BnRDGzrCmtYwE5aFG7Y04/s1600/14102011566.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAmao_W4UsxR-8vicXANxyuvWmfpEcnRJOs2W1ceOOvHAnRBZE9quwwL7oqE11ca2OnjsA3GdymAC3GkEbe4relFFEmnyADdJ8pNHDD1QMcJsNqtm45f6ffR6BnRDGzrCmtYwE5aFG7Y04/s400/14102011566.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div>Me on the summit of Mulong with the strange mirror ball that marked the summit. I am holding the cam which Joe managed to pull out from a rock.<br /></div><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">We climbed back along the ridge, above the Horse Washing Pond where the gondola terminus is and then further along over a series of 4000m summits. We made good progress along a little well worn track even though the wind was now very strong.<br /></p><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLCyZTS6gGudDrkpvh-OHmQ7OF6Lu5eFfrftTK-6j6vyzGKAIX-0NT40nO8541jw-Uomfy6eGXBfikmFEZ_zmoiJlxjFKVJQSEeaaDACTzSjmDP9g-Jw73KWvU11ABws1g0NdXgbEDOVxp/s1600/P1040614.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLCyZTS6gGudDrkpvh-OHmQ7OF6Lu5eFfrftTK-6j6vyzGKAIX-0NT40nO8541jw-Uomfy6eGXBfikmFEZ_zmoiJlxjFKVJQSEeaaDACTzSjmDP9g-Jw73KWvU11ABws1g0NdXgbEDOVxp/s400/P1040614.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Some amazing red flowers as we look back towards Mulong Peak<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Ho-FMXp8AqvslWzlfStzBB6dI6OhAmD9DITIO59-QIyVbUbrXoiXXLk4OLHUngrHzTL1jeJ_i6zv3M0Uuu2SZgkE_XT6gOAHKDSDqWsIchoS56671bjmrB8mSuieWXT2LJeKNfh1EcpV/s1600/14102011599.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Ho-FMXp8AqvslWzlfStzBB6dI6OhAmD9DITIO59-QIyVbUbrXoiXXLk4OLHUngrHzTL1jeJ_i6zv3M0Uuu2SZgkE_XT6gOAHKDSDqWsIchoS56671bjmrB8mSuieWXT2LJeKNfh1EcpV/s400/14102011599.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div>From Yuju Peak looking down to Horse Washing Pond and the plastic staircase again.<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMbMPK5JU4F2gsRaEum89m8xzw1D8thXnPS7k9SQX7D_gJp0yMUDK34vU9ZXBI7H-aaWSOuOuHqtMXI0krbMSuglxS4LG6rUoWf6ZOqPnHpP5MaT5YUftgrjpybBa4B6g04BHIC-2hMm6B/s1600/14102011594.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMbMPK5JU4F2gsRaEum89m8xzw1D8thXnPS7k9SQX7D_gJp0yMUDK34vU9ZXBI7H-aaWSOuOuHqtMXI0krbMSuglxS4LG6rUoWf6ZOqPnHpP5MaT5YUftgrjpybBa4B6g04BHIC-2hMm6B/s400/14102011594.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div>An amazing view from Yuju back to Mulong Peak<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrz4_Obm-u-d_VP9KdN2mVXysoHNt_s_09-x1JeZFWHUvDUvak66pyxs2pyzB5660Lu3OYwiGHNR_iL0_ujGj72vZKrD0LUw52HEHXrU-1hnCshDn6oNuXcoyGMCJjLQxUTOFdL20Q5TqL/s1600/14102011600.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrz4_Obm-u-d_VP9KdN2mVXysoHNt_s_09-x1JeZFWHUvDUvak66pyxs2pyzB5660Lu3OYwiGHNR_iL0_ujGj72vZKrD0LUw52HEHXrU-1hnCshDn6oNuXcoyGMCJjLQxUTOFdL20Q5TqL/s400/14102011600.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div> "Silver trees" in the valley below as sun rays shone through the clouds<br /></div> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">After a very long day we were all tired as we neared our goal for the day – the Dragon Lakes. It became dark just before we reached them so I stopped to put my headlamp on. Unfortunately our group dynamics suffered a bit of a meltdown at this point – Chris wanting to go one way and Joe another. After some heated arguments and angry roaming around we finally had a tent site for the night – and we all sat and ate cold leftovers for dinner feeling cross with each other.<br /></p><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTP3oDGDR2JRYJxIsP25-vaRA1J_8-5FBmvxPQRAREvBXHpCTX1WBym7GXukmY1G-qn0Taor-pVL4ukFtgAwwrZrKBLR-5Hfmq20koH-q2y_hYEfCvim55e51vTxEAdxhI3HsmP7EU87db/s1600/14102011626.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTP3oDGDR2JRYJxIsP25-vaRA1J_8-5FBmvxPQRAREvBXHpCTX1WBym7GXukmY1G-qn0Taor-pVL4ukFtgAwwrZrKBLR-5Hfmq20koH-q2y_hYEfCvim55e51vTxEAdxhI3HsmP7EU87db/s400/14102011626.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Descending into the mists just before it got dark and we tried to find a camp spot</div><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">After a chilly night (the wind was blowing hard through the first part of it) we woke to beautiful sun! We didn't have too much to eat for breakfast other than some dry bars, then we climbed back up through some rhododendron scrub onto the ridge. Now we didn't really have a track to follow so progress was much slower. </p><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD9u7h2-Bp8A21kPKBNDwHmyLQEDW7Q8d3InFVEu1sGlKVaFDLTgcckKGYOnjgBbCck7YvuoF1t_g3UYy5vG7rbbTCzpqzLE0-Zwm_euS0-wR74ETC3R6Is1PCnRwRLPxe6wh_OWVt0IXS/s1600/P1040626.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD9u7h2-Bp8A21kPKBNDwHmyLQEDW7Q8d3InFVEu1sGlKVaFDLTgcckKGYOnjgBbCck7YvuoF1t_g3UYy5vG7rbbTCzpqzLE0-Zwm_euS0-wR74ETC3R6Is1PCnRwRLPxe6wh_OWVt0IXS/s400/P1040626.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Joe caught the fire sunrise on his camera<br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Qmk2uLvdR2YSET_5aW-uKu9W0AlzLV2COD4bw3vjdfxSNh1UM4lz3kma36SRpkjzLGyA7Y0-EV1TIClljQSDLzXSx84jVVH9lpJpXqEki3NUlrtEepg6GSAFU1bC8-dwL_45UM331grF/s1600/P1040629.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Qmk2uLvdR2YSET_5aW-uKu9W0AlzLV2COD4bw3vjdfxSNh1UM4lz3kma36SRpkjzLGyA7Y0-EV1TIClljQSDLzXSx84jVVH9lpJpXqEki3NUlrtEepg6GSAFU1bC8-dwL_45UM331grF/s400/P1040629.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">Beautiful clear skies in the morning<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The map Chris was using for this trip was an ancient Russian survey map from the war which Matt had somehow cunningly sourced. It was a pretty average map and Chris was having some trouble interpreting it. By lunchtime Chris thought we had reached the road which would lead us down to the Valley of Flowers – but then he realised we had to climb over another peak. </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">We climbed up that peak through some amazing thick patches of bamboo following a very narrow walking track. But once we reached another point where we could see out he saw that there was still more ridgeline to traverse until we might hit the road. The track we were now following dived off down into the main valley back to Dali – not the Flowers. </p> <div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiybV18xibSJxD_NyV6VaEu6ZWZY2NNYWZCEb_VDdGnDE5QnoCB4Tj8tq4PvJTk2urlViAPiN4UYMTR39GCtlANIzPq8k9b4MXstIDAjXdfb7JXVcHttQcGWxwxoy1M9hrWYbBjplazR0nZ/s1600/P1040655.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiybV18xibSJxD_NyV6VaEu6ZWZY2NNYWZCEb_VDdGnDE5QnoCB4Tj8tq4PvJTk2urlViAPiN4UYMTR39GCtlANIzPq8k9b4MXstIDAjXdfb7JXVcHttQcGWxwxoy1M9hrWYbBjplazR0nZ/s400/P1040655.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Bamboo bashing<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1oXJmcELkWPE5_b3E3WWJ1ueLZhJN5N8wc-BjbxNfg-ji83Q5A1m_IsURAGJPF9O6JnJvp_kWOok6OR3-Xky527Ciu7bVoJgh4rldYWarCWOHqVuPwwdTieXsb0Y5CU8Jyhddsadn2Gph/s1600/P1040649.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1oXJmcELkWPE5_b3E3WWJ1ueLZhJN5N8wc-BjbxNfg-ji83Q5A1m_IsURAGJPF9O6JnJvp_kWOok6OR3-Xky527Ciu7bVoJgh4rldYWarCWOHqVuPwwdTieXsb0Y5CU8Jyhddsadn2Gph/s400/P1040649.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div> Then the bamboo gets bigger!<br /></div> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">We climbed the next peak to try and scout a route but swirling mists made it tricky to see. By this stage Joe had decided he was very keen to give up on the Flower Valley plan and just head down here. We were very short on food supplies by now, so we reluctantly (Chris especially) turned tail and started down the long descent to to the main road.</p><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia6cNg89HmT5jwfhCzq1Z3DAch-ZF5fERL3ezFfJ2NtJkk2XY2owekZLbEb6dkhwZv1pdDjVeO2W_fWiYGP96OY4HVKxezUH-KFDhnnujPtSQdROBaGVkgW1dlN423y4pdlnlPxAtj6p1B/s1600/P1040650.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia6cNg89HmT5jwfhCzq1Z3DAch-ZF5fERL3ezFfJ2NtJkk2XY2owekZLbEb6dkhwZv1pdDjVeO2W_fWiYGP96OY4HVKxezUH-KFDhnnujPtSQdROBaGVkgW1dlN423y4pdlnlPxAtj6p1B/s400/P1040650.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />A little lone Chris tries to rectify the terrain with his poor Russian map<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr5Vkj2KY3xiTFuWRUp7HnF_wPYQUJryidckYCVPHQRlV-Tpv6iFG2CUTNqtxMlVXSitypUFx42FtoVYewI2Kh7RKXI5SyswQriCCoR3B7ElT0iSDFmrcCbM_acU4z9w9Jcouou-TZfX66/s1600/P1040659.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr5Vkj2KY3xiTFuWRUp7HnF_wPYQUJryidckYCVPHQRlV-Tpv6iFG2CUTNqtxMlVXSitypUFx42FtoVYewI2Kh7RKXI5SyswQriCCoR3B7ElT0iSDFmrcCbM_acU4z9w9Jcouou-TZfX66/s400/P1040659.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div> The steep and rough descent back to Dali<br /></div> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">It was a very long way down and the track grew into a deeply rutted horse track as we neared the valley. The temperature also increased dramatically. Finally, just as it was dark yet again, we reached the streets of a little village bustling with life. People were unloading big bales of hay from wonky motorbikes and stacking bricks along the streets, there was a hubub of activity.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">We wandered down to the motorway and managed to hitch a ride in the dark with a taxi guy back to Dali, dinner and a delicious hot shower.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Shuanglang Kayaking</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I had a large blister on my little toe from so much walking and Chris needed to do some paddling, so Lara had suggested we take a trip to a little place called Shuanglang around the Er Hai lake. We caught a crammed minivan with the help of a lady who seemed to be running the show, then she put us on a little 4 person wagon attached to motorbike thing, then we took another minivan along a prettty bumpy section of road to Shuanglang.<br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Fortunately the taxi driver directed us to the start of a walk down some very narrow passageways to find the Sea and Sky Lodge. On the way there we saw huge cobwebs above us full of the biggest stripey spiders I have ever seen...</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTLdsV1yiZW1FETi0CoXSN54jBD7CX0xdhrPCft8HhwgPP-AjHsMv40k5uf1oOsVCI6Kmr6Q4t7UmeMBT-ErwRjRW_kdNxxk-y5k5TRy4AAv_-iaGksWvKFQJYKrQzT2zZlCSJ9j94s44K/s1600/P1040708.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTLdsV1yiZW1FETi0CoXSN54jBD7CX0xdhrPCft8HhwgPP-AjHsMv40k5uf1oOsVCI6Kmr6Q4t7UmeMBT-ErwRjRW_kdNxxk-y5k5TRy4AAv_-iaGksWvKFQJYKrQzT2zZlCSJ9j94s44K/s400/P1040708.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />A donkey on the streets of Shuanglang<br /></div> <div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK28KeLd0RPxZgOIkddRy18KeziQkYPDtJ8Qn67oQk8-WPrffCS77ivPwejkq-LsxBPZOVUSprWfsxgRWA8ae-OKxWUR9DEaQ5L_1LapeNzDw8dm93vphp2CGeDg7YPrdpOLl8GgcVj6TJ/s1600/P1040712.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK28KeLd0RPxZgOIkddRy18KeziQkYPDtJ8Qn67oQk8-WPrffCS77ivPwejkq-LsxBPZOVUSprWfsxgRWA8ae-OKxWUR9DEaQ5L_1LapeNzDw8dm93vphp2CGeDg7YPrdpOLl8GgcVj6TJ/s400/P1040712.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Yikes!<br /></div> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The Sea and Sky lodge is a cool place right on the lakefront with good food and nice people. We enjoyed the evening there, and in the morning took the old double fibreglass kayak out for a spin. The lake was a little smelly, but otherwise very nice for paddling. We watched lots of fishermen rowing boats out and hauling in big nets.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh39r-kEVmiZiDsQ6vg2TmE4FKYElyxxRLbyX6IrnzO_5nu1uyYQfdAvP90M-HWI5_9aq1u2pQ2q6UuecFPzGXrLEkbLEOYX2IJ39TO-xUvjiN5GY6W6UAlEATSzX_37mD-L7HpQOKCWSfj/s1600/P1040671.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh39r-kEVmiZiDsQ6vg2TmE4FKYElyxxRLbyX6IrnzO_5nu1uyYQfdAvP90M-HWI5_9aq1u2pQ2q6UuecFPzGXrLEkbLEOYX2IJ39TO-xUvjiN5GY6W6UAlEATSzX_37mD-L7HpQOKCWSfj/s400/P1040671.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />The lake shore from the Sea and Sky Lodge<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWOaPgYPSezVY6qlsf5xS1WhsibROFv-hmwt6uyVpUnH6XXb6Uax7X1Dfl5L9WxxTrefnryVfKm_Z69sMNYUzBAyiePPMKnz28h5C88mh0YlHUNKutifjjHDBUzdX77s24qNsGlK2ehUk8/s1600/P1040676.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWOaPgYPSezVY6qlsf5xS1WhsibROFv-hmwt6uyVpUnH6XXb6Uax7X1Dfl5L9WxxTrefnryVfKm_Z69sMNYUzBAyiePPMKnz28h5C88mh0YlHUNKutifjjHDBUzdX77s24qNsGlK2ehUk8/s400/P1040676.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div>Evening at the lodge<br /></div> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg19S8-XKYmM5Nb6cYbr_LE8YsWOwXYyi0S6UOkRUtBGr48d86KVJHshpUSrjALGsK-h8EKXxh4dLlwHDXH1S937nc2j-dbYYvZ0uiIkdkIbFWirCylEfFLVA4NrNUvDHbSt-iJyyFONy8f/s1600/P1040704.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg19S8-XKYmM5Nb6cYbr_LE8YsWOwXYyi0S6UOkRUtBGr48d86KVJHshpUSrjALGsK-h8EKXxh4dLlwHDXH1S937nc2j-dbYYvZ0uiIkdkIbFWirCylEfFLVA4NrNUvDHbSt-iJyyFONy8f/s400/P1040704.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">The man who hired the kayaks out to us told us to watch for "large sheep on island" - after puzzling over this for a bit we figured it out.</p><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOUwm4o48e6jH-hY64Olzk8eGiUqSxDXrjLhUJREALnDfgL58Le4aSabcwuN2Gth6TfBOx6DlSS19_h1uKFEKLx3XbFv85vkyZy8EznelmwWITeV-GVfEuWIoemf8JvitGjqr77zTyLycq/s1600/P1040696.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOUwm4o48e6jH-hY64Olzk8eGiUqSxDXrjLhUJREALnDfgL58Le4aSabcwuN2Gth6TfBOx6DlSS19_h1uKFEKLx3XbFv85vkyZy8EznelmwWITeV-GVfEuWIoemf8JvitGjqr77zTyLycq/s400/P1040696.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />The calm (but rather smelly) lake<br /></div> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The waves and wind picked up in the afternoon following the trend of previous days, and we were pretty wet and chilly when we pulled back into the lodge. A quick shower and a nice “baked spaghetti” at the “western cafe” and we journeyed back home to Dali to meet back up with Joe and hopefully Matt and Lara.</p><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0LFSbE6AN3GEabm2q42BBaJyK2YlFwptsZEJSxLNqegVQOZAsD5m4x_ezjebozEY7lbyWnsP2mu8QHQij2zwlYqPFA87Pb9R3u4T2T1UbHn5OllGx4JidyAXKQ6j5jK393AVx1CseCrhv/s1600/P1040673.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0LFSbE6AN3GEabm2q42BBaJyK2YlFwptsZEJSxLNqegVQOZAsD5m4x_ezjebozEY7lbyWnsP2mu8QHQij2zwlYqPFA87Pb9R3u4T2T1UbHn5OllGx4JidyAXKQ6j5jK393AVx1CseCrhv/s400/P1040673.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Chinese food at the Sea and Sky lodge - tofu and tomato and spicy sliced potato, yum!<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Tiger Leaping Gorge</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Sadly, Matt and Lara still were in Hong Kong, and now it looked like we would hopefully see Lara in the weekend, but Matt would have to zoom off to guest lecture in another city and we would miss him. In the meantime we decided to travel to Lijang (a very touristy and famous city) and then on to the popular spot of Tiger Leaping Gorge.</p> <div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiScfqvymxLHLbW7X996XQ1sgplVZZaljYUlvWeXH2o_hNScsimPwNaBNe6A-4winKbjXtNyQKk-mvh7XS0NFX7LT7yNO01SIZwpo51auB5WEVKA-loOw68-BmJAzWdD8hNzxkNZHqOKPxW/s1600/P1040739.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiScfqvymxLHLbW7X996XQ1sgplVZZaljYUlvWeXH2o_hNScsimPwNaBNe6A-4winKbjXtNyQKk-mvh7XS0NFX7LT7yNO01SIZwpo51auB5WEVKA-loOw68-BmJAzWdD8hNzxkNZHqOKPxW/s400/P1040739.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />A view during the bus ride to Lijang<br /></div> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Arriving in Lijang after a 5 hour bus ride from Dali was a pretty amazing thing – it was dark so the city was all lit up, glowing lanterns and trees, packed with people, and an aray of open shops and markets selling all kind of amazing things – fried grasshopppers, black goats feet, chicken feet, frogs...and those were the things we could identify!</p><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsx94baE_7nQpT5BQZKOnkHw7_R7DHfVTlgco16xbl-OQgUbCxyDNdIBfYV2hguaAmx8Vmdpd6fgXsxkeEQ-NeUo1Ozrt5qRq_SyegC0csYxS_R8b5esEWdhFBfwUKTsY-uZbsNt-92b8z/s1600/P1040722.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsx94baE_7nQpT5BQZKOnkHw7_R7DHfVTlgco16xbl-OQgUbCxyDNdIBfYV2hguaAmx8Vmdpd6fgXsxkeEQ-NeUo1Ozrt5qRq_SyegC0csYxS_R8b5esEWdhFBfwUKTsY-uZbsNt-92b8z/s400/P1040722.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />An amazing sight greeted us in Lijang<br /></div> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">We found Mama Naxi's – a nice cheap hostel full of foreigners and a friendly Mama who fed us bananas all the time. After a good sleep on a very hard bed we took an extremly bumpy minivan ride to the start of Tiger Leaping Gorge. We followed a spectacular track high up above the gorge. There were a couple of very pushy old saleswomen along the way who harrassed us a bit, and we learnt the best technique was to avoid taking any pictures or stopping at all anywhere near these women.</p><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHLkrR9Yq4MgVqBTqv3T4EAZzx9L5ddQRBXOczpTO2oePng_1wlcaBpB8gN1xOTSYgEIcWfltiucF7PABNICxriFzeEX-JlAI46QkBV9QmlJ0K-ZzhN3UkyaNvYXpSUckqzJyJQxZpRips/s1600/P1040782.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHLkrR9Yq4MgVqBTqv3T4EAZzx9L5ddQRBXOczpTO2oePng_1wlcaBpB8gN1xOTSYgEIcWfltiucF7PABNICxriFzeEX-JlAI46QkBV9QmlJ0K-ZzhN3UkyaNvYXpSUckqzJyJQxZpRips/s400/P1040782.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />One of the many nice guest houses along the route, a great spot for a beer!<br /></div> <div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7_QOrGK0AaatZ9BuhmiMe3-uFDGB8fHOVncX7DnT2ljWEieaR3Ei5kDVRqJYF6NHdApQ2xTUqUZUKdfcDnpDWKJAw_90I2_q8v96co6Z7yY_T26DSGpGBBX9tNPu6tUYCWjaovLBS5IVi/s1600/P1040792.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7_QOrGK0AaatZ9BuhmiMe3-uFDGB8fHOVncX7DnT2ljWEieaR3Ei5kDVRqJYF6NHdApQ2xTUqUZUKdfcDnpDWKJAw_90I2_q8v96co6Z7yY_T26DSGpGBBX9tNPu6tUYCWjaovLBS5IVi/s400/P1040792.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Looking up Tiger Leaping Gorge<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsMm_hzSKPr9sYNmQpyO4NMp9c_60MJAxkPzH5AVKt-8iSo_IrSzUmHUxt1YqukSXERp5NiFcbqlVjexJhwj4KCEvQKKN-m1h136lgGgUTw8rHiYTMIw2WSLJFCAjqjnn70ZK5blcE0pss/s1600/P1040810.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsMm_hzSKPr9sYNmQpyO4NMp9c_60MJAxkPzH5AVKt-8iSo_IrSzUmHUxt1YqukSXERp5NiFcbqlVjexJhwj4KCEvQKKN-m1h136lgGgUTw8rHiYTMIw2WSLJFCAjqjnn70ZK5blcE0pss/s400/P1040810.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div>The track sidles on one steep side of the valley looking directly at the steep face of the other<br /></div> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">We climbed the “28 Bends” and then drank a nice cold beer at the Tea Horse Inn. We talked to a helpful guide there who told us we could climb up to the peaks above from the following lodge if we wanted to, so we decided that was a great plan for the following day.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I loved the Half Way Inn with it's magnificient view and bright red dried chillies hanging from the roof. From the dinning room big windows looked straight across at the sheer walls on the very close opposite side of the valley.</p><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9LMVBCMw9wHLhvFjvtWoVWW6L4We8wu8hk8a_wxER5jgw1gq1ODEzWmYqtJdgL5WBBc17MuYv_Hymv52DtpNF8MjHXknJe3lM77jIoGs2dWjUZF6fE_ajIhJvHUnJOpwGRW21j0zPiiIj/s1600/P1040853.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9LMVBCMw9wHLhvFjvtWoVWW6L4We8wu8hk8a_wxER5jgw1gq1ODEzWmYqtJdgL5WBBc17MuYv_Hymv52DtpNF8MjHXknJe3lM77jIoGs2dWjUZF6fE_ajIhJvHUnJOpwGRW21j0zPiiIj/s400/P1040853.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Chilly peppers hang to dry at the Half Way Inn<br /></div> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Chris felt he needed to get a good amount more height into his legs, so the next day we climbed above the lodge on the little trail the guide told us about. It lead to a series of quarry sites were workers were living under tarpaulines mining the river for tungsten. The river was completely silt filled and the place looked dirty and depressing.</p><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt3UIK3P8eQYKPzshBC2HNYJ-PlDHm7ZLEdCaqK3Dh8u-Psf3zuaqfPtbc21_8lovmrqB9TzCVmjTLpZNw9IyYKAPSk6dSOZkBXHw0zqXTD47KAOXf1rbzMqeztBzXnnWfE0OEC28q3P-l/s1600/P1040857.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt3UIK3P8eQYKPzshBC2HNYJ-PlDHm7ZLEdCaqK3Dh8u-Psf3zuaqfPtbc21_8lovmrqB9TzCVmjTLpZNw9IyYKAPSk6dSOZkBXHw0zqXTD47KAOXf1rbzMqeztBzXnnWfE0OEC28q3P-l/s400/P1040857.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">Workers tents dotted down the stream which is being intensely sluiced<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">We climbed up so high on a smelly donkey track which had an extremely consistent steep gradient. After several hours climbing we finally reached a large plateau area where the trail flattened out. There were trucks and diggers and a massive quarry area. We were above 4000m and the hillside was a mess. Above us (but still in the mist) loomed the summit of Haba Snow mountain that we would have liked to climb had we had the time.</p><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWRgl4UKeZ3H6YdTyGruAAHEs97mU55KWVYRpwfp98Xh6aBImnas7xTGaXn7S5KtVVtzZAdk5y42MCDcib_ZJcH9rV92xud2CXmYEt3j3Yq8apyghhdvcCIZUVvt5k2jGHJ7r2-u9JApVG/s1600/P1040871.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWRgl4UKeZ3H6YdTyGruAAHEs97mU55KWVYRpwfp98Xh6aBImnas7xTGaXn7S5KtVVtzZAdk5y42MCDcib_ZJcH9rV92xud2CXmYEt3j3Yq8apyghhdvcCIZUVvt5k2jGHJ7r2-u9JApVG/s400/P1040871.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Mules carry up logs to the mine at the top<br /></div> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">After a little snack we headed down a narrow and more interesting trail, but not before a train of mules and their guide who had been bringing up supplies to the mine. </p> <div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzAy5iheYYe-kR_UyPgmy7PFYbpc6yRfNdAKttUWRw8uFN6Ur_3HrosapHdo8NF3heGKNb2HSHfaaGNsbZgVrZdxuP9PjhWbZauKO8ktKhzYX0oBoXS-7bUzqC0a51qRLs27geH4H8PPTu/s1600/P1040877.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzAy5iheYYe-kR_UyPgmy7PFYbpc6yRfNdAKttUWRw8uFN6Ur_3HrosapHdo8NF3heGKNb2HSHfaaGNsbZgVrZdxuP9PjhWbZauKO8ktKhzYX0oBoXS-7bUzqC0a51qRLs27geH4H8PPTu/s400/P1040877.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Finally reaching the top of the mine works at about 4000m<br /></div> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">We ran down the mountain as quick as we could for the fun of it and arrived back at the Half Way house for a late lunch. We all ordered the most humongous soups I have ever seen and left the Inn feeling extremely bloated - but happy.</p><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirFbKGC_hUpQqTi1ev24Ym6UEWHHS1edHmM8zrSKvUmddPj3E7SrlgnM67wEntgVk6QH2Y99vJRGG_kHcfsXJx6-bImuhCRe1xIC3IAOiNOgQytl_2KFrRxBhgC1nT-fvjrgH70YYbHj-X/s1600/P1040927.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirFbKGC_hUpQqTi1ev24Ym6UEWHHS1edHmM8zrSKvUmddPj3E7SrlgnM67wEntgVk6QH2Y99vJRGG_kHcfsXJx6-bImuhCRe1xIC3IAOiNOgQytl_2KFrRxBhgC1nT-fvjrgH70YYbHj-X/s400/P1040927.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Lots of soup and vegies for lunch<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The final section of the track was very spectacular – we wound in and out of steep gullies until we descended back down into the gorge. Once there we paid a little extra to the locals so we could descend the steep ladder right down into the gorge and to the river. There we could see the point where the massive brown river is squeezed into a super narrow gap in a canyon with sides over 5000m high!</div></div> <div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR9ectBWMdSIl8unVlVtbvIXMGKKb645Lrr8eg899_YD4QdEyLWNgF5CQVJ2TgyPMZT8awOLAHdr2-op_v1fhBJjLfyQAnwu9ivwKSY5c4B27gBLgL7JnvB-91Vynf0_hkxUqXMrXuLVQo/s1600/P1040998.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR9ectBWMdSIl8unVlVtbvIXMGKKb645Lrr8eg899_YD4QdEyLWNgF5CQVJ2TgyPMZT8awOLAHdr2-op_v1fhBJjLfyQAnwu9ivwKSY5c4B27gBLgL7JnvB-91Vynf0_hkxUqXMrXuLVQo/s400/P1040998.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Joe climbs down the ladders into the gorge<br /></div> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The story is that a hunter once chased a tiger into the gorge, and to escape the hunter the tiger leapt right across the river. We had the place to ourselves because the last bus had already left for Lijang, but we saw no tigers. Joe and Chris did sneak across the forbidden bridge to get a good peak at the river from the Tiger Leaping Rock – naughty boys.</p> <div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTFP8LhJUsjApqTcKcMF4MCZrI2EI9X4xNn9ksTCed5ppPpKd51NOrNUTWjR2gTrPMTmBzCh0wVdkvaiuADPtX4rgIEIi1rSV9Tx1f2Esj23pcwFbiv9o4wVNg4CCdZ9y0HRHLMRE1rS0m/s1600/P1040973.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTFP8LhJUsjApqTcKcMF4MCZrI2EI9X4xNn9ksTCed5ppPpKd51NOrNUTWjR2gTrPMTmBzCh0wVdkvaiuADPtX4rgIEIi1rSV9Tx1f2Esj23pcwFbiv9o4wVNg4CCdZ9y0HRHLMRE1rS0m/s400/P1040973.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Tiger Leaping Gorge and Stone<br /></div> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">We climbed back up the ladders to Jane's Guest House and felt pleased with our day's efforts – over 2000m climbed and descended. We managed to find a lift with some young Chinese guys and a rather over eager driver and we made it back to Lijang in a record 3 hours. I tried not look out the front window too much.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Back at Mama Naxi's we ate more bananas and found some good food. In the morning light the streets of Lijang looked a bit different and the crowds were much less so it was nice to poke our noses into some shops and explore a bit more. </p><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ZnP2Pffc4_wi000H69snBulgPAiW-P7-IZ0AYP5qHPeBPMzygVxGboL3ky8yknzJ6K1AEtLIEwg6ItsrRiI0VScATRF84xr1WFyVuUWKapk7GZ2rThtBMlym5X_082B0CvbskptI4vdU/s1600/P1050004.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ZnP2Pffc4_wi000H69snBulgPAiW-P7-IZ0AYP5qHPeBPMzygVxGboL3ky8yknzJ6K1AEtLIEwg6ItsrRiI0VScATRF84xr1WFyVuUWKapk7GZ2rThtBMlym5X_082B0CvbskptI4vdU/s400/P1050004.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">On the evening we arrived back in Lijang Joe purchased three of these innocent looking baked apples - I don't think so! They were the most horrid play-do balls with a strange nut thing in the center - Joe and Chris managed to gag down all three much to my horror!<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">We had a long bus trip home – first accidently taking a taxi to the train station not the bus – then the rickety bus we were on broke down. Finally we reached Dali in the evening, and we were happy to finally get to hang out with Lara. We ate at “Superman Vegetarian” - what a great name (-:</p><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRFGfVUXh8zDnTcj5t1SFPwe5GGVcuTyddEruqJSTEdHuFWUj4j-YRKVuH8eZzUmdoeFcGficpr7dPiRePSA8zpfAlA_RFR6A__MBInTUcWgMsfrfmtOcdZIegbpxGbu9RijbT02idulbi/s1600/P1050024.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRFGfVUXh8zDnTcj5t1SFPwe5GGVcuTyddEruqJSTEdHuFWUj4j-YRKVuH8eZzUmdoeFcGficpr7dPiRePSA8zpfAlA_RFR6A__MBInTUcWgMsfrfmtOcdZIegbpxGbu9RijbT02idulbi/s400/P1050024.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"> Chris sits besides some entertained Chinese on the bus trip back to Dali </div> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: bold;">Back to the Higher Land Inn</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">We decided to walk back up to the Higher Land Inn with Lara for our last weekend in China. We had loved the old fellow's laugh so much from the first visit – and the family dinner was so good too! There was another man working with the older man this time and Lara conversed easily with him in Chinese.<br /></p><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq0i0lK0dmsFoMEPGaR0xh3-6FiljEDrfSG7T9PfOXXdrn8UGtToLa27PwW8nosx2LR2rzWUek_qe1R2FRTJHbCOoKvCK9bZ9NFogh0WnHsQ_hTtj_DwZ3QITZKBUJW2P6bznbtZMWnyjA/s1600/P1050041.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq0i0lK0dmsFoMEPGaR0xh3-6FiljEDrfSG7T9PfOXXdrn8UGtToLa27PwW8nosx2LR2rzWUek_qe1R2FRTJHbCOoKvCK9bZ9NFogh0WnHsQ_hTtj_DwZ3QITZKBUJW2P6bznbtZMWnyjA/s400/P1050041.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div> Leaving the uni campus to walk up to the Inn, Chris performs the "lotus" position <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">He showed us heaps of great photos from his mountaineering trips in the Sichuan Province – up many 6000m plus peaks. We got all inspired for a future trip in that region of China to climb some bigger mountains!</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The final day in Dali we spent in the old town and enjoyed learning that New Zealand had just managed to win the rugby world cup against France. </p> <div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXSzHbjZG84cx2JtbS5Yqg-qN8oLoHZKtD_b3Js2LUYsK4RoRkc1k4eci-8Je28SnaXxszeWRSGAIgSbjKRTeEmcJAqBCmHDxDi4p3Y1yy6DMNOZIC1F9kRYaZysEzlUyR58kxfXtE3gSc/s1600/P1050055.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXSzHbjZG84cx2JtbS5Yqg-qN8oLoHZKtD_b3Js2LUYsK4RoRkc1k4eci-8Je28SnaXxszeWRSGAIgSbjKRTeEmcJAqBCmHDxDi4p3Y1yy6DMNOZIC1F9kRYaZysEzlUyR58kxfXtE3gSc/s400/P1050055.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"> Some neat flowers we saw along the path </div><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Joe headed on his way to the North – Europe – where we had just come from, while we continued on our journey home – now to Tasmania for the Adventure Racing World Champs which Chris will compete in with Team Seagate. On the way we spent a night in Bangkok and from the plane window I got some views of the massive floods spreading out across the lands. </p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08406950956653207723noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249050746221514503.post-42882674065189025962011-10-05T07:44:00.000-07:002011-10-10T06:58:13.362-07:00Storsylan Traverse...to China!<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpqdvEBGMXCGc4W4Vw3fJBzBXchz2_VhmYdGp1r6VgrHUtpM8gNuaRAf0aYMU62qLNN7m79sB92XUPHN7-BaoQEAIartrVzXaQm5PjTKt-of4pYblHeWBs3QC48lOFiTXoNzAWqPtJv8hf/s1600/P1040395.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpqdvEBGMXCGc4W4Vw3fJBzBXchz2_VhmYdGp1r6VgrHUtpM8gNuaRAf0aYMU62qLNN7m79sB92XUPHN7-BaoQEAIartrVzXaQm5PjTKt-of4pYblHeWBs3QC48lOFiTXoNzAWqPtJv8hf/s400/P1040395.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"> </div><br />Two days before we were due to leave for Nepal a fairly large earthquake hit more or less precisely the Kanchenjunga area we were heading to meet up with Jamie and Penny. Our first thoughts were concern for their safety in that huge crumbling landscape - luckily they escaped and have lived to tell an amazing tale which you can read about on <a href="http://pennyandjamie.blogspot.com/2011/09/taplejung-to-ghunsa-shaky-journey.html">Jamie and Penny's blog</a>.<br /><br />For us it spelled the end of our original trip and a rethink given we were so disorganised trying to shift from this continent we have lived on for nearly 3 years back to the other side of the world. How have we accumulated so much stuff?<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgjCsCT5QSWFwWvva2cWLJ9a3RMBNKOaSDbckxuXxYmAOG5HJpuxhhX3BgrUHrpBD86XGmaqqv2p1Y5ivlx_y6tbTtxV7VEFoen9v6QD_t_-NCdgwysErXoqdZQzQisXQT_JYT43O9WlvO/s1600/P1040260.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgjCsCT5QSWFwWvva2cWLJ9a3RMBNKOaSDbckxuXxYmAOG5HJpuxhhX3BgrUHrpBD86XGmaqqv2p1Y5ivlx_y6tbTtxV7VEFoen9v6QD_t_-NCdgwysErXoqdZQzQisXQT_JYT43O9WlvO/s400/P1040260.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;">This has been a familiar site over the last two weeks - brown boxes!<br /></div><br />For the time being we had to move from our flat and the opportunity to return to Tømmerholt - Wing's orienteering club house up in the forest - was very tempting. It was quite fitting two, given it is where we began our life in Norway some years ago, although there was a little more snow round then.<br /><br />This time the trees are showing their autumn colours and the days have either been beautiful crisp and clear, or gray and raining. The hut is so cosy, with the added ability to simultaneously produce 6 waffles at a time!<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS4TU5w1qhyxebDxY8y6O33_MI1qED-qCIjmlJui-QDSkJS-xqirlc_Gfh1s8rSmcWZ8Y_jSVTLtE-DD-dbwYBt_nNPDCRrCvww92Lae_Ek2jSJk_ff0DpFAB_kDIr-046Bpm5Le7Mzw4S/s1600/P1040284.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS4TU5w1qhyxebDxY8y6O33_MI1qED-qCIjmlJui-QDSkJS-xqirlc_Gfh1s8rSmcWZ8Y_jSVTLtE-DD-dbwYBt_nNPDCRrCvww92Lae_Ek2jSJk_ff0DpFAB_kDIr-046Bpm5Le7Mzw4S/s400/P1040284.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"> During the extra two weeks we also did a bit of paddling - and kayaked out to the NTNU Gigaphone in Lademoen<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL1DIvnmsj6JQzqA7FFY5hhvA7OasLVWcebWmX7CLnhxleMTegmoxTjkQYQfouk6tFRYB97EOGW6mVktr9ANS1EgPq6hmBxHUxUk7H0wjOlaiC-gdrWq0wOJBd6jyosBG_5l0nK00Ya9ie/s1600/P1040319.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL1DIvnmsj6JQzqA7FFY5hhvA7OasLVWcebWmX7CLnhxleMTegmoxTjkQYQfouk6tFRYB97EOGW6mVktr9ANS1EgPq6hmBxHUxUk7H0wjOlaiC-gdrWq0wOJBd6jyosBG_5l0nK00Ya9ie/s400/P1040319.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div> We climbed Jervfjellet after biking around the Jonsvanet via a very alternative route!<br /><br /></div>Somehow between all the organising and reorganising we managed to squeeze in one more final final really final trip. It was Garmin Bear at his best - heading away from Tømmerholt at 5pm on a Saturday, beginning walking at 7 just at it got dark, without a map. We were in Sylan, a high treeless plateau near the Swedish border. It was a place our friend Bård had always told us was great, so we decided we really should visit it before we went.<br /><br />The landscape was wide and pitch black. After about 1.5 hours walking Chris decided that based on the map in his head this one wasn't going the right way @#$%! So we took off across the countryside to his 'attack point' which was the side of this huge mountain that we could sort of 'feel' looming up beside us.<br /><br />We found a fence which Chris thought he remembered, so we followed it up a gentle hill until finally our torch beams reflected a tiny hut sitting on the hill top. After dinner and putting on warm clothes we took this shot - it was 12.36 am!<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGQBdYN9KuuXgP_L-dwlDa52-3-wJrC8EEjD3u03-KqVD66R5xMAeKCWFtE7vN6-563bGqZllzOhKso6qSRgI9f5y4NKkccnZqcm3UgSBVAtai_faCx30lpLguNXFyMCsgPkHe2qcwSvxp/s1600/Dark+by+hut.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGQBdYN9KuuXgP_L-dwlDa52-3-wJrC8EEjD3u03-KqVD66R5xMAeKCWFtE7vN6-563bGqZllzOhKso6qSRgI9f5y4NKkccnZqcm3UgSBVAtai_faCx30lpLguNXFyMCsgPkHe2qcwSvxp/s400/Dark+by+hut.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><br />Of course the result of all this lateness results in further lateness the following day. We had a lazy morning, justified equally by the low hanging mist as by our late night. Being mapless made me less than keen to set off up towards some mist clad summit.<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDgqCa4I88tB-DT-69mjDME5y56kZ3NZrVtuiprrrJzYhmciU7z5A83TsxdwpKBkLBYMdCWachpOYGwI2spJWb6N-G0fXEWGPzoI4FvI4ooTOjZyimAgTARWCi2S5K4wUjSFZZHkfY5XEw/s1600/P1040344.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDgqCa4I88tB-DT-69mjDME5y56kZ3NZrVtuiprrrJzYhmciU7z5A83TsxdwpKBkLBYMdCWachpOYGwI2spJWb6N-G0fXEWGPzoI4FvI4ooTOjZyimAgTARWCi2S5K4wUjSFZZHkfY5XEw/s400/P1040344.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"> The cute little hut by daylight<br /><br /></div>By midday the sun was starting to peak through, so we headed away from<span style="font-size:100%;"> Fiskåhøgda</span> blinking at the visual complexity of our surroundings compared to what we had missed in our blind journey in to the hut. Lemmings popped out squeeking at us everywhere - one lay belly side up squeeking tremendously before flipping back up and scuttling into the nearest hole leaving me chuckling at these most crazy animals.<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Gru_1tah8l0JAM43aduL9s5sBtyl2FAx_BoxTyNoyLEKTh_JVKSTytS7aeM9mmgv9ByGQLBhekVrdE7hALMm_WtLnjIUs78hCuv5qAVDeLgdyYLINm4nP4cYMLMq2bcLo3x_xW72Kcg_/s1600/P1040356.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Gru_1tah8l0JAM43aduL9s5sBtyl2FAx_BoxTyNoyLEKTh_JVKSTytS7aeM9mmgv9ByGQLBhekVrdE7hALMm_WtLnjIUs78hCuv5qAVDeLgdyYLINm4nP4cYMLMq2bcLo3x_xW72Kcg_/s400/P1040356.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"> Walking up the early slopes towards Storsylen<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSNVifUZ8XiK5QLUJLDi-p530PngBXdaMOtFoSmimwoyXj4PXL-U8Ongvm1MhtQhzVMwdIab5rwDrvTFn7huI53VXM6rTPi1HsEGOXY1klde_XLDM3oeXLkTPUiGy4_jJBJ0oyRkZuMTri/s1600/P1040361.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSNVifUZ8XiK5QLUJLDi-p530PngBXdaMOtFoSmimwoyXj4PXL-U8Ongvm1MhtQhzVMwdIab5rwDrvTFn7huI53VXM6rTPi1HsEGOXY1klde_XLDM3oeXLkTPUiGy4_jJBJ0oyRkZuMTri/s400/P1040361.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div> The mist swirled around but was slowly clearing<br /><br /></div>We could spot far away reindeer and the occasional ptarmigan complete with white fluffy winter coat. Eventually we reached the rocky ridge which leads to Storsylen (1762 m). The swirling mist made the ascent very atmospheric. We climbed over several false summits before reaching the top of Storsylen just as the mist completely cleared and we could see right down to a blue glacier on the Northern flank of the mountain.<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Rs8ExSvYsuZ2h3gYLt6Yh9fZBbYdoZmfjbYJXqaVC-gPJ60IH8k7DO3-5TjwtpwlZF_Ct-gFOBek0Ydh2dgE-GnYJpr0j6CTNQ7WnhGDwkKDd7mFaa4KSqSt8C3gkYTgJXjAxS3iVE-h/s1600/P1040372.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Rs8ExSvYsuZ2h3gYLt6Yh9fZBbYdoZmfjbYJXqaVC-gPJ60IH8k7DO3-5TjwtpwlZF_Ct-gFOBek0Ydh2dgE-GnYJpr0j6CTNQ7WnhGDwkKDd7mFaa4KSqSt8C3gkYTgJXjAxS3iVE-h/s400/P1040372.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"> The first false summit - I was busy writing our names in the 'summit book'<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWB5mZkcJB4IU5FptrSoxu9HXgBYgAhlKyyCiMoYqgYj1wAPGxVUjwCAG2fp9Nx51YNzJZ5DhPHu2_JxJhdiProLvqXCt-EEnIRnK_YsS2q960B_cLU01xxxdOu6t9SI9cZ5BqDqirStsO/s1600/P1040388.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWB5mZkcJB4IU5FptrSoxu9HXgBYgAhlKyyCiMoYqgYj1wAPGxVUjwCAG2fp9Nx51YNzJZ5DhPHu2_JxJhdiProLvqXCt-EEnIRnK_YsS2q960B_cLU01xxxdOu6t9SI9cZ5BqDqirStsO/s400/P1040388.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div> The last of the mist billows off Storsylen<br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6r73wN4G1CG7yWWsV6yj569YlhIO5XNQEY-CmeMWp9SWVl-fn7GVbJaSLx2d3tERgthg3pI62XXz8Q-scevkLY4QLOOKynD2oysc_wMfvAXmt-xTWTaPA6Nig_MedrmO_Z8wOH62p2zK2/s1600/P1040405.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6r73wN4G1CG7yWWsV6yj569YlhIO5XNQEY-CmeMWp9SWVl-fn7GVbJaSLx2d3tERgthg3pI62XXz8Q-scevkLY4QLOOKynD2oysc_wMfvAXmt-xTWTaPA6Nig_MedrmO_Z8wOH62p2zK2/s400/P1040405.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;">Storsylen summit complete with pirate flag<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVZ9oI50QPM_LVb0VW4d6ahxsDPK2V6k8ZMafBoduhTfDViCz5ICmrJEe0C2kf-agqDmz6DvNhSPBFueEThuk9i3QwTWnue2o9u3dmoLU9_AsEwGw_YzpjMwn9tjJMv6Ea_4OzLMlQDJIl/s1600/P1040383.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVZ9oI50QPM_LVb0VW4d6ahxsDPK2V6k8ZMafBoduhTfDViCz5ICmrJEe0C2kf-agqDmz6DvNhSPBFueEThuk9i3QwTWnue2o9u3dmoLU9_AsEwGw_YzpjMwn9tjJMv6Ea_4OzLMlQDJIl/s400/P1040383.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div> We could finally see down<br /></div><br />The day was drawing on as we continued down the ridge which had some fairly tricky spots to downclimb, the drop just off the summit involving me using a Garmin Bear-shoulder-foothold to aid my descent.<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSz7Hz6JGodvN_UBb5_O-boMiKYq_Rh6A0Gkm3H_XP7wfXGJFCSJSThg8CiDB-vmyAXUeC1h-C38lgKjgAKC8kRBO1R2T6AK7-D0UB1PHZdy7R_Sp5Q6WFQFks-a9n70PcNBK6ZJCHixpw/s1600/P1040408.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSz7Hz6JGodvN_UBb5_O-boMiKYq_Rh6A0Gkm3H_XP7wfXGJFCSJSThg8CiDB-vmyAXUeC1h-C38lgKjgAKC8kRBO1R2T6AK7-D0UB1PHZdy7R_Sp5Q6WFQFks-a9n70PcNBK6ZJCHixpw/s400/P1040408.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"> Big rock clambering on the way down (I know Amber will appreciate these (-: )<br /></div>Just to make things a little more complicated I had a preorganised dinner with my great friend Laila that evening back in Trondheim. She was very amused and tolerant of my frequent texting with our progress off the mountain and ever lengthening eta.<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTR2x_PQfs3HryXERnDHpzcKVgaaEy7JoGOw8bcsxZ_WAX8QTn0ypp5V-TVFnTGjl1LLcCmq69M1PGHtciVEICIo3lpo2TLugi8-DcWK1me-QUrdOrgRGMTLOrmkH0DpBKh0qEAP9WQEmX/s1600/P1040421.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTR2x_PQfs3HryXERnDHpzcKVgaaEy7JoGOw8bcsxZ_WAX8QTn0ypp5V-TVFnTGjl1LLcCmq69M1PGHtciVEICIo3lpo2TLugi8-DcWK1me-QUrdOrgRGMTLOrmkH0DpBKh0qEAP9WQEmX/s400/P1040421.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"> Off the mountain finally, stripey poly-pro man marches along<br /></div><br />The late afternoon sun threw golden shadows across the already red and yellow hillsides, and lake Nesjøen was still and dark in the cool air. It really is a beautiful and wild area not to be scorned at (Ally). We jogged down across the last marshes and arrived at our car by 6 - hooned home to a very quick shower and off to Laila's for a lovely evening meal by 9pm! Mission accomplished.<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCX58jq5IUbwtOI4p9PrHNNL617v2glIctx41O8_qM89t6K4Ej2OOAJDx6HrWYDQdNDcn493HPLziU9fJHpX_qNarHeFSkqTVFWCL0fnW9nGnlwtQfPv9qinUYObluzWqd5UkWHFI6NCc3/s1600/P1040431.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCX58jq5IUbwtOI4p9PrHNNL617v2glIctx41O8_qM89t6K4Ej2OOAJDx6HrWYDQdNDcn493HPLziU9fJHpX_qNarHeFSkqTVFWCL0fnW9nGnlwtQfPv9qinUYObluzWqd5UkWHFI6NCc3/s400/P1040431.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"> The sun sets on the horizon just before we reached the car<br /><br /></div>Now we are all packed and ready, boxes boxed and bags packed. We are going to China! First we have to visit Stockholm to sort out our visas (and maybe squeeze in a kayak trip in the archipelago) In China we will visit our friends Matt and Lara (and probably Joe the Nomad too) in the town of Dali for a couple of weeks before we go to Tasmania and then finally home.<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI8kBv_e-WJz42Lftzqgapn0RM8kl5iDnBV6NpWe8L1E5WCCsErsZJSSMMCnstLu0XbzKuyfmkOToH033ogRPc82OlJAWT99lomykOwQVrN9kfNvTxOojMc5-Jz0qsLQwwxhqnecyQ5dmi/s1600/P1040332.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI8kBv_e-WJz42Lftzqgapn0RM8kl5iDnBV6NpWe8L1E5WCCsErsZJSSMMCnstLu0XbzKuyfmkOToH033ogRPc82OlJAWT99lomykOwQVrN9kfNvTxOojMc5-Jz0qsLQwwxhqnecyQ5dmi/s400/P1040332.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"> So bye for now Trondheim! We will miss you so much.<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08406950956653207723noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249050746221514503.post-25472759740319719622011-09-29T04:10:00.000-07:002011-10-03T08:51:06.052-07:00One Sunny Day in Sunndalsøra<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhES74rmoKlsV5vvbF-2gjRtaProyquwqoC-IFwEoMRDN9IqfBMGjM3V0IW0JmMjESHcGsz_qcByRL4tYUyn8fLrHw0nTwWN5YccCRqdrZ3iqBfuCUbH_fYsqMk_1n7c_1xSsdxN-a6YmC9/s1600/P1040140.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhES74rmoKlsV5vvbF-2gjRtaProyquwqoC-IFwEoMRDN9IqfBMGjM3V0IW0JmMjESHcGsz_qcByRL4tYUyn8fLrHw0nTwWN5YccCRqdrZ3iqBfuCUbH_fYsqMk_1n7c_1xSsdxN-a6YmC9/s400/P1040140.JPG" border="0" /></a><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"> </div> </div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:180%;">T</span><span style="font-size:100%;">his </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">was supposed to be our last weekend in Norway, or so we thought. We had decided we better spend it somewhere cool with some cool people. Beautiful Sunndals</span>øra about 2 hours drive from Trondheim with our great trip buddies Helen and Ally seemed like a perfect plan.<br /><br />Of course we were already in a mad scramble trying to organise ourselves to leave Norway over the previous month, since we have been back from France.<br /><br />We also fitted in a crazy Friday night mountain bike adventure with Tim and Ally up Vassfjellet and some weekday orienteering. We flew down to Oslo for the Norwegian Orienteering Nationals, <a href="http://helvino.blogspot.com/2011/09/chickn-wings-rocking-relays.html">Helen</a> did a nice write up of that on her blog.<br /><br /><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3tAYSgVbwFy9nNZ-LM5-YKsOhLXOYaNV10n4EJIsedwNDxy72uP77qSRGObcsPONKGJV0DgvPVmXY2QZWb5eDkc1ficvquJuWied2mWDxL-enDYk-vKFpcSBqG7UVXN4axEp_XObNaLvA/s1600/P1040154.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3tAYSgVbwFy9nNZ-LM5-YKsOhLXOYaNV10n4EJIsedwNDxy72uP77qSRGObcsPONKGJV0DgvPVmXY2QZWb5eDkc1ficvquJuWied2mWDxL-enDYk-vKFpcSBqG7UVXN4axEp_XObNaLvA/s400/P1040154.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;">I got a bit carried away with the delicious blue berries on the way up <span class="st"><em>Dronningkrona</em> </span><br /></div><br /><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ybw9HK1dwxyTka_-8ut_p4ESQyjYYfRx38c77mTbOVQQZ3osON43-ItaAEDEDJydTQrX8VMukasdtghL48JxNd6IIojjyciTmhuhMizmXmAbeCv9tUdQ9u4nH6hgULVFqnQLv4pHGs8i/s1600/P1040166.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ybw9HK1dwxyTka_-8ut_p4ESQyjYYfRx38c77mTbOVQQZ3osON43-ItaAEDEDJydTQrX8VMukasdtghL48JxNd6IIojjyciTmhuhMizmXmAbeCv9tUdQ9u4nH6hgULVFqnQLv4pHGs8i/s400/P1040166.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div>The day was amazing, one of the crispiest, clearest days I have ever had here. Helen and I make our way carefully up the loose and freshly snow covered boulders.<br /><br /><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR2L50p3vx9SVUZY5EGLVWSVqj8kfTqwpt6ZFHBi1A-QZHZAth4-RSzwgO9onwZ5tQMGtSci2XAouRb8c1n8W16oQSQP7zJA9uFVroLWYCCv6-5nyYihj2NYO2dxul_INVF8kUZ2ZRyekH/s1600/P1040158.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR2L50p3vx9SVUZY5EGLVWSVqj8kfTqwpt6ZFHBi1A-QZHZAth4-RSzwgO9onwZ5tQMGtSci2XAouRb8c1n8W16oQSQP7zJA9uFVroLWYCCv6-5nyYihj2NYO2dxul_INVF8kUZ2ZRyekH/s400/P1040158.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;">We found a nice little house on the way up with a sunny porch to sit and admire the view<br /></div><br /><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilhvUZTln_3pNn8MknLqF11dyqxjGfYbJu9GkQK4Zq95_uLnZt3JJVPPJKrjFPGe7bPCg5k8WvjIwbw3WSKzFVxQkxZCGKCG1wYudCevqt5T6YoUk4gr6SdR3VipMl7e1jpDAd2s7MTI6W/s1600/P1040182.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilhvUZTln_3pNn8MknLqF11dyqxjGfYbJu9GkQK4Zq95_uLnZt3JJVPPJKrjFPGe7bPCg5k8WvjIwbw3WSKzFVxQkxZCGKCG1wYudCevqt5T6YoUk4gr6SdR3VipMl7e1jpDAd2s7MTI6W/s400/P1040182.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div>Looking down the back side of <span class="st"><em>Dronningkrona</em> to the glacier below. The early autumn snow had fallen quite low on the hillsides, further down the trees were still golden and red.</span><br /><br /><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVRpOtPl4zZkaKR_gq1ErJct6_FVEN19gVYTaiMtoBJulKdLrkr8Nl8ja9zjNdXvXlMDF5ZhZPJ6vDOyo_kFvpXwSOiL5jZO7kFUAedDyWaysuCsJFr1Rg6OwAFvZ7ifAhVUJEhu25tYJG/s1600/P1040190.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVRpOtPl4zZkaKR_gq1ErJct6_FVEN19gVYTaiMtoBJulKdLrkr8Nl8ja9zjNdXvXlMDF5ZhZPJ6vDOyo_kFvpXwSOiL5jZO7kFUAedDyWaysuCsJFr1Rg6OwAFvZ7ifAhVUJEhu25tYJG/s400/P1040190.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div>We descended beside the glacier via the route which Chris (aka Garmin Bear) was sure would be better than our ascent route. Much to our sceptisim it actually was!<br /><br /><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq6M-z5RZa-tShG5BJ1rI0DY3bVGD6J1G0NNHM8en5BMKJNT2-nXlJYu0LK_wdph6uR_zMFSR2nfUxSTZ7X1kJKkVnYjd5QJt8AQsNK1WX9fWW0lnuZzSsWwK8K1vMruSNjMpk54CDNw1U/s1600/P1040202.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq6M-z5RZa-tShG5BJ1rI0DY3bVGD6J1G0NNHM8en5BMKJNT2-nXlJYu0LK_wdph6uR_zMFSR2nfUxSTZ7X1kJKkVnYjd5QJt8AQsNK1WX9fWW0lnuZzSsWwK8K1vMruSNjMpk54CDNw1U/s400/P1040202.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;">The boys striking a pose!<br /></div><br /><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhABbUL6rGShICzuyk3FvMHAoz5Ju72kwarWPI9lQ3x0JtOpbZL6qfEl5rDp9nPczHHJj9WomqL5bLIkcQiMpZklF-oHbwALgEAPaq_vblAs80d9Cct2bdQu87ACRs9EJ5lvgeB4nR_8BMo/s1600/P1040233.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhABbUL6rGShICzuyk3FvMHAoz5Ju72kwarWPI9lQ3x0JtOpbZL6qfEl5rDp9nPczHHJj9WomqL5bLIkcQiMpZklF-oHbwALgEAPaq_vblAs80d9Cct2bdQu87ACRs9EJ5lvgeB4nR_8BMo/s400/P1040233.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: left;">The descent was pretty long and steep (<span class="st"><em>Dronningkrona</em> is 1816) - although we didn't quite make the top because we were worried it would become dark before we got down! </span>The evening sunset on the Sunndalsfjord was beautiful.<br /></div><br /><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7UrnhtNhhdkzHMT8-kMMY0vX9x35c8KSUbLkAIdqalcc726AZMUFOQPyXDOm-LUL82pf4s4W8Zj53efUOBxGa90-EvgsySUZrKXnvznhYPrhNTuvmr3Z7-OK3ZyYg9cvaWDVZ1fLlzm3x/s1600/P1040232.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7UrnhtNhhdkzHMT8-kMMY0vX9x35c8KSUbLkAIdqalcc726AZMUFOQPyXDOm-LUL82pf4s4W8Zj53efUOBxGa90-EvgsySUZrKXnvznhYPrhNTuvmr3Z7-OK3ZyYg9cvaWDVZ1fLlzm3x/s400/P1040232.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div>We drove around the fjord and installed ourselves in the local DNT hut Brandstadbu. The hut was a really nice one, in the forest and a perfect cosy size. We had a yummy dinner including polishing off some tasty port.<br /><br />On Sunday Ally and Chris had to run back up to the little hut from the previous day -Ally accidentally left his fancy camera up there! Camera safely retrieved, we returned to Trondheim from our fun weekend trip to face the maelstrom of packing our flat and organising for our departure to New Zealand via Nepal.....<span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><br /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08406950956653207723noreply@blogger.com0