By Nathan Cobbald, 23 September 2023
As all good tramps start we took our sweet time arriving to the Hunter Carpark and after an appropriate amount of faff the gear and food pile was picked clean and precariously shoved it all into our packs to start the short 1 hour drive to the Orongorongas.
The Catchpool Valley carpark was soon flooded with bsuh crafters and after even more faff we had our first lesson on how to read maps and what all the funky symbols mean. This was shortly followed with us leaving the carpark and practiving our newly learnt skill along the short track to the river.
We stopped for lunch after we had made it over the and down to the river and proceeded to make a dam across the small river while learning about the different types of algae that grows on those rocks and which not to eat. This was then followed by one of out group showing us how to get your bearings using nothing but the shadow of a stick via the sun. Intersting stuff.
Walking a whole 200m up the river bed we found the perfect camp spot to shove all 15 of us under some tarps and teach em how to tie them up in the process.
After far too many knots were knotted we made our way over to the river where we got a crash course on basic first aid in the outdoors, which was quickly followed by how to cross a river properly which a group of people.
On out way back to camp everyone was tasked with collecting as mch firewood as humanly possible so we could practice our fire-making skills and improve on them. Everyone within minutes had a roaring fire that even John Orr would be proud of and we decided between the three which to cook dinner on.
As we ate our classic tramping club dinner of nachos with way too much sour cream and cheese an interesting question was asked. Is a roast chicken a salad, soup or sandwich? You tell me.
Solar navigation was on the menu again, but this time at night using the stars and what other constelations you can use to find where you are and how they can be used.
After the riveting conversations had throughout the night it was time a nights rest and getting out beauty sleep. We quickly packed up and made our back the way we came to civilisation for a steak & cheese pie with an iced coffee.
shout out to those who came along and hope you learned a thing or two!