By Jason, 01 November 2008
It began like any good trip should - over a beer or two at the pub.
"That's quite optimistic" said Kieran, when invited along on the "slightly more challenging than usual" (Craig Scott) trip, "I think I'll sit this one out"
And so only three hardy souls (Annabel, Craig S, and Jason) set out a bit later than usual on your average Friday evening for what is my most memorable trip of 2008.
For me the weekend began at 4pm knocking off work a bit earlier for a few quiet drinks, before heading to works usual Friday meeting for a few more quick drinks and then bumbling my way up the hill to await the arrival of the others. My wait in Hunter was unusually good since I was asked by one of the University suits what I was doing lying in the gutter, somewhat inebriated, with a pack in the dark? And could he offer me a ride home? ("Yea mate I'd love a ride, hang on I'll just chuck my muddy pack on the nice leather upholstery in the back of your Mercedes and The Pines road end will be fine thanks!")
The rest of the evening was more or less lost to me which may be a good thing because for the life of my I can't figure out how it took us 3.5 hours to make the approx 1 hour drive to the road end... Anyway somewhat sobered up by the time we arrived I was well and truly ready to have a stretch, change of clothing and... get into bed. Unfortunately that was not to be so after the usually mucking about we set off for the first leg of the trip across farm land to Craigs descriptions of the farmers monstrously large, demon like dogs who also happened to quite like chasing the unwary tramper passing by at such uncivilised hours. Fortunately we didn't meet them and the walk in to Mitre Flats Hut was relatively uneventful. Our sincere apologies to the other party staying there who we happened to wake up, and then keep awake whilst we rustled about getting ready to doss down. I'm sure they were planning to be up bright and early to pay us back...
Unfortunately for them we had quite a long day ahead of us so only a few hours later Craigs alarm goes off at 5:30 and we're soon up cooking far too much porridge and heading on our way.
After disturbing many a sleeping bird as we stomped our way up the hill towards Mitre we neared the bushline just as the sun started creeping into the sky. Above the bush the weather was shaping up to be good for tramper. A good thick fog and a blustery gale. After fighting our way through that for however long it took we were treated to a few tantalising glimpses at the view from Mitre before shooting down towards the Waiohine and finding some shelter for a brief lunch.
We picked a good challenging route down from the ridge to the river and after the going got quite tough figured we'd lost our intended path and decided to simply head for the river and figure out where we were from there. After arriving at the river and having very little idea of our exact location we started heading downstream and shortly discovered we came out exactly were we had wanted to. So next came several hours of my favourite kind of travel. Hopping across boulders, continuously crossing from one side of the river to the other, sliding on wet rocks, wading in sometimes chest deep water, sliding under washed out trees. (Come on how could anyone not love that?!?!) And then a leisurely stroll up a nice mossy spur to the ridgeline and a quick 2 min dash up the track at the top saw us arrive at Carkeek Hut only 12 hours after we set out that morning. A typical trampers slops dinner followed and an early night, but not before hot chocolates with rum. Oh and then Craig and I tried to
Another start, earlier again, saw us more or less bashing down Carkeek ridge in the dark since the track is pretty overgrown. After losing it several times and then finally for good we simply went for the river and again realised we were almost exactly were we intended. Another wonderful hour or so of river bashing left me in high spirits. "This is our ridge, its a bit steep at first" Oh thanks for the heads up Craig, hang on while I switch into vertical climbing mode for the next 100m. What a welcome by one of the longest ridges I've ever had the displeasure to walk up. What seemed like 8 hours later (actually it probably was about 8 hours later) we reached the top having been throroughly cut to bits. But it was worth it as on the Waiarapa side the sun was shining over a cloudless sky allowing me a good half hour to take in the best view I've seen since I arrived in the North while the others caught up.
The Broken Axe pinnacles were the last obstacle between us and the car (and another 5.5 hours walk...) so we got got straight into them with gusto. Well the other two did... I suffer a bit of vertigo now and again (skydiving accident many years ago) which decided now half way across would be a good time to come and say hello. So I quite gingerly picked my way across the last pinnacle. After a quick dash up hill and then down to Baldy we resigned ourselves to the fact that we would be walking out in the dark. "Pretty daft trying to do this trip on the shortest day of the year huh?" some smart ass offered. That got a few chuckles from some weary souls who soon turned into the descent down another overgrown track in the fading light and then night. Again we lost it several times although (and I'll blow my own trumpet here) due to some crazy burst of energy I got I was able to dash around and keep the others heading in the right direction, mostly on the track.
Exactly 48 hours after we left the car I arrived back where we'd started, probably pondering why one would go to so much trouble to spend their weekend walking in a big circle... Cheers for the slightly harder than average trip Craig. 31 hours walking... not too shabby for two days I spose.