This text was read by OCR from a scanned newsletter and has not been proofread yet, so expect odd characters and mistakes.
Bustle, good, hurry, station, gear, 7.00pm rush ....... phew! Made it! ‘After the road walk we crossed the Waiohine.at Wallis whare, the night was breezy and fine, ideal for tramping, Two and a half hours later we arrived on Cone Peak and after a frantic dash across the windswept peak for water around 12,30am, we settled: inte-the pit... Well 4% hours sleep is enough for anyone we thoughtas the primus went on at 5.30am. Wind blown mist was rushing past thé fly and although the — - thought of pit-bashing’ was stong ‘in: our’minds, fearless leadership (that's “ me) meant we .got away around 7:00am, We dropped ddwn towards Neill Saddle then down a spur into Neill creek and.down to Neill’ Forks Hut for a 9.00am Brunch, Alas, there was no.log book in the Hut‘for my sticker. We grovelled up the Hector into its headwaters where we stopped for lunch, then up a spur onto Winchcomhe Ridge. . Plenty of shouting and swearing occurred half way up when I realised that it was not the spur that I had intended taking. After a short. snooze in:the sun at the top we dropped own over Winchcombe Peak to -the: Biv; then down into the upper Tauhere- ' onikau. at the bottom of the spur there was ‘a general consensus (namely “2. two thirds of the trip was stuffed). to. stay there. »” “Inthe morning we headed off just before 7.90am and- immediately encounteri7@d ‘the first deep pool. So Andrew (guineanig) Denley crossed first and ciagame Out. the other side cold and wet,. jumping up and.down like crazy. . Words fail me to describe eventually the contorted look on his face. Ian and I stopped laughing and managed to. cross.safely (ie only wet legs). Two hours later we reached Cone Flats and met the Easy Trip, then a few: minutes later encountered the Medium Trip outside Tutuwai Hut still in Hithe pit... SUF cea O78 An ‘hours sunbathing theh it was off ‘down to Smith's for lunch and another two and a half hours worth. Sunburnt, we. arrived at Kaitoke where Kevin 2., Generously handed out some grotty, wet sweets which looked like they had _ seen the better part of at least one Christmas trip. * On the FE were: Ian Wightwick . Andrew Denley Greg Ord,
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