This text was read by OCR from a scanned newsletter and has not been proofread yet, so expect odd characters and mistakes.
‘BREATHLESS!
A_.K. Woods and J. Catchpole Production Take 1: The moon rose over Holdsworth. The air heavy with expectation, the first camp was pitched. Silence descended as the 'nineteen' pre— pared themselves for the assault on East Holdsworth. he Take II: There was no holding back for the keen nineteen as they struck camp and headed up the mighty Atiwhakatu towards the daunting ridge. Ten minutes up river the leaders sensed that something was amiss. An ill wind was brewing (not an internal problem). "oh my God," a decision had to be quickly made and with resolve.’ A look was cast towards the heavens. The clouds were looming and swallowing up that majestic peak. An intrepid pair, Hawthorne and Green strode on, in spite of the odds. Meanwhile under the flagging, near collapsing leadership of the shotridden duo, the 17 blazed an alternative trail to the first hitching post - Mountain House. Gasping the trip leaders collapsed in a heap to be revived by tea which had been brewed by the time of their arrival. A’ sortie ‘was dispatched to Powell to ensure lodgings for the night as it had ‘become: clear that ‘we were not alone on the trail. Besides, our leaders weary with responsibility were in need of sure respite. The cautious leaders remained at the rear to ensure there were no stragglers. By the time of their arrival at Powell another billy was on the boil. Just short of exhaustion Hawthorne and Green staggered in two hours later. Almost no room at the inn. "you would never have made it," they stammered out, "It's right mean out there." Sleep revived the leaders enough to cordon bleu the 3 minute macaroni. Hawthorne grunted, "Choice dinner!" The evening was rounded off with. creamy hot chocolate ~ a last minute attempt by the leaders to win the confidence of the troops through their’ stomachs. Who needed convincing now as the winds howled around Powell. - Take III: Sunday dawned with little improvement in the weather but it was all downhill from here (Phew!). our form improved as’ we raced down tq Mountain House in anticipation of navigating Carrington Ridge. We gathered at the turn off and contemplated our options. Hawthorne and Green came into their own.. The leaders readily accepted the advice of this experienced pair making the descent of the ridge a relatively 22 -/2
2s painless operation. (There were, however, orange markers the whole distance. - Fd). Flat ground was gained sooner than anticipated. After a relaxed nosh-up at the foot of the ridge the nineteen headed out through bog and stream to civilisation..... a one hour blistering toad walk — some civilisation: The sun set as the bus pulled away. Cast: Kirsty Woods, Julie Catchpole, Graeme Hawthorne, Marty Green, Stuart Lusty, Murray Worsop, Murray Brown, Susan Fry, Mark Johnstone, Allen Sfoski, Steven Beechey, Rohan Harringan, Honora.Renwick, Greg” ‘Gossen, Mary Livingston, Anne Greenwood, Mike Moran; Peter Jackson, Alan Mountfort. LoOok forward to our next exciting feature: an Easy Trip (I wonder why that is) on November 22-24 into the deep. unmarked regions I of Smith. Creek. This should be a. gourmet delight. - Postscript Meanwhile off scene, completely unscripted, a small - cast of. ‘Easies “were doing a-full carrington Creek --or was it an error in their. sai .—ticreek" _substituted.for "Ridge"? - ; wt Somewhere out there also were the Pits. These poor souls, wearied be a prolonged break in Sayers Hut between 'Takes' (1.30pm Saturday to noon Sunday), were:-carried:.out to the bus on a trailer of firewood. How undignified, and again definitely not part of the weekend's script.
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