This text was read by OCR from a scanned newsletter and has not been proofread yet, so expect odd characters and mistakes.
20 - 22 MAY 1994 By Graham Morley
Tenintrepid, bold, andadventurous Easy trampers arrived at the roadend on a drizzly Friday night and immediately faced the question of whether to sleep in the truck or . “rough it” under a fly. Pros and cons were put forward: “too wet out there”, “can’t be bothered moving from here”, “who snores?”, “too smelly in here’, “would be nice to be out in.the fresh air’ etc.
Eventually we split 50/50, a site was found, a fly was erected, and a reasonably good night’s sleep had by all. Sleep was rudely interrupted by the sound of the Mediums and Fits breaking camp and preparing brealfast. Soon we were all up munching muesli and downing tea and coffee for a leisurely breakfast whilst admiring the organisational skills of the other groups as they left.
Our departure time was 10 am (on schedule). Five minutes later we were able to drop packs and rest weary legs and shoulders as we queued to cross the swing bridge. Once across, we were away and roared off at a . leisurely pace stopping only to eat snacks, have a drink, go to the toilet, adjust boots, adjust packs, adjust clothing, ‘take photos, work out how to avoid mud ( in case of leeches!) and pick people out of the mud.
Lunchtime arrived on cue (and on schedule) at 12:30 and astill intact group of 10 enjoyed a semi sunny/warmlunch stop. The group became less intact soon after lunch as the scent of Totara Flats Hut filled the nostrils (some people have very powerful nostrils), or perhaps it was a fear of not getting a bunk. However, a breakaway group _ of 8 sped off leaving poor old me and Helen to protect the rear.
There's a big slip just before Totara Flats that can be avoided if the river is not too high, otherwise it’s a steep half hour diversion around the slip. The river was low enough,so Helen and !took the river route and eventually met Chris who was waiting where the river bank meets up with the slip diversion. “Where are the other seven?” we all asked at the same time. “I don’t know’, we all replied at the same time. Presuming that the “Group of 7” must have taken the high road over the slip, ! bravely volunteered to go over the slip to look for them. Hoping to meet them around each corner, and more and more fearing the worst (ie. having to explain this in a trip report), I completed the full detour only to find them being led along the river way by a group of Mediums.
After an emotional reconciliation of trip leader and leadees, the “Group of 7” explained that they had started up the detour, stopped and waited for the rest of us to catch up, but had not seen us take the river route.
As one big, happy group, we continued on to the hut, arriving about 5 pm (not on schedule). Dinner was an elaborate, lengthy, and enjoyable affair of Chicken in wine, fruit salad and custard, cheese, biscuits and pate. By 10 pm we were all comfortably tucked up in bed, although not quite as comfortably as some would have liked, as someone (name withheld due to legal reasons) had forgotten her hot water bottle. A\little later, during that phase when you start drifting into subconsciousness, the fire alarm sounded in the form of Kara (acting hut warden) shouting “evacuate the hut!”. A rogue candle had come to the end of its wick and was threatening to bum the hut down. Fortunately, the fire brigade arrivedin the formof a Medium trip member who gallantly put out the fire with a damp sock, but not before he had left quite an impression on some of the Easy members (apparently he looked quite sexy in his underpants. Some of the female members also thought so as well!) But at last we were able to settle down tosleep and memories of big slips and bumt down huts were relegated to nightmares.
Sunday we retraced our steps back to the roadend (not via the big slip) and arrived back at the truck on schedule, and a very relieved leader counted the same number of bodies (somewhat muddier and wearier) as had left on the Saturday morning.
Members were: Robert, Kay, Miriam, Helen, Rachel, Glenys, Chris, Sarah, Maria, and Graham.