This text was read by OCR from a scanned newsletter and has not been proofread yet, so expect odd characters and mistakes.
(or Eva’s & Ray’s Epic Journey)
ust how hard can a fit trip be, we always wondered? Well, we decided to find out first hand on the last weekend in July. John Thompson, the trip leader, assured us it would be quite a “cruisy” trip — obviously definitions of “cruisy” vary considerably from person to person!
‘Up the Gentle Annie to Powell Hut we hiked in the drizzle on Friday night. It was past midnight by the time we crept into our sleeping bags. We were on our way again just after 7 am to the top of Mt Holdsworth (windy, but brilliant views!) and then descended to Mid-Waiohine Hut at a much lower altitude of 400m. John gave us the big okay for a morning-tea stop; jeez I thought the “Fits” never stopped to eat!
After the snack we found our way across the river and contemplated the “quick” 900m climb up to Aokaparangi at 1364m, with the great motivating incentive of lunch at the top if we made it. Ray decided that others should “share” the training effect of carrying the tent and so this was duly redistributed amongst the party. After about 2 hours of solid climbing we made it to the top only to discover Roger was well and truly gone! Following lunch we continued our “quick” journey to Maungahuka Hut — whoever decided to build a hut there must have really wanted to get away from civilisation. Under John’s guidance, we had a beaut dinner, which was enjoyed by all, with Roger mentally preparing us for the hell of the infamous “150ft rope ladder” and the sheer rocky dropoffs over the Tararua Peaks.
Ray Morgan
However, Lyndsay forgot to say which spur to take so we battled our way through leatherwood and rocky bluffs into the creek below. Ray decided to take a “quick” dip in the creek and got a nose job instead, and with Eva too determined to press on ahead, he got none of the sympathy he was expecting!
Four hours later (not the 2 hours Lindsay had suggested) we were at the top of Pakihore Ridge. “Not long to go” — well, that is if you believe everything your Fit trip leader tells you. With the last of the big climbs over we headed down towards Penn Creek Hut for lunch. This was more like tramping, as we knew it — going places where man has been before! Having reached the hut about two hours later than we had planned, the decision to split the group was made. Gary, Roger and Murray ran ahead and met our planned ride at the roadend — would they wait or would they go? Ray, Eva, Stu and John took a cruisier “quick” pace and ventured along the track, conveniently ignoring the DOC warning signs about the dangers of walking along a closed and no longer maintained track. A quick slip and it could have made a great headline - in The Dominion — “Treasury analyst dies on unsafe and underfunded DOC estate”.
Nearly 11 hours later and 3000 calories burned off since we started the day, changing winds signalled our arrival at Otaki Forks — relief at last, and no broken bones or fatalities. Roger et al had not Sunday morning greeted us with cloud, mist, wind and reduced visibility, all characteristics of the Tararuas. John made the decision, in the interests of group safety and comfort, that we skip crossing the Peaks (1 think more likely to avoid a planned mutiny!) Instead we decided to take an alternative route down to Whatiutu Creek and up over to Pakihore Ridge, as advised by the “Master” Lyndsay Fletcher.
bothered to wait and so we quietly awaited his return - and our ride back to Wellington. Time for a nice cuppa and the opportunity to have that gourmet lunch we had carried in our packs for the past two days! After 48 hours in the company of another great bunch of “Tongue ‘n’ Cheek” trampers we had completed our first Fit trip! Would we do a Fit trip again? You bet we will, but first we have to recover from the “Middle Crossing” experience.