I thought I would give Tom a break from writing posts all the time and fill everyone in with what I've been up to in the deep south. I have just finished my base phase of training and my next few weeks involve hill work and leg speed. Training has been going well and I have been making full use of the surrounding hills of Dunedin. With much encouragement from my coach Robbie I have been judging my training well and listening to my body and am in a far better place than I was this time last year.
As exams are looming and it was the end of my base phase during the weekend I thought it would be a good opportunity to get out of Dunedin for a bit of a break before the real studying begins. A few friends, my brother and I had been meaning to go tramping for quite some time so thought this was the perfect opportunity. We set out towards Tuatapere and the Hump Ridge Track at 6am on Friday, arriving at the DOC centre we got a very stern look from the lady at the desk, we were late. We reassured her that we all had lots of clothes and headlamps and despite the extreme weather warnings we would be fine. Setting out for a 7-9hour walk at 11.30am is probably not ideal in summer let alone winter and looking back now was probably not out smartest moment. We all found it rather amusing when we stopped for lunch and one of our party commented that "it's not a small walk is it?" having seen we still had 5-7hours to go. However as usually happens with the DOC timing we managed to shorten 9 hours down to 6 and a half and made it up to the hut just before 6pm. Tramping through the snow was quite a new experience for me and was definitely the first time I've worn so many clothes while walking. The forecast extreme weather held off for the day so we were able to see the views and enjoy the walk alot more. When we arrived at the hut it was quite a relief and within 20minutes it was pitch black outside, we realised if we had got there any later we would have been far more miserable pushing through the snow in the dark. We were all tucked up in bed by 8pm.
Waking up the next morning to an amazing sunrise over the ocean with Keas sitting on the hut railing was quite an experience. The weather still seemed to be holding off and we were all looking forward to a day of downhill and flat, having climbed to 800m in the last 2hours of walking the day before the legs were starting to feel a little weary. The track followed the ridge line all the way down and we could see the snow-capped Fiords behind us and endless ocean in front. We could also see a huge black cloud rolling towards us which motivated us to pick-up the pace and get below the tree-line. The track passes over a few very large wooden viaducts, one of which is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere, very impressive. The last part of the 2nd day followed the tram line to Port Craig village where there used to be a sawmill and the old school has been converted into the DOC hut. The rain set in for the last hour and the idea of the warm fire and marshmallows we were going to have on arrival kept us going.
The last day it rained. All day. I thought a goretex raincoat would be enough but apparently not, I was soaked after 5hours of rain and very grateful to get to the car. The last day wound around the coastline and some very pretty beaches. Probably very nice in summer but in winter with the rain and wind we just wanted to get home. Three days of wet feet was enough.
Looking back now we were incredibly lucky with the weather, it was a really good tramp but I'm unsure if I would be willing to pay the $90 each they charge in the summer season. But well worth it for the winter rates. It was a lovely escape weekend and nice to get away from reality for a little while. The next few weeks are going to be incredibly busy with uni work and training but I'm looking forward to it as it means we're that much closer to JWOC.
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