A Walk on the Wild Side continued
February 5th 2007 08:51
Here is the continuing saga from a Walk on the Wild Side
We puzzled about this so a while, crossing over and carrying on for about 20 mins before we saw another group of trampers coming down stream on the other side of the river. So after shouting across it turned out we were on the wrong side, so had to back track and cross back over again.
As the day wore on we started to gain some altitude, meeting up with the Aussie guy we had met at the last hut at about 11.30am. He had just come up for the day and was travelling light after leaving most of his gear at Carrington.
The terrain started to get steeper as the valley started to turn into a gorge and the path wound it’s way snaking up the steep ground. In some parts you passed too bloody close to the edge
ref large water fall and you wouldn’t want to do this when it was raining or in the winter, it would be lethal, but people do traverse this route though all the year round. Very bad! You would have hated this bit Mum!!
Sun came out and it was very hot! Had to put lots of sun block on as the sun is just roasting at these altitudes. By 1.00pm starting to get tired as we had a steep climb over some loose rock before coming to a swing bridge.
This was a bit of a pain as the bridge anchor was higher than the bridge so you had to drop yourself down onto it, which with a heavy and unwieldy pack on, this wasn’t that easy, so you had to go down backwards then turn around.
We weren’t to sure how far the hut was so we both decided that we would climb up to the top of the next rise and if it wasn’t there then we would stop for lunch. But at 1.30pm we reached the hut and were very thankful as we felt pretty tired.
Waimak falls hut ,Note guy ropes holding hut down
The hut is at about 1550 metres high and is located in a very exposed location as it is situated right on the edge of the falls. In winter the hut is at extreme risk of being swept away by avalanches from about three different directions.
In the afternoon the wind had got up a little but by 5pm it had died down again and the sun was still very hot. It was nice to just relax, read the hut intentions book or just chat.
By 7pm it was all still, with skies so clear that you could see the moon as the sun slowly sunk below the horizon. The only sound that could be heard was the constant noise of rushing water as the hut only sat about 15 metres away from the edge of a 80 metre drop water fall.
The water thundering past was so strong, that when I placed a cup of water on the hut cooking bench, you could see the vibrations upon the waters surface.
Dinner consisted of chicken pasta followed by cream cheese and crackers, very nice at the end of a tiring day. Didn’t use the sleeping bag the night before but will use it tonight as it will be a lot cooler this high up. There was one other tramper in the hut, a guy called Warner, he only came up for the night as he didn’t have full crampons or ice axe.
So it was quite nice just to chill out and chat to someone, you most probably wouldn’t chat to in the real world.
The hut could only sleep 6 people and that would be tight, but when it’s rough you are welcome of any shelter. Reading the intentions book, which is a book in every hut where you write in what time you got there, what time you leave and your intended route. These are vital in case of an accident and you are listed overdue.
Remember at the beginning when I mentioned about the two woman climbers? Well they filled it in at the last hut they stayed in, then changed their route and went in a different direction, so when they were listed as overdue, no trace of them could be found on their intended route and they were very lucky to get out okay.
Getting back to the book at our hut, there was an entry by a climbing party who had been stuck there for 4 days in a storm with 140km winds blowing outside, that would have been hairy!!
To be continued.................... ............
Well hope you all have had a great day? We have a public holiday in Christchurch tomorrow, so planing an 80km road ride, so that should be fun? Still need to do the kms for when I do the cycle tour. Tried to put my bike rack on my other bike last night but as it has disc brakes, didn't fit but managed to sort of fit a spacer in, so it fits now but brakes are no binding a bit!
Was reading a blog the other day and some interesting points were made as they had seen the movie Blood Diamond about how Africa is being pillaged for money and that got me thinking as I was watching The Long Way Round with Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman as they travel from London to New York on motor bikes via Russia etc and there was a piece when they got to the Aral sea which has shrunk by 50% by man's meddling and Ewan say's 'we are all the same the world over so don't know why we can't all just sort our shit out?' or something like that. A big hhmmmmmmm on that one, remember to be someone who makes things happen not say's 'What the hell happened?'
Well I will leave you with the thought for the day, I hope you like the Friend one from yesterday? 'Whats that? 'You haven't read it yet? Shame on you, go back and read it lol.
'A ship in harbour is safe but that is not what ships are built for' - William Shedd
Hal
We puzzled about this so a while, crossing over and carrying on for about 20 mins before we saw another group of trampers coming down stream on the other side of the river. So after shouting across it turned out we were on the wrong side, so had to back track and cross back over again.
As the day wore on we started to gain some altitude, meeting up with the Aussie guy we had met at the last hut at about 11.30am. He had just come up for the day and was travelling light after leaving most of his gear at Carrington.
The terrain started to get steeper as the valley started to turn into a gorge and the path wound it’s way snaking up the steep ground. In some parts you passed too bloody close to the edge
This the actual path!!!!
ref large water fall and you wouldn’t want to do this when it was raining or in the winter, it would be lethal, but people do traverse this route though all the year round. Very bad! You would have hated this bit Mum!!
Sun came out and it was very hot! Had to put lots of sun block on as the sun is just roasting at these altitudes. By 1.00pm starting to get tired as we had a steep climb over some loose rock before coming to a swing bridge.
swing bridge
This was a bit of a pain as the bridge anchor was higher than the bridge so you had to drop yourself down onto it, which with a heavy and unwieldy pack on, this wasn’t that easy, so you had to go down backwards then turn around.
We weren’t to sure how far the hut was so we both decided that we would climb up to the top of the next rise and if it wasn’t there then we would stop for lunch. But at 1.30pm we reached the hut and were very thankful as we felt pretty tired.
Waimak falls hut ,Note guy ropes holding hut down
At last the hut!
The hut is at about 1550 metres high and is located in a very exposed location as it is situated right on the edge of the falls. In winter the hut is at extreme risk of being swept away by avalanches from about three different directions.
In the afternoon the wind had got up a little but by 5pm it had died down again and the sun was still very hot. It was nice to just relax, read the hut intentions book or just chat.
By 7pm it was all still, with skies so clear that you could see the moon as the sun slowly sunk below the horizon. The only sound that could be heard was the constant noise of rushing water as the hut only sat about 15 metres away from the edge of a 80 metre drop water fall.
The water thundering past was so strong, that when I placed a cup of water on the hut cooking bench, you could see the vibrations upon the waters surface.
Dinner consisted of chicken pasta followed by cream cheese and crackers, very nice at the end of a tiring day. Didn’t use the sleeping bag the night before but will use it tonight as it will be a lot cooler this high up. There was one other tramper in the hut, a guy called Warner, he only came up for the night as he didn’t have full crampons or ice axe.
So it was quite nice just to chill out and chat to someone, you most probably wouldn’t chat to in the real world.
The hut could only sleep 6 people and that would be tight, but when it’s rough you are welcome of any shelter. Reading the intentions book, which is a book in every hut where you write in what time you got there, what time you leave and your intended route. These are vital in case of an accident and you are listed overdue.
Kitchen area but great views
Remember at the beginning when I mentioned about the two woman climbers? Well they filled it in at the last hut they stayed in, then changed their route and went in a different direction, so when they were listed as overdue, no trace of them could be found on their intended route and they were very lucky to get out okay.
Getting back to the book at our hut, there was an entry by a climbing party who had been stuck there for 4 days in a storm with 140km winds blowing outside, that would have been hairy!!
Des res sleepin arrangements
To be continued.................... ............
Well hope you all have had a great day? We have a public holiday in Christchurch tomorrow, so planing an 80km road ride, so that should be fun? Still need to do the kms for when I do the cycle tour. Tried to put my bike rack on my other bike last night but as it has disc brakes, didn't fit but managed to sort of fit a spacer in, so it fits now but brakes are no binding a bit!
Was reading a blog the other day and some interesting points were made as they had seen the movie Blood Diamond about how Africa is being pillaged for money and that got me thinking as I was watching The Long Way Round with Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman as they travel from London to New York on motor bikes via Russia etc and there was a piece when they got to the Aral sea which has shrunk by 50% by man's meddling and Ewan say's 'we are all the same the world over so don't know why we can't all just sort our shit out?' or something like that. A big hhmmmmmmm on that one, remember to be someone who makes things happen not say's 'What the hell happened?'
Well I will leave you with the thought for the day, I hope you like the Friend one from yesterday? 'Whats that? 'You haven't read it yet? Shame on you, go back and read it lol.
'A ship in harbour is safe but that is not what ships are built for' - William Shedd
Hal
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