Easter - Mike's Allegedly Med/Fit Trip

Fiona Clendon/Diane Imus

The trip began like any other with excited bods,yells and screams and minor delays such as picking up forgotten overtrou,loo stops and food stops - we were on our way. The two groups in our van were :Kerrylee Needham,Murray Corles,Scott Peterson, Irene Petrove,Nick Brown,Mike Sheridan,Paul Marcroft,Lynette Hartley,Terry Fatterson,Diane Imus and Fiona Clendon. The trip was spent playing "Concentration" and telling jokes,and trying to steal Fiona's pizza! Lh had already discovered to her dismay that her stew meat was still in the fridge! Shame! That night we all crashed randomly on the grass at the end of a road. Diane's and Terry's torches got together and announced their engagement,keeping everyone awake! At one time during the night it began to rain. The fly was up so fast none of us got wet.

Well,we stuck to the poled route as instructed,but seemed to get nowhere much, except straight up. So who blames us when we felt out of place and took a trip down a ridge off the "hill". The mist didn't help either. We soon spotted a hut but couldn't decide which it was,so says Mike,"We'll take a chance!" And off go the Famous Five for a daring drop down cliffs,scree,thru' bush lawyer,stinging nettle and over slippery rocks till we reached the Maropea River. After lunch we arrived at the hut only to find after a race for the logbook it was Otukota,miles from where we wanted to be. Lynette had taken her group back to find an easier way,so it was quite surrising to see Lh and followers arrive 3 hours later.

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Another group arrived just before them,who had followed us down. Boy what a farce!

Sunday morning we trudged up Puketaramea and down to Unknown Campsite,then stumbled on towards Lake Colenso. We arrived (even if some were on hands and knees!) weary and aching after scrambling up banks,ploughing (and screaming) thru' fields of hook-grass,edging down razor-backed ridges.

That night at least five Vuwtc groups of sorts converged on Colenso Hut. The evening's activities saw us sitting on rubbish bins,being smoked to death by the fire outside,Fiona rolling down the steps,and everyone getting at least one go at tripping over the guy ropes.

Sunday dawned sunny and clear,and we headed off to Remutupo Hut,while Lynette led her troops over to Potae. We climbed over some monstrous log jams,and watched Paradise ducks fly up the river. After finding the hut almost buried in gravel,with an undermined fireplace,we clambered up a scree slope covered with ...(unmentionable cursed plants) and reached the saddle. We spotted the fit party along the tops and waved and yelled,then spent 2 hours eating and sunbathing.

After dropping down to Maropea Forks Hut we found it occupied by some piking Vuwtc members,so we pitched camp and got into a great game of frisbee. Mike tried vainly to teach Murray to throw the thing,but I'm afraid to say he failed. After the fit trip arrived and got a proper fire going,we spent the evening drinking Richard's tea,eating mac cheese,drinking more tea,eating cheese cake and rice pudding (Fi's),drinking more tea,eating bread and honey (Fi's again),and drinking yet more tea. After a squashed night under the fly,Mike told Di and Fi that we had to get up and cross the river for breakfast (at 6.30 I might add). So up we jumped,got our feet wet,only to find the other's still in pit.

After racing back up to Puketaramea (1800 feet) we had accomplished a circle! During one rest stop we had a case of runaway packs,beginning with Fi's and spreading throughout thegroup. We then shot down the other side,splitting with the fit group who went to Otukota,at the turnoff. We continued down and had lunch at the Maropea River. Once we hit farmland we managed (finally) to get to Mokai Saddle and pitched camp at 3. Mike won the pit race,being the only entrant of course. We managed to spend 17½ hours in pit! Mind you,one or two had to shift themselves in search of water,which was only a ½ hour round trip in bare feet and shorts in a freezing gale.

The morning found us sliding out of the fly,the tent being on slope. The louse (?) on my pillow seemed to get everybody mobile and down the opposite end of the fly,all looking extremely pathetic and yes some terrorised! Mist does not help direction finding especially when it's windy and you don't know where you are! The poles nowhere in sight,Mike decided to"go off the edge". We bushbashed down until we came across the white poles,along with the friendly geese and sheep,and trudged on till we arrived at the carpark. An hour later the fit trip drifted in having collected bags of mushrooms on the way.

On the way back Chris had an experience,going to the loo. He thought he was out of sight of the traffic,only to find he had a whole row of houses in front of him. Well,well,what an epic way to end an epic trip.