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New Zealand – Mini-METHS March 18-21, 2011

 

CAST: Verena (Müesli) and (Mad) Mike Petzold, Jean (Cheeky) Hayward, Neil (Bwana Nilo) & Sue (Mrs. Nilo/Cross-Stitch) Stiles

 

This year the Easter Bunny is about to deal to Neil

The ending of his Fifties, so – “How old, Neil, d’you feel?”

“Well, true to form I’ve given it some great and careful thought,

How now for ‘Age’ I’ll have to put a six before the nought ……

I will not let it faze me, neither sink into decline

Let memory be hazy, nor surrender joys sublime,

But ‘Carpe Deum’ all the more, there’ll be no compromise,

Whatever’s on I’m up for, and will match the younger guys……

So, this birthday will not age me, I’ll be active all I can,

If Mike can do it, so can I – He plans to climb ‘Old Man’

It’s only 7 hours up and 6 for the descent,

A piece of cake, by all accounts, my muscles won’t resent……

What follows are the stories of what really happened there

The triumphs and the glories we would like you all to share,

As well as the debacles – let’s be honest – there were some

But a fitting end to 59,  -  60, here I come!”

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Bwana and Mrs Nilo were the first to arrive at Lake Chalice car park in the depths of Mt. Richmond Forest Park, after a 2 hour drive from Renwick on Friday morning.
We then began the unique experience of tramping 1 hour DOWN to the first hut (2,300’), greeted by a friendly South Island robin upon arrival.

In the afternoon we had a pleasant 3 hour walk through the beech forests around Lake Chalice; all very gentle and tranquil, and enhanced by close encounters with beautiful and melodious bell birds.  Meanwhile, Mad Mike, Verena and Cheeky were encountering various challenges in their attempt to conquer Mt. Patriarch, 5,433’ (UP)

 

 

 

…….. Mike insert:      Oh ….… er …… all right then:  I was hoping you wouldn’t ask that, ‘cos we didn’t make it!  No, we didn’t chicken out but on the final section of the 4WD approach track, a bloody-great boulder (see photo) had dropped onto the road.  We could drive no further.  This added an extra 2 hours to the walking/scrambling section (up & down), so basically we had to turn back due to lack of daylight. This was frustrating as we were only approx. half hour from the summit.  It also had something to do with Mike wearing the wrong boots, but you don’t need to know about that.

 

 

 

Cheeky's piece: Having met up with Mad Mike & Muesli at the Lake Chalice car park, we drove the 7km in her 4WD to the start of the Mt Patriarch scramble.  However, after about 5kms and rapidly deteriorating road (slips on one side, very long drop on the other, deep holes in the middle and Mike's knuckles turning white on the dashboard), we decided to park on a small verge and walk.  Around the next corner it was confirmed that we wouldn't have got any further by car as there were huge rocks in the way, from a recent slip.  It was a pleasant walk but of course we lost time and by the time we got to the base of the mountain a good chunk of the day had passed.  Undaunted, we started the scramble up the rather grunty terrain.  Our goal was in sight but there in front of us was a wide chute of slippery shingle which dropped several hundred feet down to the valley.  Another recent slip.   Nothing to hold onto.   Too wide to jump across.  No alternative route.   Too scary.   If we'd got across that obstacle, what else lay ahead?  Would we return safely?  After some discussion, and as the afternoon was slipping by, we decided on discretion being the better part of valour and returned from whence we'd come.  What a shame, but at least we'd made it beyond the 4,974’ point, just below the 5,433’ point of Patriarch itself.  We made our way back to the Chalice car park and trudged down to the hut to join Bwana and Mrs Nilo for a pleasant evening of catching-up on news.

 

 

The next morning, Bwana Nilo and Cheeky made an early start for the 2nd peak, Old Man (4,961’).  The weather was sunny, and warm with a gentle breeze.  In sync with all Department of Conservation tracks in New Zealand, the Old Man track is well marked.  Route finding involves following triangular orange markers and the trick is always to have the next one in view, thereby keeping on course.    Which strategy worked well for the first hour, with Bwana Nilo confidently leading the way.

However, we then reached a point where we could not find the next marker.  Bwana Nilo said ‘onwards and upwards’, a plan which led us into thicker forest, rather like Mirkwood in The Hobbit.  After 15 minutes of strenuous activity, Cheeky suggested that we look at the map – an example of male impetuosity rescued by female intuition.  We agreed to walk diagonally towards where the path should be and after another 15 minutes Bwana Nilo was relieved to shout out:  ‘Found the orange markers again!”.

 

After another 2 ½ hours of steady uphill, we broke out of the forest onto the tops at 5,003’.  (According to the latest map, that “top” is actually known as Chalice Knob, is 42ft. higher than Old Man and so qualifies as our second peak – we agreed that it is a more impressive summit than the better known Old Man Peak)    Basking in the warm sun we had lunch, enjoyed the 360o  views and eyed up the Old Man peak in the far distance.  The route descended and then followed a wooded ridge line very similar to the Chambe knife edge.  Two hours later we were at the Old Man summit, with Bwana Nilo very much feeling like an old man! (not to mention Cheeky, who is more senior to the Bwana)!   Stunning views to Mt. Richmond, the Tasman Sea, Mt. Rintoul and Mt. Patriarch.  We looked towards the distant shelf where we guessed our refuge for the night (Old Man hut) would be.

It took another two hours to get there, scrambling along the open tops and then steeply down to a very small hut with just five bunk beds.  We were greeted this time by two wild goats.  We settled in, cooked dinner and recovered.  Just as it was getting dark, the door opened and Mad Mike appeared.  He was practising ‘just in time’ tramping, having left at 10.00 am, but enjoying the considerable advantage of not having got himself lost.   He had left Muesli to walk around Lake Chalice, and I had left Sue in the hut to work on her cross-stitch project.

 

The next morning saw Bwana Nilo and Cheeky leave just as it got light, Mad Mike left later at “a more reasonable time.”  The descent (another way) seemed to go on and on, down, down, wading across side streams, negotiating endless tree roots, not losing sight of the next orange marker.  When we stopped for rests Bwana Nilo was convinced that excellent progress was being made.  However, this was based on raving optimism and map-free intuition.  Cheeky consulted the map and was counting major stream crossings and had a fairly accurate idea where we really were.  After four hours we reached the valley floor and main junction to join the path back to Lake Chalice.  Another two hours and we reached the head of Lake Chalice – this was serious tramping and exhausting…….. could this, in fact, be the swansong for the soon-to-be old man?

 

Bwana Nilo sprinted on alone to the hut, collected Sue, re-arranged rucksacks and after 15 minutes started the climb out and up from the hut – which proved to be over an hour of unforgiving relentless uphill, with many illusory finishes only to be met by yet another corner before the car park was, finally, reached.

With great understanding that Bwana Nilo was wanting to return to Mrs Nilo as quickly as possible, Cheeky was happy to let him race ahead.  With the thought of at least another hour to get to the hut, she decided to pass the time by breaking the walk into 100-step blocks, and can vouch for the fact that it took 3,492 steps, give or take a few, to reach her destination.

Soon we were on the way back to civilisation and comfort – just a matter of a 2 ½ hour drive to St. Arnaud where we were all booked into the Alpine Lodge for the night.

Meanwhile, Mike had a story to tell and also the same rude awakening of the climb out from Lake Chalice hut for Mike, Verena and Jean …………….

Er … yes – this is serious tramping territory, typical of the NZ wilderness. Much of the route was basically trackless.  In the rain-forest, one relies on orange markers for direction and river crossings for location.  Only when one scrambles above the tree-line onto a rocky ridge, can a reassuring landmark be identified.   On day 2, I had given Jean & Neil a 2 hour start (pre-Dawn starts are not my scene these days).  The going was extremely exhausting.  This type of terrain precludes any thought of “getting into a rhythm”.  I thought many times of turning back until I judged I had reached the point of no return i.e. approx half-way.  The only things that kept me going were the limited daylight (it’s late autumn here) and I was carrying Jean’s dinner!  Upon arriving at Old Man Hut, I became aware of two facts, Jean & Neil were about to turn in for the night, Jean having already eaten (part of Neil’s dinner?) and secondly (and more importantly, albeit surprisingly), that they had taken longer than I to do the 8 hour tramp.

Unlike Mulanje huts, which the club equipped with stoves, lamps, cooking and eating utensils and European Huts that provide blankets and often food, Kiwi huts are generally very spartan.  Accordingly, the tramper in these parts has to be fully self-sufficient with a consequent effect on rucksack size and weight.  Most trampers also carry a tent.

Day 3, my second solo day, was a 10 hour graunch, including stops each 10-15 minutes throughout the day. Without several pints of water, liberally sprinkled with John Killick’s famous “Corpse Reviver”, I doubt that I would have kept going & would have sought shelter under the trees for the night.  This was my longest solo since the recent 13 hour marathon over two 9,000’ passes in the Pyrenees that I shall never forget (nor will Daphne DM3!).  Back at the hut, Verena and Jean didn’t need to remind me that I still had to climb up to the car park (but they did anyway!)

 Next morning dawned, another fine day.  The party was reunited and experiences shared over breakfast.  Bwana Nilo had succumbed to a full blown attack of ‘flu and retired from further peak bashing.  Farewells were made and Sue drove him to the Old People’s home (Le Gite backpackers) at Hanmer Springs and the recuperative powers of the hot pools.

Our story finished with Mike, Verena and Jean tackling the 3rd peak     Er …… yes – after failing to get to the top of Mt Patriarch (see above), we needed a 3rd peak in order to remain kosher. 

A much gentler stroll this time, up Black Hill, a large moraine from an ancient glacier at the end of Lake Rotoiti.  Great views up the lake to the huge ranges on either side, and lots of lovely birdsong in the bush.  The hour-long walk helped ease out the sore muscles from the marathon of the previous days, which prompted these oldies that perhaps this is the type of walk we should be planning for the future.....

We all had a great time.  It was challenging but also rewarding.  There was some discussion at the end about next year – “something gentler!”

Many thanks to Mike for organising this NZ Mini-Meths trip which lived up to the epic tradition.     Nice of you to say so Bwana but, in the words of Huw Jenkins (during the Triglav climb), “God, had I known it was like this I wouldn’t have come here”.  On this occasion I planned the whole thing without a recc’y.  I’ve never done that before and learnt an important lesson!  That we all survived an extremely strenuous meet in remote (no other human sighted for 3 days) and rough country, is testimony to our combined fitness. 

 

 

 

 

© WDYFO, 2011