tramping new zealand

Despite the effort of the day before, an early start was needed. The drive to Mount Thomas would take a while, and I needed some daylight to get to the first hut.

The steering of the car was really soft and I was veering across the road on occasion, so I stopped to look for a flat tire.

Nope.

Eventually, I worked it out. It was a huge wind gusts, assisted by a heavily loaded car boot. It had plenty of food aboard, much bought during the year and in anticipation of my summer expeditions.

Maybe I should do some research occasionally, but it turned out to be a three-hour DOC time to Pinchgut Hut, and these days that’s more or less how I’m travelling.

My solo tent and patched sleeping mat were packed aboard as it was time to test them out.

As it turned out, yesterday’s effort had tired me out, and it was the full three hours in. It started flat, then as it gets further up the valley, more climbing was involved.

There were some beech trees, but mostly it was manuka, indicating the area had been burned, maybe centuries before.

It was 25°C on the plains, with plenty of wind.

I staggered in to find the hut taken over by two 16-year-olds, off to climb to Bob’s Camp Bivvy. Every horizontal surface inside the hut was covered with something.

This was a shakedown trip for me. My solo tent has a new pole that was finally replaced/repaired after snapping in a gust of wind when I was going up to Fidget Bivvy in the Seaward Kaikouras, two summers ago. My latest sleeping mat had been patched due to leaks. I had found four of them, but it was still suspect.

And, of course, my leg. This was my first time carrying a full pack, meaning with my tent, sleeping mat and all my usual gear, plus food for two nights.

Tent? I’m confident. I whacked it up.

Sleeping mat? Very much less, although it would be a good test.

Leg? Something in the middle.