Mt Holdsworth Tramp
January 2006, by Tom
In January of 2006, four people decided to undertake an epic quest of conquering Mount Holdsworth - one of the highest peaks in the Tararua Ranges. What follows is a photo account of the three days it took Tom, Gini, Marcus and Jess to complete the journey.
It was a great excursion, and the first (of length) which Gini has undertaken, and the longest which Tom has considered - with three days and two nights spent in the hills. The days were spent tramping through the wilderness, along peaks, up gorges, through swamps, all reminiscent of Bilbo's treck through Middle Earth. The evenings were spent drinking coffee (mmmmmm), playing cards, and chilling out in front of the fire.
Dinners were a challenge. Both couples cooked a night each - consisting of chopped up salami style sausages in a 'just add water' type pasta. It's amazing how incredible such a simple meal tastes when one has walked all day, and miles away from civilisation.
Another challenge was the lack of drinkable water. The huts we stayed at had no shortage of water - but this was rain water, which sits in a tank for an undetermined length of time. To counter this, we had to boil the water before bottling it ready for the next days consumption. Unfortunately, the two billies we had were used to cook pasta both nights - and with a lack of proper cleaning equipment, by day three our tasty fresh rain water had a slight cloud and a smoky bacon aftertaste. Yum!
Needless to say, first stop was McD's on the way home - guilt free. T
It was a great excursion, and the first (of length) which Gini has undertaken, and the longest which Tom has considered - with three days and two nights spent in the hills. The days were spent tramping through the wilderness, along peaks, up gorges, through swamps, all reminiscent of Bilbo's treck through Middle Earth. The evenings were spent drinking coffee (mmmmmm), playing cards, and chilling out in front of the fire.
Dinners were a challenge. Both couples cooked a night each - consisting of chopped up salami style sausages in a 'just add water' type pasta. It's amazing how incredible such a simple meal tastes when one has walked all day, and miles away from civilisation.
Another challenge was the lack of drinkable water. The huts we stayed at had no shortage of water - but this was rain water, which sits in a tank for an undetermined length of time. To counter this, we had to boil the water before bottling it ready for the next days consumption. Unfortunately, the two billies we had were used to cook pasta both nights - and with a lack of proper cleaning equipment, by day three our tasty fresh rain water had a slight cloud and a smoky bacon aftertaste. Yum!
Needless to say, first stop was McD's on the way home - guilt free. T
Gini traversing the great unknown
Tom, Gini, Marcus and Jess - cowering at the top as the hail falls.
Playing cards on night two in the wilderness.
