Training Log Archive: Bash

Event: Raid the Hammer
 

The Tree Huggers haven't missed a GHO adventure run since 2002. I'm sorry not to be at Raid The Hammer today, even though we're having a great time in NZ. Hope everyone has an awesome time today!

Wanted to take advantage of the clear, sunny weather this afternoon, so we took a gondola up to the bushline to get into the alpine area as quickly as possible. This gondola goes up almost vertically - definitely not an excursion that Hammer would enjoy! We trekked the Ben Lomond Track to Ben Lomond Saddle, where we had a spectacular view of the Remarkables (mountain range) in one direction and back to Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu in the other direction. We decided to get creative on our return route, following a long, narrow ridgeline that got a bit dodgy in places. Now I know why it wasn't on our trail map! Views were excellent (when I dared to look up from where I was carefully placing my feet), and we eventually arrived at the place above the gondola where the paragliders take off. 'Bent is keen to try it, but the paragliders weren't out today because of the wind.

We'd hoped to kayak on Doubtful Sound, but the weather didn't look promising, so we decided to head up to Milford Sound instead, since we could see the ocean before making a decision. The driving rain was discouraging, but gale force winds in the marine forecast finalized our choice to go out on a relatively small tour boat instead. Fantastic scenery with a million waterfalls pouring down the 1000 m walls of the fjord after all the rain - and new waterfalls springing up all the time. At the narrowest point of the fjord, Windy Point, the skipper said we had gusts of up to 80 knots. We were out on the bow in full rain gear, and I've never experienced anything like it. It was beyond whitecaps - the high wind flattened the waves. Wow! We couldn't keep our eyes open in places like that because the rain really hurt when it hit our faces. It gave me a little taste of what sailors must experience as they travel through the roaring forties. They are amazingly tough!

New Zealand has designated some of its backpacking trips as "Great Walks". Today 'Bent and I did a Great Mini-Walk on the Kepler Track, since we didn't have time to do the whole thing. We were inspired by learning about the Kepler Challenge, an annual event where people run the 60 km trail with a winning time of just over 4.5 hrs. Backpackers normally take 3-4 days to go around. Because of the large elevation gain, we decided not to try running, but we did an extended day hike from Brod Bay, past the Luxmore Hut, where most people spend their first night on the trek. From there, we climbed Mt. Luxmore, then continued on to the Forest Burn Shelter, about halfway to the Day 2 hut. Views over Fiordland National Park were stunning in every direction. This was the first time I've ever been out in such a strong wind that I actually worried about being blown off a mountain ridge! We would have gone further, but the cold wind made the beautiful native beech forest seem really attractive, so we headed back.

Trail running around Lake Te Anau, from the village to the control gates. Awesome weather (at last!) with excellent views of mountains covered by yesterday's unusually late snowfall. Stopped for a break at the Te Anau Wildlife Centre where they keep rare or injured native birds in special enclosures, including - inexplicably - a Canada Goose, "New Zealand's only truly wild goose, introduced in the late 19th century".

Pedalling with 'Bent on Lake Te Anau - he just couldn't resist. These Seacycles look funny, but they sure fly, and they're really stable.

Hiking on the Otago Peninsula with a biologist guide. Saw Royal albatrosses, yellow-eyed penguins, Hooker sea lions, New Zealand fur seals, and a rare Southern Right whale.

Today we were planning to hike up Avalanche Peak at Arthur's Pass, but it was not meant to be. There is a heavy rain warning, which means no visibility at any level and lots of snow up high. Even if we wanted to hike in the cold, driving rain, a couple of the main trails have been closed due to avalanche risk or landslide. The next couple of days don't look like good weather for the mountains, so we made a long dash to the southeast part of the South Island, where the main attraction is wildlife. We visited a yellow-eyed penguin colony, then watched after dark as 200 blue penguins came ashore to their colony after a long day at sea. Cool!

Yesterday was a recovery day in Wellington, mostly spent at the amazing Te Papa museum, followed by an overly abundant seafood feast. Today was a long travel day, starting with the ferry to the South Island, then a rainy cross-country drive to Punakaikas, including the "most spectacular coastal drive in the world", according to local literature. It was pretty impressive.