Atiwhakatu - Pinnacle Saddle

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Atiwhakatu - Pinnacle Saddle Everyone fit and raring to go, we ment were covered from head to toe piled eagerly into the bus at about quart- in hookgrass; and naturally someone had er past seven, all anxious to get away. to fall in the river. After a few "it's It was practically a full bus, with both just around the corners" we arrived the medium and fit trips together. We at Mitre Flats hut in three quarters arrived at Holdsworth Lodge after an of an hour, scared a hunter away and uneventful trip up to find every corner camped across the river on some shelterfilled with Victoria University jokers. ed flats. They were evidently celebrating the 50th After an appetising stew the knowanniversary of their club. After moans ledgeable ones lay on groundsheets and groans from certain individuals, we examining the night sky, saw about ten spent a comfortable night at Donnelly shooting stars and several satellites. Flats, with a boiling hot brew tucked Meanwhile the horror addicts cuddled away inside us. around the fire as stories of vampires On the track by nine o'clock, we and murders were swapped around. sped up to Atiwhakatu hut, catching After a long drawn out breakfast on several glimpses of Holdsworth on the Sunday, the general idea seemed to be way (and smiling to ourselves at the to lay about until lunchtime, so we thought of the fit trip slogging their lazed about for a while, then bombed way up to Powell.) We were at the off down the river for lunch and a hut in two hours, and as our illiterate swim. Having rudely interrupted certain leader struggled with pen and logbook individuals in the party soaking off their we cleaned up a few cakes of chocolate morning sweat, Richard, Ralph and I and rested. continued down the gorge until hunger We treated ourselves to lunch at the pangs called us to a halt. After lunch foot of the saddle and spent an hour a pieasant stroll down the river swimsprawled out in the sun. Later, after ming in suitable holes, brought us to about five minutes searching for the the Pines where we rendezvous'd with track, we climbed to the top of the the other trips. Within a few hours saddle and went down the other side. we were back in Wellington and went Continuously losing the track, we found home after a very enjoyable trip. ourselves at the top of a bluff, which Those on the trip: Barbara Wheeler, we gingerly picked our way down into Richard Bradley, Ted Kellett, Pete Willthe Waingawa. Some of the others, using iams, John Shorland, Pat Liss, Brian a sidle track, made their way down Goodwin, Jan Dick, Jacky McNamara safely enough, but much to our amuse- and Kerry Gallagher.