September 26-28: Return from the Fields (Shingle Slip Knob etc)

This text was read by OCR from a scanned newsletter and has not been proofread yet, so expect odd characters and mistakes.

We left the Lodge some time after 9 and arrived at Mid-Atiwhakitu on the dot of 11 o'clock, with sounds of gales above. At exactly 5.11:06 a.m. I was pleasantly woken by the quiet roar of a BLOODY PRIMUS. It was boiling. Poor Evan had awoken at 4.30 to bring us this early delight. After 20 minutes of solid stalling, including 10 minutes solid winge from me, Evan managed to force his legs onward. The Angle Knob water tank site (all that wac left of the hut) was the site of yet another hurricane, causing sobs of doom from ail. We proceeded with full storm gear and an ACME emergency parachute kit for the times when we were blown agust. We managed to find the turn off from Angle Knob to Shingle slip Knob but in the murky whiteness never quite made the latter. Instead we were heading for Francis Creek via deer and waterfall. In continuous drizzle we scrambled down a small stream (good travel) and had lunch 50 minutes above its junction with Francia Creek. Having previously been down the lower stretches of Francis Creek, I took pleasure in enligntening the others about a beautiful pool just before we join the Waiohine River. Being first I was lucky not to get wet above the waist, while the others all dunked to the neck. I personally thought it was not too cool! Soon in the Waiohine, the first crossing was easy, the next past the waist, the third and last armpit deep bouncing from tiptoe to tiptoe. Bruce started floating avaaayi The river was rising fast, no more crossings were possible, ard it took 3 hours of sidling, on the opposite bank to the hut and the opposite bank to all the beaches, before reaching the hut at 5.45. Our trials were not yet over as we discovered that we were encroaching on the warm, dry HOME of a trepper who proceeded to restrict us fcom the use of all amenities. Fate had preventad his departure that morning, At 5.30 my toes were woken by his Lordship telling me to light the. prim-eye for the morniay aip - I rolled over and went back to sleep. Ke eventually lift at the shaneful hour of 7.30 and cruised (Evan drove the hursi) up to Holdsworth all covered in fresh, cold SNOW. We then kowled down to dine at Mountain House before starting down_Carrington Ridge towards that dreaded 'ROAD WALK'

We came upon the pick-up site at 3.10 and to our disgust, and Sean's outrage, the Medium trip were not there and, even worse, had still not arrived at the appointed time. When at last they arrived the driver gunned the bus down the road (as a kindly gesture). Sean was in a panic because, having joined the mighty Air Force, he was due at the Ferry by 6.30. We still managed an ice-cream stop. and picked up Hunty's adventure tours, before arriving in the vicinity of the Terminal by 6.20 p.m. Au revoir Sean.