Tilly the Tramper: Mt Holdsworth

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TILLY THE TRAPER MT.HOIDS.ORTH Dear Diary, I have not been out tramping for a long wile, sone munths in fact and Ted, he has not been out for six munths, bekaus he could not tramp in England wile he was driving around in a honsul I mean its not done. So, we thort we ought to support the truck going to Bannister, Everywun had been saying It the trips are not runing, why should I put ny name down, I will go out with Scumdeay" and I think that is a pore show, how can the trip run if they don't put there hame on the list and make it run? Well, there were 19 on this truck to Bannister which left at 9 pip emma and as there were about five kinds of languiges spoken ( including trampers) I did not know who was who and who was going where, but, I gathered in the dark that the keen wunes were doing a Holdsworth itre and were sending a telegram to "Nuts" on Munday, telling him they had another red line; the next ke en wunes were going to Totara Flats and the League of Nations was going to fountain House. I thought I mite nake Bannister or bust. Snyway, upon our arrival at Bannister ( midnight) the Holdsworth-aitreites set off for Kountain nouse and the rest in about four languiges proceeded to crawl into their bags but not before we had lit the fire and made a brew, bekaus it was rather chilly and that is putting it mildly. It was an exceedingly short nite because we all wok up at 6"Operation Totara Flats"had started : they sed it was too good to miss the wether being wot it was. After they had gone the L.of N. and one native ( me) bustled around and left for "ountain House at 8.30 a. . Ted and me were last to leave because we were keeping to the skedule (E) and the cold front predikted was now reaching boiling point. ie caught up to the contingent in front and going up Gentle Annie was like this: Leader - "Come on sweetness, you haf only a few nore hours to go, three more sign posts and you vill be there!" Sweetness - it How I hate B - climbing : now Ski-ing - I don't mind, my boots are the trouble, thyre so new and so HARD. Blimey you chaps push on and leave ne." With miles and miles of Gentle Annie still to go we say "Cum on, you are doing fine, everyone HATES there first trip, in about two hours you can sit down, its so nice when you can sit and the best part is when you STOP." So on we plod until :

"This is taking INCHES off my waist" (from Sweetness) and Leader" - Never mind I lov you with the small waist, but already you are a nize girl," What encouragement, what stragety from a Leader! Soon we had plonked through Pig Flats and surprisingly enough they were kaked quite hard ( in spots). Morning tea was a plesant break at Mountain House and bekaus the weather WS so good and exceptionally fine for a Mountain House trip the keen wunes in our party dashed up to Holdsworth Trig and back whilst Jackie and me cut up pounds of stake and onions and Ted brought forth his pertater peeler because he had had peeling pertaters with a knif. de were surprised to see Alex come ambling back from Holdsworth Mitre Party ( evidently the pi or what have you that he had sampled on Fridey nite had disagreed with him to a point of rendering him unfit for such things as Jumbo and on and on to Mitre. During our siesta, well, after all we were keeping to skedule (E) we were surprised to also see Trev ambling back from Holdsworth Mitre party. He was extremely sunburnt and had also reeched the stage where he did not know whether it was best to go on or cum back - and its always a wise tramper who knows when to turn back. The natives therefore now numbered two although Ted says that he is a New Zealander bekaus he has a N.Z.Passport, I suppose that is as good an excuse as eny. Presently we heard yodels or yoohoos or co-ees I am not sure which, floating down the mountain side : after all there were two Swiss, one German, one English and one Estonian : so it could have been enything - and the Trig trippers were back at ountain House redy for the stew. Most retired to bed early : we did play "500" for a short wile, but remen mbering that we had had only 5 hours sleep on the Fridey nite we were all kwite redy to creep into our bags. They told ne the next day the rats danced around all over the place but of this I was quite ignorant aybee it was just as well, Much to our surprise the sun shone very brightly again on Sunday and whilst having a cuppa at 11 the Totara Flats party came bounding in, full of their glorious week end which seemed to consist of too much sun, too much alarm clock, too much salt in their tea and too many rats, but they enjoyed it and told us they were getting fit for Christmas! The Chief Gide then took the opportunity of telling Big Mary that she was leading the Narrer Neck Trip and I was to lead the "aiorongomai (E) Trip, so we begin to advertise and say to Harry the Swiss how about you... "Well, already I am thinking of coming and eef you do not mind I bring a beautiful girl with me" : sure we say as long as she has the BOOTS! Eventually we push off down the mountain and meet up with the Holdsworth Mitre Party - cheers! they have done it : 12 hours from Mt,House to Mitre Flats and all the way back we are cntcrtained in the truck by a serial : "Holdsworth- litre". Nov.11/12/13.