Hapless in the Hopkins

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Hapless in the Hopkins Bruce Wilson This wasn't really a Khandallah Kamel We hid from the sun in the shade of Klub expedition so I'll try to be Frazer Hut, parcelled out the gear, brief. Five stalwart Tongue and and after tea Howard, Bruce and I left Meats with big ambitions gathered at for a lightly-laden perspire up to the Paringa bridge just before Christ- Brodrick Pass. Max Wenden was flying mas, said hello, and eventually got people into the Landsborough for raftzipped up to the forks with Tony ing trips, and we were fairly sure he Condon and his jetboat. We spent a would pick Sean and Jamie up (the comfy night with Tony in his hut, latter with multiple blisters from drinking beer and swatting mosquitoes. new boots), but we had to go out to Huxley Gorge Station in the Hopkins Tuesday the track was hit, but not to make sure. With only a day and a very hard because it was a nice track. half's food left it had to be quickish. The Paringa is a very pretty valley, easily graded, heavily bushed, and We slept under the dew on the bushchocker with birds. After saying edge after an ultra-steep climb (pink farewell to Tunnel Creek Hut we gruntsunset on Hooker - fantastic!). Very ed up the spur beside a hearty set of easy to the pass, exhilirating glissfalls in said creek - an odd spur ades, balls-ups in the scrub, still that, trying to make like the side of brilliant weather, sanctuary at a hill in places. The nicest rock Brodrick Hut. We followed a good biv I've come across opened its arms track down the Huxley. This really is to us, cloud cleared for a spectacular loopy country - the Triangle falls sunset, and life was good. over itself building huts, bridges, tracks etc. Happily for my feet I The head of the Paringa was easy, the got a ride to the station, found out grass to the saddle steep, and the that Jamie and Sean were already out view into McCullagh Creek terrifying. and got a ride back to Monument Hut, Eventually a brilliant deer-trail this time with a friend from sidled out of the creek to avoid the Wellington (small world, eh?). inevitable gorge, then moss-bashing ensued until Monroe Flat in the Cloud was lowering, the north-wester Clarke was reached by early afterwas desperately trying to do somenoon, in light drizzle. By now some thing, and we desperately wanted all of the lads were very tired, so travel the goodies in our airdrop. With up deeply gorged Saddle Creek was less than a day's food left we slow. Fortunately excellent deerswitched off our brains and trundled trails can be followed for threeup the huge, open valley. The quarters of the way. The last weather improved, spirits lifted, and quarter was through scrubby bush = the pace was hot. Above Dodger Hut best forgotten distinguished only the scenery is excellent, if you can by our constant over-estimation of how forget the 3% hours getting there. far we had come. Finally the saddle, After spending an hour and a half Mark's Flat below in gloom, thank god! searching for the airdrop around Unsuspecting knees still had to endure Richardson Biv we unhappily (and half an hour of grovelling through a hungrily) conceded defeat. Latelarge bog before a mass collapse at ish, six OUTC-types arrived after a the big biv. Hopkins-Black Tower-McKerrow traverse and two days foodless, demolished Sean was hugely sick during the night about 20 cans on the spot, and cluttand spent most of the next day sleepered up the floor with their pitless ing. Howard and I (not in that order) bodies. dragged ourselves up to the snowfield under Mt Hooker, pottered around with In the drizzle next day we raced back our crampons on, admired the view, down the valley to Dodger, and spent and I had a sleep. He said he would another night on the Triangle. have carried on if he'd been with Finally it rained. Scraps for lunch someone, but I prefer not to believe at Monument, then on to the road and him. An enormous blister on Sean's the prospect of a 30-odd mile walkheel was surgicalled, signalling thick cloud behind and sun in front. another rest day. The trip was look- After an hour and a half the two ing pretty unhealthy by this stage, Christchurch climbers from Dodger so after shepherding a demoralised picked us up in a ute, and Howard and Sean over the Solution Range to the I got wind-blasted and sun burnt all Landsborough it was put out of its the way to Smog City. What a crazy, misery in the best interests of all. mixed-up trip. And then there was Boxing day was cloudless and incredone. (Yeah well, it wasn't very ibly hot amazing view of Mt Cook brief, was it?). from the top of the Solution Range, and a mere knee deep crossing of the Howard Biggs, Jamie Clelland, Bruce river. McKinlay, Sean Wakely and Bruce Wilson