Arthur's Pass - Class of '93

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ARTHUR'S PASS - CLASS OF '93 Harry Smith kiing, tramping, mountain biking, caving, climbing, hot pool soaking Lyndsay's Arthur's Pass trip this year had it all (except avalanches!). And with Struan out ofthe country, bringing floods and mayhem to thej poor unsuspecting inhabitants ofthe Mississippi Basin, the weather simply couldn't help but be good. So to all you punters who expressed interest but in the end didn't come tough luck! (Never mind, though: there's always next year.) Twoofthe"regulas"overbel lasti few years, Anita Catchpoleand! Paul Michl, were absent this time, Anita choosing to spend her leave in the English gloom, drizzle, andsmog instead. To make up for them there were some new punters along: Brian Johnston, Sue Higgins, Steve Patience, and Wayne ("Rocketman") Dodson. I nearly didn't make it myself, having suffered for the previous two weeks with al bad dosed ofthei flu. Always one to leave things to the last minute, I finally made the decision to go early in the morning of the Saturday that we were due to depart, and after a frantic bout of packing arrived at the On the road to Arthur's Pass Harry Smith ferry terminal with just 15 minutes to spare. arrived on the train later in the day point fors somephotographs ofthe lake I spent a relaxing day reading and andthesurrounding bush-coveredhills The drive down on Saturday was listeningtomusic onl Lyndsay'sghetto- reflected in the water, then continued very pleasant, with the now custom- blaster. The others arrived back that on our way. Suddenly it began to rain ary lunch stop at the Kekerengu tea- evening and reported poor snow at heavily. Idroveon aheadj just enough rooms north ofKaikoura, followedby Porters. to make sure the others got a good the spectacular Kaikoura Coast and soaking, then stopped the van and the snow-covered Seaward Kaikoura The next day theothers decidedto go waited for them to catch up. They Range rearing up out ofthe: sea, and mountain biking down near Lake piled inside out ofthe downpour and then the long drive down the plains Brunner on the West Coast. Iwas still we had lunch. into Christchurch and on to the Pass not over the flu, sol I elected to takei it and the comfortable and familiar easy and drive around in Sue's van The downpour passed over just as Christchurch Tramping Club Lodge. and act in support. We all piled into quickly as it had come, and the cythe van and drove over the Pass and clists were soon on their way again. I Next morning Lyndsay, BJ, and Sue down to Jackson's pub on the West stopped to take a short tramp up a headed off to Porter Heights for a Coast where the others started cy- track to a scenic waterfall, but with day's skiing while I decided to stay at cling. I drove ahead in the van, and absolutely no traffic on the road and thel hut for the day to try and shake off smiled to myselfas it started to driz- some racing car impressions I was the flu, and to welcome Wayne who zle. We stopped at a scenic lookout soon able to catch the others up. We stopped to look at some old gold min- Would they know where to stop? skifield. After lunch we went for a ing relics by the side of the road Wayne and] II were on thel last knob at wander around the strange limestone before finally arriving back on the the bottom of the spur, and waved rock formations at Castle Hill, a main highway at Kumara Junction, frantically. BJ was ahead, half way favourite haunt of Canterbury rockpiling thel bikes back into the van, and across the fields tothe road. The van climbers which we had driven past on heading back to the Pass (with just an stopped right opposite the foot of the several occasions but never visited. ever so slight stop-off at Jackson's spur and Lyndsay and Sue got out. Then we went back to Cave Stream to Pub on the way). They'd seen us, we were sure. But as do some caving. we made our way over to the road we Tuesday was fine, and we all saw Lyndsay and Sue get back in and Cave Stream disappears underground headed off to Craigieburn skifield. drive away up the highway. Feeling to flow through a limestone cave for Lyndsayand: Sues spent the day skiing, tired and footsore, we trudged up the several hundred yards, and this prowhileWayne, BJ, and Iclimbed Ham- highway in pursuit, hoping to find vided an interesting caving trip. We ilton Peak at the back entered the cave at of thes skifield. Westagthe lower end where geredupwardsi sinthesoft the stream emerges snow, pausing often for and followed it upa rest and watching enstream bytorch-light, viously ast the skiers (indressed in warm gear. cluding Lyndsay and The trip through the Sue) got hauled effortcave took about an lessly up the hour or an hour and a mountainside. I'd much half. We were generrather be climbing this ally wading through mountain than skiing, I the stream at about had to keep telling myknee-deep, although self, with a certain lack there were some of conviction. We fideeper pools and also nallyarrived onthesumsome dry sections BJ mit in time for lunch, and Ikept busy taking but the sense of photos in the cave by achievement was someflash light. The most what diminished by the exciting partwasright presence ofa a communi- Soaking in the Otehake Hot Pools Harry Smith at the end, where the cations shed on top, and stream enters thecave the terminal of the top (but, fortu- them ata farm driveamile: away, but over a three-metre waterfall. Here we nately for our pride, unused) ropetow when we got there they were nowhere climbed up a rock wall using a rope a few yards away. to be found. However, we were given which 1S permanently fixed in place, a ride on the back of a farm truck and crawled out around the waterfall After lunch we set off on a traverse another mile up the road, where we on a narrow ledge. northwards along the Craigieburn finally found Lyndsay and Sue Range. It was a glorious day with patiently waiting at the start of the On Thursday different people did a panoramic viewsi in all directions. Late official tramping track out ofthehills. number of different things. Wayne in the afternoon we came to Baldy Wer werer rather thirsty by thist time but and Steve decided to climb Mt Ava- Peak at the end of the range. From to our deep regret the delay meant we lanche, a peak rising up directly behere we had a choice oft two ways off didn't have time to stop off at the hind Arthur's Pass village. BJ set off the range and down to the highway Bealey on the way back to the lodge. to spend a couple of nights at Goat below; either following a narrow Pass Hut to photograph the sunrise ridge offto the right, or directly down Thei next day dawned brilliantly fine, Lyndsay and Sue decided to do anthe scree slopes at our feet. The scree but after all the activity ofthel last few other day's skiing, this time at Mt slopes curved steeply out of sight SO days we decided to take it easy. Steve Cheeseman. Iwent along with them, we chose the ridge instead. Near the had arrived the previous night after and spent a pleasant day climbing Mt bottom we suddenly saw Sue's van mountain biking the Heaphy Track. Cheeseman and wandering along the arrive along the road. We had told After a slothful morning we finally Craigieburn Range to the south. Sue and Lyndsay we were going to got away towards midday and went traverse the range, but not exactly for a picnic lunch at Cave: Stream, on Every week seems to get at least one where we would drop down off it. one of the roads to Broken River hut day, and we got ours on Friday with a heavy snowstorm. Using the would sometimes be filled in with continued to lie there relaxing in the hut wooden spoon as a depth gauge, gravel, and at other times would be warmth for another quarter of an we measured 13 cm of snow on the flooded out by the river. Fortunately hour with a semi-clear conscience. roof of Lyndsay's car. Much of the for us, the river channel was dry and "It'lll lbes shorter if we gostraight down day was spent playing scrabble, and the pool had been dug out by the Otehake, rather than detour back with Anita not therelwas finally able previous trampers. We were soon around Lakel Kaurapataka" I pointed to win. In the afternoon we went for soaking in the pool, lying back and out after our revised time limit had bike ridesi in thes snowa aboutt thevillage relaxing, and eating a late lunch. passed. That gave us another quarter and up to the top oft the pass. of an hour in the pools. "We'll go After some time we looked at our faster on the way out after a relaxing All too soon we were downto Satur- watches. Wel had promised Lyndsay swim", said Wayne, SO we set our day, our last day. Iwasl keen to visit that we would be back at the road at deadline back another quarter of an some hotpools in the Otehake Valley 5:30 pm. Absolutely no later, he had hour. "Lyndsay won't mind if we're on the West Coast side of the pass. a few minutes late", I said as our Wel had been told earlier in the week latest deadline rolled by, and we that they were currently in good "It'll be continued to lie there soaking up the condition. Wayne choset to come with warmth. shorter me, while Lyndsay, Steve, and Sue if we go decided to go mountain biking in the straight down the Eventually we could think of no Taipo valley a few miles further down more excuses so, rather reluctantly, thel highway towards the Coast. I had Otehake... If we forced ourselves out of the pool trouble getting people up after an epic and into action. We raced down the game ofscrabblet thej previouse evening Otehake to the Taramakau in good which had lasted into the early hours said. It had taken us two and three- time, but the trip back down the oft the morning, but we finally got quarter hours on the way in and it was Taramakau seemed to go on forever, away late in the middle of the now 2:45, SO we really had to get and when we eventually got back to morning. Wayne the rocketman set going. However, we didn't really feel the road where the others were a blistering pace up the windswept like moving. "It's downhill on the patiently waiting for us in the van, Taramakau Valley, as I struggled to way out, SO we'll do it quicker", I it was approaching 6:301 pm. Lyndsay keep up. We visited the scenic Lake pointed out. Wayne did not disagree, didn't say a word. Kaurapataka en route, which lies SO we continued to lie there soaking nestled in the head of a side valley, with a plausible excuse. "We'll be And sO that was Arthur's Pass for then dropped over a low saddle into faster on the way out since we know 1993. As I said, it had a bit of the Otehake and boulder-hopped up the way", said Wayne after quarter of everything and a good time was had to thel hot spring. This lies amongst an hour. I was willing to accept that by all. I've already marked off the the boulders of the river bed where it this also seemed plausible, SO we calendar for next year. NM Acmee Ne Duo (acpor M ML See "Sleeping Out Under The Stars and Stripes"