A Nineties Child Hits the Hopkins

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A Nineties Child Hits the Hopkins Kirsty Woods En route to Huxley Forks Kirsty Woods 1994 had been a year ofi increasing less fit than you -I'm nothing but as slug winter - an almost unbelievable inactivity for me and Iwondered ifl and I've done nothing all year. - You thought ons such a warm, clear day The would be able to cope with the know what mean? valley is reasonably open up to the Forks with large areas. Xmas grazed usual trip. I had convinced We left the carpark in mid-afternoon myself that - yes - we were into and ambled our way past Monument We reached thel huts and Huxley Forks relaxation and - yes being Hut to a spot near the confluence of for lunch and met up with our party of thel Huxley andt thel Hopkins. Peterl had "indecisive" trampers. They were, in "nineties" people we had all been brought some zappy binoculars and fact, friends ofMark's and, much more frightfully busy, had not had time to we: sat aroundt trying to identify a group ambitious than US, were intending to keep fit, and So needed to be kind off four who were some way behind US do some climbing from Brodrick Pass. and who did not seem to know where They also solved the riddle of the to ourselves. they were going or what they were strawberries the moral being that you doing. We thought they must be from shouldn't carry strawberries on the M ark came up with the idea of overseas. We had set up camp in a outside of your pack and in a punnet walking up the Hopkins, really nice spot and wel hoped thatt they with a torn cover. exploring the Huxley and then would not come and crowd our space. depending on the weather, perhaps The track from the Forks up the left going over into the Landsborough or With our space left intact, we had a branch of thel Huxley is a pleasant walk cruisingback downt tot the Hopkins and brew and admired thee expansive views through alpine meadows, andi it sidles up into thel Elcho. We decided to take of the broad valley of the Hopkins. It the valley on the true right. Brodrick a nineties "trust your intuition" stretched for miles into big mountains Hut sits at the top of the track above approach to this. Yes, I felt totally with more than the usual covering of the river, and nearby are good views comfortable" with that. snow for the time of year. of Brodrick Pass and the head of the valley. We could see a lot more snow Peter and I flew down to Christchurch The next morning we began our walk on the mountains and on the Pass than on Boxing Day andi met up with Rachel up the Huxley, following a trail of we expected. and Mark, our fellow trampers. We strawberries dotted about here and spent the whole drive down to Ohau there on the track. We saw evidence In the morning as we drank our first trying to reassure each otheri that each that large avalanches had pummelled morning brew, we spotted our friends ofus was thel least fit: "Ohno, I'm much their way down into the valley over close to Brodrick Pass on their way up TRAMPING & MOUNTAINEERING

Mount Strauchon. The day was quite cold and windy and after some consensus decisionmaking involving a discussion of what the conditions would be like for going up Mount McKenzie on the other side of the Pass, we eventually got going. After negotiating our route up to Brodrick Pass, we were greeted with mist, and SO did not get any views down towards the Landsborough. We had met our friends on their way down they had toundihnewindverystrong higher up and decided that the conditions were Camp near Lake Mavis, Arthur's Pass Kirsty Woods not suitable for them to continue. By then wel had more orl less agreedi that it wasn't: such confluence with thet Huxley, we decided Cafe Cruisers: Mark Pickering, Rachel a great idea to continue on up Mount to stop and enjoy the rest of the sun. Barker, Peter Williamson and Kirsty McKenzie. We thought about the possibility of Woods. crossing the Hopkins in a few days to The views from thel Pass over the upper explore the Dasler Pinnacles from Postscript Huxley and back down towards the Culler's Biv; however, the river was still After a few day's rest at Birdlings Flat Forks are grand. We could see back well in flood landgetting across the next (a little known haven near Banks down tot the dot ofBrodrick Hut, nestled day seemed unlikely. Peninsula), Rachel, Peter andlheaded safely (but only just) behind a huge to Arthur's Pass to meet up with some avalanche chute. The debris was yet In the morning we decided to go for a friends and do a couple more day's to be melted by the summer sun. day trip up toi thel Elcho. The valley was tramping. We persuaded our friend Avalanches give me the shivers but ablaze with mistletoe in flower. We Jenny to come with US up thel Mingato that's another story reachedElcho Hut but decided that the camp at Lake Mavis, high above Goat fugginess level inside Elcho Hut was Pass, and loop back down the After playing our way back down to the "over the limit" (various items of Edwards. We had a wonderfully calm valley with some reckless bumsliding clothing, plus their owners, were night camped out on the tops, though down snow patches (not me, of draped and drying inside), SO we sat surprisingly, Lake Mavis was almost course), wewent for awalki in the upper outside and made a brew. We saw completely iced over. The second day basin. By thet time the rain had set in, signs of a vast party of Tararuas was gloriously fines sO we walked upto we headed back to the hut where we approachingand after as short "howdo the top of the ridge and looked over had pitched our tents. The rest of the you do", Mark and Rachel headed ontoF Falling/Mountain and the Edwards day we spent hiding from the rain and backt to our campsite, while Peter andl River. There was lots of snow which alternating between fitful musty: sleeps walked up to Elcho Forks for a look. put US off descendinginto thel Edwards. in our tents, pee stops, and cups of Back at Goat Pass, Peter andi decided tea in the fuggy, crowded hut. There was not much sign ofl life upt there to go back via the Deception, and although the valley is certainly Rachel and. Jenny went back down the After a sleep-innext morning, wer made impressive lots of avalanche debris Minga. We met lots of people running our way back down to thel Hopkins via and mist. The sun tried to get through up the Deception in training for the al lunch stop at the Forks. It was fine but with minimal success. Coast to Coast. Back at a cafe in andwindy with a dusting off fresh: snow Arthur's Pass, we heard that a large on the mountains. Byt thet time we got Back at our camp and after some more group of them were stranded at Goat to the Hopkins, the Dasler Pinnacles consensus decision-making we Passh Hutfort the night duet tol high rivers. had come into view. They are decided to head out to Twizel in the Naturally, we were glad to be sharing impressive and look like a great morning and find the nearest cafe to our experiences with others over a inaccessible tooth. Thel Hopkins Valley indulge ourselves in beers, glass of wine and good food, and proved to be very windy so when we cappuccinos, and various exotic- thinking about those poor sods stuck found a sheltered campsite set back a looking foods. Yes, the nineties have in Goat Pass Hut with minimal food and little from the main valley, up from the struck Twizel too! gear. TRAMPING & MOUNTAINEERING