Round Mt Taranaki in a Day: The First Official Club Mountain Run

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Round Mt Taranaki in a Day: The First Official Club Mountain Run Harriette Carr Despite: scathing comments from Clubbies unappreciative ofthe joys ofr mountain running and comments that mountain running is not tramping (well, it is closer to tramping than cycle touring kayaking, skiing and snowboarding), Imanaged to muster up a bunch of 7 hardy souls who thought that a run around the mountain would be a pleasant way to spend the day. (Okay, SO only three are Club members!) twas supposed tol be a sunny daywith clear skies and awesome views ofMt Taranaki. The sun would be shining as we jogged and chatted around the mountain in a day, with light packs and runners on our feet.. We would make an early start and be home in time for a sumptuous feed and refreshments ofthe liquidvariety.1 Sunday wouldbea a leisurely communal breakfast followedl by aj jaunt to the summit as a walk to relax.. Well, things don'talways go to plan. It rained. - know a little bit ofr rain never hurt anyone, and that was the attitude we took. Aquick photo stop before we left in the dark at 6am with headlights mounted. We set off in an anticlockwise direction, first at a walk, then a shuffle, then a walk/run. would like to say that there was a brilliant sunrise, but all we noticed through the persistent rain was a ag gradual lightening of the skies and the The team before setting off into the rain Harriette Carr appearance of mist as one by one headlights were extinguished. At least there was no point on this tripin trying to keep slips, jokes became worse and long silences intervened as feet dry SO we amused ourselves by trying to make the people's thoughts started to wander to hot showers, dry biggest splashes in the puddles that were the track. After lodge, hot cups of tea and hot food. sidling to The Plateau, it was a short climb then sidle to So we all jogged, limped, hobbled our way down the Tahurangi Lodge where more layers were put on, and a nicely manicured day-trippers track back to the lodge. But wee snack consumed. An early lunch at Kahui Hut con- what were all these people doing here why was the sisted of al hot cup of soup as well as everyone's favourite "Easy" group at the lodge? Turns out that they had sposandwiches, which varied from the usual honey, marmite, ken to DOC on Saturday morning and been advised not to cheese to apricot/cream cheese and other exotic creations. head to Lake Dive due to a heavy rain warning and risk of After an hour's shelter from the persistent rain and flooding. Thel Easy trip people were a little perturbed when thoughts about the poor people running thel Fletcher mara- we turned up having been right around the mountain and thon that day, we headed out with renewed energy down they had been around the carpark! to the bush and mud of the lower section of track. Meanwhile, we had just had a pleasant 11-hour trip Eventuallyi it was a longs slog upabove the bushline again right around the mountain oblivious to all the fuss what's to the best part of the track with cool cliffs and waterfalls a little bit of rain between friends? cascading onto thet track from above - made all the more And the beauty of running instead of tramping you beautiful by the persistent rain. The pace had by this stage can come back to a dry place with hot showers and eat slowed with the group spreading out slightly on the up- lots of yummy food that you didn'thave to carry all day. hill; however, frequent regroups were held but stopping Andi thel Fletcher marathon? It was cancelled due to flooding! for long breaks was out of the question due to the 5°C temperature and rain. The bunch: Colin Rolfe (alias "the Tararua Mountain Man"), As we flounderedi in the alpine tussock and thei intermi- Dave King, John Duggan, Rob Aitken, Miriam Jones, Jenny nable ups and downs of the old lava flows, streams and Cosseyand Harriette Carr. Tramping and Mountaineering 1999