Caples Track - just punch me in the face

Caples Track, NZ - 26 Nov, 2006

Right we'd had our 'day off' and it was back to the hiking. The Caples Track from The Divide to the Upper Caples Hut. Things were going pretty well up to lunch when we started to ascend out of the valley towards McKellar Saddle.

Steve & Dom getting a crick in their neck looking at where we had to go.

The path up to the saddle was more rooty than an Australian orgy. It started to go nigh on vertical with just exposed tree roots to grab hold of and pull up on. The DoC guide was 1.5 hours to the saddle from the bottom of the valley. It took us 3hrs. If you could do it in 1.5hrs you'd be superhuman or have a helicopter.

I'd been out on route for three days now and the tash was coming on a treat. Yosemite Sam, eat your heart out.

Almost at the top of the climb. Can you guess we're in slight pain?

A bit like child birth, the memory of the pain recedes all too quickly once you've achieved your goal. Like I know a lot about that! We gave birth to the McKellar Saddle. How odd.

The very rare orange backed yeti disappearing into the mossy undergrowth.

Another suspension bridge with a distinct bow to it.
At last we arrive at the Upper Caples Hut.

Things were likely to get worse tomorrow. This was were we were heading - Steele Creek. Oooh...ahhhh.

The ascent of Rumdoodle - planning

Queenstown, NZ - 20-22 Nov, 2006
The clouds of fate were gathering (as well as the rain clouds, no surprise there). Steve & I spent the next three days 'meticulously' planning six days of outdoorsy activity. Not the usual run-of-the-mill few days hiking for us. Nope. We were going to take on no less than three NZ greatwalks in succession with a day of kayaking (I still call it canoeing) in Milford Sound, a stunning fiord on the far west coast. The route: The Routeburn Track, 'day off' kayaking, followed by the Caples and Greenstone tracks linked by a lesser walked path called Steele Creek that took on mythical and abominable status in our minds - no-one at the Department of Conservation (DoC) office had walked this track, in fact they didn't even know it existed. Days were spent poring over maps, annoying the staff at the DoC office, planning our overnights, booking transport, sourcing equipment (mainly from Ali Baba's Outdoor Emporium) and trying to get Steve to experiment with something other than a SubWay chicken parmesan sandwich for lunch.

We adopted a local transport agent called Keiran (a.k.a. Teapot...reason explained later) at The Track & Info office. He seemed to have his finger on the pulse of what we were trying to achieve and managed to arrange the logistics with consummate ease: transport to the start of the route, kayaking and overnight in Milford Sound, a provisions drop, further transport back to the route and a pick up (including water taxi) from the end of the hike along with assorted equipment rental. We dropped some serious cash on Teapot and when we bumped into him in the World Bar one night, he expressed his appreciation by buying us a dubious cocktail - some milky white gloopy fluid that tasted vaguely of coconut (hmmm) delivered in...well...a teapot. Errr...thanks.

Dominici Stanczyk was due to arrive on the evening prior to our departure. He missed all the fun.

Steve calling his pots and pans broker to find out whether we were getting a deal on some second hand camping pots. We weren't...apparently.
Some of the provisions we were taking. Notice the abundance of cans and glass bottles. Not ideal - as well as being heavy, we had to carry all our rubbish out as well as in!

Reminded me of an unintentionally hysterical climbing movie made by Toby Mollins, a friend of Isobel's. Documenting an expedition to the Karakorum range Toby interviews his Logistics Manager in front of a seemingly haphazard and disorganised array of equipment and food.

Toby: 'Is this the most complicated expedition you've been involved with?'
LM: 'Yup.'
Toby: 'And how many expeditions have you been involved with?'
LM: 'This is the first.'

Route planning using the big wall map.

Getting pointy-fingery with the map.

At least we had the essentials: wine, cheese, Pringles & chocolate.