WooHooo! Another one!We managed to hook in two extra buddies for this bit of the trek. And so today we are receiving a parcel of two. This is Ollie! Another ex-Poker. He will be gracing the mountains with his lion-like hair for a couple of weeks too….. And so, we were four!
Hi-di-hi campers! Well, after 34 hours flying at 34,000 feet to the other side of the world Nico and I couldn’t wait to use our jet-lagged feet to clamber 34,000 steps (approx ;-) back up into the clouds through the golden grass, mushy moss, random roots, and wind-swepted-waterfall-laden vallies of mountains (we even got a rainbow horizon) that are New Zealand. Kia-ora Mount Aspiring National Park! We salute you (and your 34,000 (to be very precise) sand-fly bites??!! Ouch. That’s why i am pictured here jumping for, er, joy ;-) !
Me and Ollie decided to go for quantity over quality and the flame mixed grill didn’t disappoint. Although the ribs, chops and boerewors sausage were no match for the sirloin steak and I found myself jealously looking over at Nico much larger hunk of meat (and dribbling slightly). Good job they provided us with bibs to wear!
So i had wondered if the once-upon-a-mountain tibea-shattered leg i was tramping with would take the terrain, but today it was arms that were on the mammoth mountainous menu - hauling ourselves (and a few KG of chilli noodles for supper of course) up the craggy concourse. The route up Gillespie Pass to the Awful and Dreadful Mountains had to get their name’s from somewhere! But i jest - the views up here were worth every sinew stretching step. Sorry, I mean peck-pulverising-pull-up, don’t i!