Last day of minus 5

The final day at black peak started very early. This was courtesy of one of the boys in the group who seemed to decide once he was up we all were. This is after he kept everyone else awake with his snoring.
It was like trying to sleep next to a chainsaw. I gave up trying to sleep and put my iPod on. If i'm forced to be awake, I may as well listen to something I like rather than a middle aged man vibrating his tonsils!
Most nights were difficult to sleep. You were either too cold, too hot, someone was snoring or you needed to go to the toilet, which in itself was a major undertaking late at night. I managed to have to take that journey every night. It required getting completely layered up with boots on and a 50 meter walk on snow and ice. Then reverse the process on return. Makes you appreciate modern conveniences.

Today we headed back to the upper pitch from yesterday and did some more technical stuff like learning how to do V threads.
This requires drilling two holes,using ice screws at such an angle that you can thread a chord through them to make an anchor.
As I screwed the first one the entire sheet of ice let out an almighty crack, I had managed to split the entire face. Everyone stopped as the noise was huge. I looked at Tim and asked if that's normal to which he replied ' I'm not sure'. Reassuring then!
The ice was only about two inches thick and the screw had exposed the waterfall behind. You could hear the flow through the hole. Tim was most amused by poking his finger in and out of the hole and stopping the sound.


Hole exposed!



Hole plugged.

Look what I managed to find one day in the snow! Amazing! All the way out there.



It was a little difficult to play though!
The rest of the day was spent learning other techniques as well as training in the use of the avalanche transceiver. We had all been wearing these through out the trip. Just another part to the layers. Tim buried one and then we learnt to use ours to search. It's frightening to know in most circumstances you get 18 minutes to successfully rescue someone from an avalanche. After then it's generally a body recovery.
After some lunch we mucked around awaiting the chopper. Smurf made an appearance.


Got himself in some trouble in the snow, lucky for him Sandy had been smuggled in.


Our chopper finally arrived and we were all amused by the extra passenger on board.


The ride back was eventful, as our pilot decided to do some chopper aerobatics. I recorded the flight in movie form and will edit it into a YouTube film soon. You will be entertained by my scream and he plummeted us over the ridge.
Hope you have all enjoyed the updates. I've enjoyed doing them. There are heaps more photos that I'll put together into a movie and share at a later date.
Back home now for five weeks then it's off to USA.

Uke complete me!

Location:Home

Day three - sunrises and ice cliffs

Day three dawned early with Tim supplying hot coffee while I was still in my sleeping bag. I did suggest he come home with me to do the same each morning.
The sun was still rising and the moon had not yet gone to bed.


On average it takes about two hours to get ready for the day. What with having breakfast,melting snow to fill water bottles,packing food and getting all those layers on. Then there is strapping axes and crampons to your pack and getting harness and helmet on.
Five people all trying to do this in a space no bigger than the average bathroom.


today we didn't head all the way to the bottom of the valley, instead we went about half way down to a double waterfall on the opposite side of the gully. This meant a much shorter walk back at the end of the day. Good for me!
The ice was thick with water running behind it. If all went quiet for a moment you could here the water flowing. It's rather an odd situation. I tried not to think too much about it.
Tim once again led up and set up a couple of top ropes.
This next photo is specifically for my music teacher, Helen. 'A chick with a pick'.


And just to prove I didn't just stand around taking photo's of myself here's a climbing shot.


After some top roping we turned the two drops of the water fall into a multi pitch. This was great for two reasons. Firstly I do love multi pitching and secondly every meter climbed was one less I had to slog up the hill in the snow. Bonus.


The day ended just as spectacular as it had started,with mother nature giving us a wonderful sunset. In all a great day.



Uke complete me!

Location:Wanaka airport

Day two-rest day

Today turned into a forced rest day. The effort of getting up that hill yesterday had a roll on effect. I hardly slept through the night. I couldn't eat much and I felt so rundown. To top it the cold air had effected my lungs and through the night I had a chesty cough.
I woke in the morning feeling just as tired and there was no way I was taking on that hill again. I informed Tim I was having to sit the day out and he suggested if felt better during the day to walk up onto black peak ridge.

The rest of the group headed out and i sadly waved goodby. I'd saved and planned for this trip for years and felt broken in spirit to not be going but I had also finally reached my limit and believe it may have been a disaster had I tried to push through. Instead I cleaning the hut I went back to bed.

The previous day I had to clean the toilet! Have you ever had to clean a toilet that looked like this.


I had already cleared half of the snow out before I took the photo.

A few hours later I woke back up,had some coffee and food and felt like a new person.
It took about an hour to get all my layers on,including a full set of thermals, a base layer of fleece top and over pants then a windproof jacket a storm jacket, two pairs of socks,plastic climbing boots and snow gaiters. Bernie,neck warmer and snow glasses,thin warm glove inners and weather proof outers finish the picture. After all that layering I was ready to set off to the ridge.






This is Black Peak ridge, to the left and out of this shot is Black Peak itself. Thats deep snow most of the way and at one stage I took to crawling as I was post holing too much. Problem with crawling is that your hands can then punch through the snow so every couple of steps I'd end up face down. Eventually I got to the top, it took about an hour or so and this is the view. Spectacular!



And looking back toward the hut.



That's it way off in the distance. However it was all down hill back to it so I was back in half the time. Just wish I had my ukulele as I was feeling very happy and a little strum would have completed what turned out to be a wonderful day.
The others returned to the hut around 7 pm. Exhausted! I played hut mother for them and had warm tea and soup in their hands before their boots were off.

Day three to follow and maybe even a bit of climbing!

Uke complete me!

Location:Wanaka

Black peak

Up early today. It would have been half four back home. We needed to be at aspiring guides for half seven to head out to the chopper.
All the gear was packed into a van and we were off.
We passed all the traffic waiting to head up to treble cone and jumped on a chopper to take us up to Black Peak.



The ride was amazing with wonderful views over the mountains,and so much snow!



We arrived at Black Peak hut, our home for the next four days and base camp for ice climbing.



After a quick cup of tea we headed out down into the gully to find the ice. No matter how fit you are,nothing can prepare you for walking in thigh deep snow. The going was hard and I mean HARD. You were post holing up to your groin then struggling to release your leg only to have the other one sink. Then you would slide down ice covered vegetation into a deep snow drift,or struggle up the other side of a gully. Just about every step was an effort.

We got down the bottom in around two hours and I got my first look at real ice.


Tim set up a couple of top ropes and I got my first taste of what ice climbing is all about. Problem was I'm very strong in upper body but this sport requires putting all your faith in two points on your toes and using the axes just to balance. I was a beginner all over again and wore myself out very quickly. After four climbs I was completely knackered.

After about two hours climbing, we packed up and headed back to the hut.

Unfortunately our guide was swayed by one of the clients that the best way back was to go straight up the hill.

Words cannot describe how hard this was. I have great endurance and have walked some of Australia's greatest hikes. Some up to 17 days straight. But this was by far the hardest thing I have ever done.

For every step up in the thick snow you slid back down the same distance and at times further. It was so steep, and I had not eaten a great deal,that and I hadn't slept well led to a bit of a breakdown. For a moment there I really thought I would not make it. There were tears of frustration. Everyone went ahead and eventually Tim our guide came back and stayed with me as I battled on.
I cannot express just how hard it was and how I dug so deep to finally get to the hut, shattered!
I could hardly bring myself to eat anything and suffered leg cramps through the night. I would say I slept about three hours and knowing in the morning I would be doing it all over again could hardly sleep a wink.

Will continue the story tomorrow!

Uke complete me!

Location:Wanaka

Christchurch to Wanaka

A very early start today. It would have been 4:30 am in Melbourne when Cat Stevens, on my alarm woke me. Mind you I didn't get a great sleep to begin with.
What sort of people arrive at a hotel around midnight and stand outside having a loud conversation? Then get up again a few hours later and open and close their car doors for 10 minutes? The people in the room next door obviously.
I should have got the uke out and given them a little serenade in the wee small hours!
We had a little trouble locating our bus to Wanaka this morning. Doesn't help when the web page states one address and the ticket another. We found it in the end thanks to our hotel owner. He had actually dropped us off at one location and said his goodbyes. As Liz and I stood in an empty car park waiting for the bus,I heard an insistent honking and there he was waving us over. He had gone back to the other location and found the bus,then come back to get us and took us there. Whatever your name was, thanks heaps.

At the beginning of the trip we got to see a tiny fraction of the devastation the earthquake has inflicted on Christchurch.
Apparently they had just completed a restoration on this church prior to the earthquake.
We heard stories from people on the bus about what it felt like, it just seems unimaginable. There is debris everywhere and sand and mud line the gutters.


Hoping to get a little more time in Christchurch on the return leg so maybe some further photo's later.

We were advised to catch the bus as the trip was said to be beautiful and I would have to agree. The first glimpse of snow covered peaks was wonderful.


We had a great driver for the first half of the trip, George. A retired police commander who is married to a woman from St Kilda. He was full of knowledge and some bad jokes. Thanks George you were fun.



A few short stops including this photo opportunity and we were in Wanaka.



On arrival in Wanaka the hotel room phone rang about 10 minutes later. It was Aspiring Guides confirming we had arrived safely and were to meet them in an hour. And to tell us that despite all the snow,storms and warning emails,conditions were perfect and we would be leaving for Black Peak hut in the morning!!! Yeeehaaa
We've now returned from getting technical gear sorted and sorting clothing,packing and re packing as tomorrow morning we are choppered out of Wanaka and up into the mountains.
There is nothing much more to say really. My next blog will not be for four days on my return from for filling a long standing dream.
The ukulele will remain here for my safe reunion with it. Stay tuned.

Uke complete me!

Location:Wanaka

Arrival in Christchurch

The trip out to the airport was uneventful and we arrived with plenty of time. A quick check in and done. The nice lady even gave me a fragile tag for the uke bag.

Would you believe when we went through those wonderful doors to departure a young fellow behind me was carrying a soprano uke!
I told him we should have a jam but he told me he wasn't so good.....He must have thought I looked like I was. Excellent!
The three hour flight was full of entertainment including a round of junior hangman on the games screen.
Now I know kids are pretty smart these days but check out the first word we were given to solve.



WHAT THA??
After getting well flogged on that game, my attention turned to other ways of entertainment.

Sue gave me an original smurf to take with me as a mascot and he got some time to chill out and see the sights.






On arrival we were transferred to our hotel,the Airport Lodge, however I now know it's not that it's close to the airport,rather your on the flight path! Only joking,it's fine for a single night.

Well that's about it for today. It's two hours later here and New Zealand is very behind on master chef, probably two weeks behind so a few hours of outdated tv shows.

Off to Wanaka in the morning, bright and early.

Fish and chips or should I say fesh and cheps for tea. $4 for a piece of flake and minimum chips. You Aussies are getting ripped off.


Uke complete me!

Location:Christchurch

Dry needling and pack training

With 9 days to go, there is no much more training to do. Well actually we could still be climbing twice a week and pumping weights but unfortunately my shoulder decided to have a serious melt down two weeks ago.
Thursday saw me again at the myotherapist. This time a intense dry needling session. OMG! Intense was an understatement. If you've never had dry needling, I cant really say your missing out on something special. But it is a great therapy and really works. You just have to get through the session and the following 24hours. Kind of feels like someone has been belting into you! 10.5 hours of tattooing or 30 min of dry needling! Let's just say I happily headed to each tattoo session. Can't say the same for my next myo session next week.

Today saw Liz and I heading to the Dandenongs for a short session to break the new packs in.



A nice wet Sunday so the wet weather gear also got a call out. During the day I decided to reassure Liz with my exceptional navigation skills!



All seemed a bit confusing really! Don't know why! but we did find our way back to the cafe and there was Sue and Sylvia relaxing,doing a crossword,having sampled most of the menu. Someone has to warm the seats for us I guess.

Nothing much more to do now. Pack the bags,double check gear and ring the airline to see if my uke can come as hand luggage.

I still don't trust Jetstar and now with all this Tiger airways bedlam I did book new tickets on Air New Zealand. I'm out of pocket $130 but rather that then not get there at all. It's a small price to pay for peace of mind. I couldn't stand it if we did all this and couldn't get there.

I've trained so much that sometimes need a nap in the middle of a climb.



Lucky I can trust my belay. Hopefully the next blog will be from the airport or from the land of the long white cloud itself. Roll on the 13th.

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