First tramp with CUTC – Lewis Tops

This weekend I went tramping with the university tramping club (CUTC) for the first time, and it will definitely not be the last time I go. 14 of us went to Lewis Pass to do a tour up Lewis Tops, hoping to make it to the summit of Mt. Technical if the weather was kind. It turned out not to be, so we settled with “The Apprentice”, the second highest summit in the area (and a VERY straightforward walk in spite of the somewhat awe-inspiring name).

We met Saturday morning at 8AM, got our packs in the three cars and headed for a 2½ hours drive to Lewis Pass. The starting point of the tramp was St. James car park, and while putting on boots and gaiters, I managed to snap one of my shoelaces. As far as I remember, this is the first time that I have actually needed the spare laces that I always bring myself – usually someone else is relieved that I bring them along on every tramp. After a quick change to the spare we headed off, starting out on the Lewis Tops Route just on the other side of the road. The first hour or so went through birch forest, climbing steadily on a well marked track. Above the tree line the wind soon picked up, making windproof jackets and warm hats a necessity; quite a contrast to the warm start in the forest where the struggle was to avoid dripping with sweat.

As usual, the views from above the tree line were magnificent while the clouds stayed off the mountains we were tramping on. It did not last for long though, and soon we found ourselves walking in clouds, following a ridgeline without a track. Still, it was a fairly straightforward tramp without any major difficulties on the first day. Around 5PM we reached the Brass Monkey Bivvy, and had a brief discussion on whether to head on towards another hut or to stay. We decided to stay, not knowing exactly what was to expect further ahead, and it turned out to be a clever decision. Tents were pitched, my new gas cooker was initiated (it turned out to be a lot slower than expected, next time I might try it out indoors where the wind can not blow away all the heat…), and after a well deserved hot meal – a freeze dried pasta dish – I spent an hour or so in the tiny bivvy talking to some of the other guys on the tramp. Space was limited, but it we had a good time nevertheless while it turned dark outside. I decided to go to bed around 8.30PM, but finding the tent proved to be a bit of a challenge. We had set up camp around 50 meters from the bivvy, but the fog was so dense that I could only see a few meters ahead, and the light from my head torch was almost blinding. I did not get lost, but it was a slightly scary experience nonetheless, reminding me how sudden things can turn into custard here. It sure is something else than tramping in Denmark (which day two was to prove as well).

Day two started out as day one had ended, misty and damp. Breakfast was eaten, packs got packed and we headed off around 9.20AM. The plan for the day was to cross the saddle we had camped just beneath, and then head down the valley on the other side where there was supposed to be a track. The descent was a bit of a challenge, through some slippery slopes as well as speargrass and spaniard, two quite nasty, stinging native plants. The pace was not exactly fast the entire day, but we made our ways down to the stream in the valley, only to find that the track was nowhere to be found. This lead to some hours of river crossings, tramping through untouched forest following your best guess on what would be the easiest way through. At the same time it started raining, and it pretty much kept raining the entire afternoon until we drove out of the Lewis Pass area around 5PM. In all, day two turned out to be pretty much all I had heard and expected from tramping in New Zealand. Soaked boots from river crossings, changing weather (luckily it stayed quite warm and with no wind, so raincoats were optional) and missing tracks. I was glad not to be alone in this terrain, and it was fascinating to see how ten meters distance was enough to loose track of the person in front of me at some places where the forest closed in on us.

Around 2.30PM we reached Nina hut and had our lunch break. From here on there was a track down to a car park where a car had been strategically placed the day before, and the last two hours were spent on an actual track, taking us back to the civilisation.

This tramp was my first since Silkeborg Højskole, and it was a very different experience not to be out with close friends again. It was still fantastic to be tramping, but it did set of a bit of homesickness to be back in the outdoors. However I did meet some pretty cool people, who I might gain a lot from talking to about other places to go tramping. I am definitely going with the club more times, but for now my next trip will be a solo tramp in the three week Easter break over 4 or 5 days. I am choosing to go solo to get an opportunity of reflection upon my first months in New Zealand, and I have had good previous experiences with going solo, although only for one or two nights. I will probably do Harper Pass in the Arthur’s Pass National Park, which seems remote enough for me to feel the solitude I am looking for, but still busy enough to be safe in case I need assistance for some reason (and is not in need in terms of activating a Personal Locater Beacon, summoning a helicopter).

Oh, I almost forgot the big call for Danish ingenuity on the tramp. One of the guys went in boots so old that the glue holding the soles on started to loose its grip. First one heel loosened, then the other came along, and even duct tape could not hold the soles in place. I do not know how I thought of it, but I got the idea of punching two holes in each sole, and then tie the soles to the boot with a piece of string. It accommodated a few comments, my favourite being “Oh my God, that is SO MacGyver”. Eventually both the soles came off, but my solution did manage to keep the soles working for 24 hours after they started coming off, and even the engineers (one PhD student and one PostDoc) could not think of a better idea. So there you go, when in need, call your local Danish physicist!