Trip Photos

Departure point	How do sheep live here?	Looks like snow is easier than loose scree to ascend ...
Classic views of great shelter belts ...	... and mountain ranges	Dave looks wistfully toward Springfield and the pie he won't be in time for

Trip Report

Smooth suave and sophisticated debonair devil of the tramping scene, Alan Ross was for a momentary instant disconcerted by the choices open to him – to avail himself of every opportunity to clutch Flo in a familiar embrace? to befriend the extraordinarily fit young Danish tramper on her first moderate trip with the club? to find out how Lois could intend to make the giant leap from easy moderate to moderate+ trips without a full-scale training schedule of Port Hills runs? Fortunately for our charismatic cavalier, this conundrum was easily resolved as the party launched itself at the slopes of Mt White: Flo was out of his reach both literally and metaphorically for most of the tramp, the extraordinarily fit young Danish tramper was also apparently extraordinarily unimpressed by the shirt-off routine, and Lois calmly disclaimed any notion that keeping up with the topless hero required any special training. Nothing daunted, he kept up his spirits – and those of the rest of the company – by recounting the tale of how, when at the peak of his physical prowess, he had proudly referred to himself as a ‘stud-muffin’ and some unkind and misguided female had rejoined that although the muffin part was easily identified, the ‘stud’ was more elusive ...

Leader Dave certainly did not want this to be too easy for anyone, passing resemblances to bakery items notwithstanding. He started with a careful assessment of terrain and triumphantly chose the steepest available ascent slope. The group rose dutifully to the challenge, at a rate of something like 500m+ per hour in fact. Antony must have had prewarning – he was traveling especially lightweight in the pack department (but compensating with a pair of enormous boots just in case anyone dared to accuse him of not taking that sacred text the club gear list sufficiently seriously). Stu was as usual telling all and sundry that he was not particularly fit and had not been out very much ... well, telling us until he was of earshot, striding away in front. We had lunch on a shoulder a few ks from the top and then carried on. Dave could see his chances of a pie at Springfield fading hopelessly as the tramping stalwarts such as Dayle, Doug, Sue, Flo, Stu, Antony, and Kerrie - as well of course as the afore-mentioned legendary muffin king - voted vociferously to continue along the ridge and descend to Esk valley via the spur off point 1604. Line got a quick lesson in techniques for coping with bad loose-rock-that’s-not-proper-scree from Antony and we sailed downwards without mishap.

We met the 4wd track where it crosses a stream and had a quick refreshment stop, cooling off with a bit of splashing and rock skimming. Needless to say, somehow things seemed to escalate very quickly and suddenly battle lines were drawn up either side of the stream ... hitherto neutral Dave was caught in the crossfire of a particularly powerful exchange and retaliated with a boulder positively hurled into the water, resulting in a wave which drenched innocent bystanders and protagonists alike... Lois moved calmly forward to reclaim her pack before it became collateral damage in a further engagement, and things settled down before we managed to block the creek with a boulder barrage. Amicable relations undented and nicely cooled down, we set off to blitz 6.5 k of 4wd track in record time.

It was late but still light when we got back to the cars after a very satisfying trip. Many thanks to Dave for leading, the stud muffin for gracing the trip with its glorious bare-chested presence, everyone else for making it another great day, and Mt White station for permission to do the trip.

David Sutton (unenviable leader), Dayle Drummond, Line Bisgaard, Lois Hamilton, David Cook, Doug Forster, Sue Hely, Kerrie Maynard, Alan Ross, Flo Roberts, Stu Smith, Antony White, Jenny Harlow.

-- Uploaded by Jenny Harlow on 12 December, 2009