The weekend with tramping

Hi,

What a great weekend! Mike left on Friday night to head to Waerenga Hut with Andrew and a whole bunch of other Nepal trekking people.  They missed the gate though so they had to park outside the park.

Meanwhile I got a message to collect a spare Galant key from Sally in the morning and move the cars inside.  Ok!

Toby and I got up fairly early on Saturday and finished getting ready.  I went grocery shopping so we had some key things for the weekend.

Phillipa texted an emergency - she had no sleeping bag!  So I found my old one and threw that in.  She got to our house and we re-packed and then discarded her day pack for a bigger one.  We got everything into that easily and drove out to the Dowse for a lovely brekkie.

Iced coffee at the Dowse

Just take the photo , Toby!

From there we grabbed a key from Sally and then headed to the park.  Found the cars at the entrance and then Phillipa and I ferried them in.

We waited for a wee while for Graeme and Margaret and then we all walked in together.  Didn't take too long and we were at the hut.

Mike's lot had opted for the tough walk and climbed Mt Matthews that day.  They got back around 4.30pm.  Big day for them as they left the hut at 8am.

Waerenga Hut

It was good to see Isy again, but the rest of the people were from Mike's first Nepal trip.  We need more of our 2015 punters along!

Mike got pleasantly drunk before tea and at one point asked Isy and Phillipa how they knew each other.  That was really funny.  But he also lined Phillipa and me up for the climb up Mt Matthews the next day.  And I said yes.  Andrew then said he would go with us and Mike would lead the others out.

Toby had fallen asleep in his tent before tea.  He woke briefly around tea and then went back to his tent and was a little restless until he fell asleep.

So I went to bed early given we were heading up Mt Matthews and getting up early.  Phillipa, Andrew and I were away at 7.30am.

Early morning start up the river

We reached the saddle at 10am.  And Phillipa decided against the final summit bid in lieu of waiting in the sun with her food and water.

View south from the saddle

View to Wellington and the South Island

Phillipa enjoys the view - of the sky!

Andrew and I pushed on and scrambled up to the top.  We got there at 11am and took some awesome photos.  Lovely.  941 metres.  It's the highest one close to Wellington.

Andrew at the top overlooking Palliser Bay

This is what I came for!

Back down to the saddle by 12 and we had lunch with Phillipa and chatted away to a few other people making the walk up.  Including a friend of Mike's - Roger.

Back down at Waerenga Hut by 2.15pm and out at Catchpool carpark by 3.50pm.  Ooossshhhh.  What an amazing day!  40,000 steps according to my Fitbit.

Anyway - thank you to Mike for suggesting it and Andrew for coming along.  He climbed it twice in two days!  Wow!

Last week of term for Toby.  We have parent teacher interviews this evening.  Busy.

Right.  Time for a tea!

Have a wonderful week.

Love,
Angela