3 days after my last beautiful experience, I did Machu Picchu and yes, it was beautiful, a perfect end to my hike. I did it slightly more unconventionally and had the place to myself. It was perfect. I dont know how to explain the experience, other than, imagine sitting totally alone on a mountain top surrounded by clound in the morning light, patches of distant hills appearing and dissappearing through the silent mist. It begins to rain and you wandered down 2000 steps to mingle with ancient stone walls and buildings, the edge of this world dropping hundreds of meters to cloud forest and a twisting river that encircles this peninsular. The first place you come to is a huge carved funeral rock, with a top flat surface that would have held the dead bodies of kings as they were mumified. A few meters more and an eerie sentinel house, the hut of the care taker of this rock, looms over the whole complex, narrow and tall, vague in the mist.
More wanderings amoungst the un-prepaired, cheap poncho clad tourists brings you to beautifully aranged buildings with intricate stone work, temples for wind and sun and moon and water. Perfect channels taking a trickle of water under, through, down and around rocks and paths and walls.
I exhausted the sights at mid day and headed back down the 400 meters of spets and paths to the river below, pack up my life again in to my backpack and set off walking down the train tracks to Cusco, to save me the insanely expensive train ride. The following day i complete the journey on buses and arrive at the belly button of the world, to stalk the fusion of inca and spanish streets, neetly cleaned and de-personed for the tourists.
Now I am on my 15 day excurtion to Santiago in Chile to meet up with a frind there for 2 and a half months, my route takes my to the Isla de la Sol on Lake Titicaca, down through the Bolivial Salt Flats, in to Argentina, desserts, mountains and wine growing country, before crossing west to Santiago. Hopefully all hitch hiking. A bit faster paced traveling now! x
Thursday, 22 September 2011
Sunday, 11 September 2011
Choquequerou to Machu Picchu
Im walking in the cool after-rain morning. The sun sieved through the after-rain clouds. The mountains he now rests on one of many green and laden in the unscorched hours, that dissapear in turn in to the distant blue haze, way down the valley.
The path Im on, a wet dirt road coils through the cloud forest, above a stoney maountain fed river. The tributarys, some rushing down from steep floow washed valleys, others tubmble in a tangle of branches and thankful plants through pools and waterfalls.
From the road margins spring grass and docks and weed plants, digesting the sun and road clearing brings to them, but just a meter in, the forst floors autumnal, homely in its brown leaf coating, tantalised by the smell of cooking fires and wet earth. From the lef mound shoot the lanks branches of coffee, sparingly adourned with leafs and closely held red and green berrys. The classic torn banana leafs thrust up above these, and draped with velvet purple fibonachi chandeliers. And just there, a quiet reminder that this is a jungle sit in their infinite wisdom, old growth canopy trees, protective and towering, hung with ferns and moss.
The air around always filled with the rivers flow, upstaged by the chirps from the undergrowth, chatter from the canopy and infected with shrill song from goodness knows where as parrots dart in florecent groups from tree to tree. A cockeral adds its odd announcement to the mix. And behind me my back pack creaks rhythmically as i search the skyline for The Lost City Of The Incas, after 2 1/2 months, now not half a day away.
The Eden Project in real. Small wooden houses peek from the shading and a motor bike putters past me, school uniformed girl on the back. No Smiles, too many tourists here, but I imagine at least the chickens are smiling as they scratch in the forests leafs. x
The path Im on, a wet dirt road coils through the cloud forest, above a stoney maountain fed river. The tributarys, some rushing down from steep floow washed valleys, others tubmble in a tangle of branches and thankful plants through pools and waterfalls.
From the road margins spring grass and docks and weed plants, digesting the sun and road clearing brings to them, but just a meter in, the forst floors autumnal, homely in its brown leaf coating, tantalised by the smell of cooking fires and wet earth. From the lef mound shoot the lanks branches of coffee, sparingly adourned with leafs and closely held red and green berrys. The classic torn banana leafs thrust up above these, and draped with velvet purple fibonachi chandeliers. And just there, a quiet reminder that this is a jungle sit in their infinite wisdom, old growth canopy trees, protective and towering, hung with ferns and moss.
The air around always filled with the rivers flow, upstaged by the chirps from the undergrowth, chatter from the canopy and infected with shrill song from goodness knows where as parrots dart in florecent groups from tree to tree. A cockeral adds its odd announcement to the mix. And behind me my back pack creaks rhythmically as i search the skyline for The Lost City Of The Incas, after 2 1/2 months, now not half a day away.
The Eden Project in real. Small wooden houses peek from the shading and a motor bike putters past me, school uniformed girl on the back. No Smiles, too many tourists here, but I imagine at least the chickens are smiling as they scratch in the forests leafs. x
Sunday, 28 August 2011
Huancayo and Ayacucho
Much much to catch up on! A good few strong days walk over a couple of biiiig hills and down in to a huge flat bottomed valley sporting boulivards of eucalitus trees and green irrigated fields brought me to the city of Huancayo, my half way point in time and physically on the route too. I had arranged to Couch Surf with someone there for a couple of days before heading on, but I got on rather well with my host and ended up staying 11 days - the limit I calculated that would still allow me to complete my trip by foot.
I really enjoyed wandering around a chill city in the evenings wiht company and snacking on sweet treats from street vedors, it was very nostalgic of London, and great to have a frind. My time passed making biscuits and wandering in to the city and sittign my little rivers in the sun and relaxing, but my day came to move on and calculated 6 days to the city of Ayacucho, given I would had a couple of hills and the rest was straight down a valley. I was wrong.
The two hills were ok, and lasted a bit longer than I though, but they dropped me from about 3500m down to 2300m, the lowest I have been on the whole trip, and in to a massive v shaped valled with the Rio Mantario at its centre. There was no path, just one gravel road that wound (and I mean wound) its way excrutiating slowly down the very curvy bank. One minute walking west, the next east as i headed south, sort of. I spent 3 days doing 30km on each to get out of valley, but it was an intereasting place in its self. There where, then the vast steep sides permited, small farms growing a wonderful range of beutifully named tropical fruite, including avocardo and bananas and mango and papaya! I love the feel of those tropical trees and the climate they are in, my first experience here with that, and one night i camped amoungst Chirimoya (sp?) trees uinder the stars by a river on the land of a small family. Very beautiful.
The valley exited not in to more tropical forest, but in to dry dry dry desolate dessert, with every variety to leathally spikey plants mother nature has produced. And it was, on my 8th day, a days walk from Ayacucho, descending a steep loose path one to one of these wonderfully defended plants, I fell. With the weight of a 20kg backpack and unfortunatly aided by gravity. I retrieved an impaled hand and plucking spines lodged in to my palm, rapidly realised that a quick exit was necessary by other transport means and to get to Ayacucho as quickly as possible. This I did and sought the hospital as it felt like I still had a point grating down my ligament in my palm. The hospital was usless and I left with out tretment or useful diagnosis of the pains to find a private practice.
I was instructed after repeted journeys to the pay desk and after being prodded to wait a day to see how my body reacted. And it didn´t, which is very good news because it means i don´t have wood stuck in me. I have had 3 days here now and found some other travelers to spend time with and enjoy the company of, but today I must move on, 4 or so days and I start my final 9 or 10 day trek in to Machu Picchu, im really excited for this section because the route descends in to could forest and i really miss trees - there arent too many up here. And of course Machu Picchu signifies the end of my trek here, and the start of another section of my journey in Chile. The next blog will be from Cusco I expect, and I will have finished! x
I really enjoyed wandering around a chill city in the evenings wiht company and snacking on sweet treats from street vedors, it was very nostalgic of London, and great to have a frind. My time passed making biscuits and wandering in to the city and sittign my little rivers in the sun and relaxing, but my day came to move on and calculated 6 days to the city of Ayacucho, given I would had a couple of hills and the rest was straight down a valley. I was wrong.
The two hills were ok, and lasted a bit longer than I though, but they dropped me from about 3500m down to 2300m, the lowest I have been on the whole trip, and in to a massive v shaped valled with the Rio Mantario at its centre. There was no path, just one gravel road that wound (and I mean wound) its way excrutiating slowly down the very curvy bank. One minute walking west, the next east as i headed south, sort of. I spent 3 days doing 30km on each to get out of valley, but it was an intereasting place in its self. There where, then the vast steep sides permited, small farms growing a wonderful range of beutifully named tropical fruite, including avocardo and bananas and mango and papaya! I love the feel of those tropical trees and the climate they are in, my first experience here with that, and one night i camped amoungst Chirimoya (sp?) trees uinder the stars by a river on the land of a small family. Very beautiful.
The valley exited not in to more tropical forest, but in to dry dry dry desolate dessert, with every variety to leathally spikey plants mother nature has produced. And it was, on my 8th day, a days walk from Ayacucho, descending a steep loose path one to one of these wonderfully defended plants, I fell. With the weight of a 20kg backpack and unfortunatly aided by gravity. I retrieved an impaled hand and plucking spines lodged in to my palm, rapidly realised that a quick exit was necessary by other transport means and to get to Ayacucho as quickly as possible. This I did and sought the hospital as it felt like I still had a point grating down my ligament in my palm. The hospital was usless and I left with out tretment or useful diagnosis of the pains to find a private practice.
I was instructed after repeted journeys to the pay desk and after being prodded to wait a day to see how my body reacted. And it didn´t, which is very good news because it means i don´t have wood stuck in me. I have had 3 days here now and found some other travelers to spend time with and enjoy the company of, but today I must move on, 4 or so days and I start my final 9 or 10 day trek in to Machu Picchu, im really excited for this section because the route descends in to could forest and i really miss trees - there arent too many up here. And of course Machu Picchu signifies the end of my trek here, and the start of another section of my journey in Chile. The next blog will be from Cusco I expect, and I will have finished! x
Monday, 1 August 2011
Lago De Junin
I feel very lucky in my experiences over the last few days as i seem to have collected a group of friends!
It started with loosing the Carmino Inca whilst on very gently rolling barren open grassland. I ended up diverting to a town i didnt want to go to, in the wring direction to pick up food, and sleep a night in a church, before catching a bus to a town a bit more on route, here I was told to sit and wait in a restaurant by a couple of locals whilst they fetched their american friend. And there turned up an american girl living in the town of Vicco for a couple of years as a PeaceCorp volunteer! So of course i spent the whole of that day chatting in blissful English and relaxing before falling ill that night and spending the next day with her very generous host family recooperating and watching school children marching disturbingly in their Independance day parade.
To my total suprise and enjoyment my new friend (Briana) decided she would join me for a couple days walking as she was due in a town just south in a few days anyway. SO I have had my first propper company on this trip and we headed off down the west side of Lago De Junin or Lago Chinchaycocha. This lake is a nature resrve and is very shallow supporting vast areas of reeds perfectly suited for migratory and local birds, and i had the wonderful pleasure of seeing my first wild Flamingoes (i think - unless there were some in Africa).
I am now in San Pedro de Cajas after joining two other PC volunteers who live around, so I have spent the last few days with some wonderful people, but tomorrow I head off on my own again to Tarma and on to Hauncayo, so for now I am going to go enjoy my company! x
It started with loosing the Carmino Inca whilst on very gently rolling barren open grassland. I ended up diverting to a town i didnt want to go to, in the wring direction to pick up food, and sleep a night in a church, before catching a bus to a town a bit more on route, here I was told to sit and wait in a restaurant by a couple of locals whilst they fetched their american friend. And there turned up an american girl living in the town of Vicco for a couple of years as a PeaceCorp volunteer! So of course i spent the whole of that day chatting in blissful English and relaxing before falling ill that night and spending the next day with her very generous host family recooperating and watching school children marching disturbingly in their Independance day parade.
To my total suprise and enjoyment my new friend (Briana) decided she would join me for a couple days walking as she was due in a town just south in a few days anyway. SO I have had my first propper company on this trip and we headed off down the west side of Lago De Junin or Lago Chinchaycocha. This lake is a nature resrve and is very shallow supporting vast areas of reeds perfectly suited for migratory and local birds, and i had the wonderful pleasure of seeing my first wild Flamingoes (i think - unless there were some in Africa).
I am now in San Pedro de Cajas after joining two other PC volunteers who live around, so I have spent the last few days with some wonderful people, but tomorrow I head off on my own again to Tarma and on to Hauncayo, so for now I am going to go enjoy my company! x
Saturday, 23 July 2011
Hauri to Yanahuanca
Very very shortly after posting my last blog (10 minutes) I saw a group of gringoes/ white people strolling through the town. Never to miss an oppertunity, I went right over and started chatting. It turned out they were an American family of missionarys living in Peru for a couple of years, and they had also for that week, other missionary friends staying with them. With out a blink they invited me to a game of basketball and netball they were just heading to, not before they had offered to wash my clothes and drop my bad off at their house.... The game of basketball turned in to a week with the 5 of them and their 5 frinds, doing sight seeing, teaching at a local school, playing many many games and chatting wonderfully (in English), cooking and baking and just being as entertained and cared for as I could possibly be! Even when I spent the night being sick... Refreshed to my soul and loaded with yummy food they kindly dropped my at Hauchis, to start on the Inca Trail propper!
This is my 10th day since leaving the Bredbenner family and I have crossed an amazing amount of valleys and rivers and towns and people and experiences allready. I have spent 3 nights with local familys (and of course being fed their wonderful food), had milk straight from cow 3 times, been asked for money by a man with a gun, been asked for money by a man wiht out a gun, had my hand shaken and had beautiful smiles more times than I can count. I have met with extrodinary kindness at every turn, and everything seems to be working out beutifully.
Right now I am an hours walk or so from Yanhuanca at a school where they invited me in to use their brand new second hand computer sweet and internet... And was also given food here... Food is very graciously and easly given.
About ah hour back I crossed a pass (4500m exact) where I had views to the north and south for AT LEAST 200km in each direction. Those are my favourite moments on the trail. I just LOVE topping out on a hill or a pass or rounding a bend, for me they are magical and aweinspiring and breath taking. I alwasy take the last few steps to the top with anticipation, where the new view inevitable pops in to sight, and I can say goodbye and many thanks to valley I have just walked through, from one area and set of experiences to another welcome unknown one. Often i can trace my trail for the next few hours untill I loose it round a bend, the two rows of stones that mark the Carmino De La Inca, what remains of the cobbled and steped 1000km + route.
Another little point to wonder over is that every bit of water i cross, every lake or river or stream is flowing just 6,500 km East to the mouth of the Amazon, how can water possible run down hill for that long? That is a 1:1625 average gradient... wow, beat that river Dart.
As for where my thoughts lie, they are still very scattered, I am more in the moment and enjoying whats around (like sunrise this morning wiht a heavy frost and light low fog, next to a peaceful river on my own was breathtaking as the orange glow crept down the hill to my tent) but I am still dreaming of England, Devon, walking there, being with family and frinds, but it isnt taking me away too much from the now.
I am trying to obtain the WWOOF list for Peru at the moment incase there is somwhere near I could rest at for a week, but otherwise I head to Cerro De Pasco! Love for now x
This is my 10th day since leaving the Bredbenner family and I have crossed an amazing amount of valleys and rivers and towns and people and experiences allready. I have spent 3 nights with local familys (and of course being fed their wonderful food), had milk straight from cow 3 times, been asked for money by a man with a gun, been asked for money by a man wiht out a gun, had my hand shaken and had beautiful smiles more times than I can count. I have met with extrodinary kindness at every turn, and everything seems to be working out beutifully.
Right now I am an hours walk or so from Yanhuanca at a school where they invited me in to use their brand new second hand computer sweet and internet... And was also given food here... Food is very graciously and easly given.
About ah hour back I crossed a pass (4500m exact) where I had views to the north and south for AT LEAST 200km in each direction. Those are my favourite moments on the trail. I just LOVE topping out on a hill or a pass or rounding a bend, for me they are magical and aweinspiring and breath taking. I alwasy take the last few steps to the top with anticipation, where the new view inevitable pops in to sight, and I can say goodbye and many thanks to valley I have just walked through, from one area and set of experiences to another welcome unknown one. Often i can trace my trail for the next few hours untill I loose it round a bend, the two rows of stones that mark the Carmino De La Inca, what remains of the cobbled and steped 1000km + route.
Another little point to wonder over is that every bit of water i cross, every lake or river or stream is flowing just 6,500 km East to the mouth of the Amazon, how can water possible run down hill for that long? That is a 1:1625 average gradient... wow, beat that river Dart.
As for where my thoughts lie, they are still very scattered, I am more in the moment and enjoying whats around (like sunrise this morning wiht a heavy frost and light low fog, next to a peaceful river on my own was breathtaking as the orange glow crept down the hill to my tent) but I am still dreaming of England, Devon, walking there, being with family and frinds, but it isnt taking me away too much from the now.
I am trying to obtain the WWOOF list for Peru at the moment incase there is somwhere near I could rest at for a week, but otherwise I head to Cerro De Pasco! Love for now x
Wednesday, 6 July 2011
Cordillera Blanca and South
I washed yesterday! mmmmm
So I started my hike last Monday from Colcabamba to do the classic Santa Cruz trek that goes east through the Cordillera Blanca Mountain range 8 hours north of Lima, it passes up a long vally in to incredible 6000m snow capped mountains. The scenery is mindblowing and all the mountains are so ragged and aggressive. The track topped out at a 4800m pass which I got up 3 or 4 steps at a time, and my completion of the pass coincided with the a Mexin group of mountaineers/ trekkers, who I fell in with that evening and were a great relief to my solitude, feeding me and generally being good comany (english speaking at least).
So being on my own in a country I barely speak the language of is presenting its own set of emotional challanges, I am finding my thoughs endlessly returning to the things I miss, friends, family and home comforts. The last few days have been better though, and I hope I continue to move more towards the moment.
My route over the next 10 days seems sparsly populated, but beyond that the route goes through alot more larger towns. It will be intereasting to see how it goes with very little outside contact, and then in to a more built up area, I wonder which I will prefer...
All the towns/ hamlets I pass through are built with hand-made adobe bricks, and are either bare, painted white, blue or have political slogans in white, red and blue (allways) concerning mining, local voting or loving the earth. I would love to know who paints all these on as they are very uniform in apperance and message.
Well I am thinking of eveyone who reads this (too much for my liking!) and I think the test will be the next 10 days. x
So I started my hike last Monday from Colcabamba to do the classic Santa Cruz trek that goes east through the Cordillera Blanca Mountain range 8 hours north of Lima, it passes up a long vally in to incredible 6000m snow capped mountains. The scenery is mindblowing and all the mountains are so ragged and aggressive. The track topped out at a 4800m pass which I got up 3 or 4 steps at a time, and my completion of the pass coincided with the a Mexin group of mountaineers/ trekkers, who I fell in with that evening and were a great relief to my solitude, feeding me and generally being good comany (english speaking at least).
So being on my own in a country I barely speak the language of is presenting its own set of emotional challanges, I am finding my thoughs endlessly returning to the things I miss, friends, family and home comforts. The last few days have been better though, and I hope I continue to move more towards the moment.
My route over the next 10 days seems sparsly populated, but beyond that the route goes through alot more larger towns. It will be intereasting to see how it goes with very little outside contact, and then in to a more built up area, I wonder which I will prefer...
All the towns/ hamlets I pass through are built with hand-made adobe bricks, and are either bare, painted white, blue or have political slogans in white, red and blue (allways) concerning mining, local voting or loving the earth. I would love to know who paints all these on as they are very uniform in apperance and message.
Well I am thinking of eveyone who reads this (too much for my liking!) and I think the test will be the next 10 days. x
Wednesday, 22 June 2011
Peru - primera dias
Expectations - out of the window with the first sight of land (from the plane), thinking:
"no, this is just the industrial fishing area, surely the rest can't be this desolate and parched and poor looking"
wrong. totally wrong.
Cacti, crubmeling buildings and abusive sentient advertising grow well. Not much else. Compassion, respect, timetables - gone. Maybe it's obvieous to 'them' that the far, far gone van (on a tilt) hurteling towards us with a bloke shouting something incomprihensible at us, is in fact a bus that is going to Miraflores. Maybe oneday I will understand, but I doubt it.
¿Peudo hablar Inglese?
- More or less
Where are my bags?
- Probabily in Miami
Oh. So when will they get here?
- In next 24hour maybe
All I can say is I owe alot to the people who are hosting me, Alan and Nati, who offered to pick me up at the airport at 4.30am, then actually did at 11.30 when my delayed flight got in. They have taken me to a local restaurant and Nati took the afternoon out to take me around down town and show me the Plazas and only buildings that dont look like they should be demolished, "oh, the president lives there..."
Then (seriously and urgently)
- Ricky - walk, just walk!
Whats up Nati, you look scared?
- You here that whistle? It means we are going to get robbed, its a group communicating. Walk quick...
So we walked, 'but wheres my bloody knife?!', oh yeh, in Miami...
Miraflores is slightly kinder, but there is still the delapadated house crouching between the new office blocks, and one street away the same crazy trafic and confusion and alienation. God, I really must look as bountyful and white as those dumb tourists.
I can't wait to get out of here - just give me my own hill to walk on. x
"no, this is just the industrial fishing area, surely the rest can't be this desolate and parched and poor looking"
wrong. totally wrong.
Cacti, crubmeling buildings and abusive sentient advertising grow well. Not much else. Compassion, respect, timetables - gone. Maybe it's obvieous to 'them' that the far, far gone van (on a tilt) hurteling towards us with a bloke shouting something incomprihensible at us, is in fact a bus that is going to Miraflores. Maybe oneday I will understand, but I doubt it.
¿Peudo hablar Inglese?
- More or less
Where are my bags?
- Probabily in Miami
Oh. So when will they get here?
- In next 24hour maybe
All I can say is I owe alot to the people who are hosting me, Alan and Nati, who offered to pick me up at the airport at 4.30am, then actually did at 11.30 when my delayed flight got in. They have taken me to a local restaurant and Nati took the afternoon out to take me around down town and show me the Plazas and only buildings that dont look like they should be demolished, "oh, the president lives there..."
Then (seriously and urgently)
- Ricky - walk, just walk!
Whats up Nati, you look scared?
- You here that whistle? It means we are going to get robbed, its a group communicating. Walk quick...
So we walked, 'but wheres my bloody knife?!', oh yeh, in Miami...
Miraflores is slightly kinder, but there is still the delapadated house crouching between the new office blocks, and one street away the same crazy trafic and confusion and alienation. God, I really must look as bountyful and white as those dumb tourists.
I can't wait to get out of here - just give me my own hill to walk on. x
Tuesday, 31 May 2011
USA - Pacific North West
Walking has now pretty much ceased in hope that my Abductor Digiti Minimi stops hurting. I strained it (or something with an equally stupid name) in my foot shortly after getting here whilst checking out my new walking boots. So I am being as cautious as possible and looking in to insurance cover to get some treatment from a heinously expensive podiatrist (although those prices are normal - it is the US..). I am really hoping that this will not impact on South America - as it is possibly one of the worst muscles I could pull given the hiking plans.
Other than that frustration, it is glorious to be able to spent time with Nika at long last. I have just had the privilege of meeting Nika's parents over the weekend and I was given a water tour of the locality by Rodger (Nika's dad) on his 'Vessel Assist' boat, as well as having a barbecue, eating out, seeing a film, reading and doing lots of nothing in between. We enjoyed a couple days of sun as the north west still seems to be dragging its self out of the winter greyness.
I am slowly collecting the last bits of equipment that I need for South America, making use of sales and the internet to regularly find items at half the price - until post and packaging is added - then I might as well just go to the shop and get it full price.
The house Nika lives in is full of the outdoor type, who just this weekend competed in a 7 leg, 100 mile, multi sport relay race starting on a mountain with skiing and ending at the sea with kayaking. So I am glad that I bought my climbing gear as we have been a number of times already, and Nika and I will be heading out to the east of the Cascade mountains to spend a few days camping in a unique landscape called 'channeled scab land' - characterised by the rectangular cross section valleys - created by periodic cataclysmic flooding over the last 2 million years.... hmm, lets see if it is as cool as it sounds.
For the nest 10 days I will be on the back burner as Nika finished papers, reads books and revises for finals, so there will be plenty of time to do a bit more ambling. x
Other than that frustration, it is glorious to be able to spent time with Nika at long last. I have just had the privilege of meeting Nika's parents over the weekend and I was given a water tour of the locality by Rodger (Nika's dad) on his 'Vessel Assist' boat, as well as having a barbecue, eating out, seeing a film, reading and doing lots of nothing in between. We enjoyed a couple days of sun as the north west still seems to be dragging its self out of the winter greyness.
I am slowly collecting the last bits of equipment that I need for South America, making use of sales and the internet to regularly find items at half the price - until post and packaging is added - then I might as well just go to the shop and get it full price.
The house Nika lives in is full of the outdoor type, who just this weekend competed in a 7 leg, 100 mile, multi sport relay race starting on a mountain with skiing and ending at the sea with kayaking. So I am glad that I bought my climbing gear as we have been a number of times already, and Nika and I will be heading out to the east of the Cascade mountains to spend a few days camping in a unique landscape called 'channeled scab land' - characterised by the rectangular cross section valleys - created by periodic cataclysmic flooding over the last 2 million years.... hmm, lets see if it is as cool as it sounds.
For the nest 10 days I will be on the back burner as Nika finished papers, reads books and revises for finals, so there will be plenty of time to do a bit more ambling. x
Wednesday, 11 May 2011
Start of the Americas (But still in England)
On Monday I briefly reveled in the ability to plunge my hand in to a cold fridge and pull out a decadent bag of pre-grated motzerella. Then munch on a carefully selected un-moldy couple of handfuls. This I know will not be happening too often in the next couple of years. Rather it's going to be: counting pennys; going for the option thats cheaper than the 'cheap' option, being resigned to the fact that the vegetarian dish may very well contain meat, and everything is in a language I don't understand (also intermittently applicable to the USA, I expect).
So starts what I have been planning for the last 8 months. Initiated by a friend met traveling in New Zealand with "Lets cycle a tandem bike across Argentina". "OK" I said! And now, though the inevitable process of change, I'm going to spend 5 weeks int he US with my girlfriend (Nika), 3 months walking in Peru on my own, 3 moths wwoofing and hiking with Nika in Chile, and then another 3 months doing something somewhere in South America.
I do have a flight after that back in to the US, but after being stuck in immigration for 2 hours and being quizzed about my: itinerary; monetary situation; what illegal narcotics I take; and just quite who is this person you say is your 'girlfriend' but actually barely know, I am seriously re-considering under what pretense they will let me back in to the States, for a longer time, with less money, and with an even vaguer agenda....
I have been here in the Pacific North West a couple of days now, and I feel very welcomed, the house that Nika flats in is awesome, the other people are all outdoorsey and up for adventures, so I have already been rock climbing and had a barbecue and a big pot luck dinner and wandered around a farmers market, and slept lots (it didn't help that I was awake 22hours the day I flew in).
I'm just off for a walk now, smugly leaving Nika to do her geography assignment at uni (no, I am not jealous). x
So starts what I have been planning for the last 8 months. Initiated by a friend met traveling in New Zealand with "Lets cycle a tandem bike across Argentina". "OK" I said! And now, though the inevitable process of change, I'm going to spend 5 weeks int he US with my girlfriend (Nika), 3 months walking in Peru on my own, 3 moths wwoofing and hiking with Nika in Chile, and then another 3 months doing something somewhere in South America.
I do have a flight after that back in to the US, but after being stuck in immigration for 2 hours and being quizzed about my: itinerary; monetary situation; what illegal narcotics I take; and just quite who is this person you say is your 'girlfriend' but actually barely know, I am seriously re-considering under what pretense they will let me back in to the States, for a longer time, with less money, and with an even vaguer agenda....
I have been here in the Pacific North West a couple of days now, and I feel very welcomed, the house that Nika flats in is awesome, the other people are all outdoorsey and up for adventures, so I have already been rock climbing and had a barbecue and a big pot luck dinner and wandered around a farmers market, and slept lots (it didn't help that I was awake 22hours the day I flew in).
I'm just off for a walk now, smugly leaving Nika to do her geography assignment at uni (no, I am not jealous). x
Wednesday, 28 April 2010
Palmy, Tongariro and North, then South alot, then all over the show
I caught the train out of Palmerston, which took me winding through the country-side, with a live commentary on the historical and engineered aspects of the landscape. I arrived in 'National Park' a town on the edge of the... nation park (The Tongariro National Park) which was taken to the big screens by Lord Of The Rings posing as a rather amazing volcano, which is also a coincidence given that it IS a volcano, well in fact about 5 actually.
Given its stature (having been regarded as containing a top 10 day walk in the world!) I couldnt resist a tramp in this revered area. The 2 day route I did circled 'Mt Doom' or Mt Ngourahoe. The track started from Whakapapa Village and undulated around the green western flank before moving in to a valley leading past Soda Springs and up to the Devils Stair Case, right towards the mountain. The stairs climbed 500m up a steep ragged volcanic terrain to 1700 meters. It was at this point on the tramp that the cloud came in and the iconic peak of Mt Ngourahoe was lost for the days as I crossed the sandy, flat moonscape of Red Crater - aptly named due to the rocks colored red by oxidized iron as they cooled.
The terrain from the top section of the valley onwards over the crater is what makes the Tongariro National Park so amazing. The rock ceases to support shrubs, allowing only the most adventurous and hardy lichens to cling to the course black and red larva flows and volcanic debris, which shatter the silent valley with concepts of spitting magma and pyroclastic flows. Were it not for the beautifully groomed paths and stairways ascending these vicious charred buttresses, my boots would have been shredded as I tried to clamber over the jagged formations.
On Red Crater the usual sentry of markers posts that accompany tracks disappeared steadily into the cloud not 20 meters in front, guiding me progressively to the final unforgiving climb, at this height being whipped by a strong, frigid wind, that found its way through all my layers. The summit gave way to a fantastic scree slope, allowing me to glide like on an escalator down through the clouds to the breath taking Emerald Lakes sitting paradoxically in their tranquility, surrounded by the raw rocks that cradle them.
Not only do the milky, turquoise waters emanate, alien, from the landscape but so does the scalding sulphorous steam, whisked by the wind from the raw earth to mingle with the clouds.
Enough with that talk – I’ve got 4 months to catch up with!
I finished that day walking through a strange mix of sandy boulder fields and lava flows to the DOC hut on the Eastern flank of Tongariro.
The following day I tramped south across the barren rocky slopes until I reached native beach woodland and was able to turn west again to cross the shoulder between Mt Ruapehu and Mt Ngourahoe and back to Whakapappa. The evening found me cruising all the way back down the climb to the national park, and I camped at a DOC campsite just a k back the way I came.
In the next two weeks I cycled north through to Taurangi, Taupo, Rotorua, and hit the coast at Tauranga, before heading up the coast and around the Coromandel Peninsular (Whangamata, Whitianga, Wharakaho, Coromandel) and finished at Thames, making it about 580km in total - not too far, but I took it easy (very abbreviated version of events, but more can be told later...). I Popped up to Auckland on the bus for 3 days to explore before heading south on busses with a bike and trailer! I managed to catch up with a friend in Wellington, that I had met a year and a bit before at Christmas in Nelson, before getting the ferry to good old South Island again and hitching on a lorry to Blenhiem. A neat set of logistics allowed me to reposes the rest of my gear from Hanmer Springs before making it to Queenstown to start sorting out my winter season.
My aim in Queenstown was to find a job, get a season pass for the ski field, and eeerm .... ski. But it didn't exactly work like that. I didn't get a job, I only skied 2 days and I spent about half my time in Queenstown, the rest was spent missioning with good friends I had met rock climbing over Christmas. I was in Wanaka and Invercargill and Dunedin and on the Remarkables Mountain Range, had a home made sauna by the Shotover River, went to a Mountain Film Festival, had lots of awesome home made food, liven in a caravan for a week, pushed around a snow mower for a week (getting paid fortunately), just cruised and went with the flow...
So that was an absolutely awesome time, no complaints about not getting a job, I had a far better time without! Also over that time my plans for Australia and after developed.
So currently I am meeting with 3 friends on the 20th August in Brisbane from which I am going to spend 3 months doing something...
I am really excited to move on and keep finding new experiences as I feel very content with what NZ has given me, but want to keep moving, given New Zealand feels more like home than a foreign place now.
So it is 9 days to go until I fly out of the city I flew in to a year and 22 months later. I will have to say a fond goodbye to a place so open and nurturing, that has given me more than I could ever possibly put in words, and head towards a sandy red expanse waiting to be experienced. Shortly I think I will have to change the name of this blog...
x
Given its stature (having been regarded as containing a top 10 day walk in the world!) I couldnt resist a tramp in this revered area. The 2 day route I did circled 'Mt Doom' or Mt Ngourahoe. The track started from Whakapapa Village and undulated around the green western flank before moving in to a valley leading past Soda Springs and up to the Devils Stair Case, right towards the mountain. The stairs climbed 500m up a steep ragged volcanic terrain to 1700 meters. It was at this point on the tramp that the cloud came in and the iconic peak of Mt Ngourahoe was lost for the days as I crossed the sandy, flat moonscape of Red Crater - aptly named due to the rocks colored red by oxidized iron as they cooled.
The terrain from the top section of the valley onwards over the crater is what makes the Tongariro National Park so amazing. The rock ceases to support shrubs, allowing only the most adventurous and hardy lichens to cling to the course black and red larva flows and volcanic debris, which shatter the silent valley with concepts of spitting magma and pyroclastic flows. Were it not for the beautifully groomed paths and stairways ascending these vicious charred buttresses, my boots would have been shredded as I tried to clamber over the jagged formations.
On Red Crater the usual sentry of markers posts that accompany tracks disappeared steadily into the cloud not 20 meters in front, guiding me progressively to the final unforgiving climb, at this height being whipped by a strong, frigid wind, that found its way through all my layers. The summit gave way to a fantastic scree slope, allowing me to glide like on an escalator down through the clouds to the breath taking Emerald Lakes sitting paradoxically in their tranquility, surrounded by the raw rocks that cradle them.
Not only do the milky, turquoise waters emanate, alien, from the landscape but so does the scalding sulphorous steam, whisked by the wind from the raw earth to mingle with the clouds.
Enough with that talk – I’ve got 4 months to catch up with!
I finished that day walking through a strange mix of sandy boulder fields and lava flows to the DOC hut on the Eastern flank of Tongariro.
The following day I tramped south across the barren rocky slopes until I reached native beach woodland and was able to turn west again to cross the shoulder between Mt Ruapehu and Mt Ngourahoe and back to Whakapappa. The evening found me cruising all the way back down the climb to the national park, and I camped at a DOC campsite just a k back the way I came.
In the next two weeks I cycled north through to Taurangi, Taupo, Rotorua, and hit the coast at Tauranga, before heading up the coast and around the Coromandel Peninsular (Whangamata, Whitianga, Wharakaho, Coromandel) and finished at Thames, making it about 580km in total - not too far, but I took it easy (very abbreviated version of events, but more can be told later...). I Popped up to Auckland on the bus for 3 days to explore before heading south on busses with a bike and trailer! I managed to catch up with a friend in Wellington, that I had met a year and a bit before at Christmas in Nelson, before getting the ferry to good old South Island again and hitching on a lorry to Blenhiem. A neat set of logistics allowed me to reposes the rest of my gear from Hanmer Springs before making it to Queenstown to start sorting out my winter season.
My aim in Queenstown was to find a job, get a season pass for the ski field, and eeerm .... ski. But it didn't exactly work like that. I didn't get a job, I only skied 2 days and I spent about half my time in Queenstown, the rest was spent missioning with good friends I had met rock climbing over Christmas. I was in Wanaka and Invercargill and Dunedin and on the Remarkables Mountain Range, had a home made sauna by the Shotover River, went to a Mountain Film Festival, had lots of awesome home made food, liven in a caravan for a week, pushed around a snow mower for a week (getting paid fortunately), just cruised and went with the flow...
So that was an absolutely awesome time, no complaints about not getting a job, I had a far better time without! Also over that time my plans for Australia and after developed.
So currently I am meeting with 3 friends on the 20th August in Brisbane from which I am going to spend 3 months doing something...
I am really excited to move on and keep finding new experiences as I feel very content with what NZ has given me, but want to keep moving, given New Zealand feels more like home than a foreign place now.
So it is 9 days to go until I fly out of the city I flew in to a year and 22 months later. I will have to say a fond goodbye to a place so open and nurturing, that has given me more than I could ever possibly put in words, and head towards a sandy red expanse waiting to be experienced. Shortly I think I will have to change the name of this blog...
x
Wednesday, 21 April 2010
On the road north
Hanmer Springs is done. Finally. I realised I missed the excitement and awe of seeing a place for the first time, and Hanmer was become a little monotonous. I did do that to myself though, working 6 days a week at the cafe over the Easter break having finished with Activity Hanmer.
Given that the North Island has eluded me so far (purposefully) I felt I should go visit given that I’m just across the water from it, and to see it before September when I leave would mean digging up my roots in a job and in the cold winter season. Now is as good as ever. As for the seeing of it - what better way than to cruse the roads at the pace of your legs and to the will of your heart. This somehow bought me round to the idea of buying a bike trailer (one that goes on a bike, rather than one a bike goes on) picture below.
So on Monday morning I loaded my things in to a friend’s car - who was conveniently driving to the ferry port - and made it to Picton with 20 minutes before the ferry left (given i didn't know when the ferries left this was rather good fortune), managing also on the ferry to secure a ride a few hours in to the North Island.
I was dropped in the dark at an isolated hamlet, thinking I was a day or so ride from my destination (The Tongariro National Park) eventuating in the morning that it was at least 3 days ride off, and 2 days of which was on a State highway. No thanks. I did undertake the 1st day though beautiful rolling hills and farmland, landing myself near Palmerston North, a city of 73,000 where I am able to catch the train to the Tongariro.
Now it’s all very well hopping on a train in England, but here you have to book a day in advance or it won’t stop... so I'm bumming around for a day whilst trying to catch up with an elusive contact.
And that is right now, so I’ll let you know what happens after it happens. x
Given that the North Island has eluded me so far (purposefully) I felt I should go visit given that I’m just across the water from it, and to see it before September when I leave would mean digging up my roots in a job and in the cold winter season. Now is as good as ever. As for the seeing of it - what better way than to cruse the roads at the pace of your legs and to the will of your heart. This somehow bought me round to the idea of buying a bike trailer (one that goes on a bike, rather than one a bike goes on) picture below.
So on Monday morning I loaded my things in to a friend’s car - who was conveniently driving to the ferry port - and made it to Picton with 20 minutes before the ferry left (given i didn't know when the ferries left this was rather good fortune), managing also on the ferry to secure a ride a few hours in to the North Island.
I was dropped in the dark at an isolated hamlet, thinking I was a day or so ride from my destination (The Tongariro National Park) eventuating in the morning that it was at least 3 days ride off, and 2 days of which was on a State highway. No thanks. I did undertake the 1st day though beautiful rolling hills and farmland, landing myself near Palmerston North, a city of 73,000 where I am able to catch the train to the Tongariro.
Now it’s all very well hopping on a train in England, but here you have to book a day in advance or it won’t stop... so I'm bumming around for a day whilst trying to catch up with an elusive contact.
And that is right now, so I’ll let you know what happens after it happens. x
Friday, 19 March 2010
Hanmer Springs - 2010
I have now landed hack in Hanmer Springs where I am continuing with the training as an instructor, which is going really well. Unfortuntly ue to staffing issues I have been reduced to 3 days a week there, so I decided to get a job to fill in the other times, and managed to get position at a café/ restaurant. I'm there as a front of house/ barista (in training – because I'm really not that good at making coffees), dealing with drink and food orders from the cabinet. It’s a really awesome place to work as the owner/ manager is a very experienced chef, and there is a lot of gluten free and veggie options and all of the food is made/ baked in house and there is nothing like chips or bog standard food. All top line and beautiful.
I last posted when I got to Takaka in Golden Bay for my summer, but more has happened since then. I spent until the 25th of January at the Hang Dog camp site climbing with friends I met there, an in that time I also went on a 9 day tramp in the Kahurangi National Park. A section of that tramp was on the Heaphy Track, one of the NZ ‘Great Walks’ which was just stunning, crossing from the east coast, across a high coutry plateau, before descending slowly to the west coast. The track follows a river lined with giant native ever-greens, moving in to groves of Nikau Palms next to the rugged wind ripped Tasman Sea. After completing that 80km stint we cut inland up the Karamea River, bush bashing for 4 days to the totally isolated Roaring Lion Hut with views up the Beautiful River. We continued up the Kakapo spur on to the Peel Range ridge where we stopped after climbing 900 meters through the dense ever-changing bush. For the firt time on the tramp the weather came in and we cut the route short, dropping back in to the Peel valley, catching a ride on the back of a ute when we hit the road.
I recovered for a few days back at Hang Dog (which is the term used when a climber is working a climb and is resting on the rope in between trying moves) before I finished my holidays at a 5 day festival, also in Golden Bay, called Luminate. This topped the holiday for me as I went with a troop of friends from the campsite, and just had an incredible time. I saw the best band I have seen live there, which was awesome.
Now I have 2 weeks left of this term before I finish with Activity Hanmer, where I will go full time with the café for the easter break, then ……… onwards. Somewhere. Something. We will see…
I last posted when I got to Takaka in Golden Bay for my summer, but more has happened since then. I spent until the 25th of January at the Hang Dog camp site climbing with friends I met there, an in that time I also went on a 9 day tramp in the Kahurangi National Park. A section of that tramp was on the Heaphy Track, one of the NZ ‘Great Walks’ which was just stunning, crossing from the east coast, across a high coutry plateau, before descending slowly to the west coast. The track follows a river lined with giant native ever-greens, moving in to groves of Nikau Palms next to the rugged wind ripped Tasman Sea. After completing that 80km stint we cut inland up the Karamea River, bush bashing for 4 days to the totally isolated Roaring Lion Hut with views up the Beautiful River. We continued up the Kakapo spur on to the Peel Range ridge where we stopped after climbing 900 meters through the dense ever-changing bush. For the firt time on the tramp the weather came in and we cut the route short, dropping back in to the Peel valley, catching a ride on the back of a ute when we hit the road.
I recovered for a few days back at Hang Dog (which is the term used when a climber is working a climb and is resting on the rope in between trying moves) before I finished my holidays at a 5 day festival, also in Golden Bay, called Luminate. This topped the holiday for me as I went with a troop of friends from the campsite, and just had an incredible time. I saw the best band I have seen live there, which was awesome.
Now I have 2 weeks left of this term before I finish with Activity Hanmer, where I will go full time with the café for the easter break, then ……… onwards. Somewhere. Something. We will see…
Tuesday, 22 December 2009
Takaka
Yaay, so here I am in Takaka - or rather Paynes ford, the rock climbing area - where I am camping in a climbers only camp ground due to high demand. So I am surrounded by climbers and really cool people, all into doing the same things as me - climbing and not much else!
Saying that there are options to do tramps in the 2 close National Parks, the Abel Tasman and the Kahurangi as well as mountain biking in the surrounding hills and swimming in the river that runs at the bottom of the lime stone crags we climb on.
All in all with the temperatures in the late 20's and me basking in the sun whilst doing outdoor pursuits I'm going to wish you a Merry Christmas, and I hope the weather does something proper like snow!
x
Saying that there are options to do tramps in the 2 close National Parks, the Abel Tasman and the Kahurangi as well as mountain biking in the surrounding hills and swimming in the river that runs at the bottom of the lime stone crags we climb on.
All in all with the temperatures in the late 20's and me basking in the sun whilst doing outdoor pursuits I'm going to wish you a Merry Christmas, and I hope the weather does something proper like snow!
x
Wednesday, 9 December 2009
Hanmer Summer - to Takaka and beyond
An apology to start with, I have been very remiss about posting, but my life has rather busied up since coming to hanmer.
I am just wrapping up 9 weeks of full time work with an activity centre where I have been training on a 3 days paid, 2 days voluntary basis. The activities I have been running are orienteering, a series of team building activities, mountain biking and tree climbing (although I'm shadowed on that as I don't have the necessary quals). So i have been learning the art of leadership, flanked by some really awesome instructors, and great bosses. I suppose it isn't a run of the mill job as every day is totally different, from the students and teachers, to the weather to the time. We work with school groups from year 5 though to year 13, so one session you'll have extremely competent 17 y olds from an all girls school, followed by a bunch of lovely but needy 8 - 9 year olds from a city school. On top of this start times for work range from 7am to 11 am, and finish between 4.30 and 7.30 pm, so one can never fall in to a proper routine, which can be hard, especially as I find routine useful. On the up side, it never really gets boring!.... Its a perfect level for me to learn at.
So the job has been very stimulating and challenging, my people skills have developed considerably and my confidence with groups is hugely better. The first couple of weeks of instructing on my own were scary, and I got nervous leading up to them, but now I'm much more relaxed and I'm able to concentrate on the quality of my delivery and making sure the client gets the most from the sessions and the sessions are appropriate for the age and ability.
Not only is the job really cool, the area around Hanmer Springs is beautiful, surrounded by mountains with huge areas of forest, many mountain bike tracks and tramps, places to camp and fish, swim and kayak, plus there are hardly any people here!
Sadly after the summer holidays (the company follows the school holidays as we work mainly with school groups) Activity Hanmer are only able to offer me 3 days a week. I decided to take it anyway as it isn't for too long a time (from early Feb to easter), plus it gives me the opportunity to work 2 to 3 days a week at the hot pools and gain an internationally recognised life guarding qualification.
In the mean time I have about 6 weeks of free time! Which I am going to spend rock climbing and mountain biking and chilling and sitting on beaches and sleeping under the stars and swimming in rivers and drumming and going to concerts and festivals, and probably not working that much in Takaka - Golden Bay. Its going to be awfully good. At the moment my only issue is getting up there as I will probably have to hitch with quite a bit of stuff and a bike.... hmmm.
Possibilities for the winter season are - doing a ski instructors course, try and get into mountaineering, or working more in a cafe or outdoor shop... so i need to do more endless research and make more decisions. Following the winter season my plans become even more vague, with Canada becoming a possibility in September where I would ideally train in wilderness survival and bushcraft instruction. Otherwise I would follow up on the ski instructors course and instruct at a ski resort in the northern winter. Following THAT I'm hoping to go to the US to work at a camp america in North Carolina on which a few of my current colleagues have been, and bring awesome feedback on. Next, who knows....
So that is my plan. But at the moment I'm munching on some short bread i have just baked, whilst waiting for my climbing gear to drop through in to the letter box from america, and considering wether I should get into aggressive inline skating if I go back to Wanaka.
Love x
Tuesday, 29 September 2009
To Hanmer
My ski season wrapped up with a couple of telemarking lessons - a form of skiing where the heel of the boot is free from the ski, so it allows the skier to ascend slopes aswell, as you can do a walking motion, which gives a telemarker access to backcountry and alpine touring. I left my ski gear at a friends house for another season and hitched 560km north to Hanmer Springs.
I had previously done a lot of research into activity centres as I knew I wanted to spend the next part of my time here training to be a leader - it is the best place in the world to do it! So fortunatly for me 'Activity Hanmer' responded to my e-mail very positivly, and invited me to join them for the year as a trainee instructor.
I have just spent my first week up here, and managed to stay in a beautiful modern straw bale house with my colleges whilst I found more perminant accomodation. The week has been awesome, ive really enjoyed doing the work - climbing and mountain biking, and my colleges are a similar age and really in to the same things.
As the activity centre (http://www.activityhanmer.co.nz/) works with secondry schools, the work periods and holidays conincide with the schools, so im actually now on 2 weeks holiday. I've allready spent one night camping on bank of the Clarence river, over in the next valley, and im just planning a 5 day tramp on the St James walkway, so trying to keep busy.
Im considering doing a mountaineering course over summer, but Im wieghting that up agains having a job (which would be really useful), or rock climbing and kayaking and tramping (which would be alot more fun and would help towards qualifications).
I will update again when I have got a bit more stuck in to work and have some more responcabilities.
I hope your well.
x
I had previously done a lot of research into activity centres as I knew I wanted to spend the next part of my time here training to be a leader - it is the best place in the world to do it! So fortunatly for me 'Activity Hanmer' responded to my e-mail very positivly, and invited me to join them for the year as a trainee instructor.
I have just spent my first week up here, and managed to stay in a beautiful modern straw bale house with my colleges whilst I found more perminant accomodation. The week has been awesome, ive really enjoyed doing the work - climbing and mountain biking, and my colleges are a similar age and really in to the same things.
As the activity centre (http://www.activityhanmer.co.nz/) works with secondry schools, the work periods and holidays conincide with the schools, so im actually now on 2 weeks holiday. I've allready spent one night camping on bank of the Clarence river, over in the next valley, and im just planning a 5 day tramp on the St James walkway, so trying to keep busy.
Im considering doing a mountaineering course over summer, but Im wieghting that up agains having a job (which would be really useful), or rock climbing and kayaking and tramping (which would be alot more fun and would help towards qualifications).
I will update again when I have got a bit more stuck in to work and have some more responcabilities.
I hope your well.
x
Thursday, 27 August 2009
Ode to the Snow
THERE is now a time when meadow, mountain, and stream,
The earth, and every common sight,
To me seems
Apparell'd in snowy light,
The glory and the freshness of a dream. 5
Projected on the flanks of the hills great;—
Turn wheresoe'er I may,
By night or day,
The flashes which I have dreamt, to see'th no more I wait.
Ricky Wordsworth: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Late Childhood, 1770 - 2009
Given that I couldn't possibly write a legible original ode ill now stick to my usual format.
Well skiing is incredible, I absolutely love it! it is so exhilarating and exciting and fast and the best thing is you don't necessarily die when you fall down a cliff. What better sport for learning how to do cool things?...
So given that I bought a season pass for one of the ski fields I have been skiing whenever I can, 2-3 out of every 4 days, interspersed with: recovering (from skiing and evenings out); some casual labour; lots of cooking and learning to bake; kayak polo (water polo but in kayaks - awesome fun, a very full on and exciting game, and it quickly gets your confidence up with going under water!); a bit of wood carving; badminton; labouring around on my single speed bike; occasional adventures in to the hills; helping at music concerts and volunteering at ski competitions.... so I have been keeping busy!
The renting has turned out OK, my flatmates are amazing, but the house is cold and dark, so not very inviting, not a place I could ever call 'home', albeit it is a roof over my head.
A couple of the most memorable times I have had have been the tramps I have done. One up to Mt Roy for the sunrise (allready said about) and the other up the Copland Track, which starts on the West Coast and cuts striaght inland towards Mt Cook. The track follows the valley, climbing only maybe 100m in its 17km, so an easy walk through bush, towering valleys and along the stunning river. But that is not the good bit....
When you get to the hut at the end of the track there are 3 natural hot pools lined with the most gloriously soft mud and the perfect temperature. And you wallow and sooth your muscles in the turquose water under the full moon and look at the snowy mountains surrounding you before dragging yourself out 4 hours later in to the chill air, and run back to your bed. Not bad.
Another rather wonderful highlight has been my parents coming over, sadly Alex had to stay at home due to a rather vicious bit of Glandular Fever, but it was a really wonderful time when I could totally relax and be pampered! We had a great time, starting off in Christchurch for a couple of days looking around the city, before coming down to Wanaka where we stayed for 5 days, where M+D skied for their first time ever too, and did rather amazingly! Also in Wanaka we did a couple of day tramps up hills, and inevitably back down again in beautiful scenery and in beautiful weather.
Following that we popped down to Doubtful Sound, the most extensive inlet in New Zealand’s Fjordland where we spent the night before departing on a two part cruise, first by boat over lake Manopouri, then by coach on totally isolated road across a neck of land to the sound, where we jumped on another rather luxurious cruise boat and spent the next 3 hours pottering around the damp and mist fjords that rose imposingly on all sides and disappeared into the cloud before we could even catch a gimps of the tops. Trees and bushed clung to every crevice and where one fell a swath of plants below it were wiped off their precarious perches. Tree avalanches aren't that common on Dartmoor... Nor is the sound of a real avalanche, something else introduced to me by the mountains of New Zealand - if your wondering it sounds exactly like a very short burst of thunder, a deep, powerful, rolling grumble.
Back on track we headed up north past Wanaka again for two nights before the long haul up the west coast, notorious for its rain, with figures of up to 10m a year! But fortunately that comes hand in hand with funnily enough, glaciers, blow holes and stunning temperate rainforest. We were able to explore some forest on a couple of occasions going for one walk to the foot or one glacier, and another day to where a river came out of a cliff. One big difference between native bush and English forest is that NZ has only a couple of native deciduous species so in winter the trees are as green as ever. As well as that there are a few species of palm trees which are all rather beautiful.
Continuing up the west coast we crossed over, inland, to Motueka, to meet up with family friends, from there we walked part way up Mt Arthur, way above the snowline at times trudging through over a foot of snow. That was so pretty. We diverted for one night over Takaka Hill in to the Golden bay area and made our way to the northern most point of the south island, Farewell Spit. The 26km long sand spit is decidedly long and sandy, and that’s pretty much it, apart from sad occasions when a school of wales become stranded there. This is particularly poignant in NZ as whales hold special spiritual significance to the Maoris.
I’m going to stop there for the moment and start again when I don’t have fudge, a necklace and dinner to make before going out to a talk by an English mountaineer [the first British guy to climb Everest without Oxygen…].
x
The earth, and every common sight,
To me seems
Apparell'd in snowy light,
The glory and the freshness of a dream. 5
Projected on the flanks of the hills great;—
Turn wheresoe'er I may,
By night or day,
The flashes which I have dreamt, to see'th no more I wait.
Ricky Wordsworth: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Late Childhood, 1770 - 2009
Given that I couldn't possibly write a legible original ode ill now stick to my usual format.
Well skiing is incredible, I absolutely love it! it is so exhilarating and exciting and fast and the best thing is you don't necessarily die when you fall down a cliff. What better sport for learning how to do cool things?...
So given that I bought a season pass for one of the ski fields I have been skiing whenever I can, 2-3 out of every 4 days, interspersed with: recovering (from skiing and evenings out); some casual labour; lots of cooking and learning to bake; kayak polo (water polo but in kayaks - awesome fun, a very full on and exciting game, and it quickly gets your confidence up with going under water!); a bit of wood carving; badminton; labouring around on my single speed bike; occasional adventures in to the hills; helping at music concerts and volunteering at ski competitions.... so I have been keeping busy!
The renting has turned out OK, my flatmates are amazing, but the house is cold and dark, so not very inviting, not a place I could ever call 'home', albeit it is a roof over my head.
A couple of the most memorable times I have had have been the tramps I have done. One up to Mt Roy for the sunrise (allready said about) and the other up the Copland Track, which starts on the West Coast and cuts striaght inland towards Mt Cook. The track follows the valley, climbing only maybe 100m in its 17km, so an easy walk through bush, towering valleys and along the stunning river. But that is not the good bit....
When you get to the hut at the end of the track there are 3 natural hot pools lined with the most gloriously soft mud and the perfect temperature. And you wallow and sooth your muscles in the turquose water under the full moon and look at the snowy mountains surrounding you before dragging yourself out 4 hours later in to the chill air, and run back to your bed. Not bad.
Another rather wonderful highlight has been my parents coming over, sadly Alex had to stay at home due to a rather vicious bit of Glandular Fever, but it was a really wonderful time when I could totally relax and be pampered! We had a great time, starting off in Christchurch for a couple of days looking around the city, before coming down to Wanaka where we stayed for 5 days, where M+D skied for their first time ever too, and did rather amazingly! Also in Wanaka we did a couple of day tramps up hills, and inevitably back down again in beautiful scenery and in beautiful weather.
Following that we popped down to Doubtful Sound, the most extensive inlet in New Zealand’s Fjordland where we spent the night before departing on a two part cruise, first by boat over lake Manopouri, then by coach on totally isolated road across a neck of land to the sound, where we jumped on another rather luxurious cruise boat and spent the next 3 hours pottering around the damp and mist fjords that rose imposingly on all sides and disappeared into the cloud before we could even catch a gimps of the tops. Trees and bushed clung to every crevice and where one fell a swath of plants below it were wiped off their precarious perches. Tree avalanches aren't that common on Dartmoor... Nor is the sound of a real avalanche, something else introduced to me by the mountains of New Zealand - if your wondering it sounds exactly like a very short burst of thunder, a deep, powerful, rolling grumble.
Back on track we headed up north past Wanaka again for two nights before the long haul up the west coast, notorious for its rain, with figures of up to 10m a year! But fortunately that comes hand in hand with funnily enough, glaciers, blow holes and stunning temperate rainforest. We were able to explore some forest on a couple of occasions going for one walk to the foot or one glacier, and another day to where a river came out of a cliff. One big difference between native bush and English forest is that NZ has only a couple of native deciduous species so in winter the trees are as green as ever. As well as that there are a few species of palm trees which are all rather beautiful.
Continuing up the west coast we crossed over, inland, to Motueka, to meet up with family friends, from there we walked part way up Mt Arthur, way above the snowline at times trudging through over a foot of snow. That was so pretty. We diverted for one night over Takaka Hill in to the Golden bay area and made our way to the northern most point of the south island, Farewell Spit. The 26km long sand spit is decidedly long and sandy, and that’s pretty much it, apart from sad occasions when a school of wales become stranded there. This is particularly poignant in NZ as whales hold special spiritual significance to the Maoris.
I’m going to stop there for the moment and start again when I don’t have fudge, a necklace and dinner to make before going out to a talk by an English mountaineer [the first British guy to climb Everest without Oxygen…].
x
Tuesday, 14 July 2009
Friday, 26 June 2009
Here comes the snow
Life is so much more enjoyable with friends! A few days ago I was hitching to the recycle center (after my bike had been nicked) to try and find a new one, and was picked up by 3 English girls, also around for the winter season. I joined them later that day at the spa pools, the next day to do some mountain biking in 'Sticky Forest', a wicked mountain biking area locally, with loads of trails, and then to top it, at 4 o'clock the next morning to walk up a mountain in the pitch black to catch sunrise at 8. It was so beautiful, 1st the experience of walking up a rough track in the dark, then coming through the cloud layer to see all the stars, then seeing the sky lighten gradually from a faint blue to a gorgeous full blown orange across a whole swath of the horizon, with pink reflected on the snowy mountains all around us. We got to the top, trudging through snow, and munched on biscuits and drank warm tea (a god-send given the -8 it must have been) for 30 min as the sky became animated, changing every second, before we needed to start moving again to warm up.
And today the Ski field open!! but I'm nackered after the last few days, and going out last night, plus my skis wont be ready until tomorrow. But tomorrow it will be, my 1st ever excursion in to the realms of skiing. Its rather daunting, as is anything unknown, but we shall soon find out!
I hope to let you know soon!
x
And today the Ski field open!! but I'm nackered after the last few days, and going out last night, plus my skis wont be ready until tomorrow. But tomorrow it will be, my 1st ever excursion in to the realms of skiing. Its rather daunting, as is anything unknown, but we shall soon find out!
I hope to let you know soon!
x
Sunday, 21 June 2009
Wanaka - to stay
Wow I have had a full last few weeks. I managed to get from Christchurch to Wanaka perfectly, and stayed with a previous wwoof host for 3 weeks. They are based 15km from the main town, but i was able to go in for a couple of days to get about 30 CVs around to restaurants, shops, pubs, hostels - everywhere really. At the vast majority of places the answer was no, or at least not yet. This is the first time in my life I have had to really look for a job properly, and the most i have ever been rejected, so it has been challenging to deal with the brick wall. Despite that, more recently I have been following up some of the shops, popping back every week, with a vague possibility with a few, so there is light yet. As well as looking for work, I was able to very easily find suitable accommodation, as there are a number of places where all the adverts for that kind of thing are posted. Also in the three weeks with my host I was able to get all my ski gear, including some very good clothing very cheep from a recycling/ 2nd hand center.
I moved in to my 1st renter accommodation ever on the 29th May, which I share with a local 37yr old girl. Although i could have moved in with 8 other 20yr olds, it didn't take my fancy as much, as i enjoy my space, plus I'm veggie, which is awkward if there is group shopping, including meat (bonus as my flat mate is veggie too). I have now been in my accommodation just over 3 weeks, in which time i have managed to get out a lot more as I'm 5 minutes cycle from town, meet like minded people, and sort endless bank troubles, get on to the case of possible employers, buy all my food, cook interesting things in all my spare time, do lots of e-mails, make lots of contacts and experience a whole different area of life.
Tomorrow I'm returning to the shop which has got the most likelihood of employment, so I'm really really hoping I get something out of that. I have also just won an online auction for some ski boots, so I'm pretty much totally ready to ski when the fields open in 5 days. Very exciting, and also rather daunting.
I'm going to be celebrating Christmas in 5 days too, as there are so many English here, and its of course winter, we feel we really need to have Christmas, or life just wouldn't be complete. So I'm heading over to friends for the day, not sure whats in store but it will be wicked fun whatever.
I will up-date you on the job front soon, and I hope its positive or other wise I don't think I will be staying around :(
x
I moved in to my 1st renter accommodation ever on the 29th May, which I share with a local 37yr old girl. Although i could have moved in with 8 other 20yr olds, it didn't take my fancy as much, as i enjoy my space, plus I'm veggie, which is awkward if there is group shopping, including meat (bonus as my flat mate is veggie too). I have now been in my accommodation just over 3 weeks, in which time i have managed to get out a lot more as I'm 5 minutes cycle from town, meet like minded people, and sort endless bank troubles, get on to the case of possible employers, buy all my food, cook interesting things in all my spare time, do lots of e-mails, make lots of contacts and experience a whole different area of life.
Tomorrow I'm returning to the shop which has got the most likelihood of employment, so I'm really really hoping I get something out of that. I have also just won an online auction for some ski boots, so I'm pretty much totally ready to ski when the fields open in 5 days. Very exciting, and also rather daunting.
I'm going to be celebrating Christmas in 5 days too, as there are so many English here, and its of course winter, we feel we really need to have Christmas, or life just wouldn't be complete. So I'm heading over to friends for the day, not sure whats in store but it will be wicked fun whatever.
I will up-date you on the job front soon, and I hope its positive or other wise I don't think I will be staying around :(
x
Sunday, 3 May 2009
Marlborough
wow, I'm so far behind! Sorry.
Finishing on the amazing shelter I stayed in on my walk in the Kahurangi National Park. It consisted of a absolutely huge boulder sticking out from the hillside under which a couple of wooden beds had been made, one 2 meters off the ground in a crevice in the rock. So it was open on 3 sides to the forest on a hillside, with the sound of a stream not 15 meters away and a fire lit by my side heating my evening meal.
I sat by the stream savoring the comforting warmth of the food while dusk fell. I intended to sleep in but the chill air and the empty fire circle got me moving, plus I had to hitch back to my hosts, which I managed to do with an old deer hunter, returning from his day with out a carcass.
To my delight it was suggested that my hosts drop me in to Nelson the following day, which was ideal as I really wanted to move on, plus I wasn't totally comfortable with them either.
Nelson allowed me to sort out a back account and nearly get an elusive tax number necessary for the Ski Field Job and the following day I hitched on to Picton, the town in the heart of the Marlborough sound, from where I hoped to wwoof with a family out on Arapawa Island, an hours boat ride out in to the sounds. Sadly after waiting 2 days to hear from the host, it fell through, but I was able to pick up someone else, not so far out, which was easier and I could get picked up the following morning, prefect!
This landed me at Sherrington Grange [http://www.sherringtongrange.co.nz/] a family farm that makes high grade Manuka honey and beautiful handmade cow and goats milk cheese, quite an amazing enterprise, the house beautifully set 20 meters from the shore, and from the end of the jetty you could see right down the sound (where the photos were taken that were posted in the last post).
The cheese maker had just lost her goat milk provider, and so had just bought 50 goats, so it was my job to 'goat proof' the paddock they inhabited, which other than building a 3 meter wall is near impossible. But I spent quite a number of day’s tying meshing to the pre existing fence. Ok for the first few days, but it was slightly mind numbing after that. But it had to be done! Sherrington Grange was also a farm stay so they had guests on a number of days, plus they specialized in catering to abnormal intolerances, so the food was always very good, as it has been at all the places I have stayed. One evening me had mussels picked from their beach not half an hour before :)
I ended up with them for 2 1/2 weeks, which was grate but i needed to move on after that, which I did to another host in the Marlborough Sound who is in the long and slow process of setting up a wonderful Nature Reserve on a peninsular, an hours boat ride north in to the Sounds. They shop once a month, spending a night in town before heading back the next day where I journeyed with them to feed their re establishing rare Marlborough Green Geckos and Red Crowned Kakarikis (parakeets) after the 15 minute drive in 2 4x4s up the rough track to their home at 200m with views occasionally of the North Island and in to the sounds. They are a beautiful family of 5, the parents Dutch, making the inspirational decision to live in an amazing isolated environment, making such a commitment to the stunning wildlife and putting every penny they can back in to the project. Their 12 and 14 y/o son and daughter are given their own responsibilities with the animals they are breeding for re-introduction and the up keep of the 41 hectare property.
My week with them was varied and good fun, they were all great to be with and really interesting, the day started at 8.00 and I worked my 4 hours, often with Brian, until midday, but from then I wondered how to entertain myself, so I decided to do a carving. I managing to obtain a perfect piece of Totara, a NZ hardwood used by the Maoris in their carving, to make a Gecko. The piece of wood was a meter long, 40cm wide and 20 thick, a truly beautiful piece of wood that I am honored to get hold of and work with (I hope there is an images attached of the Gecko). So I spent my spare time and, to the end of the week, my wwoofing time carving this thing, and I believe it is hanging now on the Gecko enclosure. Quite proud of that piece actually.
Finishing the week with Brian and Ellen I squished in a final week in the sounds, before I headed down south to Wanaka for the ski job, at Mistletoe Bay - an eco stay, with camping and semi and fully self-contained whares (forays), placed on one of NZs Great Walks (the Queen Charlotte Track). They have a 100k water and waste recycling system that’s very efficient, in 2 years never having to be emptied, despite hundreds of people passing through. The first wonderful job I had was to empty a big festering rubbish disposal skip, yum. Despite that I did get to do quite a bit of work of their 1926 30ft wooden motor launch, which was really gorgeous and totally re kindled my love of wooden boats and again, of course, the place was beautiful, and at night you could watch the bank of bluish glow-works twinkling at you from amongst the foliage. Oooh and they had 2 piggiwiggies that were soooo cute and if you scratched one on the nose if fell asleep hehe.
On the last but one day I was e-mailed the facetious news that I hadn't got the job.................. :(
The following week my time had come to fly South despite the purpose being rather what diminished but deciding to look for work anyway, as I really need to have more people my own age around me, even though I'm having the experience of a life time, Its nothing without the right people to share it with.
So here I am in Christchurch for the 3rd time half way from the Marlborough Sounds to Wanaka, staying with a cousin once removed for a couple of night, having been completely spoilt with a wonderful meal last night in the city and tomorrow the outstretched thumb waiting for a generous passer by.
x
Finishing on the amazing shelter I stayed in on my walk in the Kahurangi National Park. It consisted of a absolutely huge boulder sticking out from the hillside under which a couple of wooden beds had been made, one 2 meters off the ground in a crevice in the rock. So it was open on 3 sides to the forest on a hillside, with the sound of a stream not 15 meters away and a fire lit by my side heating my evening meal.
I sat by the stream savoring the comforting warmth of the food while dusk fell. I intended to sleep in but the chill air and the empty fire circle got me moving, plus I had to hitch back to my hosts, which I managed to do with an old deer hunter, returning from his day with out a carcass.
To my delight it was suggested that my hosts drop me in to Nelson the following day, which was ideal as I really wanted to move on, plus I wasn't totally comfortable with them either.
Nelson allowed me to sort out a back account and nearly get an elusive tax number necessary for the Ski Field Job and the following day I hitched on to Picton, the town in the heart of the Marlborough sound, from where I hoped to wwoof with a family out on Arapawa Island, an hours boat ride out in to the sounds. Sadly after waiting 2 days to hear from the host, it fell through, but I was able to pick up someone else, not so far out, which was easier and I could get picked up the following morning, prefect!
This landed me at Sherrington Grange [http://www.sherringtongrange.co.nz/] a family farm that makes high grade Manuka honey and beautiful handmade cow and goats milk cheese, quite an amazing enterprise, the house beautifully set 20 meters from the shore, and from the end of the jetty you could see right down the sound (where the photos were taken that were posted in the last post).
The cheese maker had just lost her goat milk provider, and so had just bought 50 goats, so it was my job to 'goat proof' the paddock they inhabited, which other than building a 3 meter wall is near impossible. But I spent quite a number of day’s tying meshing to the pre existing fence. Ok for the first few days, but it was slightly mind numbing after that. But it had to be done! Sherrington Grange was also a farm stay so they had guests on a number of days, plus they specialized in catering to abnormal intolerances, so the food was always very good, as it has been at all the places I have stayed. One evening me had mussels picked from their beach not half an hour before :)
I ended up with them for 2 1/2 weeks, which was grate but i needed to move on after that, which I did to another host in the Marlborough Sound who is in the long and slow process of setting up a wonderful Nature Reserve on a peninsular, an hours boat ride north in to the Sounds. They shop once a month, spending a night in town before heading back the next day where I journeyed with them to feed their re establishing rare Marlborough Green Geckos and Red Crowned Kakarikis (parakeets) after the 15 minute drive in 2 4x4s up the rough track to their home at 200m with views occasionally of the North Island and in to the sounds. They are a beautiful family of 5, the parents Dutch, making the inspirational decision to live in an amazing isolated environment, making such a commitment to the stunning wildlife and putting every penny they can back in to the project. Their 12 and 14 y/o son and daughter are given their own responsibilities with the animals they are breeding for re-introduction and the up keep of the 41 hectare property.
My week with them was varied and good fun, they were all great to be with and really interesting, the day started at 8.00 and I worked my 4 hours, often with Brian, until midday, but from then I wondered how to entertain myself, so I decided to do a carving. I managing to obtain a perfect piece of Totara, a NZ hardwood used by the Maoris in their carving, to make a Gecko. The piece of wood was a meter long, 40cm wide and 20 thick, a truly beautiful piece of wood that I am honored to get hold of and work with (I hope there is an images attached of the Gecko). So I spent my spare time and, to the end of the week, my wwoofing time carving this thing, and I believe it is hanging now on the Gecko enclosure. Quite proud of that piece actually.
Finishing the week with Brian and Ellen I squished in a final week in the sounds, before I headed down south to Wanaka for the ski job, at Mistletoe Bay - an eco stay, with camping and semi and fully self-contained whares (forays), placed on one of NZs Great Walks (the Queen Charlotte Track). They have a 100k water and waste recycling system that’s very efficient, in 2 years never having to be emptied, despite hundreds of people passing through. The first wonderful job I had was to empty a big festering rubbish disposal skip, yum. Despite that I did get to do quite a bit of work of their 1926 30ft wooden motor launch, which was really gorgeous and totally re kindled my love of wooden boats and again, of course, the place was beautiful, and at night you could watch the bank of bluish glow-works twinkling at you from amongst the foliage. Oooh and they had 2 piggiwiggies that were soooo cute and if you scratched one on the nose if fell asleep hehe.
On the last but one day I was e-mailed the facetious news that I hadn't got the job.................. :(
The following week my time had come to fly South despite the purpose being rather what diminished but deciding to look for work anyway, as I really need to have more people my own age around me, even though I'm having the experience of a life time, Its nothing without the right people to share it with.
So here I am in Christchurch for the 3rd time half way from the Marlborough Sounds to Wanaka, staying with a cousin once removed for a couple of night, having been completely spoilt with a wonderful meal last night in the city and tomorrow the outstretched thumb waiting for a generous passer by.
x
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