At the end of July I spent four days tramping in Lewis Pass with a friend who relocated to Christchurch a couple of years ago. Previously a member of the WTMC, Laurayne was telling me how things are done by clubs down there. They don’t do communal dinners – instead everyone brings along their own packet of Back Country Cuisine or similar. And they also bring along their own cooker.
I wondered if people didn’t sometimes say to each other before a trip, “let’s share a cooker”. But no, apparently they don’t. It seems almost incomprehensible if you’re used to our more-communal ways. Part of the enjoyment of our trips is taking your turn chopping or stirring then sitting down together for meal. Even if perfect custard remains elusive, producing a good meal in the outdoors is always surprisingly satisfying. Those struggling for ideas may be excited to hear that a club recipe collection is in the works at the moment.
To me being part of a group also means adopting a certain mentality. Like automatically checking (or waiting) to make sure the last person has got across a creek, or stopping every hour or so to regroup. It’s one of the things that I most value about our club and a big contributor to our collective safety in the hills.
It’s always a surprise when you strike other outdoors users who don’t share similar values of consideration for others. During the past two months, while on private trips, I’ve twice encountered groups who’ve headed to a hut just to drink. While alcohol is one of my favourite liquids, I struggle to see its place in the bush especially when people are drinking two wine-bottle-equivalents each. Their loudness always grates, and the risk factors hardly encourage sound sleep – it’s easy to imagine your drunken hut-mates wandering off in the night and getting lost/injured or (more selfishly) burning the hut down through carelessness with the fire or gas after you’ve gone to bed. Even though 90 percent of people you meet in huts are good sorts, it’s the selfish ones that stand out.
This kind of behaviour stands in stark contrast with the many hours of work some people put in to help others. August saw the completion of our Alpine Instruction Course, ably coordinated by Sharron Came. Many thanks to her and to instructors Yibai He, John Duggan, Allen Higgins, David Jewell and Mike Phethean. This month we also farewell Anthony Mullick, who has been our Gear Custodian and also very generous with his on-water expertise. Luckily he’s only going to Christchurch so we will see him in the hills (and on the water) every now and then.
In the past couple of months, we have been focusing on producing our Spring schedule, which you will receive with this newsletter. Thanks to all the people who’ve participated in the planning process and especially to those who have volunteered to lead trips – I think we’ve produced a full and diverse programme that everyone will enjoy getting stuck into. One area in which people often bemoan their lack of confidence is navigation, and on this schedule we have an entire weekend in and around the navigation-friendly Kiriwhakapapa area devoted to honing these skills. Make sure you sign up for these trips, which are on 2426 September.