Monday, April 15, 2013

A NIGHT AT THE BALLROOM / TE TAHI / BLACKWATER

Just awesome! Tramping through the night to the Ballroom Overhang. Abseiling into the Te Tahi (The One) Cave System and Blackwater Rafting under the glow worm milky way! WHat a great way to spend a night and a day! We set our from Bullock Creek just before 6pm along the Inland Pack Track at a good trot into the fading evening light. It was well and truly night as the track entered the creek beds that fed us into Dilemma Creek before emerging into the Fox River. With eels underfoot and the Milky Way draped over the limestone cliffs of Dilemma Gorge we made good time constantly alternating between rocky river bed and fording forwarding to the Ballroom overhang for a good feed and a good nights sleep. Dawn saw us grab a quick breakfast before exploring a side creek up to its emergence from beneath the cliffs and then the Fox River caves on the way out for lunch at the car park. Up to Charleston for the caving expeditions: Blackwater rafting for Team 1 and Team 2 headed down Hi Hi Tomo, a 40m abseil into the Te Tahi cave. THe pictures say it all - double click on the albums at right to have a good gander. This was an awesome team this term who really stepped up to a great challenge! Breakfast at 7am at the HCF church building on Wed morning guys. Pip's organising at big feed!

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Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Over the Tops to Top Tuke

Three intrepid CACTI made the tramp to Top Tuke over Easter. Though Tuke Hut eluded us due to a spot of sickness in the team it was an awesome 2 nights and 2 days. Great to see these young guys step up and take the trip under their control. From the time we forded the Mikonui they made the decisions with just a few clues when needed. With one party suffering from the onset of flu they made the call to bivy up for the night at Truran Saddle rather than take the ascent to Dickies Spur at 1300m. A fresh start in the morning saw us at the start of Dickie Ridge mid-morning before descending through the cloud to the top Tuke. The guys made the call to turn around just before we reached the bottom rather than throw 2 big days on a sick team member. So, back up to the ridge and about about 50m visibility on the tops. The hut finally popped out of the mist and we settled in for a good feed, the serenade of rain on the tin roof and a big stack of zeds. Morning saw a reasonably clear panorama of Top Tuke surrounded by Dickie, Saw Tooth and Galena ridges before we headed back out to the road end. Awesome effort by the men - great team work, good calls, the occasional roar of a stag. Nice couple of days! [Double click on the side show at right to open up the album].

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