A Taste of Life on the Trail

 

"It's not the mountain we conquer but ourselves" ~ Edmund Hillary

 

We chose to do our  trial trek in the Waitakere ranges on the Hillary Trail for a number of different reasons.  Not only did we need to go somewhere close to Auckland so it was cheap and easy to get to but we also got 2 recommendations for the trail stretching as far as London to New Zealand.  We later found out that it was where Edmund Hillary trained for his climb up Everest so it felt the perfect place to start!

The trail stretches for 70 kms and the terrain is a mix of just about everything you can expect from New Zealand (apart from snow).  That, combined with some varying weather conditions certainly gave us an opportunity to test out our gear, abilities and team work!

Sunday 26 September (11 kms)

We woke up a little late due to us not realising  that the clocks changed for daylight savings!  We packed up in the morning and having practice packed the day before I felt good about the weight of my pack.  Adding 5 litres of water to it however, made a huge difference and I left the hostel feeling quite nervous.  We began the trek at the Arataki visitors centre where our friend Ray kindly dropped us off.  We gathered all the relevant information regarding the trail conditions and maps.  It appeared that the very wet winter had caused a river to flood which meant a detour was required and the muddy track meant our estimated times may change.



Our campsite long drop - with a view!



From the visitors centre we trekked in some really deep mud.  Every

step we took we crossed our fingers that we would stop sinking just before the mud reached the top of our boots and we had that feeling of getting nowhere fast!  Although the trail itself was muddy it was manageable and as we climbed steep banks and over and under fallen trees, crossed streams and walked mountain ridges and I thought to myself, it was nothing I hadn't done before.  However, doing all of that with 25+ kgs on my back was a whole different story.  I walked along feeling a little defeated from the start and with the first river crossing being followed by a steep muddy bank that required our scrambling skills, the pack slipped a little causing me to feel unbalanced.  I also noticed that being quite heavy footed, the pressure each step had on my legs meant that going down hill was just a painful as going up hill.  I always knew that the pack would be the biggest challenge and by the end of the first day, my shoulders, back, feet, hips and just about everything in my body HURT!  However, I finished the first day feeling positive.  I had made it to the end of the first day and already stepped out of my comfort zone and won!  I felt a determination inside me, quite deep inside me, but it was there and it will be what keeps me going!

Monday 26 September (10 Kms)

The second day started off easier than I thought it would.  We were up and packing at 6, although we took a little longer than we should have to pack up but I'm sure we'll get it down to a fine art as the mornings roll on. Trying to pack the bag so that the weight is balanced at the same time as certain things being accessible throughout the day is a mission, but the weather being nice made it easy to play around.  I stuffed and restuffed and balanced but finally it was time for the pack to go back on!  As I heaved it up and plopped it on my shoulders, the pain wasn't half as bad as I thought it would be!

I was lucky that my leg muscles weren't aching.  I just felt battered and bruised and the pack hurt but it was a pain that I became used to very quickly.  The trek on the second day was tough with some very steep ascents and descents.  The ascents turned my weak knees to rubber, making the descents just as tricky.  I had to stop and take it slow just to give my legs a chance to stop wobbling.  Negotiating my way along narrow mountain ridges with legs made of rubber and 25 kgs on my back is now officially my new party trick!

Shalane and I chatted and sung our way up and down the hills and it was reassuring to hear that Shalane was finding her trail tough too.  She has done a long self supported trail not so long ago so to find out her pack was hurting and the trail was tough helped me soldier on.  We both agreed that having to be careful with every step due to small ridges, ankle deep mud and tree roots did make the trail mentally draining.

The last section of the trek was very tough.  We walked for 6 hours altogether but that is including a half hour lunch (slackers).  We did roughly 10 Kms which was shorter than the official day 2 of the trail as we had to re-route due to flooding on the next day.  We summited a 240m  mountain at the end which was nothing compared to the 389m we did at 8am, but what made it tough was that when we looked down and saw our campsite, it took all the determination and motivation to carry on as we had to descend slightly before climbing yet another mountain before the trail led us all the way down to Whatipu lodge!  (i know you are probably all thinking it sounds nothing considering we will soon be climbing 900m but it was a tough start for my rubber legs)

The campground was a happy haven surrounded by green mountains and a beach.  The sun was shining and as we made a washing line between our hiking poles and sat with the sun beating down on our faces, resting our weary legs, we got a taste of what life on the trail is really going to feel like.  Early starts walking and afternoons appreciating our surroundings!  That all topped off with Thia Chicken curry by Back Country  Cuisine made a perfect day!

Tuesday 28 September (20 kms)

On day three we both started the morning well by packing up nice and early.  The trail began with us walking along the beach as the sun rose behind the hills.  The black sand was almost purple in places and glistened in the sun.  We were in pain, but it was familiar pain!  The first hour flew by which lead us into a false sense of security as the following hours were slow and tough.  We only just saw the marker leading us off the beach and back onto the official trail and after a lot of guessing with our non topographical map, we decided it was definitely the correct route!  No sooner were we off the beach we were climbing again, up the Zion Ridge Track and we pushed on up and down the cliffs.  I noticed that I was having to stop regularly to slow my heart beat down and every few steep steps and I had to recover and I started to wonder if my body was more unfit than I thought! 

The sun was fierce, the route was muddy and by the time we made it to Kerekere, the first town we reached and a good 6.5 hours into our journey, i was beaten.  It was 1.40pm and we'd been going since 7.30am and in my head I felt like we'd arrived at our destination and the thought of doing another 3 hours felt impossible.  It came clear to me then, that the whole thing is a mind game.  Feeding your mind with small rewards, realistic targets and trail expectations!  The heat really got to me over the next hour and I think Shalane thought I was on the edge but with a quick change into my shorts and I felt like I was starting a new day!

The last stretch of an hour long, steep, down hill road walking was painful on the feet and shoulders and it was then that we decided that we'd earned ourselves a rest day.  We'd thrown ourselves into these long day on a tough trail with no training (so not at our fittest) and then wondered why we ached and felt tired!!!  We needed to give our bodies time to recover!

We arrived at Piha at 5.20pm, just in time to run to the shop and get some well deserved crisps and chocolate.  We had been living off a really healthy diet of oatmeal for breakfast, energy bars for lunch and Back Country Cuisine yummy freeze dried dinners with trail mix for snack and heaps of water.  We felt healthy and good but the thought of a little treat make it all worth while.  We had a hot shower, dinner and I think I drifted off into contented sleep before finishing my mouthful of chocolate.  I'd made it through a 10 hour day!

Wednesday 29 September (The day of rest)

The rest day felt good!  My thigh muscles had really done some work and I giggled to myself every time I tried to sit on the toilet.  My legs would support me 60% of the way down and I had to fall the other 40% and getting back up was just as fun.  We did nothing but chilled, enjoyed the beach and read and it was just what we needed.

Thursday 30 September (17 kms)

By day 5 I was ready and raring to go.  We trekked at a good pace and covered a good distance.  We came off the Hillary trail slightly in order to begin our journey to Swanson railway station so we could get back to Auckland.  The campsite we were heading to was beyond rolling hills, great views and farmland and by the time we got there we were feeling fitter and stronger.  We chatted along the way and soaked up the countryside and the ups and downs of the trail seemed nothing to our newly rested muscles.  We even got to test out our Swazi rain coats in the on/off rain!  The thunder that roared in the background suggested we were in for an interesting night of camping too! 

We were just walking over a farmers field at the top of the hill when I realised my backpack cover had blown off!  So we left the cows to guard our bags and ran back to find it sitting happily in the hedge!  Phew!

The campsite we looked forward to reaching turned out to be non existent and after walking up and down the muddy trail a good 4 times, we pitched our home on the side of the track feeling confused.com.  Rain was due so we ensured we were high enough from the river before we drifted into an early sleep state.  Well, Shalane did!  My body and mind decided to stay awake most of that night so I spent the first few hours watching the hundreds of mosquitoes  begin to gather outside.

For anybody who has seen the film Birds by Alfred Hitchcock would have been amused by this "moment".  The mozzies were landing on the fly net, looking at me, saying "I'm watching you" and "you've got to come out eventually" and by the time it got light again in the morning there was close to 100 mozzies sitting on our tent, waiting for our fresh, young, tasty blood.  The rain was pounding down heavily on the tent and poor Shalane had been laying there needing the toilet for hours and even now she couldn't go for fear of getting eaten alive and soaked.  So we covered every inch of our skin, ready to face the day, the rain and the mozzies.

The last day was short and easy.  Setting off at 8am as it got light so late, with rain jackets on we trekked up and down more gradual hills but the mud was bad and rivers flooded.  luckily they were small and we could still wade across but the current was fast and made me nervous for the bigger rivers I know we have ahead of us.  I was grateful for the rain as it gave us a taster of the weather we will have to face and I was equally as grateful that it wasn't heavier.  Knowing we'd soon be home to dry off made it all that much easier to contend with.

So, I definitely used some new muscles and I definitely introduced a new pain which

I'm sure will become like an old friend soon enough.  I certainly had a realisation that my pack will be the bane of my life over the next 5 months and I learnt that earlier starts and shorter breaks will mean a more enjoyable experience.  Shalane and I both learnt a bit more about each other and how we tick and we both felt great on our healthy diet with heaps of water and exercise so we are looking forward to our bodies becoming temples!!

But the most important thing I learnt is that I am going to have to become so mentally and emotionally strong to ensure this trek will not beat me!  I can put one leg in front of the other (even if they are made of rubber) and I can suffer and bit of pain but remaining determined and positive when I'm wet, cold, tired and aching and miles away from anywhere with dangerous mountains to climb and HUGE rivers to wade with 2, maybe 3 or 4 months still left ahead of me is the challenge!

I can do this and I will complete this trek!