I survived Lake Waikaremoana...Just!
It was an remarkable weekend in many levels - physically and emotional!
I cracked down in tear before the weekend even started it. There were just too many issues to handle, but it's amazingly how we can turn all that to a beginning of a beautiful long weekend. He was right about the dead rat - "Would you eat a dead rat now or in a week's time? No, you don't want to eat a dead rat at all, but the sooner the better!"
The group consists of 3 American, 1 Canadian, 2.5 kiwis, 1 Aussie, 1 Indian, 0.5 Taiwanese. We left around 5pm on Friday and arrived the camp site just before midnight.
The tramp was really challenging for me, especially uphill! On Sunday, the weather was horrible. It was wet, raining, gusty wind, hailing and SNOWING! It was the 19 km, 11 hour tramp with steep muddy 3 hour, uphill climbing 1100m above sea level! One of our teammate even suffered hypothermia when they arrived the hut at 6pm and they had to use body heat to warm her up! The second group with me being the weakest link, reached the hut at 7:15pm, just before it got dark. I barely made it, but I was so lucky to have the "Orange Mark" team support me and had all the right borrowed tramping gear. The next day, an woman from the other group said to me
"You look much better this morning. Last night when you came in you looked like you were in shock!"
On Monday, it all cleared up and it was magnificent scenery!!! I thought it was going to be down hill, so I was fool enough to say: Let's sing because now I can join in. Right after I said that, it was a long UPHILL :( - ONCE! Then I saw down hill! I thought it has to be it, so I said: Look at that beautiful scenery! Let's do it (the whole tramp) again! Right after I said that, it was another LONG UPHILL :( - TWICE. The third time, I saw down hill, I kept it quiet and whispered to other: Let's just get this done with.
I enjoy the evening time. After a long day hike, it was such a luxury to be in the shelter, in dry warm cloth and have some warm food. We had no lights nor shower. Everything was very basic, but I felt rich. I felt I had everything I wanted in life - laugher, singing, feeling alive, warm cloth, warm food, birthday cake, people I care for and people who care for me.
I have no voice now - not from singing or laughing, but more likely from the heavy breath, I am exhausted, my muscle are sore - which I didn't realise I have them, but I feel great! Being close to the nature and around the Lord-of-Ring-ish forest make me feel so ALIVE!!
I cracked down in tear before the weekend even started it. There were just too many issues to handle, but it's amazingly how we can turn all that to a beginning of a beautiful long weekend. He was right about the dead rat - "Would you eat a dead rat now or in a week's time? No, you don't want to eat a dead rat at all, but the sooner the better!"
The group consists of 3 American, 1 Canadian, 2.5 kiwis, 1 Aussie, 1 Indian, 0.5 Taiwanese. We left around 5pm on Friday and arrived the camp site just before midnight.
The tramp was really challenging for me, especially uphill! On Sunday, the weather was horrible. It was wet, raining, gusty wind, hailing and SNOWING! It was the 19 km, 11 hour tramp with steep muddy 3 hour, uphill climbing 1100m above sea level! One of our teammate even suffered hypothermia when they arrived the hut at 6pm and they had to use body heat to warm her up! The second group with me being the weakest link, reached the hut at 7:15pm, just before it got dark. I barely made it, but I was so lucky to have the "Orange Mark" team support me and had all the right borrowed tramping gear. The next day, an woman from the other group said to me
"You look much better this morning. Last night when you came in you looked like you were in shock!"
On Monday, it all cleared up and it was magnificent scenery!!! I thought it was going to be down hill, so I was fool enough to say: Let's sing because now I can join in. Right after I said that, it was a long UPHILL :( - ONCE! Then I saw down hill! I thought it has to be it, so I said: Look at that beautiful scenery! Let's do it (the whole tramp) again! Right after I said that, it was another LONG UPHILL :( - TWICE. The third time, I saw down hill, I kept it quiet and whispered to other: Let's just get this done with.
I enjoy the evening time. After a long day hike, it was such a luxury to be in the shelter, in dry warm cloth and have some warm food. We had no lights nor shower. Everything was very basic, but I felt rich. I felt I had everything I wanted in life - laugher, singing, feeling alive, warm cloth, warm food, birthday cake, people I care for and people who care for me.
I have no voice now - not from singing or laughing, but more likely from the heavy breath, I am exhausted, my muscle are sore - which I didn't realise I have them, but I feel great! Being close to the nature and around the Lord-of-Ring-ish forest make me feel so ALIVE!!
