Guatemala Blog Link

My rationalisation is now complete. Was thinking I might reload all our Guatemala blog onto this new site, but a link will suffice I reckon kiwis chasing quetzals!

The Barker Hut Fiasco

Have been meaning to write this up for a while....

Basically got myself wrapped up in a little storm in a teacup a few months ago when walking into Barker Hut we found a few dudes who had tried to call a helicopter....the full story can be found on the great website softrock.co.nz run by Graeme Kates. The facts on this site are all good, except that the climbing party, which I was a part of failed to climb Murchison cause I was too wussy.

You can read about Graeme's issues but the one that has really stuck in my mind is how the situation illustrated the disconnection between the mainstream news media and the outdoors community in Canterbury. The Press just didn't have a clue. As most people who have been around for a while know, there will always be punters in the bush, but you don't go putting them on the front page.

Seeing these guys described as top mountaineers, really hit home to me how little the general public knows of the exploits of some of the fantastic outdoors people from this province. In fact the only time they hear about them is when they die, or when they are rescued. Its a pretty sad state of affairs.

Judkins

I've gotta say. Robin Judkins autobiography "Mad Dogs...A life on the edge" is a pearler. Finally dug it out of a mates bookshelf up at Arthurs Pass recently and curled up on the couch to read it, while the others went Coast 2 Coast training. It was raining.

You can't help but love and hate the guy (more on his character later) but the narrative captures you and as an adventurous type you can't help but want to be there at his imaginative early events, the Alpine Ironmen, the Xerox Challenge and the early days of the Coast 2 Coast. Through these events Judkins challenged and changed the populations perspectives on adventure sports events. It was possible to go Coast to Coast in a day and it was possible for everyday people to travel the length of the country in a month by foot, bike and kayak. Judkins busted down the door for adventure sports events.

Judkins presented the multisport dream to the masses. TV adds, documentary, news. It was at one time common to see Judkins and his sporty sidekick Gurney, doing something ridiculous to promote multisport and themselves. The doco made about the 1987? Alpine Ironman is priceless. Skiers, kayakers and runners wiping out to the Chris Rea soundtrack. It can now be found on youtube, falsely? labelled the 1981 Alpine Ironman. I remember as a kid watching in the evenings as Gurney battled with John Knight in the Xerox Challenge. It was brilliant.

Now theres plenty of people who think Judkins is a bastard (this is the character bit)and that the Coast to Coast is ridiculously overpriced (these two concepts are often related) but heres my take, for what its worth having never met the guy.

1) the people who express this are often self important athletes who have probably asked him for a free entry too early in the morning

2)Judkins and the Coast to Coast have created an industry. Both directly through the Coast to Coast and the outdoor event culture he blazed the path in. Kayak manufacturers, retail stores, other event organisers, arthurs pass hoteliers, cycle stores, etc have all made a killing off Judkins.

3) he has given countless people new ideas on what they are capable of

4) Judkins deserves the money. Wealth should go to wealth creators, not those of us who drag on their coat-tails. The Coast to Coast is fairly priced, other newer events are far more dubious, and theres a few retailers around who should definitely be boycotted

Good on you Judkins for showing us the way and also for filling in the time it took for my friends to run the Mingha/Deception, kayak the Waimak, cook dinner and bring me a Speights from the fridge. At worst you're an interesting bastard.

Crossing the Ditch

Those boys deserve their kudos and great to see the people of Taranaki get out and welcome them. The journey made the front page of national papers around the country, for web coverage from the Herald see here.

I have been one of an estimated 500,000 people checking up on their progress on the expedition website, www.crossingtheditch.com.au with the video logs and gps expedition tracker providing amazing coverage.

I think this coverage, probably combined with the tragic death of Andrew McCauley, so close to Fiordland last year, helped capture the publics imagination. This is definitely a lesson to learn for contemporary adventurers. Gone are the days when odd news flashes and an expedition book down the track are going to build a fan base and attract sponsors.

The Aussie boys also did the small things right, website footage of them, training, designing/making their vessel "Lot 41" and otherwise preparing reflected well on them. Likewise transtasman relations were improved by their kiwi friendly references to Phar Lap, Kia Kaha and Sir Edmund Hillary. They seem like humble, strong young adventurers, great ambassadors of the Aussie adventure community. Good on youse diggers.

(I have since discovered another interesting write up on the "crossing the ditch boys" at Bob McKerrows blogspot)

Sir Ed and how lucky we are

Sir Ed was not my hero. I remember a childhood spent scrounging around the bookshelf in the hall devouring the adventures of Herzog on Annapurna, Charlie Upham during the war and Dingles expedition on Jannu's "Wall of Shadows". The blue bound statuesque copy of "Nothing Venture, Nothing Win" was always there, but never won the battle for my attention. Sir Ed was mainstream. He was in the newspapers, on the TV, and in the every day discussions around our dinner table. My reading was devoted to escapism, to heroic figures on the edge of society, to myth. Sir Ed was very much real.

I finally read some of Sir Ed's books in the last few years. The experience was nostalgic, familiar, like the smell of a favourite old armchair. His narrative voice echoed my conscience, reminding me of the ideals I am directed to strive for as a New Zealander. Be humble, Be strong, Accept new challenges and Give passionately to those in need. Sir Ed inherited the roughcast of these values but through the actions of an amazing life, beset by great tragedy and adversity, inadvertently sculpted them into something beautiful.

Through his humility, Sir Ed is an inspiration to all those New Zealanders at work unseen in their communities. Through his strength he is a benchmark for all those toiling to achieve their goals. Through his willingness to accept challenges he gives hope to our innovaters and adventurers that a kiwi can do anything and through his work with the people of Nepal he is a figurehead for New Zealanders out there in the world helping those less fortunate.

Sir Ed is now my hero. I am now prepared to accept his moral compass. How lucky we are to have a hero, that lived to a great age and fulfilled his lifes work, layering his early achievements with humanity and wisdom. How lucky we are to have a hero disassociated with political, religious and corporate power structures who can be a shining light on our future path. How lucky we are to have a hero that will only grow in stature as he charges hellbent into myth, god-willing and crevasses permitting.

(this and the next few posts are from another blog I started that faded out quickly)

photos from the last couple of months

November/December and New Year

Had to look back at the calender to see what we've been up to, I have got so far behind with this blog. So will skim over some weekends and hopefully back fill with more detail later on sometime.. Nov 17/18th: Kauri Run

We did a premeditated mission to the Kauri Run...which is a hell of a long drive from Gizzy (about 7 hours). We arrived in the early hours of the morning at Waitete Bay north of Coromandel town. Neil had booked an amazing bach. The run was enjoyable sort of, I struggled through but managed to outsprint Neil, while Penny showed just how tough she is finishing 3rd. Man the top of the Coromandel is cool.

Nov 24/25th: Crash Course

This was my first delve into AR organising, it went down awesomely. We ended up with a crew of about 50 people of all shapes and sizes. We treated them firstly to some MTBO, town orienteering on google earth maps and kayaking the sulphuric features of the Rotorua Waterfront. Orion Health did an evening presentation and I dreamed up the first AR scenario exercise which went down a treat

Dec 1/2: Neils 30th

After the Crash Course Penny had a course in Akld for the week, so with Neils 30th conveniently the week after we headed up that way. An early highlight was a Waitaks run with James Bradshaw and the fortuitous discovery of Cowan Stream and a lovely tributary of the Paraha. The rest of the week sped past catching up with Megan, and Jamie also organised a free AR at Bucklands Beach. There was also some time spent up at Gardens. Neils 30th went down well the highlight been the indoor hockey, booze o and Brent falling off his bike and grazing the side of his face.

Dec 15th/16th Adventure Taupo

My first real AR as an organiser, wow possibly my last. Everything went real well but it was still really hard. People really loved it though and the course had some real adventure elements, incorporating a journey from Whakaipo Bay on Lake Taupo to the Pureora Forest Park. My favourite bits were the coasteer/swim around to Boat Harbour, which we had a Greenpeace boat patrolling, and the descent down the bush of Kakaho stream to the finish. Amazing experience for me as an organiser and lots of learning points.

Christmas/New Year

We both headed to our traditional places for New Year: Wanaka and Chch. Was the first year in Wanaka that Stan and Elsie no longer lived at Iron Lea so that was a bit different for the Kanes but Penny still loved catching up with the family. The Stewart christmas followed the traditional pattern and was as always interesting to see everyone again.

Jamie headed up to the pass with Aaron and Sara, and new arrival Karyn on Boxing day and had a lovely rainy trip through Goat Pass with Sa, La and Matt before Penny arrived. We had a great day trip up the Savannah Range and for Jamie a quick paddle down the Waimak gorge before we had to head back home. New Years was quiet with Penny working but we had a great white water kayak down the waioeka on the 2nd, with Penny very bravely following Jamie down a very interesting river with some tight little chutes.

Jan 5/6th: Waihi Beach We had planned to meet Danielle and Karl at Waihi Beach and so we did. Had never been here before, a pleasant tourist spot and the beach to the north which you can walk to is definitely worth a look. We hung around here for a day before cruising over to the DOC campsite at Dickeys flat upstream from Kgorge. Awesome little spot, free and with swimming hole and great running which pk and I made good use of. The next day we explored the old mining works a bit more and began the journey home.

Thats our holiday period in a nutshell, will post a few photo highlights. Lots of stuff coming up in the near future so stay posted.