Goth Party

The guy is my flatmate, and the girl on the left, I think thats Kenny Pane...

Karyn's Christening

Some of my favourite people: Aaron, Sara and Baby Karyn at Karyn's christening during February at the Arthurs Pass Chapel. They're off to Sweden now, Aaron via the Primal Quest in America. Friends dispersing over the world is a sad part of life these days.

The chapel at Arthurs Pass is a very spiritual place integrated into the surrounding bush with the light and sound flowing in from the bushy cascades through the nave.

I don't often notice many cultural differences with Sara (maybe its because I am blind to it!) but there is definitely an interesting different relationship between the Church and the people in Sweden, largely perhaps because the Church and the State were only seperated this century. Swedes like their religious ceremonies: "68 percent are baptised, 60 percent are married and 87 of funerals are held in church." even though less than 1% attend church regularly. I couldn't find the figures for NZ but would suspect despite much higher church attendances that the baptism (or christening) figure would be much lower...

A highlight ofthe ceremony apart from the smiling Karyn was Sara's brother in law Anders singing very well the traditional Swedish hymn's that go along with this occasion.

The christening and the gathering at the bach afterwards was a great occasion with a nice mix of family of friends who will be part of Karyn's community as she grows up. And also doubled as a celebration of Aaron and Sara and their relationship in lieu of the wedding in Sweden in September which many will be unable to attend. Good luck guys we'll miss you heaps.

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)