Kepler Trail NZ 2023

Hiking Group 2023 Mini Adventure

Last weekend our Hiking Group engaged in a mini-version of the event they’re training for – Kepler Track in NZ.

The goal of the training up until this point has been to build up to a “pack weight”. Our adventurers were asked to build up to a fitness that allowed them to complete 15km two days in a row before our hiking group even started. We then got in to wearing packs, starting at 5kg and building to 12kg this weekend, by adding 1kg every week. We have been completing anything from 10km – 18km every Saturday until now, and the original intention was to back up 18km with our 12kg packs.

Of course, nothing ever goes to plan in these groups! Firstly, the accommodation that we planned to hike in to was booked out until April (literally unheard of – its a bunkhouse that sleeps 40!).

Then, as we were driving in to our alternative hike, Google Maps took every one of the 4 cars in our group on a merry dance – at one point telling us that 40km was going to take 2.5hrs. Clare’s gps took her up the six-foot-track, which is a muddy, 4WD trail and she was in a Mazda 3… Anyway, half an hour late, rerouted a couple of times due to road closures, and 29km of potholed, unsealed road later – we finally got underway!

The Kanangra Boyd National Park is a spectacular mix of wind-swept alpine scrub, sheer cliff faces, and prehistoric jungle. We wandered to the lookout to start (brilliant), then ambled along, open-mouthed and incredulous for the next 2.5km – which took us an hour and a half! Unfortunately the track was too overgrown to continue not long after that, so we back tracked and took another track which promised us a mountain (or in the very least, a “top”). Of course… this was overgrown after a couple of kilometer too, and we lost the track all together when we tried to push through. At this point we were hungry, but the dense, march-fly and ant infested single trail left a lot to be desired in a lunch spot. We pushed through determinedly, when, right as we were about to give up we found a rock platform and a pleasing view, and settled down with our Jet-Boils to rehydrate our dehydrated lunch!

We made it back to the carpark by early afternoon, but we had only lugged our packs 10km, so continued on to Kanangra Falls. It wasn’t even a kilometre to the bottom but it was ALL STAIRS. Brilliant. Even better, there was a beautiful pool at the bottom of the falls where we could rinse off and refresh before the climb back out again. The team climbed out in 10min. With 12kg pack. Legends.

Considering most of us had been up since 5am (or a bit before), had been little balls of anxiety as we battled with our GPS, walked 12km with our 12kg packs in 6hrs… we were pretty pooped.

We had cabins in Oberon overnight, and rather than facing more dehydrated meals, we headed off to the RSL. At this point we had gathered enough information about our day 2 hike to realise that we were not going to gain access to the carpark we needed to leave a car in to complete the hike. Jenolan caves is only open to ticket holders at the moment, and as people who just wanted to hike, they wouldn’t allow us access to park. So, quick change of plans again!

Most of us had lights out by 9am – and we were up again with the birds to head out to Mount Victoria, about an hour away. We did part of the Victoria Falls to Blue Gum Forest hike, which included the Victoria Cascades. It was only about 6km, but at least two of those kilometres was down stairs, while another two was going up them. You might think the up was the difficult stage, but when you’re walking down you’re accelerating with gravity. The upshot is you’re absorbing between 1.3 and 3x your bodyweight – plus the pack – every, single, step… This meant the 60kg bodies among us were absorbing between 93kg – 216kg every step. So while the climb out certainly starts your heart, the true strength training happens on the descent. Safe to say we were trembly and wobbly by the time we got to the bottom.

At the bottom of the valley we followed the river through a magical landscape, stopping for snacks at the waterfalls, and even making time for a quick dip in the cascades.

At the end of the weekend, we have a firmer idea of how much we eat, how much we drink, clothing, equipment, and where our fitness sits. This was the sole purpose of our adventure this weekend, so I am feeling like we nailed it! We have 4 weeks to build our fitness up to a 15kg pack and 15km x 4 days in a row… I think we have got this!!

Hiking Group Jets Off!

So he managed to keep it quiet until the last minute, but we are flying out for our 2023 Hiking Group Adventure on Brave Dave’s birthday! So the team have made sure his day has started well by taking him out for a birthday drink.

Our Hiking Group culminated last Saturday with a interminable 20km jaunt out the back of Terry Hills. Our team had varying commitments so peeled off and headed back at various times, but Karla, Rod, Fiona, and Clare completed the whole trail – which turned out to be 19km – but was tough just the same. The rain held off until our last kilometre, but that last kilometre went forever!!!!

Once we get to Queenstown it’ll be the first time we’ve had our whole team all together! This year’s group was unique in that our participants lived from Sydney’s Northern Beaches, to the Blue Mountains, to Bathurst! This meant we headed out to the mountains more often than usual, and shared the leading between trainers.

We have a special mission to assign a nickname to every participant. So far we have Brave Dave, Rocket Rod, Amazing Jen, Ninja Clare, and FAB (fiona, she just gets FAB because that happens to be her initals too!). We’re still working on the rest…

So, we are currently excited, waiting for our flight and making duty free purchases! We’ll be in Queenstown tonight, then we have Lakeview rooms in Manapouri tomorrow – after that don’t expect to hear from us until Saturday, as we will be out of range and busy adventuring in Fiordland National Park.

Day 1 in NZ

Day 1 for our 2023 IntoYou Hiking Group has already been eventful and adventurous!

Firstly, we had conflicting advice regarding dehydrated foods in the airport. All of us had to undergo a bag inspection as well as a shoe inspection and X-Ray, but we eventually jumped all the hoops and made it out to the waiting shuttle.

We were late last night in getting to our accommodation and found it locked up and dark. We called the after hours phone, no answer. We called the number on the front door, no answer. We tried connecting to the internet, using the password provided on a note at the front desk, and failed. We were hungry, stale, and befuddled. That is, until FAB stepped in… looking closely at the note, she remarked “Clare, this is addressed to you” and proceeded to read the instructions for gaining access to our rooms!

The wonderful Phil from Haula Private Shuttle had kindly waited out the front for us, to drop us downtown for dinner, where we finally found a restaurant that was open past nine so we could get some dinner!

This morning we woke to breathtaking views over Queenstown’s lake. It has snowed overnight, so the mountains were capped, and there was wonderful, moody clouds weaving through the valleys. We had free play until 12 today, so most of us made our way up the gondola. Amazing Jen and FAB went down the luge, with the rest of us content with photos at the top.

Phil from Haula picked us up again at 12, and took us to a camping store and supermarket so we could replace what customs took, and pick up whatever else we needed for the trip. He made regular lookout, loo, and coffee stops, so the 2hr drive took 4hrs, but it was spectacular – I am pretty sure no one minded! So now we are ensconced in our second motel for the trip, looking out over the stunning Lake Manapouri.

It hasn’t taken us long to work out there’s no water, though. Nothing to drink and no way to flush the toilet, so Karla is off to investigate and hopefully get it turned back on again!

Kepler Trail Day 1

Oooch Day 1 of the Kepler Trail was flagged as a tough one. Most of us had a sleepless night, despite the leisurely start. We were picked up at 9.45am… but it felt like 6.45am. It was only just light, there had been snow overnight, and tension was high.

There was a big squish to get our bags in the van, and many of us ended up with our bags on our laps, which didn’t help the general mood. When we went to drop our bags off at our end-point-motel, no one was at reception, however we made ourselves at home – took a photo and left a note – and made our way to the water taxi with minutes to spare.

It was the moment before getting on the taxi that the mood turned to excitement. The sky had cleared, the water was crystal clear, and we were going on an adventure! As soon as we popped off the boat in Brod Bay we were on another planet. White, sandy beaches and crystal clear blue water, then as soon as you ducked under the shade of the trees you were transported to The Lord of the Rings; bright green sphagnum moss, kiwi burrows, ferns as far as the eye could see, and gnarled cabbage trees.

We had a quick toilet break – if you see a toilet you use it on this trail – and then we began! It took about 2hrs of climbing before we hit the snow line, and then the magic hit a new level. The snow in the trees was melting as we walked, providing a soundtrack to the climb that was like a meditation soundtrack. About another hour of climbing got us out of the forest, and then the views opened up. We spent a while above the treeline, admiring Lake Te Anau and the distant mountains.

It was here that Carol earned her nickname “Jack”. She had asked a fellow hiker who was on their way down the mountain to let us know where she was. This hiker let us know that our “Jack Rabbit” friend was on a rock having a cup of tea further up the mountain!!!

The hut came in to view not much further along. The first thing we noticed was the plethora of Kea hanging about the doors, tearing chunks off the eaves, and having a marvellous romp in the snow. The Kea have the intelligence and mischievous inclinations of a 4.5YO child, and they were very entertaining to watch – however precautions had to be taken to keep our things safe!

A few of us took a little extra walk this afternoon to go and see the Luxmore Cave. It was about 10min from the hut and reported to have glow worms. Unfortunately, we had forgotten headlamps, so didn’t venture far enough to see the glow worms (if there were any), but it was a wonderful mini-adventure all the same!

This evening Karla earned her nickname too – Garbage Guts – or GG. Not only did she finish everyone else’s meals, she had two dinners herself!

This evening most of us were tucked up in bed by 7… 12 hrs seemed about adequate to recover from the days efforts!!

Day 2

Something i forgot to tell you earlier was a little story that occurred on the way to Manapouri a few days ago. We were all admiring the lake on the way out of Queenstown, when Karla asked if they got whales often?

Yes.

Whales.

In an inland lake.

Dave insisted on including this story, and another one where Karla popped up and decided to go look for Kiwi’s at lunchtime (they’re nocturnal). She didn’t really live either of these one’s down, especially when this morning happened…!!

So this morning everyone in the common kitchen was grumbling about the “jerkface” who’s alarm went off before dawn, waking the entire 40 sleeping tenants of the hut… then we discovered it was Karla! She was mortified, she described the sound of Rod sighing as he was rudely awoken by her alarm, her face beet red and her hands covering it; her phone is usually on silent but this morning it was NOT!!

There’s been a long running joke at IntoYou that we only hire blonde, female personal trainers. Karla was apparently our first brunette, but now i am not so sure!! Anyway, Dave will be bringing an extra coffee for Karla to his training session on Friday, hoping to ameliorate her resentment and enjoy a session at the usual intensity (i don’t see that being likely Dave!!!).

It wasn’t the only time we broke hut-etiquette this morning. As we were finishing our packing (at 8am, mind you, not obnoxiously early), another tenant sat up and asked us to talk outside… oops. We were out the door and taking photos a bit after 8am, and we all enjoyed one of Cindi’s team hugs!!

Dave has brought along 4 radio’s which we have been using for communication. This is a change from the previous 11 years of gym trips where Clare would support the rear end of the group, dash up the front when it was time to stop or something happened, then dash back to the rear to bring them up to speed! It was positively luxurious until Justine decided to give us a lesson in how to use the radio’s properly. Worse still, i couldn’t remember the lessons as well as i could remember what i wasn’t supposed to do – so ended up doing the radio wrong and deliberately poking the Juzzy-bear with my mis-management!! It was just the first in many times we heard muttered “i’m sick of these amateurs” over her confiscated radio (i am sure she wished she could confiscate them all!!).

Jen has been coming on these trips for 11 years, she was on our very first cycle around Samoa (you can read about those adventures here!) and was monikered “Amazing Jen” by Kass during our first trip in Nepal (you can read about that adventure here). Jen has lived up to her name spectacularly, carrying one of the lightest packs, then whipping out a mint slice to enjoy with her cup of tea, and a mattress when she didn’t want to sleep on the plastic ones provided by the huts… AMAZING Jen and her Mary-Poppins bag were true to form this year as well!

Today’s hike started with a slippery trudge through ice and snow along the tips of Mount Luxmore. We found our first survival hut (didn’t need it), cued up for our first toilet since yesterday morning (not including the hut), and suffered through FOUR HOURS OF STEEP DOWNHILL hiking. To pass the time, Kass was looking for heart shaped rocks and lakes and natural features, but we still spent 8hrs with our 15kg packs on our backs, and it hurt a lot.

However today was also the day that most of us found our favourite section of the whole trail… the ridgeline. The ridgeline was several kilometres along a knife’s edge of a mountain’s peak. Spectacular views down both sides. We lunched there, threw snowballs, and generally had a marvellous time before embarking on the much more serious business of absorbing our bodyweight (and that of the pack) in the down hill section. There was over 300 switchbacks to get down to Iris Burn, our next night’s accommodation, and without exaggeration, it took the team between 3 and 4 hours.

I have got to mention, that even though the downhill today was interminable, it was also another equally lush and diverse forest, only this time it was Beech trees! The different ferns, mosses, funghi and other growths made you feel like you were walking with the fairies. Or dinosaurs. Or Bilbo Baggins (depending on which group you were walking with).

The minute we got in to the hut, Karla and Clare headed off for a swim in the river. They had it to themselves so took of everything except their undies and had a wash. The water was so cold their feet went numb before they could get their bodies in, but it was G L O R I O U S just the same to get the dust and grime off their bodies.

Ali and Justine shared food on this trip. Justine did the cooking wrong for the second time tonight, adding too much water and generally making a mess of a dehydrated meal! Ali was very exacting in her standards, which haven’t been met yet, and watching their banter has been a lot of fun. I daresay Ali will be cooking tomorrow though!

Despite Cindi being as bruised and sore as the rest of us, she went around and offered everyone who wanted one a neck massage. What a legend. Cindi is definitely the most tactile of the lot of us, frequently going in for hugs and cuddles and massages, even when she’s half dead on her feet herself.

Poor ol’ dad (Clare’s dad) keeps getting married off to women who are not Clare’s mum. This morning someone asked Cindi if he was her husband, this afternoon another hiker asked Karla… no-one tell my mum. She will hunt them down. She will find them, and she will do something awful to them i am sure!

Day 3

Today.

We.

Were.

F*king.

Sore.

Day 3 of our Kepler Track adventure dawned on a group who’s calves had seized, backs were aching, and shoulders were refusing to take a backpack.

To make it worse, we knew we had to hike even further today – although by all reports the trail was easier, there was a mountain called “Heartbreak Hill” somewhere on it, which didn’t bode well for our dysfunctional ankles and shoulders…

It all started in the morning, when Kepler 10 (Justine’s radio code) turned up late and out of sorts. She was stubborn regarding the radio etiquette, and we were equally as obstinate in our refusal to learn.

While we were waiting for Grumpy-Kepler-10-Bum Cindi and Kass came down swinging a pair of knickers from their stocks – they’d recognised Karla’s underwear… what does that say about the amount of time we’ve spent together?? I didn’t ask how they recognised it, as i am not sure i want to know!

Today we walked in a literal fairyland. Lusher landscape than we had ever seen before, shady, cool, covered in bright red toadstools with little white dots, and peppered with little blue ducks. It was magic.

We made excellent time, despite the contents of Kass’s backpack being distributed among the group. She was not well yesterday so we took turns in fussing over her that little bit extra to make sure she made it to the end – including cooking her lunch. About half the day she was telling us about the heart shaped rock she found, and then we realised she was bloody carrying the thing in her pockets! Kass, carrying rocks while the rest of us took her gear! It was quite incredible what a light pack and decent lunch can do for a girl, Kass was high on carbs and tap-dancing the second half of the hike.

Unfortunately, our Jack Rabbit jumped right off from the group today. Her enthusiasm and immersion in the hike meant she lost track of us. Karla made a solid effort to try and catch her, but when lunchtime came she found a spot for us to settle down and we hoped that Carol was already at the hut reserving us our bunks.

She wasn’t.

The last dregs of our group happened to notice a path off to the right to the lake, just as it came in to view. Kass decided to pop her head down it and there Carol was, enjoying the lakeside, for over an hour while she waited for us! It was lucky Kass stopped because if they went past we would have missed her all together.

Towards the end of the day Rocket Rod radio’d the group to stand-by, sounding tired. We acknowledged him, and were met with radio silence. There were attempts at contact which sounded like something had or was happening, so Karla took off to make sure he was all right. Justine was put in charge of keeping the rest of the group together, while Clare also left them and started walking with urgency down the trail.

False alarm.

The radio had just chosen that moment to stop working.

The relief was magnified by the beauty of our new hut. Right on lake Manapouri, the second deepest lake in NZ at over 400m, it was so magnificent even Rocket Rod was convinced to appreciate it properly by immersing his whole body in it!

From Amazing Jen’s Mary Poppins bag came a full size tube of Harissa Paste that Ali and Justine were using to flavour their dehydrated meals. The deal was that they share their chocolate pudding with Jen, but when the time came, they did not, despite it looking like a runny dog turd. Jen bailed Justine up later in the evening, and Justine had to part with a precious snack sized snickers bar to make up for it!!

On another note, how does Ali’s hair continue to look so silky and pretty after 3 days in the bush?? She won’t tell us.

It’s also finally getting warmer. For the past two nights we’ve only needed one layer of sleeping clothes to be warm instead of everything we own. We have also been very lucky with the weather, it’s supposed to rain every third day in Fiordland, yet we have not yet seen a drop!

Day 4

Day 4 of our Kepler Track adventure was forecast to rain. We were resigned to this and rather relieved to sue our gear, since it had been sitting in our bags being lugged from one end of the ranges to the other for four days!

Getting to our bus on time meant getting up 30min earlier, and there were a ew sprinkles on the way to breakfast but we couldn’t see the sky in the dark! We began our hike in the dark, and as we sweated under our ponchos’ it became apparent that it still wasn’t going to rain, and we gradually began taking them off!

We didn’t see any Kiwi.

We did see an extraordinary Bog.

Not that kind of Bog.

A swamp bog! It’s a melted glacier with no water coming in, nor out, with a unique eco-system for that reason.

After just a couple of hours, and two swinging bridges we made our rendezvous with the bus, and have made our way to Te Anau for the most breath-taking part of the whole trip – a hot shower and a fresh salad.

It’s raining now as i write this, and i just want to thank the Gods for their calm and sunny interventions as we walked one of the windiest and rainiest hikes on the planet!

I have to say, that even though it was only 4 days, this trip was hard. The packs add another level of fitness to all aspects of your fitness – you have to balance harder, you have to absorb more impact, you have to lift more – and then repeat that for 8hrs straight. On the one hand, it has been brilliant to return to the “rite of passage” style gym trip, on the other, i didn’t expect to go through it myself (again!).

None of us on this trip are particularly special. We’re old, injured, overweight, living with chronic disease, and have chronic injuries. So at the same time, all of us are also extraordinary because we’ve overcome these things, as well as fear, self doubt, and self confidence to go ahead and give it a crack anyway.

I’m guessing that no one, except perhaps ourselves, are surprised that every single one of us made it :-)

Day 5 and 6

Day 5 was a rest day, nothing much to report!

Day 6 on the other hand, we finally got to use our rain gear!!! This day saw us to the Milford Sound track, and even though it was soggy we were still lucky!

Despite our earliest wake-up time yet, daylight savings ended in NZ so we actually got an extra hour! The rain was pounding down as we got dressed and ready in the dark, and we met out the front draped in brightly coloured ponchos like a group of oddly shaped parakeets. The rain had eased by the time we were in the street, and we had a pleasant 5min jaunt to the Department of Conservation where we were meeting the bus.

The bus arrived just as we were getting antsy about it being late, confused about daylight savings. It had to run a filter burn off so we were taken back to the depot where we switched busses. We also had two hikers that had completed the Kepler Trail before us, and were off to do the Routeburn Trail that day.

Grace, and her 64year old mother, were from Melbourne. While Grace sat in the back of the bus and promptly fell asleep, Mai sat in the front seat and regaled us of her adventures, since discovering hiking 10 years ago. She was a character, loved the fact we were mostly women, loved the rain and the atmosphere it evoked, loved the company, the sharing, and the storytelling. So when it was time to hop off to begin their trek, she insisted on sitting on the bus with us another hour to Milford Sound, and being dropped back to the Routeburn Trialhead on the way home.

By the time we finally made it to Milford Sound, we were late, and busting for the loo. There were only two loo’s, so we were made even later by the fact we waited patiently for eachother to go! Thankfully we made it ahead of a group of about 20 kayakers!

Once we were on the water taxi we discovered that she had participated in the Homer Tunnel Nudie run the night before. The Homer Tunnel was started in the 1930’s by men who were out of work during the great depression. The idea was that it would keep them busy and reduce crime, and as far as I know it worked! It was finished in 1954, and the remains of the bakehouse that fed the builders can be seen on the side of the road to this day. The nudie run is an annual, community event where the participants can wear shoes, and a head torch, but otherwise run the 1.2 kilometres naked. I’m not sure if they raise money, or do it for the entertainment, but it happened and our water taxi driver participated in it! She had a scratch on her face from where she’d tripped over, but seemed otherwise unharmed by the experience!

Milford Sound is obviously connected to the ocean, and we were waiting for Karla to ask again about the whale, but she didn’t dare (or didn’t wonder)! If you don’t get the joke, then you need to read Day 2 Kepler Trail here! We keep telling her that there’s no such thing as a stupid question, but she refuses to ask any now!

The rain continued to ease as we came to the aptly named Sandfly Point. We were grateful to have Dave with us as he was a Sandfly magnet. While we were swarmed, he was swarmed even more, he had to keep jiggling and moving for the entire 4hrs we were there to protect himself.

We were also lucky that it had rained, because all the waterfalls were teaming with crystal clear water. The track was a moist, luminescent green, and relatively easy to walk. We saw two wild Weka, one of the many, rare flightless birds that the predator-free New Zealand South Island is famous for (natural predator free anyway, i think there are introduced foxes and other animals that are a bit of a disaster for a bird that can’t fly). In the whitewater of the waterfall we also spotted two Whio, a duck that thrives in the rough waters of New Zealand’s rivers.

The rain stopped in time for us to sit down by the biggest waterfall for lunch, about 5.5km in from Sandfly Point, and we watched the weary Milford Trackers shuffle across the swinging bridge on their way to their first hot shower in several days. On the way back to our water taxi Rod thought he’d demonstrate his wife’s faceplant (they’d completed the Milford Track together a couple of years ago), accidentally, actually faceplanting while he was at it! He went to put his hand down on the moss, which was camouflaging a great big hole in the ground, fell through the hole and entertained the hikers around him with a proper stack! No one was harmed in the making of the video ;-)

Despite coming back to the Motel late, Karla and Clare till managed a dip in the lake. We are 5 for 6 in our Cold Water Challenge, with just one more day to go! We also have just one more hike on these weary limbs, another spectacular, yet different one called Marian’s Lake before we turn around and make our way home again tomorrow.

The Kepler Trail Team

Today i want to tell you a little bit about each of the team that came to Kepler with us, because it seems like many of us don’t go ahead and try things like this adventure; not because we don’t want to, but because we don’t think we can. Everyone has their “stuff”, and our Kepler trekkers are no exception.

Each and every participant that comes on our adventures has something to over come, and they’re all like you! So if it’s insecurity, self doubt, or fear holding you back – IntoYou’s adventures are the place to overcome it.

Kass had knee surgery a year ago. She signed up from the hospital. It was her 4th knee injury and she had only just rehab’d enough to start walking again when we started training. The training was HARD too! I asked the team to be able to do 15km, two days in a row, before starting the training for this trip because we were going to start loading them from the start. Kass had a much steeper training curve than most, and made it to the end in pain, but with an amazing attitude. I wasn’t surprised, though, as she had come to Annapurna with us just 6 weeks after one of her earlier knee surgeries!

FAB Fiona broke her foot a year ago, and yes, it was in the gym. She was couch-ridden for weeks and to this day walks with a limp when she wakes up, despite months of rehab, mobilising, physio, and more. She has embraced the challenges with such a wonderful, open mind, that it isn’t surprising that she has accomplished everything she set out to do. She was always up for a laugh, even when she was in pain, and just kept putting one foot in front of the other… and look at her now!

Rocket Rod had such a wonderful time on the Milford Sound track that he came back and signed up for Kepler, despite it raining the entire period of his Milford experience! He’s Clare’s dad, an ex-athlete, and doesn’t have the same confidence issues that the rest of us might struggle with. However he has come back from a debilitating illness, and managed the annoyance of plantar fasciitis to complete this trip – as I said, all of us have “stuff” (except perhaps for Jen).

Amazing Jen is neither old, chronically ill, overweight, or suffering from self doubt. She does however, have frequent daytime naps – and i am certain that this is the fountain of health! She’s the exception and that’s part of why we call her amazing Jen! She’s had her fair share of “stuff” through the years, and the best analogy I have is her Mary Poppins bag. Right now, she always has just the thing in that bag, however she had to pack and discard an awful lot of sh*t to get the hang it. She’s adventurous, interesting, and fun, and 100% not interested in what someone else thinks..

Brave Dave has been on many of these trips, and throughout the years has managed obesity, surgery, and the physical recovery from the surgeries. This time is no different except that the challenge is looking after a loved one at home who is being treated for a life threatening illness. He’s brave, nurturing, and a stoic support for all who walk with him.

Justine came to this program with a shoulder injury, and after a shattering personal event. She’s been nothing but reliable, fun, and cheeky despite a few days of severe pain. She tried so hard to teach us how to use radio’s properly but she’s either a terrible teacher, or we have problems with our brains, and the outcome was no one really learned. Justine also came to Nepal with us in 2018, which was an ordeal (to say the least), and you can read about here!

I didn’t really know Ali until this trip, but in our training she was fun, a fast walker, and now that I think of it, she always had exceptionally pretty hair. She has taken time out from a demanding, high pressure corporate job to be here, and while the digital detox was challenging, it was also a blessed relief. I also learned that her silky strands stay silky even at the top of a mountain with several days sweat…

Cindi is also neck deep in stressful life events, yet has hardly missed a training session. She’s a single mum, working full time, and the rock of her family. As our “camp mum” she’s been doling out massages, hugs, and support, while juggling the mental stresses of what’s going on at home. She’s positive, resilient, and always has time for others.

Carol owns her own, very successful business, is a mum to four boys (now men), and still manages to mountain bike, hike, and adventure all over Australia and the world. She’s a little hurricane of energy! Carol also came to Nepal 5yrs ago, you can meet her further here and read those adventures here.

This trip was Karla’s first sporting adventure as well. Karla has always been sporty, and has carried a deep resentment to the “pretty, popular” girl at highschool for campaigning and winning Sports Captain despite never participating in sport at the school. However Karla was still terrified of the unknown, and the prospect of this adventure was daunting. She’s had sore feet, sore muscles, sore brains, but she’s also maintained a steady, supportive, and bubbly attitude that has endeared her to the whole group. In fact, she has multiple social engagements over here, going for a cup of tea with one group, a coffee with another, a bailies with another, and so on. It is not hard to see why she always has a lunch, dinner, or brunch engagement at home!

Which brings me to me. Whenever I get home from these adventures, I meet a variety of people, old and young, fit and not-so-fit, who say “gee I’d love to do that”. When asked why they don’t, they usually come up with a variety of reasons akin to what our team above is dealing with right at this moment:
“I’m not fit enough”
“I’m not strong enough”
“I hurt my foot”
“I need to be here for my kids/mum/loved one”
“I can’t leave my business”
“I’m too old”

and so on… All of these reasons are valid, but if you really did want to do something, they are also possible to overcome. I look to people like Turia Pitt, who learned to run again after horrific burns. She literally overcame one obstacle at a time – she doesn’t sweat, so how is she going to off load heat when she runs? Her burns are really right around her joints, so how is she going to mobilise the skin, tendons, and ligaments to make the running action possible? and so on.

People will say to me “yeah, but you’ve always been fit” and that’s true. However I have also had a bowel resection (and recovered from it), removed a tumour that weighed half a kilo and was the size of a grapefruit (and recovered from that surgery), experienced three hernias (and surgery, and recovery), prolapse, stress incontinence, ruptured discs in my spine, and mental illness. Sometimes multiples of these at once.

To be here, on this trip this week, I had to manage care for my children, an inflammatory bowel condition (and the consequences when I got it wrong), a back injury, and plantar fasciitis; one step at a time.

So, if you would reeeaaaallllyyy like to do something like this, believe me, you CAN. We simply need time, persistence, and a bit of mental agility. All of the reasons why you can’t do it might be true, but they’re simultaneously NOT reasons why you can’t come along; they’re simply blocks, or hurdles, that we need to overcome to make it possible for you.

Now, you’ve got a few weeks to let that settle.

We’ll probably be going to Nepal again next year, and details will follow in the coming weeks.

Are you ready to give it a crack?

The Final Day of Hiking in NZ

Our final day of hiking for our Kepler team was EPIC. So epic, in fact, that it has taken me until now to recover long enough to write about it.

We were down to 8 in number, as Carol, Dave, and Jen decided to explore Te Anau by eBike. They took off about 8.30am and by all reports had a wonderful day!

The epic-ness of my day started with Karla, bouncing back in to our motel room after one of the best breakfasts she’d ever had. The sourdough was to die for. The playlist at the cafe was awesome. Her eggs were done to perfection. Her coffee was amazing. and on. and on. and on… To top her off, she’d even had a great sleep! She was beside herself and had no where to put her energy – i guessed it was time to go!

Our bus wasn’t until 9.45am, and thankfully this one arrived and collected us without any dramas. I’d given us 4hrs to complete 9km before our bus ride home again. My expectations were:

an easier hike
a shorter hike
another brilliant and different landscape
a bit of a meander along a glacier-fed river
having a leisurely lunch beside an alpine lake
i was open to finishing my cold water challenge in said alpine lake

At first, all my expectations were met. The water was crystal clear, a bright aqua colour, and we were surrounded on all sides by lush rainforest. The trail was an easy-to-follow boardwalk, and our first 2km was a piece of cake.

Things rapidly went uphill, in the literal and figurative sense, from there.

The whole 3km to the lake was supposed to take 1.5hrs. At 2hrs in, we still had 45min to go. There were ROOTS. There were rock scrambles. There were amazing views that we absolutely had to stop at. I turned Kass and Fiona around, and Cindy came back voluntarily, but then there was no sign of Rocket Rod, Juz, and Ali.

Now, i had the first aid kit, and 2L of extra water, and had also learned of Ali’s spectacular sense of mis-direction this week, so i was a little concerned about the people out front. Furthermore, every one of those people were extremely competitive and goal-oriented.

The goal was the lake.

The bus was coming in 2hrs.

Time to run.

Karla shot off ahead to try and catch them, and I shot off a bit slower behind her, in order to get the first aid kit to the back of our group (assuming they’d be turned around). The remainder of the trail was muddy, so steep in sections that I was climbing, ladder-like, up embankments, and dotted with crumbly river beds.

I was all-the-way gassed.

Karla was all-the-way-gassed.

But we caught them.

Unfortunately Karla and I are goal-oriented too.

The goal was the lake.

The bus was coming in 1 & 3/4 hrs.

Time to run.

Run we did! We made it to the lake in 15min. We took a pic. De-layered. Did a wee. Shovelled in some sugar. Then we turned around to run back down as fast as we dared without injuring ourselves.

Rocket Rod was adamant he wasn’t going to run, and left before we’d finished our tasks above. Karla took off ahead to try and catch the others who were turned around – we’d asked them to have a break so she was to get them up and moving again. I stayed behind with Ali and Justine, who decided to make it down in under an hour (and preferably without two broken ankles).

We caught up with both our turned-arounders and Rocket Rod at the same time, with about 20min left until the 60min goal to get down. Ali mentioned to Rocket Rod they were aiming for under an hour. Rod couldn’t resist, and next thing you know, this man who hasn’t run in 20-odd-years is leaping and bounding like a gazelle over the terrain like someone half his age. Karla flew off with them, and I kept the first aid kit firmly at the back of the pack and walked down with the rest of our crew.

Understandably, Cindy, FAB, and Kass were disappointed at not making it to the lake, but there was no way of knowing the trail was going to be quite so difficult. All of them had the best attitude though, and they had done their best, stayed safe, and seen some amazing things.

True to Murphey’s Law, the bus was late. There was time for my last cold-water challenge in the icy river, as well as lunch at the bus stop, before the bus finally arrived to take us back to Te Anau.

Special mention has to go to Rod and Karla, who completed the cold-water challenge today… but waited for the relatively warm lake waters of Te Anau… Still bloody cold though!

At dinner that night Juz, Ali, Karla, and Rod were absolutely chuffed with their efforts. It was like the running endorphins were still circulating, and they were so proud of themselves! None of them had ever run before, with the exception of Rod who hadn’t run in 20 years and was only a year past his last hip replacement. There is something special about fighting for something, or giving it all you’ve got and achieving it, that’s addictive – kinda like walking the Kepler Trail!

I am really proud of our trekkers – or trampers as they say in NZ. They’ve been wet, uncomfortable, scared, and exhausted but without exception have done it with a solid attitude and continued to keep trying. I am so happy our annual adventures are back baby!