| Leader | Mentor | Understudy | Tail Ender | |
| Standards | Chris S | Steve B | Warren | Veronica |
| Alternates | Ray B | Norma | Ali | Tessa |
Stats: distance 13.4km, ascent 750m, time 5 hrs (approx.)
We woke to an overcast day and a question mark over the day’s tramp proceeding but it turned out to be another clear Camp Saddle and Helicopter Hill day. A big thank you was extended to the Weather Team for making the call to go ahead. We were 38 strong (19 in each walking group) including visitors Peter D, Catherine L and Maureen L-C . Bus driver Viktor was warmly welcomed after an absence of some weeks.
This is a favourite tramp for many – it has something for everyone. It begins with a walk up the skifield road followed by a broad track through beech forest with korimako/bellbird song as an accompaniment. Reading previous trip reports, it has most often been fair weather walking. So it was on Wednesday. Coming out of the tree cover the cloud was breaking up offering glimpses of the Castle Hill Basin.
There was dew on the tussock as we wound our way up and across the slopes, making for soggy trouser bottoms. Some were beginning to describe the climb as “unrelenting” while our leader, who had mentioned that the family dog for the past five days had been taking him for daily runs, was bounding up the hill like a puppy fresh off a leash. Meanwhile the cloud continued to break tantalising us with the possibility of ever better views.
Camp Saddle provides that view. On this occasion it wasn’t a clear day when you can see forever – it was spectacular nonetheless. Looking up we could see the top of the Craigieburn skifield and ahead was the start of the rocky ridge we were to navigate after lunch. It was chilly at the top. With extra layers on we started what can be the most challenging part of the walk. The track here is narrow and there are parts where the ridge is such that using hands for extra points of contact with the earth can feel like a good strategy. It’s exhilarating to have accomplished this part of the walk and chat turned to how alternate is not a noun in English (unless you’re speaking American English) however if Alternates became the Alternatives might there be an expectation that they be unorthodox?
Taking time to remove stones from boots at the bottom of the scree it was agreed that perhaps the hardest part of scree walking is at the top looking over the edge! There were people new to scree walking among us. Happily we’d all got down intact and seemed to have enjoyed it enough to want to come back and do it again. NB It was later revealed that someone who didn’t want to be named had taken a fall on the scree and in addition to a shin scrape had torn their favourite pear picking pants. Camp Saddle is a relatively long tramp and on our return walk tired legs lead to some cramping and several slips and stumbles. Fortunately none resulted in injury.
The Alternates’ walk also began on the skifield road then followed the Luge Track to Lyndon Saddle. Some stopped here for lunch while others continued up to the top of Helicopter Hill. After lunch the group continued together via the Craigieburn Valley and Sidle 73 to return to Mistletoe Flat. This walk along the eastern and southern sides of Helicopter Hill completed the circuit. The Alternates had a wait of nearly two hours for the Standards to return.
Txt by Jen
