| Leader | Mentor | Understudy | Tail Ender | |
| Standards | Warren | Janne | Dave F | Janice |
| Alternates | Ray B | Gavin | Brent | Soo |
Standards: distance 9.5km, elevation gain 650m, time 5hrs
Your correspondent tramped with the “A” team today (aka the Alternates) along with 18 other souls. My earliest recollection of the tramp was reading the leader’s guide some years ago. What became etched in my memory was “a steady uphill climb.” Nothing at all about it being an “in your face grind with little relief.” Whatever, the views were as superb as the weather, with the brown tussock complementing the brilliant blue of the lake itself. It was hard to imagine what it must have been like before humans arrived some 500 years ago and burned down the podocarp forest dominated by great trees such as totara and matai allowing tussock and scrub to take over.
The wonderful views evoked several wistful memories (wistful memories are one of the strengths of the Club). A memory, which was fit to print, involved one tramper as a 12-year-old on holiday near the lake paddling his kayak near the water intake of the power station and wondering why a whirlpool was close to his boat. When he looked up and read all the warning signs, he admitted to feeling rather chastened. The power station was one of the earliest substantial power stations in New Zealand. Currently (if you’ll pardon the pun!) there are five active turbines with two that are 100 years, or over, old.
By the way, Peak Hill itself is a roche moutonnee (or sheepback rock) which has been formed as outlined in the diagram. This gives you an idea of the depth of the ice!
From the Standards: The views from the Peak Hill summit (1240 m) of Lake Coleridge and the snow-capped mountains beyond were great as usual but the wind meant we didn’t linger long to view them. We dropped down just a short way to a nice sheltered hollow where we had lunch.
The next part of the trip from the summit down to the ‘corner’ where two fence lines meet and there’s a DOC sign saying ‘Peak Hill Conservation Area’ is a little bit rough underfoot as there’s no formed track and there are also many spaniard grasses to avoid (which not everyone did). It was commented that it was much much easier than the descent from Boundary Hill however. We made good time to the sign (about 45 min from lunch) and were there about 2pm. At that point, we estimated we’d be back at the bus by 3.30 which proved about right.
Note of thanks: As with virtually all BTC tramping trips the leaders, mentors and tailenders again performed an excellent job for which I for one was very grateful.
PS The much unloved spaniard grass is a member of the carrot family!
Txt by Bill S
