| Leader | Mentor | Understudy | Tail Ender | |
| Standards | Jan Ba | Chris | Keith | Jan M |
| Alternates | Peter | Norma | Liz | Margaret S |
After leaving clouds and traffic woes in Christchurch [a crash on Bentley St had delayed the bus by about 25 mins], Victor our driver deposited us at the Mt. Alford carpark in sunshine where our intrepid leader, Jan Bb, began the tramp up the D.O.C. track. This was her first ascent!!!! Earlier President Keith had welcomed 44 trampers including visitors Sophia and Moira after handing round chocky treats courtesy of Alan H’s reaching a significant birthday milestone.
Mt. Alford was named after Lord Alford who was a member of the Canterbury Association formed in England in 1848 to organise emigration to establish Canterbury and capital ChCh in N.Z.. This started in 1850 but was not a financial success for the founding members and so wound up in 1855. Lord Alford died in 1951, aged 38.
The tramp was a mix of bush, tussock and subalpine shrubland. The bush was wet in parts which suits the lowland totara and kahikatea. Apparently the settlers felled many trees in this area. In 1882 it was thought there were diamonds here. Mining companies and prospectors applied for licences and a settlement called Diamond Town was laid out. However the diamonds turned out to be crystals and so it was back to felling timber. Happily several species of small birds live in the remaining bush today although we didn’t hear much birdsong.
The soft golden tussockland greeted us as we came out of the bush and the views over the plains and Ashburton River on one side and the Pudding Hill Range on the other were splendid.
Climbing up along a fence line in subalpine shrubland popped us over a hill to see a white globe (observatory) peeking over yet another hillside. This was one of those tramps where there was yet another “summit” before the top. A rickety picnic table was the alternatives lunch spot but we continued up on shingly stones almost to the ridge where we lunched with amazing views spread out before us. Clouds in the distance looked like mountains with the white ones peaking the grey.
Unfortunately our late start caught up with us and we joined the alternatives on the way back to the bus. Perhaps we’ll make it to the top next time!!! Text by Nicky
