Our party of 7, me and the 6 guys. Apparently I was in the group to bring the average age down, and they needed a daisy amongst all those thorns. Haha! We head down Buck Taylor, unusually not too slippery, reaching the point where we head cross country. We bash our way through the undergrowth, and reach Old Baldy! Where's a machete when needed!!! Old Baldy really lives up to it's name, definitely worth photos surveying the expansive wetlands and pounding surf 225 metres below.
Stunning vista captured, now the scramble down the other side of Old Baldy, requiring "sustained loss of traction" and "mud skiing" to reach the bottom stepping stones across the stream to stop for lunch at the hut. Upon arriving, meet about 20 people from another club. A very social lunch break, whilst loftily gazing to Old Baldy where we'd just slid down.
No rest for the wicked, are feet dry on the Pararaha Stream track an oxymoron?! Mission impossible, not impossible, successfully completed, still dry, well, all bar one party member, leaving it to the last stream crossing to test the water temperature. Haha! Brrrrrr!!!!
This has always been one of my favourite tracks in the Waitak's as it provides diversity, not just walking, there's climbing, hauling yourself up and down and balance required, much better than any gym! There's plenty of opportunities to embrace your inner Japanese Tourist and take photos of the incredibly sheer rock faces either side and the massive boulders and waterfalls you're clambering over! You could reel off a whole memory card of photos and still miss something in this dramatic, rugged area! Especially through the waterfall area where the old dam/log jam is!
Are we there yet, ............ not quite! Just the last 15 minutes back up the "Stairway to Heaven" on the Odlin Timber Track back to Home Sweet Bus!
Another brilliant tramp, heaps of chilarking and teamwork along the way! Who needs a comedy show for entertainment!
Almost at the top of Odlin Timber, diesel fumes waft past. Toddling around the corner, spot the "fast's" had moved "Big Yellow" to the other side of the car park for ease of loading.
So two groups back, and about 15 minutes later 4 of the third group arrive back. Ummm, where are the rest???!!! Still on the track with one very exhausted newbie's boot malfunction/failure, now 4pm, so when they'd not arrived by 4.30pm the first rescue party re-geared and headed back down Buck Taylor fully armed with torches and headlights, knowing it would be dark by 5.15pm. Last ones located, and phoned us to send another party down with boots and the very useful duct tape!! Everyone out and back on the bus by about 6.35pm. It all ended ok thanks to fantastic team work and ample equipment.
Many thanks to Bumper to organising another great day out.