2015/01/08) …This day started a bit cold and cloudy and after our shopping run to one of the surrounding villages, i convinced my short time travel partner to hike a bit in the forest. On the entrance where about 3 different maps of the area and it was routine for me to take a picture of it. I always use them for checking the tracks, distances and as timestamps for the hiking start. Sadly the written distances and durations for the tracks didn’t said anything about the small hiking loop we tried to make and even there was no scale or description of the difficult degree of the trails. I guessed about 2-4 hours hike to do the loop and this was also for her a time she could deal with it and i started equipped for this distance only with ma 1,5l water camelback, short trousers and t-shirt. She decided to hike in long jeans, long sleeve shirt, thick coat, low shoes and nothing for drinking. Okay, i’m not her mum but i asked her, if she really want’s to hike with this and no drinking, but i got answered with an “that’s okay”. Okay? Okay! The hike started very flat, went only downhill and i tried to slow my pace about a half, but it seems that i still was to fast and i had to wait very often. After about half an hour and a smoking stop later, i asked again if she is okay or should think about to return or want some water from my camelback for drinking, because it started to get warm already and she had already taken of her coat and used a branch as her hiking pole.
Again the already well known answer that she is okay and the offer of water was declined with the suggestion to have a coffee and a smoking break. I already adjusted my pace about to a quarter of my usual speed, but this was still to fast. Duck-speed would i describe our current progress. At THIS point i really should had thought about returning with her but i was fascinated by the hike and it’s nature which already got difficult, steeper and a bit muddy due to some small creeks we had to pass through. The trail seemed to be very well signed, in very short sight distance where orange triangles which indicated you that you are still on the track. Beside where a lot of traps for catching possums and in one there was one caught and looked that it hangs there already since some days. As we got closer to an steep and muddy trail down to the creek, where usually you use both hands to hold you tight on roots or trees, i told her to get rid of her hiking pole and hold her on the roots.
BAAAMMMMM it happened! What? She slept away, about 1,5m downwards, into the mud. Her mood was now totally gone, coat, shoes and shirt was covered in mud and her coursing was compared to a small child now. <cursing details intentionally left out> Current duration for hiking was about 3 hours and i tried to figure out where actually we are. This wasn’t easy, because i only had a low resolution GPS map which didn’t showed any details and, of course, there was no phone signal to switch to satellite. Even to figure based on the maps from the starting point our current location failed. There was one river in the map, but we crossed different ones and the big ones ore often then shown in the map. Did we missed an crossing? We both haven’t seen ones. How far have we hiked? How far will it be to go back or forward? We both agreed to head one to go to at least to the next junction, because it must be coming soon. After she finished her last cigarette we headed on.
The current hiking speed was now half of Duck-speed and it really started to bother me. HEY, a sign! “Merumeru Falls” What? We couldn’t find them on one of our three maps it took at beginning. After about 4,5 hours hiking we reached junction of the Onekura Track, a HUGE sign you couldn’t fail (sadly i didn’t make a picture). The way back about 3,5 hours (please notice, we used 4,5 hours!) and 6km but no details about it will be to head on back to the camp. The sign forward said about 30 minutes and 0,5 km and we agreed to go at least to this point. Our goal was the “Pirau Ridge Road” which explicit said “no vehicle access”, what means it’s a very easy road for forest workers and definitely better then the worse, muddy, steep and wet way back.
Disappointment was written on our both faces as we reached, after 1hour! these junction. Forwards: 5hours/11km Backwards: 4hours/7km HELL! We was almost 6 hours hiking already. I never hiked so slow, usually i’m always about 25% faster then the time written on the signs. Again 6 hours the way back? Okay, we had a lot of rests aka smoking pauses, but how long will it takes to get back? We started at about 11:30am and it was now 4:30pm which meant that we would return for sure at night. At night? Usually i always have a head lamp with me, but i underestimated this trail and overestimated my travel guest. What should we do? Her suggestion was that i should head one to the camp, stay there, make dinner and should wait for her. Really? Really? I agreed to her (of course not) that she gets her will, that i will head to the camp an wait for her. Instead i ran as fast as possible for me the trail back to the camp and succeed it in 2hours (notice: we used 6hours, signs said 4 hours). Please, applause!
30 minutes, 2 ice cold ciders, a new pair of dry socks (because i crossed the creeks without getting the shoes off) and a sandwich later i told some campers about our situation and they should call for help, if i should not return with her before 11pm. Staffed with earphones, juice (but not coffee), cider, beer, sandwich and headlamp i ran all the trail back into her direction. After about 30 minutes later i ran into her and she was happy that i arrived with some drinks and to eat. I had left my camelback with her and it was already empty. (Seemed that she preferred water instead of coffee in this situation). Worse as it could be it started to rain as it got dark and it was really a adventuring hike. Finally we arrived after 10hours of hiking our campground. Walking distance for me: 35km! for her: 14km. Again i had the idea of being an park ranger to make better or more signs about distance/time for hikers on the trail not get into the same trouble again. When i started traveling around the world i really was scared about my own health condition due to a small belly and only with winter sport, but today i recognised that i’m pretty fit and more others should think about their health, even if they look more healthier then i’m doing. That was a drama and thought about if it’s really necessary to take strangers with me on my trip. We both went to bed without any further discussions…