“On a Mish” #178 The Need to Climb a Mountain (Part One). Lake Hill(762m). Hakatere Conservation Area. 8.8.2020. Having a fridge door fracture your hip, tear muscles, slip discs, leaving you with pinched nerves might make for an interesting story, but it is a story I’d rather read about than tell. Before my accident on the Fiordland Navigator out in beautiful Patea Doubtful Sound, I feed a need to climb mountains as often as possible. The pastime was very fulfilling, and something I expected to do into my old age. One wave changed wiped out any plans future I had of climbing mountains…
No one foresees their future injuries, but I did think that if I ever did get injured in a big way it would be out in the hills somewhere wild and not while I was at work. While I have had jobs where danger has been close by, I thought my change from the hills of the Humpridge, Routeburn or Milford Tracks to the claim waters of Doubtful Sound would take me further away from the risk of getting hurt. Unfortunately, I was very wrong.
The irony of my accident was that it happened only a month and a bit from when Covid-19 forced everyone around the world inside in the form of lockdowns (remember those times!). My want to go outside where it seemed like everyone but me was playing but me disappeared when everyone joined me on the couch for a while. After getting released back into the outside world I joined my cousin for an adventure in his Suzuki Jimny. The experience was painful, but it was worth it because it showed me all hope wasn’t lost for getting back into the outdoors.
Another soul-saving location was the bach / crib in Lake Clearwater Village that I frequented so often before my accident. It was always a good base for climbs in the Hakatere Conservation Park, and now it served as a way for me to enjoy the mountains without too much movement. I would slowly pile my gear into the car and cross the Canterbury Plains like I used but instead of a great adventure starting at the crib, getting to the crib was the adventure. I cannot recommend a mish mish to Lake Clearwater enough. The place is paradise and only a short drive from the hustle and bustle of Christchurch City.
As time slowly drifted on, I found myself being able to move a little more as the weeks went on. The small amount of movement reminded me how much I loved hiking, and how much I missed going into the outdoors. I knew I had a fight on my hands, and I wasn’t going to throw the towel in just yet.
On one occasion while visiting the epicness of Hakatere the need to do something outside got the better of me and it needed to be more than just a quiet stroll around the village. On arrival the weather was calm at lake level, but this was just a tease as I knew the weather was going to sour. I got to the crib and battled my way up and down the crib’s three steps as I unloaded my gear and firewood. After getting my gear sorted, I lit the fire and began to relax in very familiar surroundings.
After dinner it was business time, so I began to scan the map while a sat nice and toasty by the fire. With no real idea of what I was looking for I hoped that something would catch my eye. Almost immediately I spotted Lake Hill(762m), and it was decided that I would get to the top of this little knoll not matter how much it hurt!
