“On a Mish” #425 Should Have Used a helicopter (Part One). Helicopter Hill, Craigieburn Forest Park. 27.10.2024. Who doesn’t love a white winter wonderland covered in snow? Possibly the people who are crazy enough to go hiking in it! I love snow and have had some awesome adventures plodding my way through a substance that seems to want to make each step tougher than the last. This is especially the case when your body isn’t running at 100%…
Training for my trip to Nepal has had its ups and downs (literally at times!) but, overall, each day I have noticed some progress, and this has given me the confidence needed to embark on what I consider to be my most important missions. Not only do I get to see the incredible vistas of the Himalaya, but I also get to be part of the Active Hearts Foundation Team who trek with the goal of making remote parts of the country better for those growing up there. It is an adventure that not only brings donations of clothing and aid to places that need it, but it also betters education in the form of libraries in schools that haven’t had one before.
My training has been hard at times thanks to my hip and back, but I am lucky to live in a country where finding a visual distraction is rather easy. If the scenery (and/or company) is good, then I am happy to push through the pain knowing that it will lead to mish success in a country I consider my home away from home. Hiking with the purpose of helping others is a very motivating factor.
Recently I went on a little reccy to the Craigieburn Forest Park to finally hike the Helicopter Hill Track. It has been on my radar for many years, mainly because I have done serval outdoor first aid courses at the Environmental Education Centre, located in the mountains near Broken River Ski Field. The area is full of hiking potential and, in my time, I have barely scrapped the surface.
With winter coming to an end and my trip to Nepal rapidly approaching, I decided to not only take on the Helicopter Hill Track, but also drag my parents along for the ride. As the day of our mish arrived, a late winter storm painted the mountains white with snow. I personally love hiking in snow, but I didn’t picture myself going through what we went through on that day.
With a plan in hand and the dogs in the boot, we set off from my folk’s home at the base of Christchurch’s Port Hills and aimed our sights on a very snowy Canterbury Foothills. As we crossed over Porters Pass it was apparent that we would be hiking in snow but had no idea that it would be knee deep in places!
As we pulled into the Craigieburn Forest Campsite it began to rain. We waited in the campsite shelter hoping that it was just a passing shower. Luckily the rain eased, and we could carry on with what we thought would be a gentle stroll amongst the beech trees. We did hike under the canopy of a stunning beech forest, but it is safe to say that the hike was far from a gentle stroll, and using a helicopter would have been MUCH EASIER…
