“On a Mish” #414 Training Days. Kepler Track / Waiau River / Lake Te Anau. Southland. 17.9.2024. In less than two months I will embark on another journey to the mountainous land of magic known as Nepal. This time last year I was struggling my way through the challenges of daily hiking training up the hills of Canterbury. All the work put in before the journey must have paid off as I survived, just. The nine-day trek was right up there with the hardest missions I have ever been on, and that includes all of my mountaineering escapades as well. Hiking the Himalayan Foothills with a bad back and hip was a real grapple between soreness and serenity, and for some reason I am doing everything I can to go back and do it all again…
A massive motivating factor that got me on my feet and on the road / trail / track was having a dog. It wouldn’t matter what time of the day or what the weather was doing outside, he was always ready to go on a mish. And if he didn’t get what he wanted then he would terrorise everyone in the house until he did. Countless kilometres of training were done thanks to my five kg personal trainer.
Now, one year later I am back training with Ernie Dog’s spirit in my soul and my new dog Georgie leading the charge. As far as size and manner go, the two couldn’t be anymore different. However the lust, must and need to constantly go out on adventures is the same. I’m sure I couldn’t have got to Nepal last time without the aid of my mini mate, and now the job is in the paws of my 25kg fitness fanatic.
As much as I would love to take Georgie into the wild frontier of Fiordland, I am unable to because of the rules put in place to prevent pooch pollution or birds being eaten. Luckily, I can travel to a point near the start of the Kepler Track and get a taste of beech forest and beauty while I go about my training tasks. As of lately the weather has been less than ideal for sunbathing so I have been able to power my way around what seems like my own personal training track.
The trail I follow is far from flat, which is good because Nepal is the same. Within a small area there are several tracks that can be connected to make numerous loops. Getting my legs / hip / back used to up and down hill travel has been a reminder of how hard the trip was back in 2023. But the negative is always overshadowed by thoughts of seeing my good friends over there and continuing the vital work that the Active Hearts Foundation does in the back blocks of one of the most beautiful countries on the planet. The soreness created by multiple training days in a row disappears when I think about all of the good that happens every time I go to Nepal.
Forest and mountain bathing is a must for me and this area gives me doses of both. The deep blue colouring of the Waiau River and Lake Te Anau up to the yellows of the tussock and grey rock, and sometimes white of the Fiordland tops. And sitting in the middle dividing the two is the lush green of the beech forest. The views never get old and every time I visit the place, I am reminded of how lucky I am to live and be able to train for Nepal in Te Anau. With all of that said it is time to get back at it as the clock is ticking and it won’t be long before my training days are over, and it is time to put all of my preparation in action on the scared soil of my home away from home…
