“On a Mish” #51 Two Thumbs Up (Part Three). Peak 2163m(Two Thumb Range). Richmond Conservation Park. 22.10.2013. To take strides into a new area can both be fascinating and provide fitness for the fortunate folks who are lucky enough to find themselves there. Not knowing what lies around the corner can wrap time and make an hour seem like a minute and a day out go by in a flash. While tackling a track you know is rewarding, I believe that a mish in a new place is the best way to use your legs and eyes…
I paused for a moment to catch my breath and to my surprise I looked back to see the very distinctive shapes of Horokoua Mt Tasman and Aoraki Mt Cook. I didn’t think that I would see them over the other mountains that lay between me and the biggest peaks in Aotearoa, but I was super stoked to be so very wrong! It is times like this that I wish I had a better camera than my phone, maybe one with a much better zoom. I did my best to capture the scene before I moved on.
My morning in the mountains had been shortened slightly by the fact that my friend is very (extremely) lucky when it comes to hitchhiking. I was expecting it to take her much longer to get from Christchurch to Tekapo, so when I got a text saying she had a ride all of the way there I knew I now had to hurry in order to get up and down without keeping her waiting in Tekapo for too long.
I had one last small bluff to tackle and with the lack of quality of the rock I am glad this mountain wasn’t any steeper. Chunks of ground would pull away from the mountain and I felt like I was some sort of vandal on a delicate sculpture. Eventually I managed to tip toe my way on to the mountain’s rounded summit. I didn’t really have much time to spend on the top, so after a quick drink and a snack I began to make my way back towards Lake Tekapo and my van.
The trip down was very easy thanks to the wide open tussock that covers most of the mountain, and of course gravity. I descend in a controlled fall sort of fashion. I would simply throw my legs into the air and thanks to the aid of my walking poles I could just let my body drop lower with each step. I am very glad to live in the age of hiking poles as they have helped with many mountain missions.
After a couple of hours I got back down to the same level with Roundhill Ski Area and then it was easy terrain all the way back to the road. Once on the road I had a chance to think about my mish and how cool it was to finally stop in the Tekapo area for a mish. After doing some climbing in the Two Thumb Range I can safely say that the place gets a big two thumbs up from me!!!
