Leader: Silvano Lorandi
Promises, promises. We return to this trip with the NTC after four years.
It was June 2013 when four of us ventured on this hill and discovered a reasonably well-marked track past the Nydia Saddle and a DOC research hut on the main ridge. They were nice surprises but we missed the view from the top.
“Our reward of a beautiful panorama of the sounds will perhaps be gained the next time we venture again up here because on this occasion an unfortunate cloud lingers on the top,” I had wrote on the report.
But this time it will be good. The weather forecast looks positive and the day before the trip was a beautiful sunny and clear winter day. Ahh... promises, promises.
It's a strong and lovely group of 12 of us on a Sunday morning. Two people have come along for hutbagging purposes.
We are very fast in reaching Nydia Saddle and from there its still a reasonably well marked track to the main ridge. Unfortunatelly the hut was gone. Does a building platform and a water tank count as a hut?
We continue along the ridge, the track is wet and slippery from the mist that engulfs the tops and we take longer than expected to reach Mount Stanley.
No chance of a view, its misty, cold and lightly raining.
Amazingly, Andrea pulls out a homemade birthday cake from the pack to celebrate the birthday of a member of the group. What an amazing display of friendship.
We are not disciplined in leaving the top and we almost lose a member of the group on the way back. Lesson learned there. We retreat in mist and light rain and make it to the carpark in a reasonable time but in the dark.
The promise of a view didn’t eventuate. We’ll have to go back.
Participants: Silvano Lorandi (leader and scribe), Andrea Cockerton, Mike Drake, Grant Derecourt, Graeme Ferrier, Simon Garton, Mike Glover, Wade Glover, Chris Louth, Leah Parker, Dion Pont, Liam Sullivan.