Leader: Debbie Hogan
On the previous evening it rained heavily. The weather forecast for the weekend was for showers at times. “To tramp or not to tramp?” We elected to take our chances and tramp. Five trampers set off in clearing weather, perfect tramping weather. During tea-time at Upper Grid-iron shelter a group of trampers from the Waikato tramping club wandered in…. also aiming for Salisbury Lodge. After pleasantries were exchanged we set off again. The rivers were reasonably high after all the rain, impressive waterfalls enticed us on. We played tag with the Waikato tramping group all the way to the hut arriving mid-afternoon with patches of snow around the hut = SNOWBALL FIGHT.
The walk around the sinkholes showed evidence of how much snow had fallen the previous week, sadly all washed away by the heavy rain the previous night. It rained heavily in the night again but we were warm & dry inside the delightful Salisbury Lodge.
Sunday dawned beautiful; we regret it didn’t stay that way. We climbed Gordon’s Pyramid with beautiful cloud-shrouded mountain vistas, in the company of the Waikato tramping group.
Good company they were, but we parted company at the top of the pyramid. We descended back to Flora hut and home again as the cloud had settled onto the mountain tops. A delightful weekend tramping to stretch the legs.
Trampers were: Debbie Hogan (scribe), Daven Illenberger, David Cook, Marianne Hermsen-van Wanrooy & Liz Henderson.