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cloud preventing our descent. Our first food drop was waiting at Downies Hut and we headed further into the National Park towards the Spencer Range. Day four dawned fine and we were off before the sun was up to attempt Faerie Queene (2236m) and Gloriana Peak (2218m). After some interesting bush bashing we emerged into the lower alpine basin and continued to work our way upwards disturbing a few herds of tahr. As we reached the summit ridge the north-westerly winds and cloud that had been building all morning finally blew in and we were met with driving rain and dense cloud. With the summit of Faerie Queene just 100 metres away we were driven back by the weather, and returned to Bob’s Hut and the valley floor. The expedition was off to a solid start. Like any adventure in the hills it’s a balance between pushing your limits, achieving your goals, and making smart decisions, and we were conscious of the challenges ahead. We didn’t want to make a bad decision just because ‘we had to climb a mountain’. This mentality had prepared us well for our next hurdle – illness! Unfortunately, two hours into day five’s goal of climbing Mt Burn, we had to make the gut-wrenching decision to pull the pin and walk out. A stomach bug that had kept me awake most nights and was preventing me from taking in enough food (as well as the other normal stomach bug symptoms), had got to the point where we needed to put personal health first. Making the decision to walk out was possibly the hardest choice of our lives. After pouring our hearts and souls into planning, and focusing on almost nothing but the 21 Peaks 21 Days challenge, the realisation that it wasn’t going to happen was an incredibly tough mental barrier to overcome. Adventure is never a certainty. The first step you take is not the
one with your boots on your feet or your pack on your back, it’s the idea, the challenge, the dream of achieving something amazing and being proud of yourself. Our adventure was the total journey. It started the moment we dreamt up the idea. It took on a new form when we were awarded a Sport NZ Hillary Expedition grant. It changed direction completely when we made the heartwrenching decision to come out early. Regardless of the outcome we are certainly proud of the $10,000 we raised for the Kea Conservation Trust and hope that our dream has inspired other Kiwis to get out there and have their own adventures. There are 18 more mountains in Nelson Lakes National Park that have our names on them. That’s the best part of this whole journey – we will get the opportunity to enjoy them again one day and take heart in the fact that others who were inspired by our adventure will climb them too. We’d like to acknowledge the support of our sponsors Sport NZ, Bivouac Outdoor, NZ Mountain Safety Council, Department of Conservation and those who donated to the Kea Conservation Trust through our expedition; TBfree NZ, Maruia River Lodge and Café, Outward Bound and the huge number of individuals who contributed. Finally it would be wrong of us not mention our amazing support crew, family and
friends who supported us through the whole adventure. Funds raised during the 21 Peaks in 21 Days expedition will go towards purchasing stoat and possum traps to protect kea nests in Nelson Lakes this coming breeding season.
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Photos: Nathan Watson