Year 13 Mountain Trip

Once we had arrived at sunny Mount Ruapehu on Monday morning, all the boys were split into lodge groups of around 20. These lodge groups would spend a large amount of time together as they completed daily tasks, such as cooking and preparing breakfast, lunch and dinner. Each lodge had been given a specific amount of food that would last the whole week which included all necessary items to prepare all meals. After everyone had eagerly made their way to their lodges and unpacked, we then departed the Mountain for our first walk to Lake Rotopounamu. The afternoon walk only took around an hour and a half each way and the reward at the end of the first half was a swim in the lake, which many of the boys happily accepted. The trip was off to a great start with the day ending in style with hamburgers for dinner.

On day two everyone was up bright and early, knowing a big day would be ahead. When all six of the lodges had gathered, we were split into two bigger groups with three lodges in each group. One half would be climbing the mountain whilst the other half would walk the Tongariro Crossing, rated as one of the Top 10 Day Walks in the world. The lodge I was in was set to do the Tongariro Crossing first. We were all told of the incredible views and prepared to get walking but were unaware of how long and hard the entire walk would be. The first few hours of the walk were a physical challenge for many with the hours of climbing, but with the mental strength to keep going and motivation from others, we made it to the top where the outstanding views of the Red Crater, Emerald Lakes and the surrounding hillsides made up for the tough walk up. As we slowly made our way down, we started to run low on water and everyone had one goal in mind “Get to the buses ASAP.”  With a quicker pace, we made our way down the other side of the crossing where we met the buses, and everyone let out cheers of joy. We completed the 19.5km Tongariro Crossing in five and a half hours. The bus ride back was quiet as we were all exhausted. Once back at camp, everyone took to their lodges to rest up before dinner….. sausages and rice. Everyone was in bed rather early that night, knowing that the week had only begun. Though the day had been quite tough for many, the weather made for a once-in-a-lifetime experience for everyone.

On day three we headed to the Waiouru Military Camp where everyone was well aware that a physically demanding day lay ahead. Once we arrived, we began with a 2.4km run, which we later found out was part of the fitness test which determined whether you were fit enough to join the army. As well as running, we all participated in doing push-ups and sit-ups. The 2.4km run had to be completed in under 10 minutes and 30 seconds, 30 push-ups had to be done and 80 sit-ups also. This was the bare minimum that had to be reached to make it into the army. Once we had completed the tests, all lodges marched out to the attack course where we were given a run-down of all the obstacles and how to get over, under or around them. Some of the obstacles included a hill climb and descent, rope swings, wall-climb and a manmade creek which we had to trudge through for about 50 meters. Each lodge went one at a time aiming to get through the course as quickly as possible by helping one another. It is safe to say everyone was wet, muddy and tired after running the course. We headed back to camp after a fitness-filled day for a dinner of corned beef (in my opinion, the best dinner of the week). Everyone was happy to be back at their lodges and enthusiastic for another day of walking either up the mountain or across the crossing.

On day four at 9.00am we began our climb up Mount Ruapehu. Many of us found this climb much more interesting and somewhat fun rather than the long stretched-out walk across the Tongariro Crossing. We made various stops as we climbed higher and were rewarded with a stunning view, where we could see for miles. As our bodies had become accustomed to walking the Tongariro Crossing, we were quicker making our way up the mountain. As it got steeper, we did start to slow, but everyone was excited to get to the top and see the crater. At around midday, we made it to the summit of Mount Ruapehu, where we stopped for lunch. The view of both inside the crater and the surrounding land was incredible to see. We were above the cloud level which made it very cold and windy, but the views made up for the weather. We quickly descended the side of the mountain in the afternoon sun with very few breaks, making for an early return to the base of the mountain where the lodges were. Everyone felt happy with how the walk had gone and took a nice two-hour rest before the other half of the camp got back from the crossing. That night the camp was in a very cheerful mood, we felt accomplished, knowing we had seen such amazing views and completed two very challenging walks, and also happy that this would be our final evening at the lodges. Spaghetti Bolognese was for dinner, and we were in bed early.

On day five, everyone was up bright and early to do a final deep clean of the lodges before we jumped on the buses and made our way back to Palmerston North. Many of us took the trip home to catch up on some much-needed sleep, whilst others reflected with one another on the incredible week, filled with many everlasting memories which for many of us will be once in a lifetime. The Year 13 Mountain Trip was a life-changing experience that I encourage all future Year 13 students to partake in if they are not already doing Crest to Crest. I hope that this camp will continue for many years to come so that many young men can experience the breathtaking nature of New Zealand.

Thank you to Camden Woodroofe for providing this report from the Year 13 Mountain Trip: