The most embarrassing thing happened

Now it all makes sense. Good luck with your journey bro. And yes I have done the northern crossing. It is a magical place on a good day.

Not actually tamping but in Waiapeahu hut when it was a nice warm 2C. I had supplied a spare stove so we had 2. Grab the stove to do coffee Grab the lighter to light it, Ping Oh well so much for that idea. Go into the bag for the other stove. A stove and a couple of candle stubs nought else. Anyone else got a flame creator? No. Hunt round the hut find 1 box with 5 matches in it. First match crumbled. Next one worked and the stove ran until the other stove was lit tea cooked and candles lit. In the morning fuel was checked before lighting and one match saw breakfast dealt with. We left 2 matches. It was very nearly a curried crunchy rice salad

Took an uni school friend up to Waiopehu Hut. He had talked his experience up so I was sure he would be fine. I was more worried about his daughter. Within 20m of the first bit of up I knew I had a problem on my hands. He was very out of shape, carrying too much, and too proud to admit it. We were insanely slow on the way up. I was convinced he was going to have a heart attack or something. At lunch I tried to talk him into bailing, but he wouldn't give up. To his credit he kept on going. Took all day about it, but got there. That experience stands as my most stressful and least enjoyed tramp. I will never again be casual about screening fitness.

I've heard a rule of thumb that the trend is for guys to talk up their fitness/experience and for women to underrate themselves. However sometimes due to ignorance or lack of experience I've seen women will put themselves down for a trip that they struggle on or have to leave.

She will hate me for this. But I remember on our build up for South America 4 years ago I decided to take my better half on what I thought was an easy overnight camping trip in the tararua to get her up to scratch. I was pretty fit at the time and thought it to be an easy overnighter but on reflection for her it was not. At the time she was fit but hadn't done a lot of tramping and we had a five day unsupported trip across the Andes planned tenting as we went. So I thought it was imperative she had a solid experience to get up to scratch. So my plan was for an overnight camping trip in the middle of July next to an alpine tarn on top of mid King, starting at the holdsworth car park over baldy onto mid King for the night. Past mid King biv and mitre flats back over the saddle the next day to the car park. The day started well up to atiwhakatu saddle an onto baldy before clag approached. I was loving it but she was not and I couldn't get it. By the time we got onto the Kings it's was white out and cold, she was not enjoying it. We made it to our camp site and the tarn was frozen over. The sun set and she was as cold as a brass monkeys. We ate and retired for the night. She was super cold through the night and we woke in the morning to a bit of a storm hahaha. We scrambled everything into our packs and smashed it over mid King and down to the biv, where we gathered our thoughts before the push home. It was real slow going for her and she was over it by the time we reached mitre flats. It started raining hard and she found the climb back over the saddle to the atiwhakatu too much and she wanted to kill me. There was crying against trees. Vows to never again. We reached the van in the evening soaked to the bone and she was wishing she never signed up for this. A few days later and she was as proud as punch of herself and posting all over the Facebook. She was now a real tramper. The Andes trip was nothing and I'm proud to say we have had many great adventures since then. The boys come too.

@Gaiters At least she felt the sence of accomplishment afterwards. Did you have to carry any sort of weapons in case of bear or wolf attacks in the andes?

No all we saw were donkeys and horses as I remember.

@Gaiters - been there, done that. What I see as fairly mundane day-walks to Field or Cone Huts turn into real logistical nightmares complete with bruises from major falls, twisted ankles and sore knees. Then I remember that I've been doing this for 20+ years and love the challenges of the Tararuas. So yea, I pick my trips with my partner now. Generally no more than 30 minutes on the complete flat - lols.