Three Passes Route

@glennj: thanks. I was googling Bert but got no bites on google. Golly, 12 hours is impressive.

Bert Cropp was culling in the 1940's. The Cropp River is named after his forbears not him. His father and uncle used to graze sheep in the tussock country high above and surrounded by the lower Hokitika, Whitcombe, Mikonui and Totara Rivers. Our one day trip through the Three Passes was back on 23/3/1977 so a fair while ago now. We did it east to west. All four of us were prominent in either mountaineering/tramping or harriers circles and had some success over the years at running and multisport/adventure racing. The four of us were up and coming mountaineer Dave Merrick (now deceased), Dan O'Oconnor (NZ cross country rep and brother of renowned runner Mary O'Connor), Duncan Hamilton (later a Coast to Coaster and adventure racer) and myself who knew the route best. (a runner & later multisporter) Our transport driver and official timekeeper was Alistair Prangnell who these days is a NZ age group athletics champ and the world champ for the marathon in the 60+ age group. We carried light packs containing safety gear & food and signed some of the hut books on the way through. We jogged some of the easier going but mostly fast walked. Duncan and Dave wore running shoes and had their ankles strapped, Dan wore work boots and I wore Buller gumboots. The weather was fine and warm. We had a beer at the Kokatahi pub to celebrate on the way home. Despite being fit I was stiff for a few days after that effort!

@glennj 12hrs road end to road end?

Yes. 11hrs 50 mins. We'd grown up knowing about Bert Cropp having done it so had a go ourselves. I think it has been done quicker since our 1977 effort but I've not heard of anyone having done it faster wearing rubber gumboots than my effort in 1977!

my 2 cents-done the trip a few times,on the last we were nearing Grassy Flats when 2 runners barrelled through.At the hut,some hunters told us that they'd left Klondyke Corner & stopped briefly at the hut before running out the door.They'd taken 8 hours & half an hour would'ave seen them at the roadend.Very impressive.Back in the 60s,there was fierce competition by uni students to do quicker times,which I think the record was about 13 hours.It all came to a halt when one young guy didn't wait for the railcar to stop & in his haste to exit,fell under & lost both legs.