Training 4 Everest like Hillary (Mt Tappy bike trip)

Important info

Requirements: Snowcraft, can get your hands on a decent bike, pretty fit.

Dates are still TBC!!! Depending on ferry sailings & weather they might change. It will be 5 days though, perhaps 6 if we get unlucky with Ferry times.

Cost:

• Probably like $10 for food for 5 days (doing food as a group is wayyy cheaper)
• Depending on Ferry times, it might be easier to camp in Picton for a night, but that will mean we have to pay like $25 for campsites. I have included this in the cost for now, as it is also cheaper to book as a group
• You need to book your own ferry tickets. I know the Interislander website says they're like $130, but we get the FMC discount so the tickets are more like $60 each way. DO NOT BOOK THESE YET! I WILL EMAIL YOU!

DO NOT BOOK YET!!! I will figure out which sailing we'lll take and email you.

Plan

Take an early morning ferry down to Picton, with our bikes. We spend they day biking ~100km down to Awatere, where the start of the track is.

We camp by the start of the track (apparently by the bridge is good), either in tents or flys depending how much space our packs have. If it's blowy, we might go up the track a little for some shelter.

Next morning we lock or hide our bikes (we might be able to ask a local nicely to use their shed), and tramp 14km (1,430 elevation gain) in to the Hodder Huts. There are two - we'll probably go for the one that used to be a TTC hut, since they're mates of ours. The huts are a wee bit before the steep bit of the mountain, and make a great base camp for the summit.

The third day will be spend going up and down Tapuae-o-Uenuku (AKA Mt Tappy). This will require crampons and ice axes, so you need to have gone on a snowcraft course to come. WTMC have done it at a similar time of year 3ish years ago so it shouldn't be terrible, but if the snow or weather isn't great, we'll turn tail and not summit. Stay the night at the same hut again (this means we can probably leave some gear we don't need there during the day.)

From there it's the same trip in reverse - walk out, camp, bike back to Picton, ferry back to wellington.

Please note that as this is a difficult and potentially risky trip, I may need to use discretion to select who comes.

Maps