I've always despised people who tag #tbt and find that all they are doing is finding a cover for them to bask in more attention and reminding people that they actually have an interesting life. That being said, I did encounter a photo today whilst archiving all of my 2015 photos that really deserves the throwback tag. This is a picture I took somewhere in the Fiordland National Park back in April last year. This picture speaks a thousand words for me because of the physical journey I went through to get this picture, but is most likely nothing more than some clouds and a heap of rock to the most of you.
Below is an excerpt from my journal
10/04/2015
0300
We were woken up by my stupidly loud alarm. We had gotten stupidly high off weed which had been gifted to us by a stranger in Wanaka a few days prior and I still felt a bit dopey. Vlad insisted that he did not feel a thing. Vlad and I had made the plan to trek 3 hours to Lake Marian to see the sunrise the night before after having a 5 minute chat with an old bloke at our campsite. He told us it was an easy walk and two young fit blokes like us would do fine. We forgot to tell him that we would be doing it in complete darkness in crappy gripless skate shoes and 12kgs worth of camera equipment; this was most likely due to the kush we smoked 15 mins before starting the conversation.
0345
We reach the start of the trail. The sound of the rapids close-by was deafening and scared me shitless, mainly because I couldn't actually see where the rapids was. We just realised that one of our headlamps is out of batteries and our other one underpowered. YOLO. We crossed the narrow suspension bridge and entered the forest.
0415
The trail starts to take us further away from the rapids. I didn’t see where the rapids were (cos darkness) but I could tell because the deafening sounds of the rapids were getting softer and softer. Starting to regret packing so much camera equipment.
0430
A fallen tree blocks the trail and the trail appears to fork off in two directions. Through my (nonexistant) years of bush navigation, I decide to follow the trail on the right. Reasoning? ‘the gaps between the trees looked bigger’
0445
We haven’t seen a footprint or trail marker in a while. Still going by the logic of ‘follow where the clearings are between the big trees’
0500
We are lost. I resort to blaming Vlad for being an idiot as it always seemed to make me feel a bit better about myself. It wasn’t working this time. We begin retracing our footsteps back to the fallen tree. I felt like I was in a Japanese horror movie about people who enter forests and are trapped in there forever. I suspect our lack of navigational prowess is a result of the events from the night before, still a tad bit dopey. Vlad insists that he didn't feel anything at all the night before.
0530
Back at the fallen tree. Let’s follow the other path.
0630
We reach a clearing and cross a river. Although we were in a valley, I could notice the sky getting brighter. I curse at Vlad because we are going to miss sunrise. the massive changes in elevation whilst on the trail took a toll on my legs. Especially climbing/jumping over massive tree roots
0700
Still walking through thick forestation. No sign of a lake whatsoever.
0730
Thanks for being such a tolerant travel companion
Don't smoke weed. I do not condone the use of illicit drugs.. Especially off strangers.
We aren't wimps, we are just two naive 19 year olds who thought bushwalking in New Zealand would be similar to going for a stroll at the local reserve back home.
