Wilderness Trail Ride - Karoro to Kumara & Return

 

On April 8th Ruma Waru cycled from Karoro School, Watson's Creek through to Kumara and back!  This was an epic trail ride and everyone showed incredible resilience. 

Huge shout out to our awesome support crew: Louise, Tracey, Rachael, Ainslie, Joel, Angus, Sarah, Corrie, and Netty (and Neil).

Most students made the full return trip but a few were brave enough to ask for support and to receive a car ride back to base. 

We covered approximately 44kms.

 

William Pike Wilderness Trail Ride

Rebekah arrives at the lunch stop.

Billie's perch.

Sam and Matt nibble on some cyclists who did not cross with care!

Jo, David, Daniel and Charlie park up for lunch.

Tyler, Korban and Nathanael chillaxing.

Lunch time

Cyclists approach the Taramakau bridge

Jack and Cailan cycle the cambered curve.

Jo and Eamon cycle over the Taramakau clip-on.

Angus and JP led the way from Karoro Domain to the Blaketown tiphead.

Rhys cycled from Kapitea Reservoir to the sea side of the Taramakau bridge. 

Lake Daniell Mid-Winter Tramp for William Pike Challenge

Ruma Waru and Ruma Tahi learned about the dangers of hypothermia and the need to be well prepared for all weather. Then we travelled to Lake Daniell in the Lewis Pass area to put into practice all of the information and skills we had learned about. "There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad equipment and poor choices."  We also learned a lot about the long tailed bat (pekapeka) that lives in this area, thanks to Glen. We enjoyed walking through the many varieties of beech trees in the forest, including red beech and mountain beech.

Rhys, Billy and Eamon take a break opposite Pell Stream

Wyatt, Rhys, Callan and Kieran enjoy a well deserved lunch break beside the Lake Daniell jetty.

DOC workers were busy constructing the new Manson Nicholls hut.

Well prepared for the weather, we all enjoyed the lunch break.

Low cloud and rain drops on the surface of Lake Daniell

Rhys stops on the return leg beside the Alfred River

 

Kaniere Water Race Walkway

Lake Kaniere at the start of the Kaniere Water Race Walkway

There's gold in them there riffles!

Sean,  takes a well earned lunch break.

Sooo many steps!

Kai time!

Billy rests his laurels upon Jaxon.

Collected together at Kennedy's Creek

Fluming awesome walk!

Billy rests on Jaxon during lunch.

Ski Day

Lesson One: One ski on and one ski off.

Jaxon gets a helping hand up the slope.

Jennae takes a moment to chill. Unexpectedly!

Bryce cruises up the magic carpet.

Grace, Daniel and Milan head back up the slope.

Cameron makes it all look easy.

Zac has no trouble with the jumps.

The usual suspects line up: Josh, Hannah, Arly, Nyah and Sean

Dakota and Billy line up while Milan practises her 'dab'.

Rebekah and Dakota

Josh has mastered the magic carpet.

Callan showed great balance.

Glenn and Daniel were an awesome team.

Max is ahead of the crew.

Clem was a fast learner.

Cullam leans into the uphill ride.

Eamon later graduated to the intermediate slope.