Day 6 - Friday 31 July 2009 by trianne (and ladysunrope)
Friday 31st July is etched indelibly in my mind for many reasons.
Reason One
Cold.
Reason Two
Rain.
Reason Three
Wind
Reason Four
All of the above
Reason Five
Edoras!
We stopped on the way to Mt Sunday, located in the glorious Southern Alps, to pick up lunch for later. If the weather was good, we could eat on the site itself, if not, then in the van. I think you can guess which it was...
The road runs through exposed countryside and then upwards. The atmosphere in the van was one of excitement and nervous anticipation. Five of us would be making the trek to the sacred site of Edoras, the Golden Hall of Théoden King; the others, together with Raewyn, one half of Red Carpet Tours, would remain in the van, keeping vigil for the valiant climbers, hopeful of their safe return.
On the way, Vic, the other half of Red Carpet Tours, and our driver, chatted about previous tours and made his trademark puns to keep us all jolly. He also explained that he wouldn’t be stopping for any hitch hikers. Then he did just that - for lo! Gandalf stepped out from the side of the road and waved his staff. We stopped, of course, and Gandalf, in resounding voice, spoke of Rohan...
suzy_74 and I were sitting at the front of the van, behind Vic and Raewyn; Grandalf, AKA Derek Carver, joined Vic in the front and Raewyn sat next to Suzy and me. Grandalf is a fascinating fellow! He’s in his sixties, I guess, but incredibly sprightly and passionate about the books and about the films, in particular The Two Towers, in which he and his daughter, Anwen, were both extras.
We drove to Mt Potts Station, where we changed into footwear for the crossing of the streams. I had bought pretty black and pink aqua shoes specifically for this occasion, so I put them on and made my cragghopper trousers into shorts. The weather was coming in, the rain starting to come down quite hard. The Famous Five - suzy_74, annwyn55, aussiepeach, ourdramaqueen and I - plus Vic - set off, aided by staffs that Grandalf had brought with him. He had, by this time, changed out of his Gandalf the Grey garb and was wearing a weather-resistant outfit and climbing boots.
***
Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear now takes up the commentary from the van...
“Here, at the foot of Mt Sunday, I’m surrounded by a group of foolhardy souls who actually want to climb the thing. Forget that there’s an alternative - a sleek, silver, seductive mini-van with a retractable step and just enough of a tinted window to stop you going blind in full sun.
“This lot, accompanied by some eager kamikaze wizard gent, want to brave the rain and the cold and the kind of wind that wants to peel off your skin just for the hell of it. Wading through streams and climbing mountains? Are they nuts? I'm staying here, with ladysunrope, yukiball and abaraka.”
***
Stupidly, I took my backpack, with my hiking boots tied to the straps for changing into after the streams. Needless to say, the pack, its contents, and the boots all got soaked.
The first stream wasn’t too bad, just very cold, and we all made it across with little bother. However, the worst one was the second - wide and fast moving in the shallows. Derek got us in a line and gave us firm instructions on how to proceed. My staff, otherwise a godsend, tried to get away from me in the freezing water, and the stones on the river bed were slippy beneath my aqua shoes, but we all made it across and on to the other side.
At this point, normally we would have changed footwear, but the thought of doing that when our feet were already frozen, was more than we could bear, so we pressed on as we were. Now we crossed a small plain and then began to climb. My months on the treadmill paid off! I found myself easily able to keep up with Derek and actually enjoyed the climb despite the relentless wind and rain. Each time we stopped, we would turn away from the wind and huddle. Vic brought up the rear to watch out for us, while Derek sprinted up the steep slope like a mountain goat. My thoughts occasionally drifted down the mount to our friends in the van, no doubt worried about our progress. Still, we were, in a way, doing this for them, too...
***
Meanwhile, back in the van...
“Well, it’s been about 15 minutes since I said goodbye to these folks. Off they went, hats bobbing up and down, with not even a backwards glance in anguish. I’d never known before that it’s not just us Brits who have stiff upper lips; Canadians and Aussies can get them, too - plus the occasional Swede and Swiss Elf. Never mind about them - time to enjoy the plush interior of our van, admire the way the neat welding prevented any of the driving rain from getting inside, and finishing that novel we’ve always meant to. Did someone mention Sudoku?”
***
Finally we made it to the part of Mt Sunday - Edoras - that had been the site of the first houses. As I mentioned, Derek had been an extra; he played an old man serving bread. He actually filmed a little scene where he expressed his mistrust of, and displeasure with, Gandalf and Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli; the scene went well and Peter shook his hand for a job well-done, but it never made it into the film, sadly. Anwen, Derek’s daughter, played a servant, the one who can be seen stirring the broth on the fire in the Golden Hall. Derek had managed to have a bit of a chat with Serena, whom he described as very interesting.
At the top of the mount, Derek showed us Nelly’s Grave; this was a cairn of stones, the grave of the landowner’s favourite sheepdog. One of the conditions on filming on Mt Sunday was the stipulation that Nelly’s Grave not be disturbed; the set builders disguised it with the bell tower, and not a stone was touched.
I would love to return to the mount in the summer, to fully appreciate the splendour of the glorious views, the sheer blast of being up there where Théoden and Eomer and Eowyn and everyone strode around being very horsey. But oh, the cold, the bitter cold! The driving, angry wind that rocked you almost off your feet!
***
Meanwhile, back in the van...
“I can now report that the suspension of this van is marvellous. No matter how much wind is battering against the sides, there is little disturbance, it’s amazing. Almost rocking us to sleep, except for the fact we did need to check that the correct number of people were slogging up the mountainside. Thanks have to be given to Suzy, for thoughtfully wearing a brilliant white coat so we could see who was upright and who wasn’t. Bit of a blind spot near the right hand side mirror, when you couldn’t see a thing - manufacturer, take note, we thought we’d lost Aussiepeach for a while and that would never do.”
***
Sadly, the driving, bitter rain and strong winds sapped my energy and enthusiasm. I loved Edoras and was proud I’d made the arduous climb, but my joy at being on such an iconic location was somewhat diminished by the conditions. We couldn’t hang around; Derek was watchful for any of us suffering as the weather was some of the worst he’d experienced. One funny thing: he found a wristwatch he’d lost up there three months earlier, and it was not only still working, but correct to the second! No sign of PJ’s lost specs, however.
We made our way down. Whilst it was in many ways easier descending, I nevertheless managed to slip and land on my bottom in (what I hope was) mud. Only my pride was dinted, I’m happy to say.
ourdramaqueen’s aqua shoes had almost disintegrated; we were all frozen to the bone and soaked to the skin; the monster stream again tested us but we made it across and eventually back to the van.
We had one last huddle. Derek said we should all feel very proud of ourselves, and we were. And so to our compatriots in the van, anxiously awaiting our return, no doubt never having had a minute’s peace, what with the worry and all...
***
Meanwhile, back in the van...
“Well, they finally returned, brave and bedraggled and I’ve got to say the absorbency powers of this van were tested to the limit. Never, in the history of Top Gear, have so few seats been sat on by so many wet bottoms. Yet these covers came back, dry and ready for action in hours. Actually, so did the walkers. Got to say it, they did us proud.”
***
We Walkers shivered our way out of our wet things at Mt Potts Station; Vic got our cases out of the van so we could find dry gear. I gave up my staff with some reluctance, but happily donated my aqua shoes for the next fools to have a go at Edoras; I certainly never wanted to see them again!
So, we did it. Cold, wet, bedraggled, but very proud of ourselves. Derek was a great guide, a really interesting and funny guy.
Dry again, we had our lunch at the Station, dropped Derek off at his car, then made our way to Lake Tekapo for a brief photo stop at the Church of the Good Shepherd. We drove past Lake Pukaki (with the view of Aoraki Mt Cook unfortunately obscured by clouds) and on to the McKenzie Country Inn at Twizel.
Reason One
Cold.
Reason Two
Rain.
Reason Three
Wind
Reason Four
All of the above
Reason Five
Edoras!
We stopped on the way to Mt Sunday, located in the glorious Southern Alps, to pick up lunch for later. If the weather was good, we could eat on the site itself, if not, then in the van. I think you can guess which it was...
The road runs through exposed countryside and then upwards. The atmosphere in the van was one of excitement and nervous anticipation. Five of us would be making the trek to the sacred site of Edoras, the Golden Hall of Théoden King; the others, together with Raewyn, one half of Red Carpet Tours, would remain in the van, keeping vigil for the valiant climbers, hopeful of their safe return.
On the way, Vic, the other half of Red Carpet Tours, and our driver, chatted about previous tours and made his trademark puns to keep us all jolly. He also explained that he wouldn’t be stopping for any hitch hikers. Then he did just that - for lo! Gandalf stepped out from the side of the road and waved his staff. We stopped, of course, and Gandalf, in resounding voice, spoke of Rohan...
suzy_74 and I were sitting at the front of the van, behind Vic and Raewyn; Grandalf, AKA Derek Carver, joined Vic in the front and Raewyn sat next to Suzy and me. Grandalf is a fascinating fellow! He’s in his sixties, I guess, but incredibly sprightly and passionate about the books and about the films, in particular The Two Towers, in which he and his daughter, Anwen, were both extras.
We drove to Mt Potts Station, where we changed into footwear for the crossing of the streams. I had bought pretty black and pink aqua shoes specifically for this occasion, so I put them on and made my cragghopper trousers into shorts. The weather was coming in, the rain starting to come down quite hard. The Famous Five - suzy_74, annwyn55, aussiepeach, ourdramaqueen and I - plus Vic - set off, aided by staffs that Grandalf had brought with him. He had, by this time, changed out of his Gandalf the Grey garb and was wearing a weather-resistant outfit and climbing boots.
***
Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear now takes up the commentary from the van...
“Here, at the foot of Mt Sunday, I’m surrounded by a group of foolhardy souls who actually want to climb the thing. Forget that there’s an alternative - a sleek, silver, seductive mini-van with a retractable step and just enough of a tinted window to stop you going blind in full sun.
“This lot, accompanied by some eager kamikaze wizard gent, want to brave the rain and the cold and the kind of wind that wants to peel off your skin just for the hell of it. Wading through streams and climbing mountains? Are they nuts? I'm staying here, with ladysunrope, yukiball and abaraka.”
***
Stupidly, I took my backpack, with my hiking boots tied to the straps for changing into after the streams. Needless to say, the pack, its contents, and the boots all got soaked.
The first stream wasn’t too bad, just very cold, and we all made it across with little bother. However, the worst one was the second - wide and fast moving in the shallows. Derek got us in a line and gave us firm instructions on how to proceed. My staff, otherwise a godsend, tried to get away from me in the freezing water, and the stones on the river bed were slippy beneath my aqua shoes, but we all made it across and on to the other side.
At this point, normally we would have changed footwear, but the thought of doing that when our feet were already frozen, was more than we could bear, so we pressed on as we were. Now we crossed a small plain and then began to climb. My months on the treadmill paid off! I found myself easily able to keep up with Derek and actually enjoyed the climb despite the relentless wind and rain. Each time we stopped, we would turn away from the wind and huddle. Vic brought up the rear to watch out for us, while Derek sprinted up the steep slope like a mountain goat. My thoughts occasionally drifted down the mount to our friends in the van, no doubt worried about our progress. Still, we were, in a way, doing this for them, too...
***
Meanwhile, back in the van...
“Well, it’s been about 15 minutes since I said goodbye to these folks. Off they went, hats bobbing up and down, with not even a backwards glance in anguish. I’d never known before that it’s not just us Brits who have stiff upper lips; Canadians and Aussies can get them, too - plus the occasional Swede and Swiss Elf. Never mind about them - time to enjoy the plush interior of our van, admire the way the neat welding prevented any of the driving rain from getting inside, and finishing that novel we’ve always meant to. Did someone mention Sudoku?”
***
Finally we made it to the part of Mt Sunday - Edoras - that had been the site of the first houses. As I mentioned, Derek had been an extra; he played an old man serving bread. He actually filmed a little scene where he expressed his mistrust of, and displeasure with, Gandalf and Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli; the scene went well and Peter shook his hand for a job well-done, but it never made it into the film, sadly. Anwen, Derek’s daughter, played a servant, the one who can be seen stirring the broth on the fire in the Golden Hall. Derek had managed to have a bit of a chat with Serena, whom he described as very interesting.
At the top of the mount, Derek showed us Nelly’s Grave; this was a cairn of stones, the grave of the landowner’s favourite sheepdog. One of the conditions on filming on Mt Sunday was the stipulation that Nelly’s Grave not be disturbed; the set builders disguised it with the bell tower, and not a stone was touched.
I would love to return to the mount in the summer, to fully appreciate the splendour of the glorious views, the sheer blast of being up there where Théoden and Eomer and Eowyn and everyone strode around being very horsey. But oh, the cold, the bitter cold! The driving, angry wind that rocked you almost off your feet!
***
Meanwhile, back in the van...
“I can now report that the suspension of this van is marvellous. No matter how much wind is battering against the sides, there is little disturbance, it’s amazing. Almost rocking us to sleep, except for the fact we did need to check that the correct number of people were slogging up the mountainside. Thanks have to be given to Suzy, for thoughtfully wearing a brilliant white coat so we could see who was upright and who wasn’t. Bit of a blind spot near the right hand side mirror, when you couldn’t see a thing - manufacturer, take note, we thought we’d lost Aussiepeach for a while and that would never do.”
***
Sadly, the driving, bitter rain and strong winds sapped my energy and enthusiasm. I loved Edoras and was proud I’d made the arduous climb, but my joy at being on such an iconic location was somewhat diminished by the conditions. We couldn’t hang around; Derek was watchful for any of us suffering as the weather was some of the worst he’d experienced. One funny thing: he found a wristwatch he’d lost up there three months earlier, and it was not only still working, but correct to the second! No sign of PJ’s lost specs, however.
We made our way down. Whilst it was in many ways easier descending, I nevertheless managed to slip and land on my bottom in (what I hope was) mud. Only my pride was dinted, I’m happy to say.
ourdramaqueen’s aqua shoes had almost disintegrated; we were all frozen to the bone and soaked to the skin; the monster stream again tested us but we made it across and eventually back to the van.
We had one last huddle. Derek said we should all feel very proud of ourselves, and we were. And so to our compatriots in the van, anxiously awaiting our return, no doubt never having had a minute’s peace, what with the worry and all...
***
Meanwhile, back in the van...
“Well, they finally returned, brave and bedraggled and I’ve got to say the absorbency powers of this van were tested to the limit. Never, in the history of Top Gear, have so few seats been sat on by so many wet bottoms. Yet these covers came back, dry and ready for action in hours. Actually, so did the walkers. Got to say it, they did us proud.”
***
We Walkers shivered our way out of our wet things at Mt Potts Station; Vic got our cases out of the van so we could find dry gear. I gave up my staff with some reluctance, but happily donated my aqua shoes for the next fools to have a go at Edoras; I certainly never wanted to see them again!
So, we did it. Cold, wet, bedraggled, but very proud of ourselves. Derek was a great guide, a really interesting and funny guy.
Dry again, we had our lunch at the Station, dropped Derek off at his car, then made our way to Lake Tekapo for a brief photo stop at the Church of the Good Shepherd. We drove past Lake Pukaki (with the view of Aoraki Mt Cook unfortunately obscured by clouds) and on to the McKenzie Country Inn at Twizel.