blog summery

			blog summery		up dated 24/9/2012
		2011		2012
bush (p)				0
bush(i)				0
bush(tpp)				4
rafting(P)				4
rafting(G)				3
rafting(tpp)				12
ww kayaking(P)				16
wwkayaking(i) river				2
wwkayaking(i)rolling				2
wwkayaking(i) flat water				1
wwkayaking(tpp)				10
rock(p)				4
rock(i)				4
rock(tpp)				10
sea kayaking (p)				0
seakayaking(i)				0
seakayaking(tpp)				0

survival week

from the 13th to the 16th we did survival. the week started with self defense on Monday, witch was quite cool.our instructor is black belt in karate so a lot of the moves came from that. on Tuesday we went out for out door survival.the scenario was that we were going on a day tramp up the valley.so we didn't have much food nor tent or sleeping bag. we had to stay out for 2 nights, the first night we stayed as a group, witch was cool had a big shelter that could just fit everyone wet.though around 1am it stopped raining so i joint toddy out by the fire and slept with a bit of room. the next day we collected fire wood for the main fire to keep it going in case we couldn't get one going. then we started out solos this meant on talking to anyone inept our instructor Dave . we started at around 2pm i found a tree that had partly fallen over so decided i could just lean my walls up against that. As everything was wet i didn't try to get a fire going thinking as long as i didn't get wet i will be all right..i started making my walls out of Thatch but this was taking too long and i had my walls rather steep. i then went on to punga leaves, i only had a small knife with half serrated edge,this made it very difficult.i started off trying to climb the pangas rather than knocking them over but this was real hard.i then went on to tying my knife on to a stick and using the reach of that to cut them down.this worked wicked.i must have had round 50 panga leaves on my hut by dark. i made the door at the low end of my hut this way it would keep more heat in and even better if i did get a fire going .i then went and got some bedding to keep me insulated from the ground. after that i decided i wouldn't try to startd a fire and just go o bed. i had a dry pear of socks on, fleece pants, over pants, thermal, T shirt, fleece top and my swanni as a blanket.i had a candle beside me to help with heat and moral. i lasted the night eating my musily bars i had saved, i was kind of cold.but in the morning when i herd about how hard some of the others done it. i also thought of a chant... this is my swanni there are many like it but this one is mine, with out me my swanni is nothing, without my swanni i am nothing, i love my swanni and my swanni loves me....

we left our group shelter up so that if anyone was getting real cold and struggling they could go back and be dry with a hot fire. but i was disappointed with 6 of my group that went back. some as early as 7 pm not really giving it a go. two of the ones that stayed out even went to the length of running around to keep warm then going back to sleep then running again when cold.i was impressed by them treating it like the real thing. 

this trip to me seemed like of of the cheapest but one of the most important.learned allot and i think the group learned allot also.

and the best part when we got out of the bush the polly brought us all fish and chips $60 worth gone in seconds :) 

river crossing(tec)

Went out to the arahura river on the 10/3.there was allot of swimming.which was good too. was rather cold but we had our wetsuits on.
gave us a good chance to gauge how hard it is to cross,even when looks shallow.
also held up a stick to simulate a strainer, worked real well.was hard to get over(much eazyer to avoid)

term two goals

kayaking =paddle a grade 3 river.
rock climbing =lead climb with natural pro grade 18.
tramping=do a over night trap in SDL time.

bush(tec)

we tramped over the Lewis pass tops,we went for 4 days.the weather on the first day was not the best,was rather cold and rain in the evening.the night was windy rainy and cold,i didn't sleep very well.the next morning was also cold but by the afternoon the sun came out and stayed out for the rest of the tramp.my group conceited of 8 students and one instructor.everyone in my group was rather fit and we seemed to make up alto of ground when we got going. For me the tramp was only hard on the firs day due to the fact we were going up hill(we gained 700m elevation over around 1000m.
nobody had Any accidents.
the last night was the most fun for me, we found a great camp spot right beside a dead flat lake.when we were looking out at the lake we saw a eel,and it hug around all night and we saw it again in the morning before we left.we even named it Christabel.our instructor(dav willams) is a black belt so that night we also did karati on the beach of the lake,it was very surreal.then just before sun set we lit a fire and sat around telling stories and telling jokes.

bullerfest 2011

bullerfest is a kayaking and rafting comp 5 min out of Murchison. all the 2nd years in my cause and the tutors were raving about it.so i thought y not.we got there Friday night,was too late for the videos and drinks at the rec center but enough time to set up camp and get ready for a cool weekend.
Saturday morning up at 8 had leftover bread buns left from last night and some yogurt for breakfast.then went down to the local rafting center and helped pump up and load the rafts. we then made our way to the river and went down to the main rapid to check out the cause.wonded back up to the road and organised a rafting team with some of the others from TPP,we ended up with 3 teams who all made it to the semi finals. i had never rafted before so was little nervious not knowing what to do.we ended up having 3 races, got 3rd in 2 and first in the other. i had such a wicked time. me and  2 others got to take the last 2 rafts down the rapid so we could get them back onto the trailer,we paddled on one and towed the other it was prity funny.
that night there was a big party at the camp sight that the organisers had going.we had a few drinks and went to that,i was rather tyred so didn't stay too long
Sunday they had a cardboard and duck tap raft race down the river next to the camp sight two of my classmates and two tutors entered it was hilarious. that day at 3 they had prize giving none of our group placed but we did get some little spot prizes.they gave away heaps of spot prizes including 2 paddles and had a massive game of paper scissors rock to give away a kayak,it was wicked.
All in all great weekend out on the water