I finally got to go backpacking in NZ!!! Those of you who know me know that it is a hobby of mine to go into the woods for days on end and climb up mountains, and NZ is a backpacking destination that many only dream of chartering. I still can't believe I've been here 8 months and haven't taken advantage of the "Great Walks" of NZ.
But a few of us from church strapped on our packs and our hiking boots this weekend for a 4,000ft ascent up Mt. Holdsworth. It rained the entire time, and the second half was actual hands and feet climbing up root systems and rocks to get to the top. Once we arrived at our Hut we could barely see the tips of smaller mountains above the clouds. The evening was filled with a warm fire, clothes drying, and texas hold'em poker (two of the guys were training for harder treks and filled their packs excessively to prepare). We woke up to a breathtaking sunrise and a little bit of cloud clearing before it started to snow. The hike downhill was brutal on the knees and every bit as tricky as maneuvering uphill, but overall the trip was amazing.
It was such a blessing to be able to take a weekend and enjoy some mountain views, good company, and time with the Lord enjoying His creation.
"The sweetest thing in all my life has been the longing — to reach the Mountain, to find the place where all the beauty came from — my country, the place where I ought to have been born. Do you think it all meant nothing, all the longing? The longing for home? For indeed it now feels not like going, but like going back." (C.S. Lewis Till We Have Faces)
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