Walking
up Rangitoto had been on my list of things to do for a long time. The last time
I walked up I was about 12 years old; so 28 years later I finally tackled it
again.
I
think that the reason it took so long to return to Rangitoto and walk to the
summit was fear. I remember how much I moaned the entire way up to the summit
and I was absolutely petrified that I would feel the same, that it would be hard and I would inevitably moan.
Well
it turns out that when you tell friends that you want to walk up Rangitoto they
will ‘lock-in’ a date with you!
Leading
up to the 17th January 2016 I really felt a huge sense of trepidation
and I really considered backing out. Fortunately for me, I was walking with
Mark and our friend Janna and I really think that she knew that there was a possibility that I would try and pull out at the last minute. I did not.
The
greatest things from the day were:
- Reaching the top without much moaning
- There was no real pressure to get to the summit within a set time frame
- Having super supportive people to walk with
- We took the shorter/direct route to the top and then took the longer way down and around Rangitoto
- Seeing how excited Mark was about walking to the top; he took so many photos
 |
| Photo from Janna |
It made me sad at how unfit/out of shape I have become and I am trying to get back
into the gym again.
Janna
suggested that I go back in a year and walk to the summit and see if it is
easier and I can do it quicker.
So a
huge thank you to Mark and Janna for getting me back there; it only took a few
decades!
