My friend on a narrow ridge
Atop the mountain
Buffeted and pinned
By howling gusts of
Gale force winds.
Once again terrified
I follow suit
As returning
Down the slope
just conquered
Seems worse than
Moving on

Finally on a top
We now face
A treacherous
Steep, rocky, scree-carpeted
Way down
So far that we can’t even see
Fellow tramper Sophia
At the bottom.

Progress is made
Once more slower than snails pace
Inching my way
Down
Down
Down
Thank goodness
The day is dry
So far.

At our lunch spot
Halfway down the mountain
We’re overtaken
By Peter
Lightfooted
Light packed
He swiftly
Disappears
out of sight

Once at the bottom
of this peak
We make the long track
up to another summit
With the wind now died down
And sun coming out at times
I realise
We’ve just finished
“Little Rintoul”
The most challenging part
Of the TA
HALLELUJA

The views are stunning
A sweet
2011 message in a bottle
Greets us at the top

When after ten hours
Rintoul hut
Is finally reached
the two crones of the TA
Are greeted warmly
by others who
Passed us today
Two bottom bunks
Saved for us
And two young guys
Ushered on to
The next hut
Because YOU CAN.
It’s a full house.