Bloody Dylan.

This must be accompanied by a story.

At the end of the long, dark tunnel that is exams I walked out into the light for another action-packed adventure to the beautiful Matukituki valley. As we were leaving I realised my camera card was still hanging out in my laptop, meaning I had room for 3 low quality photos. We walked into Junction flat on Sunday evening, just setting up the tent and a lovely campfire as the rain set in. We resigned to the tent for some poker and spent a cramped night with the soggy sandflies. In the morning the sun pressed through the valley, the snowy tops of the bold mountains visable in every direction. The plan today was to head to Rock of Ages biv and explore the head of the valley. But only after a swim! We headed over to a beautiful but glacially cold swimming spot, crossing a 3-wire bridge on the way, Chrissy and I with shoes on, Rick and Dylan in bare feet. After a refreshing swim we sauntered back to the campsite. Waiting on the other side of the 3-wire as Dylan dismounted the supporting ladder we saw him suddenly on the ground, a stream of glistening red blood flowing from his foot. Well, it wasn't quite that dramatic but we really could see the blood glistening from across the river. We got across the bridge and I applied pressure to the incredibly deep wound on his little toe while Chrissy and Rick ran for first aid kits. After about half an hour of pressure and no cease in the blood flow we washed the wound with saline solution and dressed it up. Rick piggy-backed him back to camp and there we waited to see how he did with his foot up. In the sun Chrissy read to us James K. Baxter's 'Poem in the Matukituki Valley' as the bleeding slowed but fears of infection and his inability to walk set in. At about 2pm we decided to split the gear between 3 of us and walk him out today rather than waiting the night. After more than 2 hours we covered only 10 minutes of ground and his foot was bleeding steadily and in a lot of pain. We found a clearing and after some discussion decided Rick would run out to the farmhouse and get help while we set up the tent and packliner signs to wait and monitor Dylan for shock and/or infection. He left at 5.30 and got there at 7. It was only by luck that people were there doing maintenance over the weekend so he could use the mountain radio. Back in the bush Dylan was getting quite sore and possibly going into shock. The bleeding had slowed down and there was a monster red blood-slug of a clot (so coool) nestled under his toes but it was dirty and wet so we were still on edge. At 8.40pm we heard a very low flying helicopter and dived out of the tent with a pak 'n' save bag to wave frantically at it (which was completely unnecessary, the packliner sign was sufficient). Dylan was taken away with Rick's and his own pack with a few things chucked in them (including the unopened wine) to save weight. After a bit of an adrenaline relieving dance Chrissy and I slept and woke early to walk the rest of the stuff out, meeting Rick on the way out. We picked Dylan up in Wanaka with 6 stitches in his little toe. It was nasty! The nurse let us have a good look and gave us jellybeans in urine bottles while he had a tetanus shot.

So, if a little over-dramatised for effect, that was our exciting adventure. I am not sure why I look so happy in the photo, probably because some kea had just arrived to have a look and steal stuff.