Thursday 1st March 2012: Thursday was over the 670m Pinnacle Ridge before dropping down and crossing the Atiwhakatu Stream which we followed all the way down to the Atiwhakatu Hut.

The climb was heavy going for a few, perhaps too much gear in the packs! Once we were down on the Atiwhakatu Stream track things improved until about 30 minutes before the Atiwhakatu Hut.

After watching Graham squeeze through a narrow part of the track I decided to go around the other side of the tree and swing back onto the track holding a limb of the tree. This proved to be a near fatal choice as my hands slipped from the bough and I fell backwards to the track 3-4 meters below. I assumed my fall would be cushioned by my pack. Unfortunately my momentum carried me past the track and down a steep bank on my back for a further 8m. Next thing I remember was someone trying to wake me up from a pleasant dream, although the rock bed was a bit uncomfortable and I had a sore back and chest and I realised I had been knocked out!

A quick self trauma screen reassured me I wasn't paralysed and had no obvious neck fracture, but I guessed I had some thoracic spine damage and a fractured sternum.

After I realised I wasn't a total cot case Ian tramped ahead to the hut and came back for my pack. I could walk but didn't like any jolt (the fractured sternum wasn't fun), so I borrowed a walking pole to reduce the stress of any down hill steps and slowly walked to the hut. We had a Personal Locator Beacon but I thought that wasn't necessary to activate this, but advised the team to use it if I became confused or less rousable.

Graham later told me that I had hit something on the way down and did a complete flip (arse over head), which to me explained the mechanism of the injuries and how the pack had protected my neck and lower back from a potentially paralysing spinal injury in the approx. 12 meter (total) fall.

Ed Cooke, a friend of Ian and Dianne who had hoped to come on the trip but couldn't for health reasons arrived at Atiwhakatu Hut with supplies of Gin to supplement the cache Ian had left. I didn't indulge to avoid masking any symptoms of intracranial bleeding after my concussion, although I had a wee taste and it wasn't bad!