Day 6: American Ninja Warrior in the Jungle
December 8th 580m summit at start of Raetea forest (km140.5)-Apple Dam Campsite (km174.5) Mileage: 21mi/34km Today was the day that the the forest got real. Mostly it was due to the mud but the steep climbs and overhanging vines were significant players. To start, the sunrise from my mountain top camp was really beautiful. About 20 minutes into the hike, I begin thinking of my tactics in terms of the popular TV show American Ninja Warrior. Usually one of the beginning obstacles involves a scramble across unstable stepping stones or a rolling log. Much of the forest today was this obstacle, except that the penalty for getting it wrong was a plunge into the mud rather than a clear pool[…]
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