With a last minute change to the proposed tramp, six of us set off from the car park on Lyndon Road up Dry Acheron Stream. If I was hoping that I would get more people interested in an easy walk to the covenants in the area I was wrong and as the trip leader I could hardly not go with the other 5 keen trampers all the way up Big Ben.

It was new country for most of the party as they had never been up this stream or route. With just over 1000m height gain to the Big Ben summit and a reasonable walk in and out, the day turned out to be a good moderate grade with 7½ hours of tramping. We were lucky with the weather - sun and warmth with just a few spots of rain on the descent although the summit was too windy to hang about on.

Too late on the way home for a coffee stop, but just caught the Hororata dairy for ice-creams.

Alison Maccoll, Hank Boer, Chris Leaver, John ?, Joy Schroeder and Ruth Barratt (leader). (RB)