An SK A Month, Keeps The Doctor Away
The week before Tarawera, I invited Joe out for a short tapering run in Spicer Forest with myself and Dave Allen. Little did I know Joe was about to drop the mother of all intel bombs on us.
“I’m thinking of attempting an SK every month this year”
My mind was racing. I can’t have heard him correctly.
“Like as in, the SK, SK?”
“Yeah”
“Are you feeling alright?”
My immediate thought was that Joe had lost the plot. One hit too many on the mountain skag pipe.
But he began to unpack the mission and the thought behind it. He wouldn’t attempt a sub-24-hour SK every month (he’s probably saving that for next year).
So every month this year, whenever the weather is good, I refresh Strava to see if Joe’s gone. Now, Joe is still working full-time and has a family. He’s not some mountain hobo with all the time in the world. So more often than not, the days tick by, and I start to grow nervous.
Sometimes It’s the 26th of the month, and Joe hasn’t been. The Tararua is lit up with weather warnings like a Christmas tree. But to his credit, Joe has turned up every time to take on the challenge.
In 9 attempts so far this year, he has completed 8. A winter Tarn Ridge SK has been his only undoing.
Higher than-expected snow levels and worsening conditions resulted in a grueling bail-out to Otaki Forks—still a massive mission in its own right.
For those of you who are not familiar with the Tararua SK, it’s similar to the UK’s Bob Graham Round.
Andy Carruthers has recently released a film(not an affiliate link) that perfectly covers the rich history of the SK.
Alternatively, check out Chris Martin’s website. It’s an excellent resource for all things SK and Tararua in general.
Joe somehow managed to take the time to answer some questions for us.
Where did the idea for an SK a month for a year come from?
“After all the frustrations and disruptions we all had through 2021 and 2022, at the end of 2022, I was mulling over what to do for the next year.”
“Several ideas were percolating around in my head, the main goals being to be flexible, self-organised, and provide maximum enjoyment.”
“Around the same time, Chris Martin and I were joking about how many S-Ks were ‘enough’ - with me saying, why stop? Just keep going.”
“Not usually one for New Year resolutions, but for some reason, I awoke on 1 January with the idea of a personal S-K challenge, one a month. I floated the idea with my ever-wonderful and tolerant family, and they simply rolled their eyes at me. “
"Not a no," I remember thinking…”
“Also at the same time, Andy Carruthers was marveling the community with his S-K film plans, and just after the new year, in early Jan, Andy proposed a weekend trip with Tim Sutton. Traverse the Main Range S-K, recreating the traditional trampers S-K weekend (60 years after the first successful S-K).”
“We would be staying in huts I normally pass on by and filming as we went. January was a go, and during that trip, experiencing the Main Range in all its glory, with amazing company and high on stoke, the idea turned into a plan. January became done, and the opportunity was there for the rest of the year.”
What about the Tararua still excites You?
“Many, many things about the Tararua Range and the S-K appeal to me. I love the feel of traveling from A to B over a day (or two), marveling over where you’ve come from and are going - the self-reliance, personal challenge, and patience that it needs.”
“The sense of space, the beauty, and the difficulty of the environment are hard to beat. How it always succeeds in clearing my thoughts and brings me back into this calm, balanced state of being. Believe it or not, I still get pretty nervous departing the road-end - butterflies in my stomach while running off into the (usually) darkness, the feeling of the unknown, and anticipation of the day ahead.”
“The other major part I enjoy is the history of Tararua trips and the S-K. From the trip reports of the early attempts and their covert, competitiveness to be the first.”
“Many of these reports have been captured in tramping club magazines over the years. Lucky for us, Lindsay, Tony, and Megan, for collecting those stories into the S-K books.”
“To where I've been involved, amongst the awesome mountain running community here in Wellington Chris Swallow, Chris Martin, Tim Sutton, the Cross runners, and everyone else that has pulled together to capture experiences on the Tararua FKT website.”
“Respect to all those people for the Mahi they put into going on their trips - how they were tested, what they ate and what happened when they didn't, and where they found or followed inspiration.”
“To me, going on the trips is part of caring for the history and builds on the community to encourage people to hit the hills. Having those trip reports is ace, and reading them motivates me to go do my adventures.”
What is your Favourite route in general?
“Choosing a favourite is a tough one. I enjoy all three for different reasons.”
The Main Range for the sheer toughness and unrelenting terrain.
The Tarn for the many peaks and gnarly ridgelines, the long stretches between huts,
The Valleys for the rivers, the bush, saddles, and the variety between the different sections.
“I'm yet to try Tim Sutton's Carkeek S-K. That looks like an awesome route.”
“If I had to pick just one route, I'm drawn to the peace and power of rivers, so I would pick Valleys.”
Do you have a specific favourite S-K mission you’ve done?
“All of my S-Ks have left me with favourite experiences or moments, which is another thing I love about it - having an experience.”
“When I started out with S-K missions my focus was going solo, testing myself, and beating the clock. I still look back on those first missions with heaps of joy and satisfaction, though after doing more group trips, I've come to respect and appreciate sharing the adventure with other people.”
“Every Main Range has been a cracker. Such a tough route and I have such good memories, especially the first time. The Tarn S-K with yourself and Josh is particularly memorable as I know how much it meant to you getting redemption.”
“A favourite trip that comes to mind was the Tarn S-K that Sean Martin and I did in April of this year. A somewhat unorthodox start time at Putara of just after midday meant we spent from Dundas through to Totara Flats in the dark (and so missed all the best bits of the tops).”
“Around dawn, we found we needed to get a move on to get home in under 24 hours. There, at the bottom of Cone Saddle climb, began a beat-the-clock, (what felt like) mad rush all the way through to Kaitoke.”
“The first few hours counting down kilometers - keeping track of pace, pushing where we could - to towards the end, counting down the minutes to eventually rolling into Kaitoke with 5 minutes to spare. Circa 5 hours of pushing to the finish to taste the satisfaction of getting it done. Then a couple of beers in the carpark of glory to celebrate. Good times.”
What is your biggest close call on an SK or other big mission?
“As far as close calls for safety reasons, I've not had too much trouble. Other than one unplanned swim while crossing the Ruamahanga at Cleft Creek and more slips, slides and bumps than I can remember.”
“Timewise, the Tarn S-K with Sean was one of two close calls I've had. The second time was another Tarn S-K with Liz Palmer, where once again chasing the clock on the Tauherenikau, we met Josh Campbell and Kyle Malone along the river and collectively pushed hard through to Kaitoke to come in just 4 mins over the 24-hour target. We were gutted and proud, inspired but unsuccessful. The highs and lows and joys of S-Ks.”
What are the major gear list differences for fast and light Valleys vs Winter Tarn/MR?
“Most of the time, my acid test is asking myself - if I had to stop, could I live a night outside with what I'm carrying? If not, I'll reconsider and maybe change or add more gear.”
“A decent first aid kit, PLB, survival bag and waterproof jacket, regardless of the weather or route.”
“For anything more than a few hours, I'll pack a dry bag containing thermals, gloves, thir/buff, and socks kept separate for an emergency, and in cold weather, I'll add anywhere up to 5 layers, plus waterproofs, thir/buffs, warm hat, arm warmers and 2 or 3 pairs of gloves.”
“For one mission that Kyle Malone and I did in August last year - a snowy Holdsworth-Jumbo loop - I wore all of those 5 layers and was gleefully warm in -10C.”
What are your 3 pieces of advice for anyone reading this wanting to get into big missions?
“To be honest, I'm not an advice kind of guy.”
“Stay safe, respect the environment, and back yourself.”
“I'll say to anyone who enjoys adventure or spending time in nature, do more of it. If you never have, give it a try.”
Thanks, Joe. It’s great to hear about your passion for the Tararua Ranges and getting into the backcountry.
Good luck with the rest of the mission. Only 3 more to go!
You can follow Joe Murphy … by going on a run with him. You won’t find him on the gram.
Nothing like perfect timing Joe! That beer was damn good after 5 hours of fretting.