Formidable mountain peaks have been a familiar part of everyday life for Paul Beisly.
He grew up in a family which always loved the outdoors, and after his dad Derek died in a rock fall on Mt Cook in 1992, Paul kept his legacy of living life to the full and pushing the limits of adventure alive.
At the beginning of March, Paul and his friend Cameron Webster completed the Four Peaks, an unofficial outdoor adventure challenge which sees participants ascend and descend the four highest mountains in the North Island in one day.
It took the pair just under 21 hours from 5am on a Saturday until 2am the following day to travel up and down Mt Taranaki, Mt Ruapehu, Mt Ngauruhoe and Mt Tongariro.
They ascended a total of 4465m and covered 42km on foot – plus five hours driving between mountains.
Paul, the Year 10 pastoral dean at Paeroa College, told The Profile he and Cameron had the Four Peaks on their minds “for a few years”.
“We’ve completed a few other good adventures, like the Tongariro Northern Circuit, Lake Waikaremoana, and the Abel Tasman National Park. The Four Peaks seemed like a good one to tick off next,” he said.
Paul said the toughest part of the challenge was heading up Mt Ngauruhoe, which stands at 2287m tall.
“It was dark by the time we got there and we didn’t find the unmarked track leading up to the summit. We battled up steep, loose, rocky scree which seemed never ending. Giving up was definitely an option at that point,” he said. “If it was any steeper, looser, darker or colder it would have become dangerous. But we were still within safe conditions and we made it to the top about 10pm for a beautifully clear starry sky.”
On the flipside, Paul said his favourite part of the day was being up Mt Taranaki for the sunrise, but his favourite mountain was Ruapehu.
“I love the variation, the numerous peaks surrounding the steamy milky blue crater lake. It’s the highest mountain in the North Island and you can start to feel the thin air at that altitude. It’s a special place,” he said.
Paul, who lives in the Karangahake Gorge, prepared for the mammoth task by staying fit through running, surfing, cycling, and climbing. His backyard of the gorge was also the perfect place to train, he said, though bigger events like the Four Peaks were “more about having fun in the outdoors than simply being focused on a goal to achieve”.
Inspired by his dad’s legacy, Paul said he was always planning “some kind of adventure” and has set his sights on completing all the NZ Great Walks – each walk in one day.
“On top of [that], I’d like to do Ruapehu’s Round the Mountain loop in a day which has unbelievable alpine, bush, and also desert environments. I’d also like to have a go at the Kaimai North South Track which is quite long and tough,” he said, “so maybe I’ll need some more training for that.”
BY KELLEY TANTAU
