Friday 2nd March 2012: I had a bad night with pain on any movement and had decided to walk out with Ed Cooke, rather than continue the tramp. Yau Sing came with me (he had experienced bad cramps crossing the Pinacle Ridge) and Roger also had health issues. The team split up my gear and we all headed for Holdsworth Lodge. Again, I wasn't very good on any down-hill but without a heavy pack I managed it without any serious problem.

At Holdsworth Lodge the gear was again redistributed with enough food and supplies for the remaining four to head over to Totara Flats Hut, sit out the weather bomb and any high streams and then head out via Cone and Tutuwai huts.

Ed took the three patients to his place and then took me to be checked out at Masterton Hospital where a CT scan confirmed the transverse sternal (breast bone) fracture hadn't damaged any internal organs. It also confirmed three anterior compression fractures in my thoracic spine (caused by the violent "arse over head" flip).

Ed kindly put us up for the night in the house he built AND drove Yau Sing and myself back to Hawera on the Saturday so we witnessed all the destruction caused by the "weather bomb".