A lot goes on behind the scenes in maintaining a mountain hut. Caroline Hut Restock is an ode to the hut and the hard work.

Right underneath the Caroline Face
An incredible, indescribable place
No time for gazing, it’s speed-meditation
Shovels up, straight into loo excavation

Scrubbing and sorting stuff before the flight
The heli load’s set for five thirty tonight
Food and firewood for a summer of climbing
Hope that wind settles, it’s pretty fine timing

Tourist flights done, no doubt this is our heli
With a strop, here it comes up the valley
Safely deposited, time to put real work in
Oats pasta rice chocolate, bars, jars of gherkins
Relish, beans, noodles, falafel, milk, honey, cereal
A kea comes by, checks the radio aerial
Four hours later all the stuff’s found a home
Each corner full, not even space for a gnome!

Looking at photos from back in the day
There was that time the loo blew away
Four metres of snow this roof had to bear
Since the hut’s shifted there’s much less to clear
…over 32 years there’s been lots to learn
We round it all off with some well earned turns