When Commitment Overrides River Red Flags
With 20-plus years of tramping off-track together all over Aotearoa, David and his three mates were prepared to push the envelope because they thought they could get away with it. This time, the risks went beyond David’s comfort levels, but the sense of commitment was too strong. It was only luck that saved them from disaster.
It was October, and the group was on an annual trip into the backcountry. This year, it was a rugged multi-day route in the challenging Townsend Creek area in Arthur’s Pass National Park. Their plan was to complete an east - west traverse of Minchin Pass and Harper Pass, finishing at Lewis Pass.
On day one, the group had a wet walk into Poulter Hut, without incident. Leaving the hut early the next morning, they arrived at Minchin Bivvy around midday.
The next section involved the notoriously difficult Townsend Creek – a 3-5 hour journey in good conditions, involving boulder hopping, skirting waterfalls and negotiating narrow gorges.
Despite fine weather, the creek was running higher than normal after recent rain and snow melt, and David was worried. He wanted to spend the night in the bivvy, giving them a clear 14 hours of daylight the next day in which to navigate the creek.
Townsend has a reputation, so I voiced my concerns, but because we’re fit and experienced, everyone else thought we could get down quickly. I was overruled and the team made the decision to push on.– says David
They left Minchin Bivvy around 1pm, descending into the creek.
As it turned out, David’s fears were justified. Due to the high water, progress was slow, and after 7 hours, they were still in the gorge section of the stream and everyone was getting very cold. At dusk, they decided to stop for the day, and with no other options, set up camp on a narrow shingle braid. Thankfully, the weather held.
“We were lucky. The forecast was fine and we had good kit with us, but if the stream had come up overnight, we would have been trapped.”
The next morning, they encountered numerous log jams and it took another two hours to complete the gorge and reach the Taramakau River.
The situation was an eye-opener for David.
“We were overconfident and too focused on reaching our goal, which led us to make a conformation heuristic error. Next time, we need to recognise the warning signs and make a different call.”
David’s key learnings: Don’t let commitment cloud your judgement
We’ve always been very focused on our goal. But on this trip, that commitment almost got the better of us. If someone in your group has concerns, make sure to listen to them, rather than falling into the conformity trap.
PHOTO CREDIT | David | Arthur’s Pass
Last edited: October 2026