LAZAROW WORLD HIKE-ABOUT

Tenerife, Spain: Mount Teide projects.

'LAZAROW WORLD HIKE-ABOUT: WHAT IN THE WORLD IS HIKE-ABOUT?'

Hike-about is an adventure that commenced June 2010. After storing our household movables, ridding ourselves of a house but retaining our 'home' together, we set off with the purpose of hiking in different parts of the world, not forgetting the home country, the USA.

Our primary focus is hiking to mountain peaks but any challenging hike will do just fine. Extended stays enable us to enjoy and experience living in various places amongst differing cultures. Hike-about has evolved into a way of life. It's also a process of discovery, both the world and ourselves.

We work and live 'on the road' but return to the city in which our grandchildren reside, every couple of months. This provides us the wonderful opportunity to be with them as well as a child or two, even three and of course, friends.

By the end of 2023, the blog contained over 1,560 hikes (less than that actually undertaken), each a set of pictures with stories and anecdotes from the trails. An index to the right allows the viewer to identify earlier experiences.

Finally, we are often asked about the journey's end.
O
ur reply, as accurate as we can state, is: "When we are either forced to cease through health issues or the enjoyment level no longer reaches our aspirations, we will hang up the boots."

"A Life Experience As No Other: Dare to Seize the Day Together", published by Fulton Books, depicts our life on the road and mountains until the beginning of 2017. It has developed 'exponentially' since then.

Jenni and Jeffrey Lazarow

Whereas we continue to update the blog regularly, we circulate email notifications infrequently.

Monday, December 12, 2011

7.18 The Routeburn Track, long day hike only

En route. Reminds us of Lake MacDonald, Montana

Endowed with incredible mountains Clicking on pictures enlarges them

The Routeburn track, past Glenorchy, is one of the Nine Great Walks of New Zealand. No argument from us. There are three huts along the way for overnight stays. We walked to the second hut and returned, as was our intention. The climb is 1,800 feet elevation gain in a distance of 18 kilometers return, quite a day’s outing in a wonderland of forests, waterfalls, incredible mountains covered in snow and many swing bridges. We provide the statistics each time, not only to boast, but also to keep a record so that when we sit in our rockers in the future, we’ll have something to remember. Who knows how long Jenni will be able to carry us.

Jenni not that fond of swing bridges. At least there were only a dozen

In conjunction with Volkwagen, we've developed a new VW badge

The hike gives one a taste of paradise. This got us thinking of three possible paths to ‘heaven’. The keeping of mitzvoth (commandments) is our duty but for most of us that is difficult. Some believe that exploding themselves and killing fellow humans is an ideal way of reaching paradise. Some are quite foolish and misled by disgusting, evil men. The easiest way to reach the goal, we believe, is to tramp in New Zealand. We realize this does not create an enduring benefit; it sure is quite a consolation prize though.

Newly melted snow flows turquoise and clear

Another angle, surprises behind the trees

“We met a German Turkey,” we mentioned to our editor. ‘What nonsense are you talking, for a change,” she replied, not unkindly. We told her that the receptionist at our lodge has a German mother and her father is from Turkey. We hate it when she rolls her eyes but we suppose that is her perogative. We do find that many of the foreigners who settle or work in this country, after a short while, retain their accents but pronounce many words like locals. It tickles us. We envision the possibility that by the time we return from New Zealand, we might well lose our American accents. That would be a pity as we worked diligently for years to perfect them.

Overpowering monliths

We were tired after not sleeping on our way to this country and then undertaking some tough hikes. We also read in the Torah portion of Jacob’s wrestling with the angel all night. Somewhat less importantly, we wrestled or struggled to get out of bed on Shabbos in time to daven (pray) before mincha came along. Our dilemma passed, as it should, unnoticed in the wider world. Jacob’s, however, has had a profound effect on all red-meat eaters—no hindquarters, fellows. ‘At least the cows are better off,’ we said to our editor. She gave us her understanding smile and we felt quite erudite and worldly. “I’m sure the cows feel better about retaining their back legs, Sweetheart. What difference do you think it makes to them without heads, though?” Sometimes we think she is just a little too clever.

Layer upon layer of mountains

In New Zealand, we generally don’t find many fellow Americans. Today we found two sets. The first was a couple, a few years younger than we, a very young couple. “You sound American,” we said to them. The man put out his chest and answered, “Yes, we are from California, in fact, from San Diego.” ‘Hmm! We, too,’ we replied. Quite a coincidence, we thought, as there are so few in the country and less on the trails. The other was a young woman, behaving in a manner that might have the ‘Green Police’ declaring a state of emergency. More about the ‘Green Police’ soon.

Cheers,

Jenni and Jeffrey

South Island's challenge: Don't become complacent

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