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Camping on snowy mountain ranges in a tent, with ice falling into his sleeping bag during a mammoth ski traverse of the Southern Alps, mountaineer and adventurer Erik Bradshaw thought there had to be a better way to get out into the mountains.
Erik had a simple but brilliant idea to convert a large plastic water tank into a four-bunk hut, which he called a Turk, and have it choppered into the back country. It was a crazy idea that was initially met with a lot of scepticism, but ever an optimist and a boundary pusher, he persevered. He established the Mountain Turk Club and found a community of people keen to help out and bring his vision to life. And what developed is an epic, five-hut ski trail from Coronet Peak to Treble Cone ski fields called the Mahu Whenua Traverse.
A documentary has been made about Erik's mission; Mountain Turks is currently screening at the New Zealand Mountain Film and Book Festival. Kathryn speaks with Erik Bradshaw and the documentary's director, Mark Johansson.