2025: My Year in Review — A Year of Diagnosis, Surgery, Mountains, Hut Bagging, and New Beginnings

2025 will always be the year that changed me. A year marked by fear and uncertainty, but also resilience, mountains, and a newfound determination to keep moving forward — one track, one hut, one step at a time.

It was the year I received a diagnosis that shook my world in May, went through surgery in June, and then again in August. The year I learned what it feels like to have your body betray you and then slowly rebuild trust in it again. And, despite everything, it was the year I walked more, climbed more, and explored more than I ever imagined possible.

This is my 2025 year in review — the raw moments, the hiking highlights, the huts, the healing, and the creation of something new.

Diagnosis and Surgery — The Year Everything Shifted

When I was diagnosed in May with vulva cancer, my world narrowed into appointments, scans, and the unfamiliar language of oncology. June brought surgery, and so did August. Recovery wasn’t linear — some days I felt like myself, others I barely recognised the person staring back at me in the mirror.

But throughout it all, the mountains remained my anchor. Hiking became the way I processed fear, reclaimed confidence, and reminded myself that I am still capable, still strong, and still here.

2025 became the year I didn’t give up the outdoors — I ran toward it.

Hiking Adventures — The Tracks That Carried Me Through

Despite the challenges, I look back and see a year filled with the most diverse collection of hikes, huts, and backcountry experiences I’ve ever had. Each one played its own role in helping me heal.

🌿 Styx–Arahura Circuit

A rugged, rewarding loop through two iconic valleys — a reminder that beauty often lies on the other side of effort.

💡 Godley Head Track

Coastal cliffs, WWII ruins, and big ocean energy on a day where I needed fresh air more than anything.

🚙 Oteake Conservation Park RZR Trip

A different kind of adventure — wheels instead of boots — but still full of stunning landscapes and alpine freedom.

🌿 Rod Donald Hut

A favourite: peaceful, scenic, and soothing for the soul.

💦 Pell Stream Route

A big, wild, technical mission — exactly the kind of track that forces you to be present and grounded.

🥾 Pinchgut Track

Beech forest, streams, and a classic North Canterbury experience.

⛰️ East Hawdon Route

A true backcountry route — boulders, riverbeds, and adventure in its purest form.

🥾 Spurs Hut

Remote and quiet, the kind of place you arrive at and immediately breathe deeper.

🪾 Maitland Hut Track

Glacial valleys and challenging bush — real Mackenzie magic.

🚗 West Coast Roady

Rain, rainforest, rivers — nothing beats the West Coast for atmosphere.

🌿 Packhorse Biv

Short and sweet, with outstanding views.

⛰️ Whitcombe Valley & Temple Basin

Two very different worlds in one weekend — lush river flats and alpine ski-club history.

🚤 Quail Island

A gentle coastal wander with a surprising amount of history.

🥾 Omahu Bush

A calm refuge close to home.

⛰️ Ryton Track

An underrated gem near Lake Coleridge — simple, wild, and perfect.

💦 Omarama Base Camp Adventures

Ben Ohau, Pearson Hut, Baikie Hut — big skies, big lakes, and wide open spaces.

🥾 Otamatapaio River

A beautiful wander through rolling slopes and farm country.

⛰️ Labour Weekend Missions

A monster of a long weekend:

• Rock and Pillar Range

• Kahikatea Lodge — hut #52!

• Staircase Circuit

A trio of steep climbs, great views, and the satisfaction of pushing myself again.

🪾 Jollie River

Peaceful terraces and a hut tucked away in classic Canterbury country.

⛰️ Mt Grey

A local summit that never disappoints.

🌿 Lake Daniell

Goblin forest, Troll Bridge, and reflections — a real treasure.

Hut Bagging — From 25 to 52 and Beyond

At the start of the year, I set a goal to reach 25 huts. It felt achievable but exciting — something to gently motivate me without pressure.

By April, I realised I was about to smash that number without even trying. So I changed my goal to 52 huts, one for every week of the year.

By the end of October… I reached it.

And instead of a triumphant “I did it!” moment, I found myself in that slightly uncomfortable space of:

“Okay… so now what?”

That’s when I realised the number wasn’t the point.

The journey, the people, the landscapes, the healing — that was the point.

So I kept going, but differently. Less numbers, more meaning. Less counting, more connecting.

Trail Cloth — A Small Idea Turned Into Something Real

One of my proudest achievements in 2025 was launching Trail Cloth — a reusable, hygienic, eco-friendly alternative to toilet paper for pee on the trail. A little cloth with a big purpose: helping women feel more comfortable, more prepared, and more confident in the outdoors.

Seeing Trail Cloth go from an idea to an actual product available at trailcloth.felt.co.nz has been incredible. I can’t wait to see more women using them in huts, on ridgelines, in valley floors, and everywhere in between.

Trail Cloth is more than a product — it’s part of my own journey toward independence, creativity, and healing.

Looking Back — and Forward

2025 wasn’t the year I expected. It challenged me physically, emotionally, and mentally. But it was also full of sunsets on the tops, mornings misting through beech forest, cold river crossings, warm hut fires, and the quiet, steady confidence that comes from simply keeping going.

I am proud of the mountains I climbed — both the literal and the metaphorical ones.

And as I look toward 2026, I’m less focused on numbers, goals, or ticking boxes.

Now, I’m focusing on:

✨ the journey

✨ the joy

✨ the people

✨ the tiny moments

✨ the mountains yet to climb

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