Down under and through the snow

The two helicopters take off almost simultaneously, leaving us in pristine mountain wilderness on the far side of the world. We’re a full day’s hike from civilisation in one of New Zealand’s most remote regions, drawn here to hunt for wild tahr. Our survival for the next six days will depend on our ability and nature’s whims.

There are four of us in the hunting party: my Danish friend Henrik Pedersen, his boss, another hunter who goes by the name of Doctor Schou, and me. We quickly set up camp. It’s tiring work in the deep snow, but the scenery — white mountain peaks that slice razor-sharp into the sky — makes us forget our burning muscles in our eagerness to explore. As soon as our base is established, we head out for a quick afternoon hunt. For 25-year-old Henrik, this