Mr Lines and Adventure Consultants alpine guide Mike Madden, of Wanaka, have been based at Plateau Hut since Saturday, waiting for a gap in the northwesterly storm cycle so they can begin climbing today or tomorrow.
"I am not sure it's the best pre-race taper.
I tried to do it the other way round once and did a race then a climb in France.
But I crashed on the bike and broke my ribs and shoulder blade, so I couldn't climb," Mr Lines said on Saturday.
"So I decided this time I would do it this way around.
I have just as much chance of injuring myself climbing, I guess, but I don't want to talk too much about that."
Mr Lines likes to combine a climbing challenge with a triathlon event whenever he can, to make use of the chance to explore and meet people in the countries he is visiting.
He has been climbing for about 15 years and does not know of any other triathletes who go to the heights he does before a race.
People ask him if he is crazy.
"That's a word I've heard over and over again.
You get that a lot," he said, smiling.
Mr Lines will be competing in his 21st long-distance triathlon (3.8km swim, 180km bike, 42.2km run) at Challenge Wanaka, his eighth event since March 2009.
Last year, he raced at Taupo, and in Australia, China, Brazil, the Canary Islands and Hawaii.
He has also pursued his triathlon passion in Germany, Malaysia, Japan and Korea, and over the next two years he wants to complete every race in the Challenge international series and all the Ironman races.
Mr Lines does not race to win or beat a time goal.
He prefers to let his body and conditions determine his pace.
Even so, he has steadily been improving and finished in the top 10 in his age group four times last year.
Five weeks ago, he was fourth in his age group in a race at Busselton, Australia.
Mr Lines works for XPal, an accountancy and financial planning company, and says he is just one of a growing pool of 50-somethings around the world who, when their children grow up and leave home, decide to combine their desire to travel with triathlons.
"I don't spend my money on anything other than triathlon and travel.
I don't drink and don't smoke, so I have a reasonable amount of surplus income to do these events," he said.
His wife sometimes travels with and supports him, but at other times Mr Lines travels by himself.
He never feels alone because he is always bumping into friends he made at another triathlon or an associated "pasta party".
Depending on conditions at Aoraki-Mt Cook, Mr Lines intends to be back in Wanaka by Thursday night, in time to register for the race, assemble his bike and complete a "mini-triathlon" to prepare himself for Saturday.
Later this year, he hopes to fit in two more long-distance triathlons before climbing Ama Dablam, a 6800m peak in Nepal, again with Adventure Consultants.
