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Mountain Hiking
In addition to the Great Walks and many shorter walks we also undertook two day hikes to reach Mountain Tops.
The first was from Te Anau on the South West coast of South Island. Originally, we kept the option open of also doing the Kepler Great Walk. However, the weather forecast wasn't too good and we had a good tip from a DOC employee, that one of the most impressive parts can be done as a day walk, so we decided to do a one day hike. To get the most out of the day we took the Kepler Water Taxi to Brod Bay. From there we walked through a beautiful forest up to the tree line. In the forest it was quite warm, so we were surprised, when we saw that the hikers coming down were warmly dressed. Once out of the trees, we knew why, there was quite an intense wind blowing, which reduced the temperature drastically.
After lunch at Mount Luxmore Hut, we decided that we had enough time and energy to continue on to the summit of Mount Luxmore.
However, at times we weren't sure if we would make it, gusts of wind reached up to 60 kmh and we had to stop and wait for them to pass before continuing on. Fortunately, the way to the top wasn't too narrow and so we did make it all the way up. From there the views were breathtaking and worth the effort.
On the way down we made good progress and so we were at the meeting point for the water taxi 30 minutes ahead of time. After 7 hours of hiking and 1'200 meters elevation change (first up and then down again), we were exhausted but very happy.
The second time we attempted to climb a mountain was at Arthur's Pass in the centre of South Island. Here the weather forecast wasn't too good either, so we opted for the easier route and took Scott's Track up to Avalanche Peak. The track was very steep throughout and first passed through a dense but fascinating forest.
Once we had passed 1200 meters elevation, the forest gave way to large grassy stretches.
The views were fascinating throughout, especially because the cloud and fog cover continually changed, giving us different aspects of the same view.
At one time we heard a Kea call out and fly overhead. We spotted it foraging for food on the slopes, throwing down rocks in the process. We climbed a bit higher until we were on the same level and waited what would happen. It decided to come and check us out allowing us to take great photos.
Onwards we climbed, but close to the top the wind was picking up (it was getting cold) and the top was still covered in cloud. Additionally, the next part of the way looked even more difficult than what we had encountered before, so heavy hearted we decided to turn around.
After a lunch break in a wind free place we had enough energy to tackle the way down and enjoy the views as well.
After 6 hours and 1000 meters elevation change (first up and then down again) we reached the car park, a bit sad that we didn't reach the top, but safe, healthy and happy with the experience.Labels: hiking, new zealand, pictures, traveling
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