Saturday morning we got up early and drove a couple hours outside of Wellington, to the Tararua mountain range. Since I wasn't prepared for winter hiking trips, I had borrowed a pack and woolen gloves, hat, and other gear from Thom. I had a layer of long johns and spandex running tights on top with running shorts over top and wool socks poking out of running shoes. Pretty sweet combo. Anyways, we started off the day with 4 hours hiking in the bush. The bush was full every shade of green plant life you can imagine - ferns, trees, grasses, and loads of other things I couldn't name. We stopped for lunch at a small shelter that had been pre-built in Wellington and then flown up by helicopter and assembled on the mountain. After the first 4 hours or so, we passed through Powell Hut, a big cabin where you can stay the night. We thought about staying there for the night, but it was early and we also hoped to make it to Jumbo peak and then on to Jumbo Hut for the night. Since we would walk to Jumbo peak along the ridge line and we heard there might be some ice along the way, we decided to give it a try but turn around as soon as we got uncomfortable with the ice. So, I put on two pairs of wool socks, then tightly wrapped a plastic bag around my feet before putting on my running shoes in an attempt to make them waterproof. Worked like a dream!
We headed out the back door of Powell hut and stepped into what felt like a completely different place. Powell hut was right along where the bush line ends and alpine terrain starts, so we stepped out into a treeless snowy mountain! Following the path was a little tricky, but luckily, a couple people had gone before us, so we could stick to their tracks and it never got too slippery. Also, it wasn't that windy which was fortunate. So, we hiked about 3.5-4 hours through the ice on a trail lined with frozen solid plants, which was good for something to hang on! A picture of our intrepid group of explorers.
After about 3 more hours of hiking, either it cleared up or we got above the cloud line (or some combo of the two) and we emerged to the top of Jumbo just as the sun was going down to the most amazing view: sun setting and clouds streaming down the face of the mountain so you could see the valley opening up and some mountain peaks popping up out of a blanket of clouds. So cool! We were all blown away and it made the afternoon hike through the ice well worth it. We were happy with the afternoon even before we saw the view, and even moreso after. I got a little snap happy.
We then made our way down the ridgeline to Jumbo Hut just as it was getting dark. Katie made a delicious dinner of couscous and lentils, and then we were passed out by 8:30. Best part? Brushing teeth on the freezing cold porch under the most stars I've ever seen in one sky.
In the morning, we were treated to another nice view, and I took some pictures of the hut to show what the inside is like.
Then we set off for another 4 hours hiking along a river and through the bush and over 1-person-only suspension bridges and then back to Wellington. So fun!
No comments:
Post a Comment