Adventure #238

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Donald negotiating one of the many slips on the trail Walking through South Island Beech Forest- the floor dappled with spots of sunlight - is an incomparable way to chill out and reprioritise. The noisy Sabine River track was a constant companion, either close alongside the trail or within hearing distance. The impact of last year’s heavy rains in the region everywhere. The trail often diverted away from the river through to freshly cut paths around fresh slips and collapsed riverbanks. Mostly the track followed the narrow space between the steep valley river, often meandering through grassy flats or loose slips, and crossing small tributaries where we refilled water bottles. Within the first hour we reached a bridge across a small and narrow but deep gorge. Below us we got a glimpse of the crystal-clear waters flowing from the Blue Lake. Some logs lying on the riverbed could be seen as clear as if they were millimetres below the water surface. Perfectly sited to pick up the sun, West Sabine hut must be a warm spot on a cold day. During our visit it was impersonating a sauna. Fortunately, there are plenty of superb camping spots set amongst the trees and close to the river, so I braved the sandflies while Donald chose the sweatbox. My reward was the company of two natives – a very curious and cheeky Robin and a daring weka. And I woke to the inimitable sounds of a multi-piece orchestra of native bird calls. Donald’s reward was – well, I don’t really know. Second Day: West Sabine to Blue Lake Hut 1200m (3 hours) We took longer than three hours. It was sunny and hot. Mountain beech becomes more prominent along this stretch. There are short stretches across scree slopes, and a more rugged section alongside some spectacular rapids with glistening spray as water cascaded over the boulders. On these sections we got full views of the rocky peaks soaring steeply above us, looking all that more ominous with numerous scree slopes. Stopping for a very brief but very cooling swim, with complimentary ice-cream headache, was well worth the pain before we tackled the final steep and broken stretch to the hut. Blue Lake Hut, a stone’s throw from the lake, is placed in one of the last clumps of forest before the smaller sub-alpine shrubs and tussocks dominate. Words failed us as we wandered around the edge of the lake. We kept staring into the bright blue water. It seemed to get clearer and deeper as we made our way around to the southern end. A shallow stream fed icy-cold (5 degrees centigrade) perfectly filtered water from Lake Constance – out of sight above us. Roughly kidney shaped and probably 250 metres long, the outflow to the north is through a small cluster of rocks ranging up to the size of a small truck. It was no surprise when Marko, the local DOC volunteer hut warden recommended we drink water from the outflow of the lake in preference to the roof-fed tank water at the hut. To keep the waters pristine the rule is ‘Don’t Touch!’ Blue Lake Hut to Waiau Pass 1870m (7 hours return). Getting to top of Waiau Pass is high on the list of the most challenging sections of the entire 3,000 km Te Araroa Trail. We set off early, feeling inspired by the light daypacks and a near perfect day. A wide field of broken boulders meets you after the steep climb up the slip to Lake Constance. The precipitous, slip-strewn ridges of Mt Franklin line the eastern side of the lake. A small ridge on the western edge hides the distant top of the lake. It was sobering to consider the ridge was the scene of a tragedy in 2013 when Te Araroa walker Andy Wyatt wandered off the path and slid to his death. 32//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/<strong>#238</strong>
Lone tramper heading dowm Waiau Pass towards lake Constance ADVENTUREMAGAZINE.CO.NZ//33
Page 1 and 2: adventure where actions speak loude
Page 3 and 4: Ruapehu - is it the end of an era T
Page 5 and 6: Earning your turns; about to ski of
Page 7 and 8: HARI BUDHA MAGAR SUMMITS EVEREST 43
Page 9 and 10: ADVENTUREMAGAZINE.CO.NZ//7
Page 12 and 13: SILVERSTAR Just a few hours driving
Page 14: Happy road-trippers PANORAMA Our ne
Page 17 and 18: Same-Day Snow Be on the slopes of s
Page 19 and 20: Left to right, top to bottom: Not l
Page 21 and 22: Snowshoers near Ball Glacier, overl
Page 25 and 26: possible, and, if so, how risky it
Page 29 and 30: "For me, the excitement of fishing
Page 31 and 32: WADING SYSTEM DESIGNED FOR ANGLERS
Page 33: CONQUERING THE WAIAU PASS PRISTINE
Page 38: NZ GREAT WALKS AN APP-TITUDE FOR A
Page 41 and 42: M I C R O L I G H T A L P I N E Upd
Page 43 and 44: In the Speed & Style event - which
Page 45 and 46: Ben Harrington at World Champs - Im
Page 47 and 48: Zoi in action in Alaska - Image by
Page 49 and 50: www.black-crows.nz
Page 52 and 53: Images by P Butcher Gale on track -
Page 54: Gregor - Image by S Ricklin "We sho
Page 57 and 58: Making The Weir look easy, enter ce
Page 59 and 60: “It’s nothing to some, everythi
Page 62 and 63: Tawny claims his New Zealand speed
Page 64 and 65: “The sound of the air pushing up
Page 66 and 67: Jess Blewitt races at Red Bull Fox
Page 68 and 69: zerofit//Heatrub Ultimate Leggings
Page 70: outdoor research Carbide Jacket $49
Page 73 and 74: Merino made for more time on the mo
Page 75 and 76: Unmatched quality & design 100% pur
Page 79 and 80: escueme PLB1 $589.98 Wherever you a
Page 81 and 82: Waterfront accommodation on Nydia T
Page 83 and 84: DISCOVERING UTAH By Phil Clark - Ma
Page 85 and 86:
Experts at adventure travel since 2
Page 87 and 88:
9.30am Mt Yasur on Tanna Island Hik
Page 89 and 90:
Sea kayaking With 1129 kilometres o
Page 91 and 92:
n e w c a l e d o n i a c a l e d o
Page 93 and 94:
GET CLOSER TO adventure newcaledoni
Page 95 and 96:
Plateau Lodge Escape to the Wildern
Page 97 and 98:
Feed your adventure! Vegan Sustaina
Page 99 and 100:
A digital currency designed for eve
show all

Adventure #238

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?