With coming Tuesday a public holiday, the Monday a compulsory annual leave day and nothing better to do this weekend I decide to go on a 4-day hike, this will give me a chance to enjoy my new boots (Lowa Camino). I decide to walk a segment of the Te Araroa Trail, from the Rakaia River to Double Hut and beyond. This is at the very start, lots of low cloud about, it’s still early and hopefully it will be gone by the time I reach that altitude
The Rakaia River and some of the mountains I fly most of the times behind me. I’m glad I do the track SOBO (southbound) because for good photos you should always have the sun in the back of course (unlike in this picture)
Rachel walked up a bit with me (pink figure in distance in first photo) and took this photo of me, I was still happy here (what do I mean by that? keep reading!)
About 20 minutes later, another look back north
The cloud is slowly disappearing, good, makes for nicer photos, lovely terrain here!
I mean, this looks great! I can see why this is part of the Te Araroa
There is a lot of going up though, tough going at times with my 20 kg backpack, Turtons Saddle coming up
Looking back, again, I’ve climbed quite a bit already, in the far distance the Birdwood Range
The track continues to the end of this valley
This is about halfway along today’s track: the A Frame Hut (and toilet), Black Hill Range in the distance
I wonder why they call it A Frame Hut
Well, that explains it
Interesting rock (stone? limestone?) formations
The sun has been gone for a while now, my heels have developed not so much blisters but coin-size patches where the skin has been rubbed off, I should have broken in my shoes first! It’s rather painful. Luckily I see Comyns Hut in the distance! I can’t wait to get there and take of my boots
Damn! Before I get to the hut there is a river to cross and because of the heavy rain of the past few days it’s rather high, meaning I can’t just hop some stones to get across. I hate crossing rivers with my boots as they’ll stay wet and cold for too long. Luckily I brought some ‘water boots’: neopreen with a Vibram-like sole, unfortunately the cold water really bites my damaged heels, not a nice ending of the day
Half an hour later, finally at the actual hut, the smile is just for the photo, my heels feel awful and the hut doesn’t have a saw meaning despite there being a fireplace and some beach branches outside, I can’t light a fire, bummer!
A map of today’s hike, it was 16 km and took me 5 hours