Always good to see the Pukis, especially with a topping of snow

The track is 20 km that way

Unfortunately some &^*&#@$# pigs have routed up the track making it hard to cycle, in the photo you see the damage they have done and it’s all over the track

This track, advertised as the ‘only mountain biking track in Arthur’s Pass National Park‘ is absolutely brutal. I am not enjoying it to be honest. The parts that pigs destroyed can’t be cycled, a lot of the track is too steep to be cycled, the track goes up and up and up and my heart rate is through the roof. The only thing that’s nice so far is the scenery

Peveril Peak (1755 m)

The Turnbull Bivouac should be somewhere in this area, maybe worth a visit some time

I remember this flat area from the last time, it shouldn’t be far to the hut now, and it had better not be because I am absolutely exhausted

Casey Hut, I made it! I took my tent and inflatable mattress with me but don’t need it as there is room enough in the hut, so in hindsight I could have traveled considerably lighter

The next morning, I am the last one to finally leave the hut. What was absolutely terrible was putting on my wet, dirty, stinky (from the mud puddles) shoes again, yuk!

Casey Hut again, Brown Hill behind it

One of the many streams I need to cross, the water is cold

The scenery is worth the trip, so beautiful

Aaaaargh!! DOC!!!! At 2 places in the track there is a fence and you are supposed to simply lift your bicycle over it, but when you’re exhausted and have a heavy bike (lots of people having heavy electric mountain bikes nowadays) that is just too much. So stupid

The Binser Saddle, for when you hike the track and start at Andrews Shelter and Campsite

Looking back to the part I just ascended, it was absolute torture. It doesn’t look intimidating but it is steep and pushing your bike up a hill with all those stones takes ages because you keep slipping back. I think it took me at least 20 minutes to get to the top of this little scree slope

I overtook a hiker and asked him to take a photo of me. Even when I give directions on how to take the photo people always manage to cut off your feet or in this case part of your bicycle instead of having a nice margin around the subject. Oh well

Almost back at the car! Can’t wait. Exhausted and there is cold Diet Coke waiting for me in the fridge in the Jimny, and a bag of cookies!

I have had my drink and something to eat and am driving home here but wanted to take this photo of the train tracks, one day I would like to do the train ride from Christchurch to Greymouth, it’s just so bloody expensive (‘from $249’ one-way)

Map and height profile of the return trip

Looking west

Sugar Loaf straight ahead, Purple Hill to the left of and behind it

The first half an hour of the track is along the road

And soon the Binser Saddle Track will start on the left and take me over the saddle below those clouds on the left

Another look towards Purple Hill, where I fly so often. It’s still early but already quite a lot of cumulus clouds, it’s supposed to overcast today and come with some nasty weather, at least further to the east

Start of the Binser Saddle Track, it should be 6.6km / 3 hr to the other side of the saddle and 19.6km / 7.5 hr to Casey Hut

The track climbs steeply, this is looking back towards the west, some cloud coming in

The Waimakariri River, looking upstream

Quite a few of these little stream crossings, I don’t like getting my feet wet, luckily these stream are small enough to step over

Great weather for a hike, love the sunshine through the trees, the terrain is rather steep though

Getting closer to the Binser Saddle, it’s flattening

Grassy patch at the very saddle, nice place for a rest

From here on it’s all downhill again, lots of beech trees (right?)

I’m starting to see Peveril Peak throught the trees

Yep, there it is. I was here yesterday when I was flying and I had a low-ish save here

Interesting landscape at the foot of Gray Hill

The Poulter Range

Looking back

I’m really tired now and still have got a few km to go

Almost at Casey Hut! Should be 20 more minutes now

After the previous photo I arrived rather exhausted at the Casey Hut where I had my dinner and not long after that went to sleep as I was exhausted. This photo is Sunday morning, around 8 in the morning and my backpack (at the table) and I are ready to go

But first a photo of the other side of the hut where 12 of us spent the night, I think it was a snore fest

Casey Hut

Casey Hut and the Poulter River, Snow Cup Range in the background

And I’m on my way again! Another lovely day

I was already tired and the track turns out to be brutal: it only goes up and up and up and up with no end in sight

Every few minutes I need to take a short rest, just to catch my breath

Eventually I make it to some clearing and it looks like it will be going downhill from here on, at least for a while

Drone photo looking back. Casey Hut should be just to the right of where the Casey Stream (flowing downhill) meets the Poulter River

Drone right above me looking down

Hi!

A welcome easy bit

And I continue

Approaching Casey Saddle

Lots of this stuff on the trees again, I forgot if this is ‘Old Man’s Beard’ or not

Brown Hill

Hallelujah Flat

Hi Again

A lot of the track is blocked by fallen trees, at least in the photo it’s clear where the track continues but often you simply have no idea and just have to see if you can find the track again

After another last and intense climb I finally see the Waimak again, that means I’m getting close to the end. I can’t wait to get to the car, I’m exhausted and know there’s food and something to drink in my car!

Another 20 minutes or so through forest like this

And here I am as good as back at the car (just to the left of the bridge). It was an exhausting 40km hike, but in the end it’s always worth it!