Just a quick update to say I'm back alive and well from my multi-day tramp into the Tararuas. Starting at Otaki Forks our intention was to hike the Southern Crossing, up to Field Hut, have lunch, then push on to Kime Hut on the top of Mount Hector. We'd sleep there then walk along the top of the mountains to Alpha Hut, spend a second night and then walk on down to Featherston where we'd catch the train back to Wellington.
We set off at 9am and met a single hiker on his way back down. He was laden with an excess of equipment I couldn't hope to carry, including crampons and an ice axe, and he informed us that he'd had the same plan, but the snow on Table Top (3 hours from Kime Hut) was just too deep and soft to get through, so he'd come back down to Field Hut, spent the night there and just come back down to Otaki. He wished us the best of luck and said maybe the snow would be better for us. We then passed two more groups of people who said a similar thing. After 2 hours steep hiking we came across the first signs of snow. Just a light covering here and there, all very pretty really. Another hour later the snow was a complete covering, but just the kind of snow we usually have in England, only a few inches thick. I was truly grateful to see Field Hut emerge on the horizon, and even more thrilled to see how well built and equiped it was. Fresh water to re-fill our bottles, a long-drop toilet, a fireplace with stove and pots and pans, and plenty of mattresses available to be used. We stopped for lunch as planned and two other hikers came into the hut for a rest as well. One was a local who does it all the time, he was wearing a tiny pair of shorts and had the world's smallest terrier dog keeping up with him. We asked about the snow and the mist (there was absolutely no view) and he told us Kime Hut was a complete fridge, no heating, no insulation, right on the mountain top with howling winds, not a fun hut basically. Also he told us of a guy who'd walked the Southern Crossing 13 times and had never seen the view!
We finished our food and wished the others farewell after filling in the Intentions Book at the hut and pressed on uphill. It was another 45 minutes up steep snowy bush until we came above the bush line. The wind then hit us, and the snow got deep, and soft. One step forward, foot feels secure on the snow, weight goes on, foot goes through the snow and up to your hips. Foot sinks into a hidden unknown river underneath the snow caused by all the melting, and slush goes over your boots. Some steps we'd be able to walk on the snow, then without warning, the next few steps we'd be up to our hips in snow and our feet in the melting river. We thought we'd push on anyway, we weren't yet at the table top and it could all perhaps get better there. We could still see footprints in front of us so we knew we were still on the trail, and maybe the snow on Table Top would be harder so we walk on it. This was not the case. We reached Table Top and were glad for some degree of flatness for another hour and a half, but the snow was, if anything, deeper, softer and worse. One leg would sink under and I'd topple forward, instinctively I put my arm out to stop me, and my arm went in up the my shoulder. It was only the saving grace of my hiking stick that allowed me something to push back onto my feet. It was really hard going and we were being so careful whe suddenly my heart froze as Kerstin's leg sunk in yet again but this time it was coupled with a cry of pain. Oh God, has she broken her ankle? Has she twisted her ankle? What's happened? She'd stepped onto the very edge of what was a small bridge under the snow, slipped off the edge and scrapped her leg all down the side from her ankle to her knee, right over the shin. Amazingly, she wasn't badly hurt and was still completely able to both stand and walk. The reality of how far from help we were, and how easy it would be to need that help hit home. The weather was getting worse and it was only 3pm, another 2-3 hours of sunlight. Then in the distance, like a beacon in the night, we saw a signpost, a real man-made object! Lifting each leg out in turn and then sinking straight back in again, we pushed on with a renewed vigour to see when this god-send of a signpost would say. It read "Field Hut - 45 mins, Kime Hut - 2 hours". Our hearts sank a little as it had taken us about 2 hours to get to this point from Field Hut. Going on this basis, we'd be walking for around 4 hours before reaching Kime Hut, if we could even find it with the rapidly deteriorating view around us, and the footsteps which had now ended. Reluctantly, but knowing it was definately the right choice, we turned around and set off back to Field Hut, one hip-high snow step after the other.
We got back to Field Hut before 5pm and changed into out warm clothes. I realised to my dismay that I'd been foolish enough to not put my rain cover over my pack (not a mistake I'll ever make again) and most of the contents of my bag was wet. Kerstin did a great job of keeping the fire going with only wet wood, although I'm not sure how warm it kept us, I think it just helped occupy our minds. Now realising that we were going to heading back to Otaki the next day, we happily feasted on double food and hot chocolate until we could stay awake now more.
It was actually quite a good night in the hut. I feel as though I had somewhat limited sleep due to Kerstin's snoring, but if you ask her, she'll say the same thing about me. Well this was only going to be a quick update but it's fairly comprehensive actually. I'll write more on my time in Wellington and what happened after the night in Field Hut another time. There are photos to accompany this journey which I'll upload soon. Also this has been written on Kerstin's laptop, which is german, so if my z's and y's are the wrong way round in places, you can blame the Germans. :-)
We set off at 9am and met a single hiker on his way back down. He was laden with an excess of equipment I couldn't hope to carry, including crampons and an ice axe, and he informed us that he'd had the same plan, but the snow on Table Top (3 hours from Kime Hut) was just too deep and soft to get through, so he'd come back down to Field Hut, spent the night there and just come back down to Otaki. He wished us the best of luck and said maybe the snow would be better for us. We then passed two more groups of people who said a similar thing. After 2 hours steep hiking we came across the first signs of snow. Just a light covering here and there, all very pretty really. Another hour later the snow was a complete covering, but just the kind of snow we usually have in England, only a few inches thick. I was truly grateful to see Field Hut emerge on the horizon, and even more thrilled to see how well built and equiped it was. Fresh water to re-fill our bottles, a long-drop toilet, a fireplace with stove and pots and pans, and plenty of mattresses available to be used. We stopped for lunch as planned and two other hikers came into the hut for a rest as well. One was a local who does it all the time, he was wearing a tiny pair of shorts and had the world's smallest terrier dog keeping up with him. We asked about the snow and the mist (there was absolutely no view) and he told us Kime Hut was a complete fridge, no heating, no insulation, right on the mountain top with howling winds, not a fun hut basically. Also he told us of a guy who'd walked the Southern Crossing 13 times and had never seen the view!
We finished our food and wished the others farewell after filling in the Intentions Book at the hut and pressed on uphill. It was another 45 minutes up steep snowy bush until we came above the bush line. The wind then hit us, and the snow got deep, and soft. One step forward, foot feels secure on the snow, weight goes on, foot goes through the snow and up to your hips. Foot sinks into a hidden unknown river underneath the snow caused by all the melting, and slush goes over your boots. Some steps we'd be able to walk on the snow, then without warning, the next few steps we'd be up to our hips in snow and our feet in the melting river. We thought we'd push on anyway, we weren't yet at the table top and it could all perhaps get better there. We could still see footprints in front of us so we knew we were still on the trail, and maybe the snow on Table Top would be harder so we walk on it. This was not the case. We reached Table Top and were glad for some degree of flatness for another hour and a half, but the snow was, if anything, deeper, softer and worse. One leg would sink under and I'd topple forward, instinctively I put my arm out to stop me, and my arm went in up the my shoulder. It was only the saving grace of my hiking stick that allowed me something to push back onto my feet. It was really hard going and we were being so careful whe suddenly my heart froze as Kerstin's leg sunk in yet again but this time it was coupled with a cry of pain. Oh God, has she broken her ankle? Has she twisted her ankle? What's happened? She'd stepped onto the very edge of what was a small bridge under the snow, slipped off the edge and scrapped her leg all down the side from her ankle to her knee, right over the shin. Amazingly, she wasn't badly hurt and was still completely able to both stand and walk. The reality of how far from help we were, and how easy it would be to need that help hit home. The weather was getting worse and it was only 3pm, another 2-3 hours of sunlight. Then in the distance, like a beacon in the night, we saw a signpost, a real man-made object! Lifting each leg out in turn and then sinking straight back in again, we pushed on with a renewed vigour to see when this god-send of a signpost would say. It read "Field Hut - 45 mins, Kime Hut - 2 hours". Our hearts sank a little as it had taken us about 2 hours to get to this point from Field Hut. Going on this basis, we'd be walking for around 4 hours before reaching Kime Hut, if we could even find it with the rapidly deteriorating view around us, and the footsteps which had now ended. Reluctantly, but knowing it was definately the right choice, we turned around and set off back to Field Hut, one hip-high snow step after the other.
We got back to Field Hut before 5pm and changed into out warm clothes. I realised to my dismay that I'd been foolish enough to not put my rain cover over my pack (not a mistake I'll ever make again) and most of the contents of my bag was wet. Kerstin did a great job of keeping the fire going with only wet wood, although I'm not sure how warm it kept us, I think it just helped occupy our minds. Now realising that we were going to heading back to Otaki the next day, we happily feasted on double food and hot chocolate until we could stay awake now more.
It was actually quite a good night in the hut. I feel as though I had somewhat limited sleep due to Kerstin's snoring, but if you ask her, she'll say the same thing about me. Well this was only going to be a quick update but it's fairly comprehensive actually. I'll write more on my time in Wellington and what happened after the night in Field Hut another time. There are photos to accompany this journey which I'll upload soon. Also this has been written on Kerstin's laptop, which is german, so if my z's and y's are the wrong way round in places, you can blame the Germans. :-)
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