Category Archives: hiking

family, hiking, NZ

Hooker Hut overnighter

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A rescheduled extended family trip to Hooker Hut came around last week. The first attempt, that I’d have missed, was thwarted by storm closures of the access track, and Adele did well to make bookings the hut that is very popular with families – due to the easy, short walk in and the spectacular setting. The forecast looked like it would be dry, but getting cold overnight – so we were all go this time.

It’s a long while since I’ve been to Mt Cook Village – the day walk into Hooker Lake certainly is well trodden, as the overflowing carpark showed. We saw scores, if not hundreds, of day-walkers as our varied-pace group headed up the the valley. Plenty of things to keep the boys (two nephews and one of their cousins – he heading for his first hut stay) interested and walking along – bridges a highlight, as was just about anything really.

Mt Cook watching over us.

Mt Sefton.

Rabi along for the walk. Too cute.

Three kilometres in and reaching the subtly marked turn-off from the highway track to the well-hidden hut.

A more engaging track beside a creek was well worth it to escape the crowds for the last kilometre. I could see on the topo map we were close to the hut, but it was a rather looping path that took us up and around to it.

Finally into view. I say finally, but it wasn’t even two hours of walking at little-leg pace.

Hooker Hut is now in its fifth location since 1910, after originally being far more alpine and next to Hooker Glacier. Various snow, avalanche, weather conditions – both long and short term – caused its many moves and now it’s in this very accessible spot with a brilliant aspect. Bunks claimed, snacks opened, there was time for much exploring of the rocks and tussocks surrounding the hut – the boys loved it and had an absolute ball. As did the adults, but with a lot less running around.

Sitting at the table looking out the front door.

A glimpse of Hooker Lake.

With an excellent rendang that James had prepared the night before and other refreshments, hut life was very good. It never got as cold as expected; even with the fireplace out of action the hut was very warm overnight. Bit windier in the morning, but the clouds that were pummelling the West Coast never made it over the range to us. We walked out in sun, but my the wind was strong on the swing bridges – thankfully behind us and not in our faces as for the morning crowds walking up to the lake. Easy to appreciate why the track gets closed.

Departure.

Much fun!

family, friends, hiking, NZ

Woolshed Creek Hut overnighter

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A short overnight hike up in Canterbury for the twenty-something-st Birthday Trip for Adele and Theresa. Nice little stroll in and out (only twelve kilometres total) with decent winter weather, nineteen of us all up and a barely credible amount of curry hauled in.

Looking south once out of the short bush ascent.

With some of the party not starting as early as the families and others, we had plenty of time to stop for a long lunch in the sun. The return trip would have us up there, and coming down that face on the right.

The two youngest of the six children were determined to reach the hut first, so that kept them motivated!

Looking up the West Stour to the Arrowsmith Range.

More of the return trip – up from the left across to the Bus Stop and exit stage-right.

More time to stop and admire the views west.

North to the Winterslow Range.

Wasn’t long before we were looking down to Woolshed Creek and its hut.

After snacks in the last of the sun, we had to cross the valley to maximise this, some of us popped to the Emerald Pool (or some such name).

It’s emeraldish.

Plenty of ice around.

Certainly enough to throw onto the opposite bank.

After the early feast and much chat into the night, it was a warm night in a full hut. Well, not quite full as more people moved outside to sleep on the balcony throughout the night. I slept well and it was another leisurely start to the walking as we returned by the higher route.

First, trip trapping over Woolshed Creek.

Out of the bush again and looking southwest.

Snaking our way up, hut down yonder.

At the so-called Bus Stop, our lunch spot found just beyond.

That just left us to cross a boggy section, on new boardwalks, and then turn and head down the South Face – steep enough to make our legs aware.

A fun little overnighter with a good, large group. Lucked out with the weather too.

hiking, NZ

Mt Brown Hut and summit

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A little West Coast weather keeping my enthusiasm for outdoor activities to short walks, short rides and some gardening for four days, a break in the conditions coincided nicely with my desire for a longer hike in the area. Well aware of the Coast’s reputation for gnarly, steep tracks I was offered three choices – I forget why we settled on Mt Brown Hut, perhaps because it offered the chance of a loop. A bit of a drive, particularly scenic around the back of Lake Kaniere, and we were at the trailhead – a couple of vehicles of the van-tourist variety reminding Katie that this hut has become far more popular with its Insta-fame.

Heading up there somewhere; I know now the hut is on the ridge on the right, the summit the left.

Beginning mildly, straight into the bush, we were soon climbing in earnest. Hudson (a young German Shorthaired Pointer) covering twice, if not thrice, the distance we were as he repeatedly zoomed off smelling all the smells. Progressively steeper, it never got quite as steep as I thought it would – although there were plenty of times where hands were required, both for my balance and propulsion but also occasionally for Hudson to get up the steepest sections. I was convinced this steepness was going to be very tough on the legs descending.

Amongst the effort, plenty of changing bush to admire as altitude quickly increased. Dense enough, there were seldom any glimpses of a view beyond the trees. Gaining the ridge, the sub-alpine gave us some views and plenty of mud.

Browning Range to the south.

Lake Kaniere to the northwest.

Opening up now, damp underfoot, clouds starting to blow through. Summit is centre of the three peaks on right side.

I’d slowed the normal quick ascent markedly, but it was still only a hundred minutes to the hut. Pleasingly for the ease of quick sums, we’d climbed about a thousand metres in five kilometres – so an average gradient of twenty percent, it was a fair climb. Time for lunch in front of the hut and trying to glimpses different aspects as the cloud continued to build but kept moving.

Yip, it’s a picturesque hut and setting.

A peek, and indeed peak, of the Southern Alps to the southwest.

Completing the loop, dropping steeply to the Styx River and then walking along flats didn’t appeal as much as carrying onto Mt Brown summit for a look-see (I assume it’s named so, with the hut and all – strangely it’s not identified on the topo map).

Not a marked track, it was easy enough to navigate along the ridge as it dropped off steeper on each side.

Spot the hut, certainly can’t see Lake Kaniere any longer. Also spot me, lagging behind.

This isn’t so good for the summit views.

Thankfully things cleared a bit as we reached the top, enough anyway to look up the Styx valley.

Someone stayed still long enough for a photo!

The descent wasn’t nearly as horrible on my legs, or as steep, as I feared – it did take just as long as the climb however. As things flattened out over the last few hundred metres, descending muscles definitely making themselves known!

About the biggest look at the lake from the bush that I got.

A great little foray into the West Coast hills – hopefully not too slow for the Katie and Hudson, and thanks for the couple of photos that are obviously not mine.

hiking, NZ

Mt Ida hike

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Having been distracted by the summit of the Hawkdun Range a few days before, I had to wait for clear skies and some energy to return before attempting to get up Mt Ida. This did mean another two-hour bike push up onto the Hawkduns; being the third time in a month, it’s getting to be old hat now and just part of getting to enjoy this area. Of course, I could have just hiked up without a bike – but I would have then resented every moment of the unnecessarily slow descent!

Do quite like it up here.

Over the Maniototo with the Rock & Pillars in the distance. I’d soon zig and zag along that ridge at left to get onto the Ida Range.

I was surprised to see a truck parked at the top, and more so to see someone around. Turned out there were lizard researchers camping up here for a few days counting such things. Nice spot for it. Stashing the bike, I lunched before setting off on foot to connect the ridges to Mt Ida. Thankfully the contour lines on the map along the path I would follow were relatively benign.

Of course, that was just the map and, as expected there was plenty of tussock and loose rock to deal with. There were still hills to deal with so, but the summit wasn’t much higher than where I left the bike – so I just had to regain the mellow altitude loss.

Doesn’t look too far away, or that lumpy.

Hills Creek heading to the left of Raggedy Range to join with Ida Burn near Oturehua.

Maybe sidling around here wasn’t such a fantastic idea, time to veer for the ridge.

It’s not far away, just have to get around there, by heading right. (Summit back left.)

A breeze kept me from overheating as I picked my way through the tussocks and over the rocks, giving my ankles a good workout on many hidden lumps and slip-sliding rocks.

Northeast over the Oteake lumps and gullies to St Marys Range.

Out on the Ida Range now, there was one last dip and then the steepest climb of the walk to go. Views opened up south.

Little Mt Ida, and its transmitter, looking, well, little. Ida Burn forming and then tracking away from the Maniototo plain.

Intrigues me when water doesn’t take the obvious, short path – here Ida Burn avoids filling the Taieri and heads right of Rough Ridge to Oturehua and ends up in the Clutha at Alexandra.

Naseby is easy to quickly zoom in on a map as the forest is clearly an anomaly around here.

Summit time, marked only by a small cairn and slightly better views. Not quite two hours on foot with a few snack and view pauses, a good little walk to add to my understanding of the area’s topography. With more time to organise logistics, a traverse of the Ida Range appeals; maybe by foot first to see if it’s worth dragging a bike along!

Boundary Creek forms here, we crossed the lower end of it a few weeks before as it becomes the Otematata River.

Time to turn and head for the bike, pretty easy to see much of the route back to the spot at the left of this picture:

A more considered route back was a good twenty minutes quicker, but there were also fewer photo stops on ground I’d already covered. Grabbing the bike and pushing back to the double-track, I was surprised to see two bikepackers at the top of the descent. I was sure all the Tour Te Waipounamu riders had gone through. I was correct, these two had come from Tailings Hut and were on a bit of Central Otago and Southern Lake tour – much of it sounded familiar.

Nice to chat before ripping down the loose track to the car. Thankfully I’d learnt my lesson of Friday and borrowed sister’s full-suspension bike, far faster and more comfortable on such a rugged track. Am looking forward to bigger wheels, fatter tyres, more travel and slacker geometry…soon (c’mon postal service!).