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| The lake at St. Arnaud |
As it were, the next day (February 4) we made it to Upper Traverse Hut which was tucked away in the end of the valley before the Traverse pass over to the otherside. The afternoon spent hanging out with some other trekkers out to do a multiday journey before we woke to make it past Traverse Pass in the early hours of the morning onroute to Blue Lake Hut. Weaving in and around trees and boulders blanketed with moss and vines we followed the flow of the river up to its source - Blue Lake. Reaching the hut that afternoon we were all hot and sweaty and in much need of a wash. The lake was glistening in vibrant blues and greens and was too much of a temptation to not take a dip.
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| The other side of Traverse Pass |
February 6 we woke up and got all pumped for our big day. We had to climb Waiau Pass and it was said to be one of the most difficult parts of the section and Te Araroa Trail. But we were ready. If only we could have said the same about the weather. All our things packed up, the three of us opened the front door to the hut and found ourselves unable to see more than 3 feet in front of us. It was a complete whiteout of cloud. To top it off the rain continued to pelt down and wasn't showing signs of giving up. It was time for a Plan B. We opted to wait out the weather until 10am and if it didn't look like it was getting better then we'd have to try again the next morning. Visibility was essential for the next bit.
As glad as I was to have the hut as a shelter for the day, it was hard to have to think of sitting around all day looking out the window at the miserable weather. The thought of cabin fever crossed my mind and through chatting about it, it seemed as though David and Alex were having the same thoughts. We needed a bigger plan than just simply warming ourselves by the fire and reading through ever inch of 10-year-old magazines that happened to have been left behind in the hut. Slowly, an idea formed. We opted to do a little workout session to get the blood pumping and give us something to do without completely tiring us out. All we had to do was first wait to see if the weather would clear up.
It didn't.
So we switched gears and stopped worrying about the rain pouring down and the clouds hanging low. The tables in the middle of the hut were pushed to the side and we created space in the 16 bunk hut for three stations. Each of us came up with exercises for each station and we put together a little circuit where we continuous went around to each station doing a certain amount of reps of each exercise. Before long the blood was pumping and the sweat was pouring. It felt amazing to be using different muscle groups to what we normally have been when trekking. It was awesome to be doing something different. The only thought that crossed my mind was how ridiculous we would have looked should someone have come up to the hut at that point in time. The only thing we were missing was some pumping tunes - we made do.
After circuit training we did a little yoga and then resorted the hut back to its original state before settling into a slow afternoon of munching on food, doing crosswords and reading magazines. Eventually other trekkers we had met at Upper Traverse Hut came up and things became more lively as we had more people to chat up. As nice as it was the back of my mind was eagerly awaiting an appropriate time to be able to go to sleep so I could make the next day come quicker. I was itching to be able to get over Waiau Pass and continue our journey to Boyle Village.
January 7/11 . DAY #116 . 16KM .
Today we peered out of the windows from Blue Lake Hut into the dark morning only to find that the clouds hadn't lifted and the rain hadn't stopped. It wasn't looking good for us to be able to go over Waiau Pass. We opted to wait it out to see if it would lesson as the morning got going and fortunately it did. By 7:40am David, Alex and I said goodbye to all the other trekkers rising from their warm sleeping bags and started on our way to Lake Constance.
The rain began to cease completely and patches of blue sky peeked through the cloud. Climbing up to Lake Constance I found I was getting rather warm in my rain jacket that apparently wasn't needed and so I gladly peeled it off with the brief thought that we might be in for a beautiful day weather-wise. The thought didn't last long as when we reached Lake Constance shortly after, the rain started up again along with a chilly southerly wind. But we still had hope that the weather was clearly so we pressed on.
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| Alex and me at the top of Waiau Pass |
Climbing down a small stream along a bluff, we managed to make it safely to the shoreline of Lake Constance without incident and proceeded to carry on our way, only realizing shortly after that the bluff we just climbed down was blocking most of the wind barrelling through the small valley. It was cold. It was constant. It made me wonder if we were really able to be doing the pass - visions of doing the ridgeline around Mt. Elis flashed through my mind.
After a break behind a massive boulder that was blocking most of the wind, David, Alex and I looked at each other and decided to press on. The clouds were lifting and we had already put in enough time to figure it couldn't get much worse. We could do it. Slow and steady. One step at a time. We would press on.
Wind blowing, rain falling, clouds threatening to make everything disappear - we forged onwards to the base of Waiau Pass. I stopped at the bottom and looked up at where we had to go. I couldn't see the top of the mountain pass it was so high. Orange markers dotted the way up scree, loose rocks and patches of grass. I took a deep breath and started climbing. There was no turning back.
Inch by inch we made our way up to the top, stopping every so often to get a breath and wait out gusts of wind that would come blowing past us so hard that we'd have to press our bodies to the mountain side, clinging on patches of grass in hopes that these bits of vegetation would keep us from being blown away. Calves and quads quivering, we reached the top dripping wet from sweat and rain. Rain jackets zipped up to the max, I pulled my sleeves down as far as they would go, attempting to warm my fingers as they swelled in the high altitude giving me my sausage fingers or "alpine hands" as I had come to know them.
Eventually we reached the top and had a short break where we scoffed down a muesli bar to keep us going and then we moved on. I was out of water and needed to get more in my camelback, but there was no stopping. The southerly wind would cause us to get too cold should we stop for more than 5 min and none of us liked the thought of facing hypothermia. So onwards we went - a short walk over the pass and then we were looking down the otherside.
The clouds continued to hang low and we could only catch glimpses of the valley below, but it was enough to realize that we had a far ways to go before we would reach the bottom. Slow and steady became our motto. It was almost more difficult to be going down as up. My knees continued to cause me problems from continuously being bent to hold my weight as I slowly climbed down. The rain was so heavy that rain water poured off our marked trail in streams. Not only did we have to steady ourselves in the wind, but we also had to worry about slipping on the wet rocks that had now become part of a mini river over the mountain side. Picture rock climbing - only backwards as we were going down - a rock face nearly perfectly vertical with wind blowing you sideways as you grip the rock with numb hands and freezing cold water pours down the same rock face you are trying to cling to. That was the way of the "trail" for the next while as we eased down to flatter grounds.
What was hours later, we managed to make our way down to the main river going through the valley and - much to my surprise - none of us had fallen or slipped off the mountain as we worked our way down. Now we just had the river to worry about. Due to the excess rain, it was easy to see that the water levels were rising and showed no signs of stopping anytime soon. We had one major crossing to do and then we'd be able to stick to the true right of the river as we worked our way to Caroline Bivy.
When we reached the river crossing, the three of us carefully scouted out an area of which we figured we would be able to manage crossing if we linked arms so that the three of us could do it together, but we had to be careful. River crossings is a major hazard anywhere, but particularly in New Zealand with rapid rises in water levels.
We lined up on the edge of the riverbed and linked our arms until we were as secure to each other as possible. We only had one chance to do this and it had to be right. Slowly we put one foot forward and then the other as we waded into the rushing waters to mid thigh. The cold temperature of the water did not register with me as I was only focused on getting to the other side. We would do it - there was no alternative in my head.
By the time we reached the middle, the water had reached my butt and was pushing us so hard that every step had to be a determined effort in order to pick it up and put it down that much forward without toppling over in the current in the process. Before long we clambered up the other side of the riverbank and breathed a sigh of relief as we looked back over the rushing waters we had just crossed. We had done it and it felt good, but it wasn't something I felt like doing again anytime soon.
From there we walked our way to Caroline Bivy, having to clamber around rocks and slips, over tree trunks and around muddy sections. Eventually we arrived at the bivy which was said to be a cozy 2-bunk shelter. We didn't care - we just wanted a roof to be able to peel off our wet stuff and get warm. None of us were prepared for what met us upon arrival. DOC workers were housed up in the bivy already, meaning there was no room for us. Reluctantly we set up our tents and made the deliberate steps to get warm again. I could feel my body temperature dropping significantly as I had stopped walking, and with that my brain functioning slowing -- not to mention that though I knew I was cold, my body had stopped shivering. First signs of hypothermia had set in.
It was a slow and almost painful process to get warm again. Up went the tent. Off came the cold and wet clothes. I carefully dried off as best I could and then slowly put on warm, dry clothes with my numb and swollen fingers. Once inside the tent it helped significantly that Alex was in there too - extra body head warmed up our little home a lot quicker. We made some tea and soup and cooked it all in our tent to heat everything up as quick as we could without burning everything down. Eventually I started to feel warm again and now we're here all huddled down in our sleeping bags fingers crossed that tomorrow will be better weatherwise. I am not looking forward to putting on wet and cold clothes first thing tomorrow morning.
Since Waiau Pass, David, Alex and I worked our way along St. James Walkway where we eventually found ourselves in Boyle Village. That was yesterday and now we are all settled here in Hanmer Springs enjoying the little mountain town from the comforts of a local campground here. As I look back over everything we have done in the south island it is amazing the adventures we have had and though I know the more difficult technical aspects of the trail are over with, there is so much more adventure to be had ahead as we work our way towards Arthur's Pass and onwards. Can't wait and yet I don't want it to end. One day at a time - to Bluff - here we come!
** NOTE: Though this blog was posted at a later date/time, it was originally written for posting on February 10/11
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