Te Araroa: Over the Saddle
18.02.2020 Day 113 (27km)
I’ve sat here for five minutes staring at my journal, smiling, and vainly attempting to conjure the words to describe today. It began with an overbooked shuttle, which resulted in us having to be dropped off 10km shy of the trailhead and forced to take an “alternate route.”
The driver assured us, “Oh, it’s faster and better than the normal TA route.” Then I heard him mutter under his breath, “I think it’s still a marked track.”
After a few hours of walking along an ugly, rocky riverbed, we came to a jumble of trees marking the alternate trail. To say the track went straight up from there would be an understatement. The path was not only steep, but poorly marked, and by no means maintained. Not to mention the fact that it was HOT as hell.
Long story short, none of us were happy till we reached the saddle and finally got to go down. Overall, we had done about 1,000 meters of elevation gain.
Will, Alex, and I arrived at Royal Hut expecting it to end up overcrowded and unpleasant. The hours ticked by and no one arrived. So we did what any normal TA hiker would do…we turned the joint into the hottest night club on the trail.
We set up a VIP table, using a metal water bucket to keep abandoned wine and whiskey bottles cool. There was a DJ table: an overturned pan served as the record turner, while mentos tins and an old clock were the dials of the sound board. Strobe lights, courtesy of our head torches, created the overall ambiance of the club. There were even several stripping poles…well, trekking poles. Also don’t even get me started on my costume!
It was definitely a night to remember. The best way to end a long, hard, shitty day.
Day’s Highlights: Dance party with the boys.
19.02.2020 Day 114 (28km)
It finally happened; I used up all the gas in my canister, which I’ve been carrying with me since Cape Reinga. There was only one shop open at the time and one size left, so I had been forced to buy the big boy: 450g. I figured it would be gone in no time and I would be able to downsize to a smaller can.
After a while…half of North Island…when it was still going strong, it became a challenge to see how long I could make it last. Before I knew it, I was in Wellington and it was still kicking. Mind you, I was using this thing every day, at least twice a day. Now, half way through South Island, it’s finally kicked the bucket. At least I can say that my gas budget for the trip was almost negligible.
Compared to the disaster that was yesterday’s trail, today was clearly marked and maintained. We reached the highest point on the TA, Stag Saddle, and instead of taking the valley route, we took advantage of the lovely weather and stuck to the ridgeline. The views, oh the views!
Snow tipped mountains framed the horizon, garding the smaller grassy peaks that overlooked the startling milky-blue of Lake Tekapo.
We selected a simple freedom camp at the base of a ski field. Despite all the walking we had already done, I hiked up to an abandoned shelter and watched the aging sun wash the landscape in warm golden light.
Day’s Highlights: Peaceful, amazing views
20.02.2020 Day 115 (33km)
I needed to keep walking. I knew I would be over it by the end of the gravel road, but in the moment I wasn’t done for the day. The boys elected to take a shuttle into Tekapo and skip the road. Had the day been hotter or my body more fatigued, I probably would have jumped at the chance to join them. Yet, every fibre of my being cried out for more; the fourteen kilometers of rolling tussock hills hadn’t been sufficient.
I was offered a couple lifts along the way, but turned them down, falling into the rhythmic pace that accompanied such tunes at Thriller and Eye of the Tiger. It was overcast; the road predominantly flat, and the views were unbeatable: a glassy lake surrounded by mountains (some of which, I’m certain were featured in LOTR). It was just me and the world. Nothing was going to stop me!
Day’s Highlights: Taking off my shoes at the end of the day.
