With the forecast for Arthur’s Pass looking a bit dodgy but eager for a challenge, we set about finding something a little closer to home for our Easter hike. We managed to identify a little loop for us to try out, because who doesn’t love a good loop?! Mt Thomas was also only a 50-minute drive from our place in Christchurch so that made it an easy choice.

We parked up and set off on the Ridge Track, knowing from previous experience that it would be steep, but not as steep as the Summit Track. The Ridge Track starts on the forestry road before you take a signposted turn-off to the track. Unfortunately, we were over eager to find the track and when the Topo app Chris was using confirmed that a turn-off without a sign post seemed like the way to go, we followed it. We quickly discovered that while it might have previously been a track, it certainly wasn’t maintained any longer and we were surrounded by fallen pine trees, unable to see the path ahead. At this point I did get a little anxious about where we were going, and how lost we were getting. Luckily, Chris is and was cool, calm, and collected, and armed with the Topo map he had us back on the track in no time, albeit a bit more scratched up than expected for the start of the trail.

From there it was a relatively steep climb up to the junction with Bob’s Camp Biv Route where we stopped briefly to enjoy the view as it was a stunning day, and it was an excuse to eat some candy. We continued along the ridge, sidling along some cliff edges, and trying not to get distracted by our surroundings. The track descended back into the trees as we passed the turn-off to the Whare Ridge Route which we would be returning on the following day. After another hour or so we reached the turn-off to Bob’s Camp Biv. Chris was eager to check out the Biv so we headed off down the hill where there was a slight miscommunication about distances and elevation leading to a slightly grumpy return back up the hill after the Biv visit. Nothing a little solo walking and lunch couldn’t fix though.

We then started out on the Cattle Peak Route down toward Pinchgut Hut. This was our first time walking on an unmaintained route and were not sure what to expect. It wasn’t too bad, but we did lose sight of the classic orange markers behind trees a few times and had to double back. However, the fun really started when we began to descend very steeply through the matagouri bushes. Now we had scratches on our scratches, and our knees were started to feel the burn even with my handy Leki walking poles.

We soon reached a spot where we thought we were meant to go straight and so we continued on, only to discover there were no poles in the direction we had gone, no matter where we looked. Despite Chris’ Topo app being convinced we were on the right path, we felt very lost. When in doubt though, double back to the last marker you saw, and so that’s what we did. We then saw more orange poles, but they seemed to be going in the opposite direction to what Chris could see on the map. After going round in circles for a little while, I pulled out my phone to check the NZTopo50 app, only to discover that my map showed the track going in a different direction, the same direction as the poles!

Now following the map on my phone, we stuck with the orange poles and headed down the hill. Beginning some of the steepest downhill I’ve ever attempted to hike. Thankful for my poles, we inched down slowly, hoping for the best and relieved when the track finally flattened out a little. Not long after we reached Pinchgut Hut down in a quiet shady valley next to a stream. Despite it being a long weekend, the hut was completely empty. Although we were later joined by a couple of hunters and their cute dog (wearing a Swandri) who set up camp across the stream from the hut.

We enjoyed a peaceful night in the hut, cooking our favourite miso noodle soup mix for dinner, and playing multiple games of Monopoly Deal. It was dark early and we didn’t have the energy to light the fire just for the two of us so we hopped into bed very early to relax, chat, and keep warm.

The next day we were in no rush to move and with no one else in the hut and no need to get anywhere fast, we didn’t have to. After a classic breakfast of oats, cooked in our new pot with a heat exchanger (saving us time and gas), we were off again. Straight up the hill. The Whare Ridge Route had some steep climbs and with some seriously gusty wind, it was a challenging day.

The wind made the rocky cliffs feel a little more precarious than usual but also more rewarding once we’d gotten away from the edge and back to the turn-off to the Mt Thomas summit. While the sun was shining, the wind was strong and given that we’d previously been to the summit on an numerous occasions, we decided to just head down the Wooded Gully Track. It was a beautiful descent through the gully, sheltered from the wind in amongst the trees, and it didn’t take long before we reached the carpark.

Overall, it was a very satisfying hike. It pushed us a bit further out of our comfort zone, challenged our navigational skills, and reminded us of why we love to get out and about.

After reading in ‘Canterbury Foothills & Forests: A Walking and Tramping Guide’ (excellent gift thanks Hattie!) that Nina Valley was one of the most beautiful valleys around, driving past the sign in Lewis Pass multiple times, and yelling “Niiiiina niiiiina” to the tune of an ambulance, we decided it was time to see what all the fuss was about.

We set off with Mark and Claire up to Lewis Pass, parking across the road from the start of the track just opposite Palmer Lodge. The track crossed a swing bridge early on but gently heading up the valley. It was at this point that Claire regaled us with a tale of two men on mountain bikes in the USA getting stalked and attacked by a mountain lion with one of them escaping while the other was dragged back to its lair and eaten. Made me rather glad to be hiking in a country where my biggest worry about animals was the weka stealing our snacks.

It was a beautiful day and we stopped for a snack by the river, vowing to swim that evening if we found a good spot by the hut. Over another swing bridge above a stunning gorge where the river rushed through into a deep blue swimming hole before beginning the easy uphill to reach the hut.

When we arrived at the hut, we were disappointed to find it was nowhere near the river, and to get there we’d have to head down a steep slope. The kind where you walk down to swim and cool down, then climb back up and you’re all sweaty again. The hut was toasty with the sun streaming in and very little breeze, but we popped our sleeping bags on the bunks, dropped our packs, and went exploring.

With beer and chips in hand we made our way down to the river to relax and cool off although it was a bit shallow for a swim. We sat and chatted while avoiding the many sandflies wishing to eat us alive. When it came time to return to the hut, we set off up the hill but after walking for a little while realised things felt a little unfamiliar. Luckily, I had brought my phone down to the river to take photos so was able to open up the NZTopo50 app and see where we’d gone wrong. Relieved to have avoided getting lost, we backtracked for a while and found the track again, heading back up the steep hill.

We arrived back at the hut to discover it was now full, with a large group of young people overflowing out in a tent city among the trees. Though we would have preferred to escape the hut and put up our tents, there was no longer any room! Luckily the group was pretty relaxed, bar one Negative Nancy and one No-Personal-Space Nigel, and we had an enjoyable evening playing cards on the bunk.

After a sweaty sleep in the hut, we were woken by the large group cooking up a storm so we escaped relatively quickly. It was an easy walk back out to Lewis Pass, stopping to enjoy the views, and once to bring out the bird book and argue over what avian creature we were looking at. It turns out it was a rifleman, and definitely not a rock wren.

With it being another hot day, we also stopped for lunch and a swim by the river. The river was freezing but we soon warmed up again lying on the hot rocks having the usual (wraps). It felt like heaven, and it was hard to motivate ourselves to leave, although another visit from No-Personal-Space Nigel when the big group stopped where we were relaxing, certainly helped get us moving again!

All in all, another successful outing with friends. And confirmation that we can definitely hike together for five days for our upcoming mission on the Abel Tasman Coastal Track.

In that sweet spot between Christmas and New Year’s eve, we decided to take on the St James Walkway. Earlier in the year our friend Jamie had messaged asking if we had plans for that time and when we told him we were off for an adventure, he was keen to get on board. After delaying our start date by a day with some heavy rain forecast, we set off on the 28th of December.

Knowing that we wouldn’t have far to walk on our first day, and wanting to avoid the last of the heavy rain in the morning, we had a late start leaving Christchurch. Chris and I parked our car at what would be our end point, Boyle River Outdoor Education Centre, as they offered secure parking for around $10 a night. We’d heard about cars frequently getting broken into in Lewis Pass so this seemed like the sensible option to take. They also offer a shuttle service but luckily Jamie’s parents were driving so we managed to squeeze into the back of their car with our packs to get dropped at the starting point.

After a pit stop at the carpark to have lunch with Jamie’s parents, we were off on our hike. It was rather misty and rainy to start with but beautiful being in amongst the trees.

The first hut on the track is Cannibal Gorge Hut, which we made it to in good time. Given that we were soaked through by that point it was a treat to discover the family there had lit a fire already. We stopped in briefly to warm up and have a snack and it was very difficult to leave again!

The rain eased as we continued on our first day, with the sun briefly popping out to warm us before we arrived Ada Pass Hut to spend the night. The hut was very dark inside despite there still being daylight, but we quickly discovered that it was also quite full already. Jamie squeezed into the hut for the night but Chris and I wanted to use our new MSR Mutha Hubba tent as this hike was its maiden voyage. We managed to find a flat spot under some trees and put up our tent quickly, avoiding getting the inside too wet in the process. We spent quite a bit of time researching which tent to get and one of the disadvantages of the double-wall tent is the increased likelihood of getting the inside wet while putting it up in the rain.

We enjoyed a relatively uneventful first night with the weather improving for day two. We headed off a bit earlier, knowing there was a bigger day ahead of us with the aim of making it to Anne Hut for the night. By lunchtime we arrived at Christopher Hut – no need to tell you which one of us was most excited to arrive here…

The hut has a fantastic vista and would have been a lovely spot to spend the night, but I had set the boys a challenge and after some tasty wraps we were off again.

By late afternoon we were starting to fade a little. Whilst normally the fittest human I know, Jamie had recently been unwell and now carrying a large pack so was not able to travel at his usual speed. Keeping us motivated were the stunning sights along the track including wide open valleys, beautiful rivers, and wild horses in the distance.

We dragged ourselves through the bogs to Anne Hut for the evening, a welcome view on the horizon when it seemed we had hit our limit for the day having walked a steady 24 kilometres. Again, there was space in the hut for Jamie but we found a sheltered spot for our tent beside the woodshed where we could relax. The hut was lovely and new with a beautiful deck where we could air dry our feet and soak up the afternoon sun. We met a man hiking Te Araroa heading southbound who I peppered with questions as he was the first person I’d met in the flesh who was doing it. Or at least, the first person since I had become very interested in it.

We had a slower start to day three, knowing we only had 17 kilometres to walk to reach Boyle Flat Hut. Whilst we had hoped for dryer ground and for our feet to stay dry, this was sadly not to be. However, the sun was shining and it was a great day for hiking. It was a relatively uneventful day other than avoiding great flocks of Canadian geese and their fecal matter on the trail.

We made it to our destination for the evening and found it empty so this time Chris and I decided to leave the tent in our bags and relax in the hut instead. Not long after we were joined by two young girls who were hiking Te Araroa northbound. They were in good spirits having recently spent a night in Hanmer so they were clean and even carrying fresh vegetables for dinner. Admittedly I’d never seen anyone eat a capsicum like an apple until that evening.

We had wonderful evening chatting with the NOBO duo, and a mum with her young daughter, telling all sorts of tall tails. We awoke to blue skies and an easy day to finish as we only needed to walk about 15 kilometres back to Boyle Village. The girls took off full of enthusiam in the opposite direction while we slowly packed our things and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast. As we gave the hut one last check before we leaving we discovered that one of the girls had unfortunately left a bag with her power bank and cables behind. They were too far gone for us to catch them so all we could do was write a note in case anyone was going in the same direction as them. We left the last of our chocolate too, figuring that it would be a small consolation if they had to walk all the way back to get it.

We had a lovely final day of hiking, soaking up the sun and serenity. A perfect way to enjoy the last day of 2021. Jamie then joined us in Christchurch for a few days where we all got to play tourist, discuss gear upgrades, and plan future team adventures. Bring on a reunion on the West Highland Way in Scotland in September 2022!

One lovely long weekend, we set out to hike the loop around Mt Somers, beginning at the Sharplin Falls carpark. Having arrived first thing, we began by taking on the climb to Pinnacles Hut. First lesson learned, when the DOC website refers to something as a steep climb, it’s not kidding. Luckily within the first ten minutes we had an excuse to stop and chat to a lovely gentleman and his dog who were running up the hill at a painfully enthusiastic pace.

We made it to the Pinnacles Hut for lunch only to discover it was filled with children and decided we might be better off having a break further along. We didn’t get to peep inside the hut, but it did have some wonderful views from outside, particularly the rocky face of the mountain. Chris headed further up the hill and discovered an excellent spot for lunch where we could eat our sandwiches in peace, simply enjoying the serenity.

After lunch we headed further up to the highest point for the day, but not before reapplying some sunscreen. It was scorching hot and very dry. By late afternoon the breeze had picked up and we were cooking, luckily we found a lovely creek where we could sit for a while with our feet in the cool water.

Once we had cooled down sufficiently, we continued down the valley toward the hut to find a spot to put up our brand new MSR Mutha Hubba tent. Essentially the only reason we’d gone for a hike. Unfortunately, we soon discovered that the breeze had become a gale, and Woolshed Creek hut had wind whipping up the dust all around it. We sat for a while, pondering our options, before the kind volunteer DOC warden came out of the hut for a chat. He helpfully suggested that the wind might die down and we held out hope for a while longer. Eventually he came outside again and let us know that some hut dwellers had cancelled due to the weather so there were some spots available for us. While sad that we didn’t get to use our tent, as we lay snuggled up on the hut bunks later that evening listening to the howling wind rush by, we couldn’t help but feel a little grateful for our solid shelter.

Day Two! The next morning, we awoke to the sound of excited children, obviously used to rising early. After a hearty breakfast of our usual porridge, we packed up and headed out for our second and final day of hiking. This time taking the route on the south side of Mt Somers. Chris had ideas of making a detour up to the summit on our way back, but I wasn’t so convinced.

It was a cooler day which we were grateful for as we made our way up the side of the hill and across the swing bridge. However, we soon discovered that not only was it cooler, but there was some serious rain rolling in the higher we got. Not long after we were feeling the cold and wet, having made the mistake of waiting slightly too long to put on our raincoats and rain pants. We spent the next few hours plodding along, drenched but at least protected from the cold wind. It was still beautiful although you could barely see more than a few meters in front.

We knew there was a shelter about halfway so we focussed on getting there, knowing that we could put on a change of clothes and eat some lunch while drying out slightly. What a difference that made! Thermal layers on, wet layers off, and some tasty peanut butter wraps to fill us up. We were reinvigorated and ready to go. The rest of the walk back to the car felt much better, and we were treated to a brief show by a riroriro (grey warbler) who stopped on a branch just by our heads to sing us a tune.

Overall, it was a fantastic two day mission. A good reminder to check the weather forecast before you head out, and to always pack the right gear. Warm clothes and some waterproof outer layers!