A 10 day wilderness trip in Aspiring and Fiordland National Parks.
While driving down the West Coast I fill Jake in on the details. “I’ve never actually met Tara but people say we’ll get along well. We’ve talked about doing a trip together in Central Asia sometime. If we enjoy this trip then at least we’ll know if a longer mission together is a smart idea.” Continue reading “Fiordland trip with a stranger”
Headed up the Wanganui River again, a bit further up this time. Hunters Hut is a 5 hour tramp from the road end. The DOC sign says 5hrs, and unless you’re insanely speedy at boulder-hopping, you won’t be much faster.
This spot has everything an amazing packraft trip should have – wonderful scenery, few people, rapids that require a bit of thought to manoeuvre…and a sweet little DOC hut.
Still stoked with my backyard! Continue reading “Hunters Hut packrafting mission”
“There’s a really cool mountain…” was all it took to convince Tom to join me for a trip up Mount Adams when he popped in at my place on his way North. It was our first trip together since spending 3 months in the Himalaya last year.
Access to Mount Adams is only a 20minute 20km drive South from my front door, and it’s the most accessible mountain from the main highway in South Westland. The climb involves a few kilometres scrambling up a riverbed, ascending a steep DOC-marked trail in the rainforest and then finally navigating tussock, rock and snow to the summit at 2208 metres. From the farmland below, it’s a 2100m elevation gain.
Have you ever spent a laborious few days tramping down a river, gazing longingly at the water, wishing you could just float out? Or spent a few hours walking around a lake when you could have just paddled across? After Oscar mentioned some basic details about packrafting to me, I was sold. And – in typical Dulkara fashion – I bought my first one before I’d even tried it.
A crossing of the Main Divide from Mount Cook to Fox Glacier.
Continue reading “Copland Pass: Mt Cook to Fox Glacier on foot”
