SteveNewton.me.uk

Archive for November, 2008

After a couple of days in Franz we finally had chance to go on a full day’s glacier walk.  We headed off to meet the bus in town and, after being kitted out with crampons for our walking boots, we were soon on our way up to the base of the glacier.

It was interesting to see the damage done to the glacier from the recent storm.  I had walked up to the foot of the glacier a couple of weeks previously but the difference was immediately noticeable.  A large chunk of the glacier had fallen off causing the original cave to collapse and a new one open further to the right.  This altered the flow of the river which meant that we could now not walk directly to the glacier.  The glacier company had a high level route via the forest and rock face but this was a difficult walk in!

We arrived at the base of the glacier after a tricky hours walk.  From here it was clear to see the damage to the glacier – the guides had recently had to re-cut new steps up the glacier.

The glacier was extremely mucky and covered in rocks towards the base but as soon as we had walked up the steps you could see the whites and blues clearly.

Once up on the glacier we made our way through the valleys and splits in the ice.  Our guide made sure we stayed clear of the dangerous areas and kept us on a safe path.  The advantage of the full day excursion over the half day trip is that you get to climb further up the ice.  Every trip is different as there are no set routes – The guides have to pick a path and cut steps as appropriate!

The blueness of the ice was really clear when we walked between a split of the ice on route up the glacier.

We moved off the glacier onto some rocks for a lunch before continuing up the glacier.  It was an amazing sight to see the glacier from what we thought was half way up the glacier…From the rocks we could see that we’d barely reached a quarter of the length of the glacier!

Just before turning back down the glacier we came across a small ice cave which again showed how blue the ice was when it was under direct sun light.

The walk back down the glacier took us down new routes and glacier paths.  In total we spent about 5 hours on the ice which was a great experience.

After descending the steps from the glacier we removed our crampons before heading back along the difficult route out of the valley.

More images available in the gallery HERE

We arrived in Franz Josef on Tuesday 25th November after what was apparently one of the worst storms in the area for years.  This had damaged both the Franz Josef glacier and the local Fox Glacier.  The Fox glacier would be shut for over a week, while the Franz glacier had altered so much that the entire face had fallen off.  It caused the river to change course and meant that the glacier company had to inspect the glacier closely.  This caused huge problems for us as we had planned to do a glacier walk the following day.  The earliest opportunity we had to book on to the glacier was Friday so we decided to hang around Franz Josef for a few days.

On Thursday we drove over to Fox to visit Lake Matherson (otherwise known as mirror lake).  Although not idea weather, this was our last opportunity to photograph Mount Cook from the lake.

In the afternoon we headed out of Franz to take part in a 2 hour horse trek around the local area.  It had been over 16 years since I had last ridden a horse so was an interesting experience!  After leaving the stables we headed down the local roads before accessing the fields near Franz.  Along the way we had a go at trotting which, for me, started off as bouncing rather than trotting!  Eventually I got the hang of the trotting and managed to control the horse well over some uneven ground.

About an hour into the trip we started to cross various streams and rivers…not a problem for most horses – except mine who decided he didn’t like water!  After trying to avoid crossing rivers he finally got the hang of it and navigated his way through some deep and fast flowing rivers.

More images available in the gallery: Lake Matherson , Horse Trekking

After our rest days in Dunedin we headed back over to the west coast with our aim being to walk on the Franz Josef glacier.  With the drive being such a long distance we decided to break up the journey with a stop at Wanaka.  We’d planned on some windsurfing lessons but the weather had other plans and was raining again!

Rather than spending a full day at Wanaka we stayed for a night before travelling up to Franz Josef.  Just before leaving we popped into Puzzling World for another attempt at the giant maze!

After the trek we said goodbye to Rachael and Sam who went off travelling their separate ways, and also said goodbye to Mouse and Si who headed off to Queenstown for a flight back to the UK after their 3 week trip. We decided to head off to Dunedin for a couple of days rest and recuperation!

After a lazy Saturday resting we spent Sunday looking around the city. Our first stop was Baldwin Street which is the Steepest Street in the world according to the Guinness Book of Records. The average gradient across the length of the street is 1 in 3.41, but at its steepest point the gradient increases to 1 in 2.86!

We then headed back into the city centre to have a look around the local art gallery and have lunch at a café in the main ‘Octagon’.

After lunch we headed off to the nearby Otago Peninsula to try and spot some Yellow Eyed Penguins. After viewing the peninsula from the road we arrived at Sandfly Bay. A forty minute walk down the sand dunes and along the beach brought us in close contact with lots of sea lions sun bathing on the sand. Unfortunately we missed seeing the penguins but it was a good walk along the beach (minus the big hike back up the sand dunes to the car park!).

More images are available in the gallery HERE

Our final day on the track would be our longest at 11miles (18km) but it would be an easy walk along the Arthur valley, around Lake Ada and ending at Sandfly Point. We set off early as we needed to catch the boat from Sandfly Point to Milford Sound at 3pm. Yet again the weather was sunny and warm (despite being forecast showers!).

The poor weather on day two had helped the waterfalls though and we were treated to some amazing views. MacKey falls were stunning, with Bell rock located close by (a rock which has been worn by water and grinding stones and then tipped over in a rock fall). Further down the track was the Giant Gate falls which provided a good lunch stop near the local shelter and swing bridge.

It was then into the final 3mile stretch around Lake Ada to Sandfly point where we completed the track at the 33.5mile marker (a place where most walkers give up walking for good and hang their boots from the sign!)

After a short rest we boarded the boat to Milford Sound where we would rejoin civilisation after a 4 day break! Although sleepy, we had to admire the stunning views of the Milford Sound mountain ranges.

We then drove back along the Milford road to Te Anau for a well deserved shower and non-freeze dried meal in the local pub!

More images are available in the gallery HERE

After the cold and rain of yesterday we awoke to glorious sunshine. Very few people get to complete the day 3 walk over the Mackinnon Pass with perfect conditions so it more than made up for the previous days weather! We had to walk 9 miles (14km) today which would take us about 7 hours due to the Mackinnon Pass. This featured a 600metre climb up the Clinton valley to the top of the pass followed by a 900metre descent towards Dumpling hut which would be our base for the final night on the track.

The initial climb up the Pass was made easier by the creation of 11 zig-zags which reduced the gradient of the climb. This took about 2 hours to complete due to the steepness but also due to the amazing views we were rewarded with the higher we climbed. Once at the top we paused for a lunch break at the Mackinnon memorial. This was erected in memory to Quintin Mackinnon who first created the path between the Clinton and Arthur valleys in 1888. We paused for some food but were soon followed by a Kia (a parrot looking bird who cleverly tricks walkers while others sneak off with their food!). The views of Arthur valley were stunning from the 12 second drop viewing point (12 seconds being the time it would take you to fall down the cliff!).

After admiring the views we reached the highest point on the pass at 1073metres. A little further down the track was our lunch stop at Pass hut. Here we stocked up on the fantastic water collected at the hut and admired the Clinton Valley from the ‘Toilet with a view’ (a toilet with a window in the door overlooking the Clinton valley).

The afternoon journey was all down hill with a descent of 900meters to complete. This was an amazing walk down into Arthur valley but it didn’t help my knees which were suffering from previous injuries! A steady walk took in the stunning scenery before we descended back into the woodland.

About an hour from our final hut was the Quintin hut. Here we could leave our backpacks for a 2hour return trip to Sutherland Falls. The falls drop 580meters from Lake Quill in 3 stages and are the fifth highest falls in the world. It was a steep walk the base of the falls but worth it for the amazing sight. The spray and coldness of the water meant we couldn’t get too close with the camera but others decided to get a bit wet and go behind the falls!

Arriving at dumpling hut for our last night on the track meant we could rest our weary feet and have a quick bath in the local river (the huts had no showers, etc!). Another freeze dried meal and a game of cards passed away the evening before retiring for an early night.

More images are available in the gallery HERE

We woke on day two at about 6am, a little sleepy but ready to tackle the walk ahead of us…unfortunately the weather had other plans and we were faced with heavy/torrential rain. We had to tackle a very wet 10mile (16.5km) walk which would take us about 6 hours to complete. Kitted out appropriately we set off into the rain.

The walk was fairly flat but increased sharply at the end as we approached the base of the Mackinnon Pass and Lake Mintaro. With a depressing walk in the rain we kept our heads down and carried on. Our only benefit from all this rain was the fantastic waterfalls it created as it cascaded over the Clinton valley walls.

We were glad to get this day over and had a big smile once we arrived at the Mintaro Hut, to our annoyance though the rain stopped on our arrival and we were greeted of amazing views of the valley and Mackinnon Pass.

We all de-kitted and scrambled around the tiny wood burning stove to keep warm and dry out our wet kit. After an evening meal to warm us up we all headed for an early night as day 3 would be the hardest day on the trip.

More images are available in the gallery HERE

Today we set off on the 4 day tramp along the world famous Milford Track. The track is 33.5 miles (53.5km) long and is often described as the finest walk in the world. After spending the previous night at Te Anau we headed off to the Department of Conservation (DOC) office to catch a bus up to Te Anau Downs. Jo, Rachael, Sam and I took the 20 minute journey up the Milford Road while Mouse and Si travelled south to Te Anau Downs after spending the night at Milford Sound so that we had a vehicle at the other end of the walk. Once all at Te Anau Downs we caught the boat up lake Te Anau to the start of the walk.

The journey up the lake took over an hour but gave us a fantastic view of the mountains and surrounding areas.

Once we landed at about 4.30pm we kitted up with our packs and set off down the path towards the Clinton valley. Our first day was just under 3 miles long and would take us about 1.5 hours to complete.

We walked along the banks of the Clinton Valley through beech forests and over a swing bridge before finding our way to the first stop at the Clinton Hut. Here the 40 independent walkers would stay in bunks with cooking facilities provided by DOC. All food and equipment had to be carried in, and all rubbish carried out so our packs had to contain everything! We would be surviving on freeze dried food and cereal bars for the next 4 days! The huts were basic but provided us with everything we needed, including a travel Ludo game which kept us entertained for the evening!

More images are available in the gallery HERE

After the adrenalin rush of the canyon swing the four of us headed up to the Queenstown luge track for the final group racing event. Mouse, Si and I had previously raced on this track a few days earlier so took an early advantage over Jo however our in-fighting and determination to push each other off the track meant she often over took us all!

The racing was close on most runs with Si often being blocked out of the way and Mouse and I sharing the victories. The last race was very eventful though with Si taking an early lead off the line. Mouse nudged me off the track and into a barrier causing me to stop. But as he went to overtake Si he was forced off up the grass where I promptly flew by waving at the both of them! Coming down to the finish I looked back after crossing the line and saw Mouse flying through the air over the barriers before coming crashing down to the ground…Apparently he wanted second place so much he went full speed past Jo and Si but forgot to use the brakes before the barriers!

A quick trip to the first aid post was an eventful end to our Queenstown experience, now it was on to Te Anau before our 4 day trek along the Milford Track.

(Picture of the wounded to follow!)

Our last morning in Queenstown would be the scariest with us all heading out to take part in the Canyon Swing.

The swing is suspended over the Shotover River and is 109m high with an arc of 200m. Once released you have a 60m freefall before accelerating into the swing. Only three of us would be taking part in the swing as Mouse wouldn’t step up to the challenge! Once kitted up we were on the ledge ready to do the jump! Jo went first with an upside down cutaway swing, I went second with a forwards cutaway swing, and Si decided to pay for two swings going off backwards and then the aptly named ‘Gimp boy goes to Hollywood’. The swings were great fun and an amazing experience!

Professional Video:

Hand-held Camera Video:

More images available in the gallery HERE