Bushcamp to Bushcamp
21.4 miles
Mile 1243.0
It was especially hard coxing my tired body from my tent this morning, but if I wanted to catch the sunrise from atop Travers Saddle I needed to get moving.
The climb up was intense, taking nearly an hour to cover less than a mile, but it was scenic as hell.
From the top I had excellent views of the surrounding summits, some still smattered with stubborn snow drifts.
The hike down to West Sabine Hut was just as steep as the ascent.
From the hut I began to climb again towards Blue Lake Hut.
When I reached the hut I took a quick detour to Blue Lake, and was glad I did, it was incredible.
From there, I continued to climb up to Lake Constance, another breathtaking alpine lake.
After a short break at the lake, I began my final ascent up to Waiau Pass. It was a ball buster.
At 6135 ft., this pass is the second highest point on the TA, and one of the most scenic areas to be sure. I met a girl from New York named Kim at the top. We chatted for a bit before I began the trek down.
The hike down was rather technical. I had to climb and scramble down rocks and loose gravel.
When things began to flatten out the trail led through a series of boulder fields before finally reaching the smooth sailing of grass fields.
I was tempted to stop for the night at Waiau Hut, but I still had plenty of day light, so pushed on for another hour.
I guess I’ve made it 2000 km…
I ended up making camp in the grass near a stream. It was a solid spot, but there were heaps of sand flies chomping on my ankles as I pitched my tent. Thank god I had my zippered doors repaired before starting this trail!
Cheers!
Gorgeous mountains and lakes, you made great mileage too, even with all the elevation changes.
The lakes were awesome!