Going downhill, fast!

March 11

West Sabine Hut to John Tait Hut

KM 1988

Distance: 14.5km 

Elevation: ascent 1196m, descent 1059m

Steps: 28,000

Time: 7:20am - 4:35pm

Today was another tough day, but we smashed it! I guess the rest yesterday made sure that our legs were ready for it. And boy did they need to be. That kilometer of climb over three kilometers was such a massive undertaking. But it gave us breathtaking views once we got up high enough. Most of the climb was through dense beech forest, so when we started to get up toward the tree line and saw the surrounding mountains, we had to take a minute (no, it had nothing to do with wanting a break from the uphill, why do you ask?)

It was right around here that we watched a cloud roll up the ridge toward us, and then engulf us in its reaching tendrils. Soon after, we broke out above the trees into the open tops, and could really see the majesty of the surrounding environment.

This track was nearly as physically demanding as the Waiau Pass, but the terrain a little different. There was nowhere near the same amount of hand-over-foot scrambling, and no scree to slide down. But lots of medium sized boulders to negotiate and avoid losing a leg down the gaps. The saddle was broader and contained a marsh and tarns. It was a lot windier, with both of us wearing our raincoats for their windbreaking properties. By the time we made it to the Poukirikiri / Travers Saddle we had made good enough time to have lunch up at the top.

This included views north into the Richmond Ranges, reminding us of our near future.

We got to the Upper Travers Hut on the other side of the saddle after a downhill that was just as intense as the uphill we had just climbed. It was a very nice hut and even had a husband-and-wife team of volunteer wardens looking after it. However, we looked at the time, only 2pm, and the time to the next hut, only 2.5 hours, and decided we felt good enough to head onward.

This was a good decision, as the next hut, the John Tait Hut, should have fewer people in it, as well as being a bit warmer as it is at a much lower elevation (the Upper Travers Hut is at around 1450m elevation; John Tait is around 700m). This was a bad decision in that there are a LOT of sandflies at John Tait, and they immediately found Eliza. So she is "hiding" inside the hut in long pants and socks.

The trail between the two huts was through more of our favourite beech forest, but also had undergone some storm-induced changes to the track in recent months.

(yes that is the "old" bridge that was mangled in the storms just earlier this year)

We also got to pass by the Travers Falls, which plumet 15m into a beautiful, crystal clear pool. All of the water in the Travers River is crystal clear; some of the pools we crossed over on the bridges that did remain must have been 3 or 4 meters deep, but we could see straight to the bottom of the pool.

Our home for the night can sleep 25 people in addition to us, but there are at this point only 4 other people here. Hopefully we stay fairly empty, as all of us were also in last night's fairly full hut, and are all looking forward to a quiet night.

We have also started a fire, which is adding wonderfully to the ambiance of  a backcountry hut. Tommorrow we have a choice of walking 15km to Lakehead, or pushing 7km past that to St Arnaud where we can eat real food (and take showers!). 

And at the hut tonight, Eliza finished her socks! She'll have to wait until the next town with a wool shop to pick up supplies for her next project, whatever that may be.