Shifting stones

March 15

Red Hills Hut to Hunters Hut

KM 1926

Distance: 18.3km 

Elevation: ascent 1092m, descent 1164m

Steps: 33,200

Time: 8:10am - 5:35pm

Eliza had a tough day today. One of those days on the trail when you stick the earphones in, focus on the podcasts, and put one foot in front of the other. It was a cloudless hot day with little wind except on the tops. Even the landscape failed to charm. 

But we pulled a long day day out of the bag, skipping a hut and doing 1000m+ up AND down.

The departure from Red Hills Hut was through dewy wet, thigh high tussock and we were drenched in minutes. In combination with the sub 10C temperature it made for a 'refreshing' start through the wetland. The rest of the day involved climbing up or down mostly scree or boulders and we both have pretty sore feet to show for it. 

The final section of boulder hopping was over a very loosely bound boulders, most of which rocked or rolled a little when they got stood on. It was a little disconcerting for a while.

The lithology of the Richmond Ranges is interesting and different to what we've seen so far. According to the explainer in the photo below there is a seam of mineral rich ultramafic rock running from D'Urville Island in the Marlborough Sounds through to somewhere in the Richmond Ranges (do I sound like a wannabe geologist?). 

It makes for some interesting coloured rocks.

We're stoked to have skipped a hut today because it means we may get out of the ranges a little earlier than we planned, and also means we can eat more food and lighten the pack (yeah, it's Vaughan writing this, how can you tell?).

Eliza's only, and probably TMI, comment is a recommendation: try not to have your worst days of PMS (when muscles don't work quite as well and you don't have as much energy) on two of the tougher section days of one of the toughest stretches of the TA. Learn from my bad timing. Ugh.