Cryptic

11 April

Nichols Hut to Te Matawai Hut

KM 1567.2

Distance: 12.1km

Elevation: ascent 815m, descent 1167m

Steps: 27,000

Time: 6:15am - 2:45pm

Cryptic (adj): hidden

With both inclement weather in the forecast and declining daylight hours with the changing seasons we aimed to get on the track earlier than usual. Justin and Richard were both up early to hunt the stag they had been stalking yesterday, which helped us to get going too. Justin in particular is quite considerate and boiled a billy for our breakfast before we had emerged from sleeping bags. We quickly converted the boiled water into coffee to energise us.

Ironically we were first out the hut door and into the dark and misty outdoors. Headlights donned we climbed the hill to get back onto the ridgeline track . . . and face first into a cold, wet wind whipping in from the west. Eliza was already prepared but Vaughan had to stop at the top to slip on a raincoat.

Although in a constant battle with the thick cloud, the sun eventually cast enough light to throw an eerie muted light to the trees, thickly coated in moss. 

As the day grew lighter, we were treated to the absolute beauty of this moss-covered forest. The forest is mostly hard beech (Nothofagus truncata), but well mixed in with other trees. You can almost imagine the humped shapes are gnomes; or patupairahe; or even perhaps old trampers who have decided to settle here in this forest they loved so much.

When we weren't sheltered by bush this is the weather we walked in most of the day. On the peaks and ridges, which was where we spent most of the day, we were particularly exposed to the chilling wind, and the thick low cloud prevented us from enjoying the views. . . again. So after four hours it was a relief to see a bright orange Dracophyllum Hut! Some shelter for us to devour lunch in.

 

Along the way we found plenty of deer sign in the form of hoofprints in the mud. 

We also came across lots of sodium fluoroacetate (1080) poison pellets, dropped by helicopter a few weeks ago to reduce the population of invasive small mammals.

The weather didn't improve after leaving Dracophyllum Hut, and in fact got worse. The wind speed had been forecast to get up to 70 km/h by late morning and it certainly felt like it at times. But we knew that the next hut was only a few hours away so we pushed on, confident that we have the equipment and experience to do this with relative safety. The photo below is an example of what we saw most of the afternoon. Can you see the track? Or the pole with a red top marking the track? Or the 200-m ascent ahead of us? Neither could we...

Adding to the challenging day was the state of the track. This track doesn't get much maintenance done which means that in many places plants have grown over and obscured it. Fallen trees haven't yet been cleared which means either climbing over or walking around. And out in the "tops" (above the tree line) the tussock is very overgrown and also hides the track from sight. Compounding this problem is that people have formed other tracks which can often lead you away from the correct track. 

 

But the asence of sweeping landscape views means we appreciate what at our feet and close to the track more, because that's where we end up looking.

You may have gotten then why the theme for the day is "cryptic" - the track was hidden from us alternately by:

* mossy overgrowth

* tree falls

* overgrown tussock grass (which also tries to trip you up at every opportunity)

* clouds and fog

The sight of the second hut for the day was as welcome as the first. It's much larger, 16 beds, but at this stage we have it to ourselves. You can see it on the dark green peak slightly to the left. One small disappointment, the firewood hasn't been restocked so no fire tonight. It's 6:30 and already our breath is condensing in the cool air inside the hut.

The forecast says the wind will get worse this evening, although for now we seem to be sheltered from it. Things are likely to be slightly better, or at least no worse, tomorrow so we will likely push on to our next accommodation before the really bad weather sets in the next day. We'll be at much lower altitude and in a private cabin rather than a hut and better placed to sit out the storm if needed.