Going Out with a Bang

Full Moon Part I:

                Distance Trekked: 163.99mi (to be exact)

Full Moon Part II:

Distance Tramped:  129.51mi

Full Moon Part III:

                Distance Planning to Hike/Backpack: very few miles

In South America they call this thing we love to do trekking.  In New Zealand it’s tramping.  The US doesn’t really have a great word for it.  Backpacking seems to connote we are travelling around, in and out of cities, with a big pack- like the way you might travel through Europe on a Eur-Rail pass.  Hiking suggests you’re out on the trails but does not necessarily make it clear that you’re carrying a big pack and spending multiple nights out in the wilderness.  Whatever you want to call it, Dave and I have been doing a whole lot of it.  After some 293.5 miles (but who’s counting, really?) of this trekking/tramping/backpacking/hiking stuff we decided we are ready to retire our boots for a bit, but not before one last adventure.  Why not go out with a bang?

The Tramp: Cascade Saddle

Duration: 4 days

Distance: 61.5km (38.13mi)

Difficulty (according to our bible-Lonely Planet): Demanding

Text Box Warning?: Absolutely

We’ve started choosing our tramps by seeking out the ones whose descriptions include a text box warning.  Basically, we like the ones with a little bit of impending danger (usually it only happens if you’re really stupid).  Whether its flash floods, steep slippery slopes, shaky bridges, the list goes on we translate the warnings as “this is a tough tramp where you will see amazingly beautiful things and will need to be careful while doing it”.   These tramps usually end up being just perfect for us.  Cascade Saddle was no different. 

Trixie?  Is that you?

Day 1: The adventure started with a little hitchhiking to get us to Mt. Aspiring National Park, outside of our dear Wanaka.  After about a 30 minute wait, a German girl who has been living in New Zealand for the past four years, picked us up in her sweet van named Samsara.   Samsara took us down bumpy dirt roads, through flocks of sheep that served as road blocks, and gracefully through a few shallow rivers (with Dave’s help).  For the entire ride the backdrop was the beautiful mountains, getting bigger and bigger, that make up Mt. Aspiring National Park.

The hike to the first hut, Aspiring Hut was a short one, just a couple of hours, following the beautiful Matukituki River with a few ups and downs.   Our packs were feeling a bit heavy-maybe due to being out of practice after having a few days of rest in between tramps or the fact that we just saw the movie 127 hours. I may have packed a few extra things, just in case.   We enjoyed the mostly leisurely feel to the day knowing the following day was said to be A KILLER.

Fair reward for some serious climbing

Day 2:  Day 2 did NOT fail to deliver- a killer, indeed. The climbing began just after leaving the hut.  And went on, and on, and on for 5 HOURS and a 1400 METER ELEVATION GAIN—STRAIGT UP! Part tramping, part ROCK CLIMBING. . . with a 40lb. pack (45lb. for some of us who once  fit the Clydesdale category). That’s a whole lot of climbing, mates.  But with every climb on a tramp you are rewarded by not only a decline (like in running and cycling, but more like running cause it kind of hurts) but the MOST beautiful of views.  It’s the climbs that bring us to the places on our trip that become the most memorable, the scenes that stay with us even when we head home, miles and miles away.   This climb was no different.  At the top we were greatly rewarded by 360 degrees of natural beauty- the mountains and river we hiked along the day before on one side, the gorgeous Dart glacier on another, and lastly, the most impressive of all, Mt. Aspiring, standing nobly at 10,000+ft.-truly deserving of being the park’s namesake.  As my dear husband put it so eloquently, “This is like f*cking LORD of the RINGS sh*t. “  I couldn’t have said it any better. 

Mt. Aspiring... mighty impressive

The trail led us right into the magnificent Dart Glacier, which we followed to its foot (and then followed its river, the Dart river for the next 2 days).  Ten and a quarter hours later and spirits still high, we arrived at Dart Hut, marking the end of day 2.  It was more hours, more elevation gain, and more snacks eaten than any other day of tramping/trekking/ hiking/backpacking  (we’ve discovered that the key to our tramping happiness is a positive mental attitude and sufficient snacks- we think it might be a key parenting strategy someday too).   We rested just as well as we climbed.

The Dart Glacier... pretty cool!

Day 3- A hard day of climbing is usually followed by a “lazy” day-a late wake-up for our tired bodies and some super slow walking. We didn’t get moving until 11 or so, our calves and quads continuing to wake-up each step we took. We were in and out of the majestic forest and onto the wide-open flats all while continuing to follow the Dart River.  After eight hours, of pretty slow going, we arrived at Daily’s Hut bustling with the voices of 6 other trampers.  We slept outside in our tent accompanied by the sandflies- the only feature of this entire country that I don’t like.

Seriously.... Is this not Lord of the Rings sh*t?

Day 4- I’m always early to rise on the last day of our tramps and I tend to move a little faster on these days too.  On days 1-3 tramping IS the activity of the day but on  day 4, or the last day of any tramp, there’s other things to follow-other things to look forward to-showers, burgers, a nap- reason to move a little faster.  We continued along the lovely Dart River and reached the section where the Jetboats zoom by.  We waved and maybe even stuck out our thumbs for a ride.  Day 4 and we were STILL recovering from that climb!  We were happy to see the politically incorrect named Chinaman’s Flat, marking the end of our early temporary (?) retirement from tramping. 

65km in all and some of the most beautiful views in all of New Zealand helped us end a good run of that tramping/trekking/hiking/backpacking stuff we love, going out with a bang.