Day 124 - triple peaks
Fern Burn hut —-> Roses hut 17km
I hadn’t seen anything like the elevation profile of today’s hike since The Richmonds. I’d be going up and down and up and down and up and down.
A total of over 1500m in elevation gains and 1600m in elevation losses, I mentally prepared for my knees to cave in.
I left the hut as soon as it was light and set off to conquer the first peak of the day. The trail was up through the tussock, but barely existent in places. The ground was either slipping away into the valley or had been replaced with churned up mud.
As the sun started the hit the trail, it got sweaty. The climb was consistently uphill and by the time I’d reached the top of the first peak I was dripping.
The views were unreal. I’d not felt this isolated for a long time. Maybe because I hadn’t properly been on my own for a while - there was nothing out here but the odd goat and rolling hills for company.
The descent back down into the valley was dicey. The trail was barely wide enough for both my feet and the soft sandy terrain shifted and fell down into the valley as I walked.
By the time I’d reached the valley floor and continued around to Highland Creek hut I was already feeling pretty pooped. I was only a third of the way…
Highland Creek hut was more or less the same as Fern burn but in an even more spectacular location. I dragged a bench outside and basked in the sunshine looking out into the valley. It was 10.45am - I’d already eaten my morning snacks, so I had lunch - ravenous after the strenuous morning.
Refuelled, I began the climb up the second peak the sun getting hotter the higher I went.
At 2pm, I’d summited then climbed down from the second peak. I hid out in some shade, trying to ready myself to do it all over again.
The third peak I climbed up so slowly that I nearly pitched my tent half way up. My legs had lost all motivation and I had the energy of a dying fly. By the time I got to the top, the sun had tucked itself behind the mountains and I started the final descent into the valley in the cool shade.
I pulled my jacket on for warmth and popped some ibuprofen to help my knees unlock - the final climb down was absolute agony.
The hut appeared in the valley below around 4.15pm and by 5pm I was hobbling up the steps to collapse onto a bed.
I had the hut to myself tonight, which I was grateful for - I didn’t have the energy for anything other than cooking my dinner. I made a chicken roast, complete with mash and veggies (mmmmm) and ate it in my sleeping bag in bed. I was asleep by 7.30pm.
