The morning view outside our hotel room.
After convening for breakfast, Nicky drove us a short distance ~1 mile down the road where we embarked on today’s walk. The main goal was a hut, Bealey Top Hut, that was used as a mustering station for the sheep ranch, and now was used for overnight campers. With the bus parked at the side of the road (and our lunches tucked away in our day packs) we walked up a road lined with cottages called “baches” for bachelor pad, or more accurately vacation home. Except for telephone, there are no utilities in these abodes, but they are so popular that they get sold by word of mouth before any advertising or listing.
At the end of the road, which climbed steadily (the key phrase for today’s walk), the trail began. The walk started in beech forest, climbed into high scrub, crossing meadows of snow tussock, until we reached the Bealey Top Hut. We left on the trail at about 0930 reaching the hut about 1330 where we had our lunch. Nicky offered to take us up to the top of the peak on Bealey Spur. I was a bit dubious about this proposition as I was at the end of our string of walkers, simply because I was putting it in low gear to get up the steady climb. So we pressed on up the hill through a remarkably soggy and sloppy meadow full of springs up through the last of the trees at the tree line. At that point (~1415), Jonathan and I decided that we were done (the remaining walk was quite steep) and we waited at the tree line in the shade, and Jonathan attempted a nap. Unsuccessful in that venture, we walked back down to the hut to await the walkers and do a bit of journaling.
The morning view outside our hotel room.
Looking across the Waimakariri river to the valley where the village of Arthur's Pass is located.
A similar view towards Arthur's Pass from a higher elevation.
Jonathan, during a pause on our climb.
Jim and Tom walking through the high scrub.
This view is in the opposite direction from the shots towards Arthur's Pass.
Distance markers, in meters, of course. The hut was 6000m up the trail from the road by the 'baches.'
The Waimakariri River as it flows to the Pacific.
Another view of the Waimakariri framed by alpine vegetation.
Jonathan pausing for snapshot.
Looking towards Arthur's Pass - the road, Rte 73, to the west coast is visible in the lower left.
Looking up the Waimakariri gives demonstration on why these are called braided rivers.
Jonathan, Pat, and Tom listening to Nicky.
The elevated walkway across the swampy tarn.
Looking back at the tarn, reflecting the sky, with the valley leading to Arthur's Pass in the background.
Starting across what turned out to be a very wet and sloppy meadow towards the peak after lunch.
Jonathan and I stopped at the tree line while Nicky led the rest of the party to the peak.
Jonathan attempted (unsuccessfuly) a nap at the tree line before we walked back down to the hut.
The Bealey Top Hut, where we stopped for lunch, and where Jonathan and I waited for the rest of the gang.
Jonathan emerges from the soggy meadow to the hut.
If you look closely, at about 10 o'clock to the patch of snow, there are two figures silhouetted against the sky.
This silhoutte is on the return down the hill to the bus.
Another shot of the Waimakariri with the sun behind me.
Some flowering on a beech tree.
Nicky, Jim, and Tom reach the bus.
Pat, who had reached the summit, left early and joined us at the hut and a half hour later the rest of the folks joined us. We had a clear view of the summit from the hut and could see the tiny figures at the top. We started back at about 1545 and made much better time going downhill and returned to the lodge before 1900.
I treated the blister that developed on my right foot after showering, and while Jonathan took his shower, I took our dirty clothes across the “hall” to run a load of laundry.
Most of the photos I took today are scenic long distance shots. Usually on in-and-out hikes (like today’s), I usually put the camera away on the hike back out. But today, with the shift in the sunlight from morning to late afternoon had changed the shadows so I snapped a few shots to compare.
I turned in for bed after dinner, foregoing another chance at stargazing, but with a bit more information. The ridge that the lodge nestled up against was due south and blocked the lower constellations (e.g. the Southern Cross). So the stars I most wanted to see would’ve been blocked by the mountains.