A Week in Wanaka

Loving it here in Wanaka at the moment. It’s been really good staying put in the one spot for a bit you get a chance to get to know people a bit better, and I’ve been able to find some walking partners which makes a nice change. Been exploring the tracks around the lakes pretty thoroughly, wandering up and down both shores, along the lake Outlet Track by the Clutha River (a really pretty walk, the water was an amazing shade of clear green and there was a tiny bit of mist and frost around), I've been up Mt Iron a few times (which now seems more like a slight hill than a real mountain) and I try and make it down to the lake every afternoon for sunset because it almost never disappoints.



The highlight of the week, and definitely for the trip so far, was yesterday when I tackled the track to Roy’s Peak with Ian, another Aussie and some German guy we met along the way who's name I never thought to ask. It was one of the most exhausting but exhilarating things I’ve ever done – the top’s about 1550m high, and once you get to the top you can be sligging throgh knee-deep snow so it was a hell of a challenge. I did actually stop just short of the peak because after 3 hours walking without lunch I just couldn’t tackle the last few metres of really icy snow along the final ridge without some food, and by the time I'd eaten we had to start back down. I figured it was better than the alternatives, ie walking until I threw up, and t’s not like it was an actual mountain summit anyway, it just happened to be one of several high points along the ridge with some kind of marker on it to make it official, and I've always thought that's a little bit arbitrary. So I decided to declare the spot where I sat to have lunch Wayne’s Peak, and it was pretty special to have this spot all to myself to sit up there in complete silence, looking down on the other peaks below and know you’d made it there totally on your own steam. I know it’s the kind of view all the people at the ski fields get every day, but it’s not really much of an accomplishment if you drive and then take a lift up there. I mean, anybody can fall down a mountain, it’s getting up there that takes all the effort. Getting back down ain’t no picnic either come to think of it, although the snow does help as you can just point your leg in a general downwards direction and wait until you stop sinking.



It really was fantastic, although it's not something I'll make a habit of as there aren't too many places where it's safe to be tramping above the snowline like that, we're just lucky a fair bit of snow had melted in the last week and there was a pretty well-worn path to the top so we know we're not the only ones stupid enough to attempt it.

I was so excited I had really wanted to hop straight on the net when we got back and send some pics through, but the internet café I usually go to is up two flights of stairs and there was a good chance I would have collapsed, weeping, about halfway up if I attempted any stairs last night. It took us about 8 hours all up as the mountain itself is a 6km walk from town, and just about every part of me was sore by the time we got back. Even my mouth was aching when I was chewing my dinner last night, and I really can’t figure that one out. Even though I wasn’t sure if I’d ever walk anywhere ever again I’ve bounced back quite well today, although I’m still a bit creaky and it could be some time before I can face the prospect of cleaning my boots cause they are not pretty right now.



I’ll be staying here for at least another week though so I’m sure by then I’ll be able to move under my own power again.