Fiordland Christmas, 1968

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FIORDLAND CHRISTMAS, 1968 Te Anau, 11.00 a.m., Saturday, 21st The packs were heavy when we all December. Weather fine, but across the slogged up the ridge, but the tarns were lake, rain. It looked like the start of cool for those with the energy to swim. a wet Fiordland trip. Two flights were The views down the sound and over to needed to take the five man party plus Lake Alice were spectacular. On top gear to Lake Hankinson Hut. We had we found a cairn with a note in a tin. hoped to make Lake Thompson by plane The route described led down a steep but stumps in the lake make landing ridge to a hanging valley. We spent difficult. It took a day and a half to two hours trying to descend this valley make two trips to Lake Thompson Hut. in the wrong place and were forced to Normally one day would suffice, but make camp. the bridge over the Wapiti river was Wednesday morning found us going down and we had to go up on the down the stream out of the valley withuntracked side. Advice to future travel- out difficulty. A set of discs lead around lers, walk around Lake Thompson; it's a waterfall and a steep descent was quicker than rowing the boat. made to a saddle and thence via a Monday was fine but with a cold wind creek to a bridge over the Stillwater and low cloud. With eight days food we river. We went down river heading for set off for George Sound and the Still- Caswell Sound. But the track was litwater river. It took nine and a half tered with fallen trees and our progress hours to tramp through the mud to the was slow. A council of war held over Henry saddle and then down to George lunch. The decision was not to go to Sound. The weather improved all the Caswell Sound because if the weather changed we might run short of food. way. As it turned out the weather was fine, Next day Dave and Mike set out to and I have been kicking myself ever find a route into the Stillwater whilst since. (Anyone for Caswell next Christthe others went boating on Lake Alice. mas?) On the bank of the river we Mike thought an unnamed valley, about found a delightful campsite opposite a half a mile around the shore, looked large clearing on which Waptiti aboundpromising. But before reaching the val- ed. ley some discs led over a bluff to the The stillwater River proved much coast. About 100 yards past the valley easier to follow than we had imagined. more discs were found, this time lead- By four o'clock on Thursday we had ing to a ridge just on the bushline reached the bottom of the hanging valley and "he way to Stillwater looked pro- which would lead us back to the Henry mising. Saddle. If you go there take the true left bank, we tried the right. Three noon we made Glaisnock Hut to find it hours later we were back at the bot- full of deerstalkers. tom, having climbed to the bushline Sunday morning found us full of high but finding no way into the valley. hopes and on the move again. The rain had stopped. But the river had not gone One and a half heurs was all that was down sufficiently opposite Waterfall needed to ascend the hanging valley creek to enable us to cross. That night it next morning, on the left side. An hour really rained. Early Monday morning anlater we reached a clearing from which other council of war decided to call off an obvious route to the tops was found. the attempt to get to the Worsley which Along the tops to a tarn above the Henry the deerstalkers said we couldn't do ex- Saddle for lunch, swimming and sun- cept via the high route, usuallv quite bathing without sandflies. By six easy, but this year covered with snow. o'clock we were back in Thompson Hut. A dash back to Gaisnoch Hut brought us out in time to catch the deerstalker's Sunday we rested. On Monday we set boat to Te Anau. out for a three to four day trip up What advice have we for future Fiord- Canyon Creek. But as luck would have land trampers it once we had climbed to the tops from the right branch of Canyon Creek, the (1) When it rains it rains, take tents only way down led back to Thompson and flies and plenty of emergency food. Hut. (2) The terrain is rugged, maps useless, though the aerial photographs are The final leg of the trip to take us good. Some of the lakes are impossible to a planned rendeveaus with the plane to get around. at the mouth of the Worsley River nine (3) Keep pack weight down days later began in a light drizzle on round in circles as we did, or by going air Thursday morning. We decided to cross drops or dumps a lake. using the Henderson Burn via the hanging by valley. The valley was full of mist but The real challenge of Fiordland is the we found a good campsite beside a large difficulty of getting out once the party rock, just sufficiently overhung to allow is on the west side of Te Anau. The a fireplace to be set up in the dry. The tramper is on his own, but having surcloud lifted next day sufficiently to en- vived and got out a sense of achieveable Mike and Bryan to climb to the ment results. And if you don't get out valley head, but the mist still covered well, the scenery is magnificent. the route into the Henderson Burn. The Who's still for Fiordland next year? mist lifted further on Saturday morn- Those on the trip: Dave and Ryrie we (leader). ing found the route, a somewhat BryanCarey. Nick Bullack, Andrew May hairy one over steep wet snowgrass flat- and Mike Hollis. tened by moving snow. Late in the after- -M.J.H.