Routeburn Ramble to Greenstone Graunch

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ROUTEBURN RAMBLE TO GRRENSTONE GRAUNCH. Fancy missing out on morning tea! I wouldn't have thought it possible, but I must record for posterity the fact that on the way up the lake to Kinloch we were too late for morning tea, Apart from this major catastrophe the'trip up the lake was uneventful and photogrephicelly speaking was very diseppointing, owing to the strong winds blowing down the Dart and Rees valleys raising so much dust that our view of the surrounding peaks was badly obscured. On the way up into the Routeburn valley, the driver was ex- . pounding the beauties of the surrounding country to the bus load of tourists and we were interested to here him say that every year, hundreds of young people co e thr ough here on foot with packs on their backs...etc. Good.heavens: He means us! (So glad he said young people).: At the end of the road we were horrified to find that one of the ice-axes was missing. We had a cup of tea with the rest of the tourists and arranged with the bus drivér to bring it back when he came back at 5pm, to pick up the carpenter at work on the new hut building at the end of the road. This he duly did, and by 5.30pm. we were at last really on our way. The trip in to the Routeburn Huts was easy and delightful and by 7pm. we reached the huts thus-setisfying the curiosity of Harry Ayres, who had left us at the end of the road as soon as the bus had arrived, expecting us to follow shortly. By the time we finally did arrive, he had boiled the billy for us about fourteen times and was beginning to think that something had happened. The Routeburn and North Routeburn are typical glacier valleys with beautiful grassy flats in the valley floors and. practically vertical walls. It is delightful country and is simply a "must" if you have not been there before. On previous recommendations we made a day trip to North Col. At the beginning of this day, some very heavy rain showers nearly made us change our minds, but luckily we carried on and as the dayvent by things gradually got better until by 3pm. on North Col we had glorious sunshine. This trip is well worth the effort and the view on the one side is back into the North Routeburn valley. On the other, you look across Hidden Falls Stream and the Lower Hollyford Valley to the Darran Renge dominated by Tutoko and the Donne glacier. On the way up the valley in the morning, we had seen a few deer, but later -on the same evening, we were surprised to see them right down on the flats infront of the hut pot very far away from the cattle also grazing on the same flats.

After the trip to North Col, we declared a day for rest just spent the day round the vicinity of the huts gathering firewood, cooking, reading, eating, doing crosswords, studying the weather very closely and generally deciding that tomorrow would be FINE. Next morning Lloyd was up bright and early, (well perhaps not quite so.bright at that hour) and had a fire going soon after half past three. I remember thinking at the time, whet a hero he was and it was not until much later that I discovered that toothache was the real reason. There was a fine clear dawn and about 6am. we left for the Harris Saddle full of great expectations. This was going to be the highlight of the trip - the crossing of the Harris Saddle. Everyone we knew spoke well of the Harris Saddle trip and the magnificent view to be had from there. It was much to our disgust then that by the time we reached the bushline, there was a high cloud and a strong, cold wind blowing, From here there was quite, a good view of the surrounding peaks until the clouds got lower - or should I say until we got higher up into the cloud. By 9am. we were on the saddle = it was very cold - snowing - and the view was just exactly the same as you get in the Tararuas on a misty day! (SFA) Fancy coning all this way just for that! We decided to.go strsight on down.to Deadmans. We found the turnoff.ell right, but had a heck of ajob trying to follow the treck, which seemed to wind about all over the place. At all too frequent intervals it.was C ompletely obliterated by windfalls and, just to improve matters, it came on to rain. It just simply poured down without stopping for a minute - as only West Coast rain can. 1 (300 inches a year and all that. However we maneged tokeep to the track for a few hours until one particular windfall proved to be our downfall. - How were we to know that the'track took a sharp turn to the right just there? By this time however, we could see the river flats below and we indulged in a little bit of bushpushing for the last bit. The bridge had long since been washed away, so we forded the river and made our way across the flats to the hut, We had not. known that Deadmans was now a derelict and we were expecting, s 'omething as good as the Routeburn huts. Judge then of our surprise to find the place a complete shambles with about an inch of dried out river mud all. over the floors. At least this was dry in most parts, 80. that- the hut did not leak. Any port in a, storm - and before long we had the fire. going and a brew on. It rained continuously the rest of that day and all night, but next morning when we poked our heads outside at about half past seven it was fine and sunny again. We knew from Harry Ayres who had been through a few days béfore that our was along at Harion Camp, so there was nothing else for it but t5podr in search.

There was no great hurry and by the time we had breekfested, washed the dishes and ourselves and generally packed up, it was 11am. before we got under way. Fortunately the river wes not very high even after all' the rain and we had no difficulty getting back on to the road. At one stage during the night, we had had visions of being caught on the wrong side of a flooded river a la Dr, Sutch! For the rest of the day we had an easy road walk along to Marion Camp. The roadwelking was rather a come down for a tramping party, but we were surrounded on all sides by magnificent bush and mountain scenery; the weather was perfect and vith beautiful white fluffy clouds inthe sky it was a photographer's paradise. As for the road, what with washouts and washed away bridges = even though it may have been a motor road once it certainly wasn't just theni A few miles up the road, we rounded a benn and suddenly came across two people, much to our surprise - and theirs! One of them was waving a fishing rod and after overcoming the initial surprise they turned out to be mountainee ring types just down from a week or so at Homer Tunnel area having a day off climbing. We reached Marion Camp by 4pm. and found it deserted. Managed to locate our stores and after messing about a bit, decided to install ourselves in the best of the un occupied huts. An hour or so later a truck arrived and we established diplomatic relations with the PWD bffacials who proved most helpful even to the extent of providing a couple of mattresses. By now, Lloyds tootheche had got the better of him and in the morning we sent him off on his way back T to civilisation and dentists in the PWD truck. At this stage too we cancelled our original intention of proceeding down the valley to Pyke hat for two reasons firstly it meant retracing steps and too much road walk and secondly we liked ther guide book description of the Gertrude Saddle, The weather was still perfect and we set off up the valley towards Homer tunnel. Inthe brilliant sunshine the view up to Talbot and Crosscut across Monkey Flat was. just magnificent. We sat in the sun taking it all in through both the minds eye and the cameras lens: Half way across Monkey Flat, a passing motorist gave us a lift the rest of the way and we soon installed oursdves in one of the Alpine Club huts and got lunch under way. After lunch, we went for an afternoon jaunt up to the tunnel mouth and then onto the Homer Saddle from where we could see both the Homer and Hollyford Valleys and also the upper Cleddar leading down to Milford Sound. By now, it was getting a bit cloudy and there was a cold wind blowing. A more bleak and inhospiteble place would be hard to imagine. Although I had been to this area before I still could not help being impressed by the sheer ruggedness of it all. The upper reaches of the Cleddau were hemmed in by rock walls as near as Dammit to vertical. No wonder there was such a job to find an overland route to Milford Sound. Coming down off the saddle and returning to our hut, we found three Invercargill types up for, the weekend, who had just completed a traverse of McPherson and Talbot: in about thirteen hours. i Quite a good trip this would have been in the fine weather they had had and I wished then that we had been a climbing party. We decided that next day. we would go up onto the Gertrude Saddle and 'much to the other's disgust I insisted on an early start. This then was an early night. Next morning I was .up at 4am. and bv a quarter to six, we were making,our way up the: Hollyford Valley. The peaks were pleying hide and seek in the carly morning mists which were gradually thinning as the sun rose higher in the sky, By the time we got up round Black Lake, the sun broke through but I can remember being very cold about here because of the very slow pace we were making. I was also a bit disturbed to find that I had left my parka back at the hut. Black Lake lived up to its name and its frozen surface was for the most part covered with avalanche debris from above. We mad the saddle about 9.15 and from there had a splendid view right thr ough to Milford Sound. Although there was a little cloud about we had good views of the Twin Peaks, Mt. Underwood, Adelaide Saddle, Crosscut and Barrier. We.were not a climbing party (pity!) and went no further than the saddle. Had it been fine and sunny we may have stayed up there a bit longer, but before long it clouded over a bit and after about an hour we turned back getting back to the hut about lunchtime just before it came on to rain a gain. On t he return to Marion Camp we had a lift most of the way and next day we had a lift up the road as far as the turn off for Lake Howden. Fr om the road to Lake Howden was only a short distance and at one stage we dropped packs and went up to Key Summit for a lookiat the view. Well worth the effort. We Howden * approached * Hut full of misgivings. All the reports we had had of itto date were bad. We knew of course that it was an old hut and near. to the road. Bruce Campbell reported badly on it - there was no firewood I it isalways raining. Barrie's experience.tpere seem to confirm the weather situation - even the guide book in its conservative style said it had a "reputation (not entirely undeserved) for bad weather". Some ofthe local types had already described it as the "rain factory". Harry Ayres had told us that the two Australian girls he had been guiding, had refused to stop there. Judge'then of our surprise to find that the weather had brightened up by the time we reached the lake and the Hut although old, wa no worse than the average t ramping club hut in the Tararuas. We had been considering going. on beyond Howden to a little bivvy a - bit further on but now we decided tos stop right herer after.all. ie The firewood was not so very far. away and before long. we had the usual stew and.brew on and were contemplating the prospects of the morrow. Ever since the weather had done the dirty on the Harris Saddle we had had this day up our sleeves, as it were, hoping that with a fine day at Howden we might make a trip along to Lake licKenzie for the day; and sure enough next morning was fine and sunny. t

About half past nine we left the hut and followed the track around the mountainside almost at bush level. Every nov and again we had glimpses down the Hollyford Valley or alternetively across the valley to the sn ow-capped Darran Range. An hour out from Howden we reached the Earland Falls and agreed with the guide book that they were well. worth a visit. Then suddenly we came to a clearing from where we had uninterrupted views. What a magnificent sight it was in t he brilliant summer sunshine. You can imagine our feelings as we lay back in t he snow grass in t he sun. Remember too that this was only a day trip from Howden Hut and we wenu not burdened by heavy packs. Three hours out from Howden we made Lake McKenzie a perfect jewel sparkling in the midday sun'- in a glorous setting of native bush and snow-capped peaks. We brewed up and had lunch on a delightful little beach and after relaxing intthe sun for some.time we made out way a bit further round the lake toiget an uninterrupted view of Emily Pass leading over to the Routeburn. This would be a good trip for a futre visit to this area, We had a. dip in the lake more for the sake of having a wash than anything else and as was only to be expected it was extremely cold. The old, old, story I it is not ther swim it'is the after effect! On the return trip.to Lake Howden we made much better time pro obably because there not so many stops for photos and by 6.20 we were. back at Howden. This was virtually the end of our trip as on the morrow we were off down the Greenstone on the way. back to Wakatipu and eventually to civilisation again. : T After such a glorbus day we felt very pleased with ourselves and somehow or other this night the fires seemed to burn brighter than usual'and our dehydrated stew even after ten days of them seemed better than ever. After dinner we sat round the fire drinking coffee wondering how Lloyd was faring as we had Mexpected to meet him again here. We fixed out ETD for 7am. next. morning and turned in. Outside the sters shone brightly in a clear sky. Our ETD having been fixed for 7am. next morning, Ted refused to moveoff a moment before so we sat on the verandah of the hut in the sun until zero hour! In two hours we made the open flats of the upper Greenstone and'it was while we:were resting here that Ted' first discovered that from Howden to Wakatipu it is 25 miles most of which wewere going to do this day. Before long - the flats became very monotonous and es a consequence the packs seemed very much heavier than usual. To make matters worse a strong cold wind was blowing up the valley and so cola did it:become that we had to stop and put parkas on. We pushed on down the valley, resting every hour on the hour, until eventually we picked up with Lloyd at Shaws hut. He had stayed the night there and (Good Man!) had brought in with him some fresh bread. What we didn't do to that loaf for lunch! Anyone would think that we had been starving for a fortnight!

About twenty pest two we set off down the valley again and soon the sun came out and for the rest of the trip down the open part of the valley it became unbecrably hot and dry. After what seemed an incredibly long time, we made the bush track which at least gave a bit of shelter although in places it took us quite high above the riverbed.. On the way down the valley in the morning we had seen dozens of Paradise duck all doing their crazy broken-wing act," but when we got thr ough the bush a bit to the big slip there was one of the precious ducklings swimming about on the river. Of course there was immedistely great panic on the part of the parents, but little junior was quite safe Es far as we were concerned. Already it had been a long and tiring day, but on the strength of Barrie's previous reports on Lake Rere I was determined thet we should camp there for the night so we kept pressing on regerdless - regerdless of everyone else's comfort said Ted. Eventually by a quarter pestisix, we made it and dumped our packs feeling exhausted, footsore; hungry, dirty, thirsty, had it, and (Ted) dying for a smoke, However, first things first and after getting the fire on and having a couple of brews and getting the stew on, life began to take on a more rosy hue. again. It was only netural'.after a long day thrt we should sleep well this night, but much to our surprise we were awekened next morning at 4am. by a chorus of birds. It was a wonderful morning although.et that hour it was a bit of-a struggle to appreciate it. As far as we could see through the trees from, where we lay, there was neither a cloud in the sky nor a breath of wind and:before long we could sée the first rays of the sun -catching the tops over yonder. We could hear the trout rising in the lake. The whole scene was wonderful but the most unforgettable part of it was the birds. There must have been hundreds of then all singing their heads off. Sleep was impossible and we lay there thinking over the trip and trying to talk Lloyd into getting up and putting a brew on. Eventually our powers of -persuasion worked and about half past six, Lloyd got up and did the decent thing.. The rest of the day was spent lazing in the sun until,at two in the afternoon we went through to Elfin Bay to wait for the Lake Steamer to take us back to Queenstown. In due course. the boat turned up and Ted and I with our twelve day beards plus the general appearance of four trampers returning to civilisation after. an absence of twelve days rather excited the curiousity of the day trippers on the boat. i This time we mrde sure of afternoon tea on the boat and on our way down to it the Skipper asked in a friendly fashion whether or not, we were hungry. No doubt he is used to trampers and their ways! With our return to Queenstown we were back to civilisation and on Monday morning it was a case of back to work as usual!