New Zealand Day 8

I woke up excited about starting the Routeburn great walk. It was the activity I had been most anticipating for my trip. So, it was to my dismay when I stepped out into the pouring rain. We had not had time the previous day to pick up permits, so we had to do it that morning. After we got them, we drove through the downpour to the trailhead.

As we got our gear packed up, the rain had let up a bit. By the time we were walking, it had stopped altogether. We walked through the tree cover for about 3 or 4 hours before getting to the Routeburn falls hut where we stopped for lunch. It was a beautiful hut sitting on a cliff with expansive views of the Mount Aspiring National Park.

After lunch, we continued our trek over the saddle. This is where the trek became even more impressive! The views were expansive and breathtaking. I basically dragged my jaw up the mountain. When we got to the top, we made a quick attempt to get to the top of Conical Hill. We felt a little rushed for time, so we didn’t make it all the way up.

We continued on the ridge line and then down to Lake Mackenzie where our hut was. We were possibly the last people to stroll into camp. Despite arriving so late, we snagged some pretty good bunks. We made dinner and then listened to the Rangers story about some of the mountains in fiordland. Overall, it had been a pretty special day. After the ranger finished his story, it was not long until we were out cold.