Trekking Through the Mountains

After a quick night in Queenstown, Abbey and I headed into the New Zealand Mountains for a three-day trek through the Mount Aspiring National Park. The trail to be tackled was the Routeburn. With backpacks full of really cute hiking clothes (lies), blankets, Clif Bars and instant pasta packages, we set out. We had to catch a shuttle to the trailhead and passed some Lord of the Rings scenery on the way.

Isengard

Day 1: Full of Energy

We are definitely not the fastest hikers out there- it took us 6 hours to get to our first hut- we chalk it up to “taking in the scenery” when in reality we are just kind of lazy. But honestly, going slow allowed us to see some really amazing places and we were super excited about it. We were able to stop and smell the roses, if you will. We stopped and put our feet in a river, sat on a log in the middle of a huge valley between the mountains, and saw why this hike is one of the most popular, and one of the most beautiful. I am not a very experienced hiker, and not a huge fan of steep climbs. So good thing the first 4 hours were flat or I probably wouldn’t have made it very far. After the first leg we started a constant climb up to the 1,000 meters above sea level hut where we were spending our first night. When we finally made it to the Routeburn Falls Hut we were able to relax, stretch and we found a nice little perch where we journaled and took in the view of the valley and mountains.

at the Trailhead

Let me tell you about our fellow trekkers, because they were some of the most interesting and friendliest people we met on our travels. Everyone is curious as to where you are from, how you find New Zealand, your travel plans and almost any other conversation topic you could think of. The group of hikers staying at the hut that night was such big a mixture of people- a group of rowdy Irishmen (who brought along a ton of alcohol- like they had to carry all of that up?), a group of elderly Australian women who were laughing constantly, a lot of people from New Zealand, and couples of all places and ages. Abbey and I were the only younger people on the hike, which was surprising to both of us. But no matter who you were, you were ready for a good time, and open to everyone there.

We were in bed that night by 9 pm. It was crazy. Every single person was in bed by 9 pm, by his or her own choice. Like, it was the strangest thing. But we went with it, because we were beat after walking 11 km that day.

Day 2: The Scariest Day

Everyone was out of bed by 7 am and on the trail by 8… So that’s why everyone went to be so early. Getting a head start on the day didn’t really make sense to us though, you are just going to get to the next hut earlier and have to sit around longer? But oh well, you do you, hikers. We were the very last people to leave the hut at 9 am. We went on our merry way but that mood didn’t last long. We instantly started to climb up steep rocks. I had been dreading this day because it was the hardest and longest. When you aren’t an experienced hiker, it can be a little daunting. But the scenery was worth it. We were finally hiking through the mountains. We came across streams, rivers, cool rock formations and the first sightings of the snow peaked mountains. We hiked up and down the mountains for a total of 6 and a half hours, maybe a little longer. We reached the top of the mountain and the view was breathtaking. As we started descending down to where our hut was, we entered the forest again. One of the things that surprised me what how tropical all the plants were but I could totally picture Lord of the Rings here, and why they picked New Zealand to film them.

Along the way we met a Canadian couple on their honeymoon, and a couple from Orange County, California and made a hiking train, with us bringing up the rear. They were so nice and it was fun hiking and getting to know other people. When we were almost out of water and didn’t have a filter (rookie mistake) the Canadian couple was nice enough to help us out. This kind of courtesy was super common the entire time we were on the trail.

We made it to Lake Mackenzie Hut, where there actually was a lake. We quickly took off our hiking boots (relief) and grabbed our books, sunglasses, sunscreen (by this point we were both fried), and cameras and headed out to the beach. The water was freezing, but felt so good on our aching feet. That night we ate with a really amazing grad school student from Wellington, NZ and her dad. They have been everywhere, and it was so interesting to talk to them about their adventures and experiences. Her father had even climbed to Mt. Everest basecamp. Our hut warden that night was the craziest fellow we came across. He told these ridiculous stories about extinct animals running around, how Split Rock (a small side hike you could venture to) was actually a rock that was split, and how the trees around here were made of wood. No kidding? I wouldn’t have guessed. He was a riot, and had us all laughing and enjoying ourselves.

Again, in bed by 9. This is just how it goes, apparently. Our second day was tough, but rewarding and obviously I survived!

Day 3: Relaxation

This day was definitely the easiest-we were mostly descending. We started winding through the forest, and got some more amazing views of the mountains. There was this amazing waterfall that we stopped by for a snack, and it was magical. Abbey and I sort of hit our wall and were getting a little ridiculous and whiny. The last hour seemed to take forever. We reached the end of the trail, and made peanut butter sandwiches for the like 6^th day in a row. We hopped on a shuttle for a few hours that took us back to Queenstown. Showers were the first things we even thought about when we reached our hostel. Also, my camera died so sorry for the lack of pictures here. 

Bridges:

Yes, I am making a separate section about the bridges along the trail. They were just so awesome, okay? I took a picture of every bridge we crossed, big or small. Not only do the bridges make it easier to cross certain terrain, but also they just make it more fun. After this hike, I have this weird newfound love for bridges and it just came out of nowhere. So enjoy these beautiful bridges, because I definitely did.

Routeburn is definitely one of the best things we did on this trip. It pushed me both mentally and physically, and was so rewarding. It really made me stop and think about just how fantastic, magnificent and diverse this world really is. I know, that sounds cheesy, but I am dead serious. New Zealand is a beautiful country and I am so grateful I was able to see so much of it.