A Dangerous Business

Date: 31st January 2024

Start: Greyneys Shelter (km 2202.7)

End: Lagoon Saddle A Frame Hut (km 2217.9)

Distance Travelled: 15.2 km

Total Distance Completed: 2055.6 km

Song Currently Stuck in Head: Life is a Highway by Rascal Flatts

Short Description of Today’s Climb: anti-Kiwi

Oh Jonathan, when will you learn not to doomscroll social media the instant you get mobile reception back? You were supposed to get a good night’s sleep in Arthur’s Pass and instead you were up until 1:30 doing nothing productive at all. And now you’re up again at 7, with no time to chill at the hostel before you’re off on trail again.

At least that’s what I thought. I assumed we wanted to get walking again by 10am, but the others were taking their merry time to get packed. First order of business was getting our resupply boxes and (sadly) making our packs heavy again. No more 7 day carries for a while now, the next few sections would only be for 3-4 days. Following that was the more important matter of breakfast at the Alpine Store next door. Partly this was for the food itself, but mainly it was for the promise of a kea party. I was not left disappointed. Despite the signs asking people to bring their dishes inside once they were done, someone hadn’t, much to the delight of the local feathered clowns. A group of them descended on the cafe to see what was up.

The braver ones glanced a look at our food and beverages, but we kept them closely guarded and refused to share anything despite their cries.

Our attempts at hitching out of town began at 11 to surprisingly little success, eventually getting a ride 45 minutes later back to the shelter I finished at yesterday to continue my walk southwards.

The trail is easy to follow for the first bit to Klondyke Corner but after that it was a case of choosing our own adventure. The trail notes told us to follow the true right bank of the Bealey River going past “occasional marker poles” whose locations remain a mystery to me as I didn’t see a single one the whole time. Following the river was easy enough, as was the crossing of the Waimakariri.

Sadly there was one victim of this section (at least I think so). I had wrapped yesterday’s pair of socks on the outside of my pack to dry them off and at some point between leaving Arthur’s Pass and our lunch break at Bealey one of them had fallen off. This left me feeling a bit ticked off as we started the short road walk on SH73 (a common feeling when I lose something) and I started pondering how I could get a new pair to me further down the trail. Best chance might be sending them to Lake Tekapo but I’ll have to see what my options are for that.

The end of the road walk marked the start of the Cass-Lagoon Saddle Track, although only the latter saddle is a part of the TA. The first hut on the trail is only 10 minutes from the trailhead, a classic 6 bunk design that could do with a bit of work inside.

Then we began the climb to Lagoon Saddle. A very confusing climb, because instead of following a bunch of orange triangles directly up the mountainside, we followed a bunch of orange triangles delicately up a series of switchbacks. That’s not the kiwi way. Not that I’m complaining, it was a lovely climb. Still steep in a couple places, but very manageable and with some great views back over the valley we were just walking through.

The views improved once we got above the trees, manoeuvring through the tussock and mud in another round of “the floor is lava”. Even with the slow morning I was feeling pretty tired. With the clock now approaching 6pm, this was the fourth day in a row with a late finish to my day. The problem I find with these late finishes is that I never have the time to relax at the hut/campsite/hostel. Instead I’m rushing to get my tent set up, get dinner cooked and eaten and get to bed. There’s no time to just stop and do nothing before these tasks which I find is a very enjoyable and somewhat necessary part to my multi-day hikes. If I don’t get this time, I’ve found myself becoming quite tired and irritable the following day, meaning I can’t admire the environment I’m in nor do I feel like interacting with my friends all that much. Some hikers are able to wake up at sunrise and walk for 12 hours a day everyday without an issue. I can’t. I like and need my rest. Tonight, that rest would be provided by, at long last, a tiny hut.

According to DOC, this A frame hut is supposed to have 2 bunks. It didn’t have any. There was a bench at the back that I really hope DOC isn’t counting as a bunk and floor space for 4 people at a pinch. The high roof made the hut feel quite roomy despite the small floor space. A non-TA Dutch hiker was already here when we arrived, but there was still room for Oli and I to sleep there too, with Melly choosing to sleep in her tent and Matt opting for a starry roof. A small stream was nearby acting as a water source for the hut, with another shelter up a hill on the other side. This one actually had bunks but felt rather damp and dingy compared to the A frame.

Dinner tonight was a recent favourite: pasta, noodles, and beef jerky. I really ought to buy some salt for the pasta… As much as I could I tried to relax whilst eating dinner, with a long day planned for tomorrow. Hopefully soon I can have an early finish, otherwise I can see myself struggling to enjoy the rest of this trail. It’s a gorgeous country I’m travelling through and I’d hate to be in a state where I can’t appreciate it.