A Dangerous Business

Date: 1st February 2024

Start: Lagoon Saddle A Frame Hut (km 2217.9)

End: Harper Village (km 2246.4)

Distance Travelled: 28.5 km

Total Distance Completed: 2084.1 km

Song Currently Stuck in Head: Proud Mary by Creedence Clearwater Revival

Energy Levels: non-existent

Cold. So, so very cold. As in “finding it hard to sleep” cold. That’s the one bad thing about these tiny huts: there’s no wood stove to heat it up. On the other hand, its small size means that me using my camping stove to boil water for coffee did heat it up a bit in the morning. How Matt coped with the conditions I have no idea.

Today was a tad unusual in that it was the first day in a while where I’d be walking more than 25 km. I think the last time I did that was between Waiau and Anne huts. For the most part, the best majority of my days in the South Island have been on the shorter side, largely thanks to the terrain we’re having to cross. Today promised to be a bit easier in that regard, just not at first. We were still on the Cass-Lagoon Saddle Track so the first few hours would be proper tramping as we followed the course of the Harper River. Yep, same name as the pass I went over 4 days ago but nowhere near it and not connected to the rivers around the pass in any way.

When we weren’t on the river bed for whatever reason – usually sheer cliff faces – we were climbing and sidling above it. The constant ups and downs did slow us down but were never steep, the main obstacle being mud that was a 1 out of 5 Pirongias.

It had all the makings of a DOC track that had a tangible level of demand beyond the TA; still basic but easy to follow and not like many of the ridiculously overgrown tracks I’ve been on further up the country. What did remind me a bit of those tracks was the first hut we came across today.

Oh boy this was a rustic hut. For starters, a dirt floor covered in wool bags. Next, canvas cots (that weren’t broken). Finally for dessert, an open fireplace. I’m sure if you’re someone interested in the history of huts like this (read: me), staying someplace like this could be quite fun. But it’s only 11am and we’ve got a long way to go.

A little over an hour later we crossed over two swing bridges and passed the junction to Hamilton Hut without saying hello or filling in the hut book. We’re now off the saddle track and heading off on a trail down the Harper River. Most of the way is on a 4WD track that crosses the river many times. Starting off it was hard to follow, resorting to just sticking to the river bank until we eventually come across a rare marker pole. Our feet obviously got wet crossing the Harper but we were still adamant to dodge any other watery bits of the trail, which wasn’t always possible.

After lunch it got hot. And I got tired. Honestly I don’t know where it started, but I found myself getting very lethargic. Probably a mix of not enough sleep with a long, hot, draining day, and eating a bit too much chocolate at lunch. And we still had something like 13 km to go.

With the river crossings becoming fewer and the terrain becoming less diverse I was also getting a bit bored which did nothing to help my motivation to keep going. Even some cool rock formations couldn’t excite me to wall further.

Our final major crossing was the Avoca River, still with about 10 km to go in the day. Mercifully we found a shady spot where we could rest for a bit. That was all I needed. Once I got going again I felt much more energised, looking forward to reaching tonight’s campsite. For the last little bit we had to walk on a gravel levee next to Glenthorne Station. The pretty conservation areas in the upper reaches of the Harper River had been replaced with views of cow paddocks and these odd formations built into the river.

One final km of road walking took us to the campsite that was established by the local power company. I’ve been to better sites, but it’s free so I can’t complain. What do I remember about this camp? The hard ground and the wind. Oh boy, the wind. Many other hikers who’d come from Hamilton Hut had opted to pitch right next to an embankment, myself opting to follow their example.

It had been a long day with another late finish. At least it was dry, something that cannot be said for tomorrow’s forecast. If it’s true, I don’t see myself having much fun.

Please be wrong.