Kepler Track

One of the biggest highlights of my trip has been the tramps (that’s what they call hiking here people, get your heads out of the gutter).  Below are pictures and stories of the first of two of the most beautiful hikes I’ve ever been on – the Kepler also being the scariest hike I have ever done.

Kepler Track, brief reprieve from less than ideal weather.

New Zealand has a list of Great Walks in certain areas of the country, which are considered some of the prettiest hikes that you could do.  The Milford Track (my second of the hikes) alone has been rated one of the best hikes in the world. 

The main complication with these walks is that New Zealand is a little strict on it’s “freedom camping” (camping outside of designated campsites) and requires you to book (and pay for, grrr) either huts or a campsite.  Some of them you can get away with finding camping far enough off the path that it is allowed, but the Milford is actually so highly regulated that they only let a certain amount of people make the tramp every day. 

Another issue is that I came during NZ summer…which means that everyone and their mother has booked these walks.  Supposedly the Milford you have to book a couple months in advance, unless you’re really lucky like me and you get in on a cancellation.

Additional complication; scheduling based on availability sometimes means that you have to do the tramps back to back with no rest in between…. so I did.

Kepler Track

Length: 50.6 km or 31.4 mi (it can be longer, but I skipped a couple portions in order to get back to town for the Milford Track)

1180m ascent, 1200m descent

Milford Track

Length: 54 km or 33.6 mi

950m ascent, 1155m descent

So I’ll start with the Kepler.  I booked campsites, which made for a very easy first day, and an extremely long (22.8 km/14.2mi), arduous (1180m ascent, 900m descent), and beautiful/terrifying/frustrating second day.  While the huts are spaced out conveniently, campsites are inconveniently far from each other.  This was followed by an easy but long and cranky third day, and a short but tiring fourth day.

Campsite for the first night.  I absolutely love the sunset/sunrise skylines here.

Remember how I was teasing all of you back in the states about going during NZ summer while you all freeze to death?  Well, karma bit my butt as soon as I headed to the west coast.  The coastal weather here is schizophrenic; you can go from a very nice, warm, sunny day, to the sky opening up and dumping buckets of rain and the temperature dropping so far that you need your winter gear.  The altitude in the mountains doesn’t help either, of course.  But we’ll get to the weather more in a second.  First, let me tell you how I’m going crazy.

Rockin' the baseball look...Karma you suck.

Hiking alone gives you way too much time with yourself.  Some people say that they are able to zone out and clear their heads when they hike, but I don’t.  Instead, I carry on conversations with myself about everything.  When I realized this, I thought maybe I would seem less crazy if I directed my inner conversations to my backpack.  But that made me feel a bit like Dora the Explorer, and I would rather be crazy.  I have even started to narrate my thoughts and actions (think Cher from Clueless…. will someone watch this with me when I get home???).  It actually gets to a point where I get annoyed with myself, so I have to put in headphones to shut myself up.  I mean seriously, I’m a huge whiner.

Example conversation:

“Oww, my feet hurt, I don’t want to do this anymore!”

“Katy, toughen up, it’s just a few more hours uphill, you can do this.”

“But I don’t wanna anymore!  It’s rainy and cold and I’m bored!”

“Bored?!  Look at the mountains, you idiot!  And a little rain never hurt anyone!  Just keep going!”

“I’m hungry!  Let’s stop for food!”

“….You just ate your body weight 20 minutes ago.  No.”

“But I'm STARVING!”

“We’ll eat in another hour, hold off until then.”

“More uphill?!  I thought you said it was over!!”

“GOOD GOD, SHUT UP AND KEEP HIKING!”

Yup, crazy.

But back to the Kepler, the second day was definitely the highlight of the trip.  The first part started through this beautiful forest.  It was very windy, so the trees would knock together and creak.  I now know where they got the sound effects (or maybe the actual cast) for the trees in Lord of the Rings. 

The majority of the tramp that day (probably around 6-7hours) is spent on the ridgeline, exposed to all the elements…including wind that will literally knock you off your feet (I was later informed that this means the wind is going about 50-60mph), and ice cold rain pelting you horizontally with help from the wind.  Add that in with a ridgeline path that is about 2-3feet wide with very steep drop-offs on either side down the mountain, the fact that you are the only one hiking at this point, and a heavy pack that you are still adjusting to…. this produces a very frightened Katy.

Not a huge fan of this section, and others like it....

A couple hours in to the relentless wind, I really did just have to sit down behind a rock and calm down.  With my pack adding extra resistance in the wind, I was constantly having to hunch over or hold onto grasses and rocks along the side to keep from losing my balance.  It’s not like I was going to die, but these constant conditions really did put a lot of strain on my mental and physical stamina. 

It is the first time I have ever looked up at the mountains surrounding me and truly felt respect – and fear.  I had this very clear realization that I was at the mercy of Mother Nature and she could do whatever she wanted with me.  The ominous clouds would clear up, and the sun would shine through long enough to see a rainbow and create hope for better weather, which were then crushed by the next tide of dark clouds and rain.  The wind never stopped.

Stunning views when I stopped being a baby and actually looked up.

I seriously considered staying at an emergency hut they have up there, but I forced myself to continue the rest of the way.  This is where talking to myself came in handy; I am very good at moral support.  Anytime I got upset, I reminded myself to look up and admire the stunning views of the mountains to take my mind off the conditions.

By the time I finally got off the ridgeline and completed the steep descent to the hut, I was mentally and physically done.  It was full on raining now, almost dark, and I still had to set up a tent.  I reached the hut (essentially a cabin with dorm-style beds and a kitchen and toilets), and just sat down and stared.  It was actually so pathetic-looking that this couple came out to check that I was alright, and the hut ranger gave me a bed to stay in for the night.  Thank.  God.

"Stay close to the candles.  The stairs can be....quite treacherous..."

But putting aside my pathetic-ness, it really was a stunning hike and a great learning experience about Nature and myself.  

The remainder of the hike was through beautiful forests.  It rained the entire third day, clearing up long enough for me to pitch a tent and enjoy a dip in the lake.  I was the only one camping and had the beach entirely to myself.  The fourth day, I walked in utterly exhausted, and about to start the Milford Track.  The nice couple who had helped me at the hut also gave me all their leftover food (they packed enough food to last a week longer than they needed), so that I didn’t have to grocery shop.  Kiwis are collectively the most generous people I have ever met.

Campsite Two, all to myself

Next, onto the Milford Track, where we hiked through thigh-high water with eels!