Rock Shelter to Dart Hut, then to Cascade Saddle!!
Trip Start
Jan 19, 2006
1
18
20
Trip End
Feb 23, 2006
Mt. Aspiring National Park,
New Zealand
Monday, February 6, 2006
See some great maps of the Rees-Dart Track (including elevations changes). Maps are part of "Photodiary of a Nomad" at http://www.gang-gang.net/nomad.
Shelter Rock Hut to Dart Hut - 9 km
Dart Hut to Cascade Saddle - 8 km up and up and up
We didn't realize what kind of day we were getting in to when we woke up early on this cool greyish day.
We had worried all of the previous evening about the fuel situation
01) Breakfast on a rock!
. And everyone in camp appeared to be using propane/butane disposable fuel canisters. Theo was sure that if we really ran out of fuel there would be people who would help us, since our meals basically just need hot water. But it would be better if we could get some fuel. Well, as soon as we got up Theo spotted a pair cooking with an MSR stove, and approached them. We had started the hike with this couple, and they had joked with us as they had passed us in the boggy section yesterday (they had their gaiters on!). The fellow claimed his MSR stove was over 20 years old and still going strong! They had plenty of extra fuel since they were going to "take it slow, and enjoy themselves". In fact, they were busy cooking up a pot of oatmeal, the real stuff that needs cooking!, not "add water and mix". So now our fuel bottle was full again, and we could stop worrying. We immediately made breakfast on a big rock with big smiles!We packed our tent rapidly and were some of the first people up the trail. From
Shelter Rock Hut the trail continues to slowly climb up the remainder of the Rees River
valley, heading north-west first directly towards Mount Cunningham, but soon veering
more and more directly towards the west, by which point many small side streams feeding the Rees have been crossed, and by the time we step over the "river", it is so small that we cannot remember the exact moment. The vegetation loses the trees early, and becomes a variety of very tall grasses, mostly, some of them quite high over our heads. Soon after, it becomes VERY STEEP, and directly under a leaning cliff of Moun Cunningham, the trail switch backing every meter or two, we suddenly, dramatically, gain Rees Saddle (1447m)
02) Grey day looking past the hut...
. Stunning views of Headlong Peak with Snowy Creek entrenched in its gorge far below -- whereas we have just climbed out of a rather wide valley what faces us is a very steep descent down the eastern slopes of the creek, heading northwards towards the junction with the Dart river, not yet visible since it is about 6km distant yet. We sit and eat a Cliff bar, enjoying the view as 3 guys climb up to Rees Saddle from the other side. They pause as well, and Nadine enquires about the Cascade Saddle, did they do it? They did, as a day trip yesterday, having arrived at Dart Hart around noon and doing the round trip to the magnificent glacial views on the saddle in about 8.5 hrs round trip. Nadine and Theo realize that they have time to get to Dart Hut and do the side trip to Cascade Saddle today instead of a day trip tomorrow, as the weather was clear and some rain was in the forecast for the next day.From the Saddle we scurried down the steep track as it dropped past tarns to a tussock bench well above Snowy Creek. From here the track traverses steep slopes that apparently can be quite dangerous when wet or snow covered. We were hiking fast again as we had thoughts of getting to Dart Hut quickly to start our day hike to Cascade saddle.
We crossed Upper Snowy Creek via a swing bridge, and then the track sidled across broken slopes before descending sharply
03) Hiking along the banks of the Dart River...
. We arrived at the Dart Hut camping area (just 5min before the hut)around 12:30pm and were unsure what to do next. We were a bit tired, and the thought of day hiking for another 8 hrs seemed a bit much, and Nadine entertained ideas of camping on the saddle and only needing to hike about 5-6 hrs that night. A French couple had just come down from there, and said it was lovely, though a "kea had tried to claw their tent". Hmmm. Nadine ran across the swing bridge crossing Snowy Creek to Dart Hut to check the weather forecast. The weather report written on the board by the warden looked good that night, with some rains forecasted for tomorrow (likely in the afternoon). But the board also advised that no camping gear or food be left outside, including tents, as the Kea birds would have their way with them. Nadine ran back to tell Theo, and ultimately after talking to the warden (who stopped by on his way over to Shelter Rock Hut)we came up with a crazy idea to hike with our full packs up to Cascade Saddle (when asked how long it would take to hike up there with a full pack, the ranger said he "wasn't that stupid" but it would take him 2-3 hrs with a day pack). In the hot midday heat, off we went.The trail heads along the eastern bank of the Dart river the entire way, for about 8km. There is a significant elevation gain of 524 meters (with a full pack!), but it is left to the last little bit. The first part sidles up and down the bank to avoid a few cliffs, then gains a 2km long flood plain, before starting some torturous up-then-down-repeat-five-times moraine traverses, and then finally, masochistically climbing all the way onto a bench just below the saddle. The bench is soft, even sandy in places, but has a nice ridge of large rocks left behind by the glacier that cut most of the coldest air moving from the glacier. We saw a large number of keas along this ridge, but we wanted to look at the other side of the saddle
04) Pointy heads!
. If we set up our tent first, we would not be able to see the saddle.... because the keas would not let us leave our tent.So we found a place in the boulders and tried to hide our packs as best as we could. And off we went, much lighter, almost running the last 50 meters up to the top. And what a view! The other side of the saddle is a vertical wall, at least 200 meters high, with a giant water fall coming out of it partway down the cliff! Astounding. And all along the cliffs, and in the valley below, the sound and sight of keas flying around.. oh, here they come to visit. The mountain on the left, Plunkett Dome, had a half-moon visible high above it (more about the moon later..)
We went a bit higher up, to see more...
We soon turned around, and even from this distance were able to see that a group of keas had started to cluster on the boulders near where we had stowed our packs! So not only do we hike extra today, but we also have to run down a steep slope to protect our gear!
We arrived at out gear, and decided not to setup tent until after supper, so that the kea would have less targets to attack. We found water nearby, a stream coming out a steep gully, but only one of us could go to the stream at a time. We made a huge meal of noodles with soy chili and dehydrated peas and corn and sausages! We had lots of fuel now, and we were very hungry! The meal was amazing, and we finished it with some chocolate dipped in our little container of peanut butter!
Now we had to get our tent up
05) Overhead foliage shot, stunning!
. Theo decided it was best to try to put the back of the tent against a tussock of grass, so that the birds had less directions to come at us. We also kind of build a fortress around the tent with rocks, so that the birds would not feel tempted to peck underneath the tent fly.And thus prepared, we tried to settle in for the night, at around 11pm. The sun was about to set, and the ranger had told us that the kea are active while the sun is up. It would be a short night, because at this elevation sunset was likely just after 11pm, and sunrise maybe as early as 5:30. Nadine would go to sleep first, and Theo would watch until it was OK, and then maybe Nadine would watch in the morning while Theo got a few more winks.
They kea are very strange birds. They would come towards the tent, and would land somewhere nearby. Then they would feel compelled to come check it out, to see if they can find food, or something. Apparently they use their beaks and the claws. But a strange thing happened. Every single kea felt compelled to approach the tent at the (open) vestibule end. If they came from another angle, they would change their direction, and come at the front. If we closed the vestibule, they would come from many directions. But if the vestibule was open, it was as if their curiosity compelled them to come check it out first
06) Sky opening up towards Rees Saddle
. Therefore, Theo was able to see almost all of them coming from about 5 meters away, as they scurried over the gravel through the grass tussockstowards the tent. And then a rock would be flung at them, and they would kyeaaa-yaa-yaa and fly away, only to return again. And again. And again. And Theo's arm was getting sore!
At around 11:30pm or so, the sun finally did set, and it started to get darker, but we realized that the kea were not going to sleep. It took about 20 minutes for us to realize why. The moon was so bright over the glacier, it was lighting the sky up
all around us! And the ranger had not meant when the sun was up, but when it was LIGHT.
So a very tired Theo was very relieved when around 1:30am the moon went behind Mount Edward, and within about 10 minutes the last kea had decided to go to bed (and also let Theo go to bed).
