Wednesday we were in a laid back and relax mode. We spent the morning at the camper enjoying the sunshine and the scenery. In the afternoon we went for a walk downtown, did a little window shopping and had a latte. It was a nice quiet, relaxing, enjoyable day.
Thursday ( Day 70 ) was our one of most strenuous days and one of our most exhilarating.
We thought it was time we got off our lazy butts and did a bit of hiking, so we picked the Rocky Mountain Track. The drive to the car park was only 15 minutes where we quickly loaded up and hit the trail.
The Track:
Diamond Lake Track Loop is 7 kilometers long, climbs 539 meters (1786 ft) to an elevation of 775 meters. The first part of the track for the most part is fairly well maintained and it didn’t take long to get to Diamond Lake. The next stage of the track got a little steeper as we made our way up to the turnoff for the Lake Wanaka Viewpoint.
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| The Start |
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| The Path |
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| Diamond Lake |
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| The Stairs |
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| Diamond Lake from a higher view |
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| Kiwi Kathy on the move. |
We had done a fair amount of climbing to this point which made the view pretty spectacular. The only viewpoint we had at this time was Lake Wanaka. Pretty nice.
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| Lake Wanaka from Mid way Point |
The Climb:
The climb from this point on changed dramatically. The next 45 minutes was straight up with many, many switchbacks. We went from a path that was wide enough to take a quad to a path fit for a goat. It was also deceiving. As soon as we reached one crest another would loom in front of us. Then there was the adrenalin rushes. The goat path in places narrowed to about 18 inches along the side of the mountain. If you stepped off the path it was a long way down. We found ourselves leaning into the mountain to ensure we didn't fall. I didn't look down. It was frightening, spine-tingling and stimulating all at the same time.
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| Don't look down |
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| The Goat Path |
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| Kiwi Rod is hurting |
The Reward:
We finally reached the top and as we looked around, all we could say was WOW. The view was stupendous no matter which way we turned. We had Lake Wanaka on one side and the Southern Alps with Mount Aspiring on the other. It was pretty special.
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| Making our contribution |
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| Lake Wanaka |
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| Lake Wanaka |
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| Southern Alps |
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| Lake Wanaka |
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| Southern Alps |
While we were at the top we had lunch and just soaked up the view. It was exhilarating.
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| Mount Aspiring Elevation 3033 Meters |
While we were at the top we had lunch and just soaked up the view. It was exhilarating.
The return trip was all downhill but we had to be careful as it was hard on our knees. There were a few difficult places that were a little bit harder due to our fatigue.
However, we arrived safe and sound and headed back to the campsite. We did make a quick stop to have one last look at Rocky Mountain and what we had accomplished.
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| Switchbacks, I hate switchbacks. |
However, we arrived safe and sound and headed back to the campsite. We did make a quick stop to have one last look at Rocky Mountain and what we had accomplished.
Upon arriving at the camper park we immediately headed for the hot tub. Oh Yea, it felt good. We were a couple of very tired hikers which made for a very early night. However, as tired as we were, it was a phenomenal day.
You two are amazing. I know my knees would not stand up to the beating. Thanks for going there for me and letting me enjoy the view with you. 2D is better than No D.
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