Section 2: Raetea Forest / the mud fight

Mir (d nele und ich) hei gwüsst und si vorgwarnt gsi, dass es e harte, lange tag wird. Aber wie hart hämer eus nid chöne vorstelle! 18km (es si denn schlussändlich no e paar mehr gsi), 1000 höhemeter und sehr vill schlamm.

Es het alles guet agfange bi sunneschiin dr bärg duruf. Die erste 3km si zügig gange. Und denn simer i wald cho und dr wäg isch steiler und technischer worde - mit vill stei und wurzle. Nach öpe em 4km hets denn agfange mitem schlamm. Am afang hämer no versuecht, so guet wies goht trocheni füess zphalte. Das het aber gmacht dasmer öpe e stund gha hei pro km. Zmittag gässe hämer ufem gipfel, nach öpe dr hälfti und eme sehr steile, schlammige ufstiig. Es het sich fescht nach chlättere agfühlt. Abem mittag hets denn au afange rägne und winde. Was dr abstiig no schwiriger gmacht het. Gege obe het denn aber s wätter ufdo und mir hei bitz ussicht gseh - hügel mit wunderschönem dichtem wald. Churz vorem dunkel wärde simer denn zum glück usem wald cho und hei denn mit dr stirnlampe no dr räscht vom abstiig überne wiise mit chüe gmacht (es het sehr wieni jura wiise usgseh). Nach 14 stund wandere simer denn froh bim zältplatz acho und si sehr dankbar gsi dasmer dä tag nid elei gmacht hei. Am nöchste morge het eus denn lieberwiis dr Seàn (irländer vo mim Auckland-Tag) bim camp abgholt und isch mit eus uf kerikeri gfahre willmer entschide hei die nöchsti etappe z überspringe.

Es isch e wunderschöne wald gsi und e super erfahrig und i bi stolz dasi das gschafft ha. Aber es isch au eine vo der hertische täg gsi vo mim läbe. Luegemer mol was dr Te Araroa no so für abschnitt bringt!

------

We (Nele and I) knew and had been warned that it would be a tough, long day. But we couldn’t have imagined how tough it would actually be! Eighteen kilometers (it was actually a few more at the end), 1,000 meters of elevation gain, and a whole lot of mud.

It started off well, with sunshine as we climbed up the mountain. The first 3 km went by quickly. Then we entered the forest and the trail became steeper and more technical — lots of rocks and roots. After around 4 km, the mud began. At first, we still tried to keep our feet as dry as possible, but that meant we were moving at about one hour per kilometer. We had lunch at the summit, halfway through the hike, after a very steep and muddy ascent that felt more like climbing than hiking.

After midday, it started raining and the wind picked up, which made the descent even more challenging. Later on, the weather cleared a bit and we got some views — rolling hills covered in beautiful, dense forest. Just before it got dark, we finally made it out of the woods and finished the rest of the descent across a meadow with cows (it looked a lot like the Swiss Jura). After 14 hours of hiking, we reached the campsite absolutely exhausted but incredibly grateful that we hadn’t attempted this day alone. The next morning, thankfully, Seán (the Irish guy from my Auckland day) picked us up from camp and drove us to Kerikeri, since we decided to skip the next section.

The forest was beautiful, and it was an amazing experience — I’m proud I managed to get through it. But it was also one of the hardest days of my life. Let’s see what other surprises the Te Araroa has in store!Leggi altro