Aoraki - Just Wow!

Feeling happy how I had spent my time in Wanaka, I was now heading to Aoraki, which is the gateway to Mount Cook, New Zealand's highest mountain.

So I packed up my stuff in Wanaka, went on a short 30 minute hike up to nearby Mount Iron, did some grocery shopping and then headed to Aoraki. It was a very scenic 2.5h drive that turned truly spectacular once I turned onto Highway 80.

Highway 80 follows Lake Pukaki for around 40 minutes into Aoraki / Mount Cook Village and is the only way in and out. Picture this: a blue Lake Pukaki on your right, windy roads ahead of you, great plains on either side once you are past the lake and throughout the entire drive Mount Cook and the snow-capped mountains tower in front of you. It was a clear day, so blue skies were, once again, prevalent. It was withbut a doubt, the most scenic road that l have ever driven on. And true to form, I stopped multiple times for pictures to capture the essence of the road's beauty.

My plan was to stay two full days in Aoraki and do two hikes - Muller's Hut and the Hooker Valley Track. Both of them are supposed to be among the best day hikes in the country.

Thus, the next day, I woke up early to tackle the tougher of the two hikes first - Muller's Hut. It's a 10km return hike with an elevation gain of 1056m. The twist in the story is that the first 50% of the hike consists of stairs - 2200 of them. Yes, 2200 and then you are only half way up! However, once I conquered the steps after 1h, the views over Mueller Lake from the Seal's Tarn lookout point was already fantastic. Again, blue skies with just a few clouds certainly added to the great views.
I didn't lingere there too much, though, as I had the other 50% of the hike to tackle. Plus, clouds started to roll in and it started to drizzle. That was fine, as long as it stayed this way.

Unfortunately, the sky was soon covered with thick grey clouds and as I went higher up, rain turned into snow. Plus, the wind picked up as well, which certainly wasn't helpful and it was more scrambling on slippery rocks and following orange markers than having a proper trail.

The views were also mostly obstructed by the clouds and at this stage I was considering bottling it and turning back.

Maybe I am too stubborn, but I was already up there and thought, I might as well finish the track for self-determination more than anything else. So, I battled through the elements and arrived at the hut at 11.15am, 2.5h into the hike. I only rested there for maybe 20 minutes, as the hut was cold, and my clothes were damp/wet - after all, I didn't really pack for winter.

Anyway, as I started my way down, a mix of wind and snow was piercing my face. Luckily, after 20-30 minutes, I was on a less exposed part of the track and it even stopped snowing/raining. Once I was down half way, the weather has completely cleared - what a shitshow. I was even contemplating going up again, but only very briefly. I could not believe it. Had I only started 1-2h later, it would have been a perfect day with perfect views. Ah well, I guess, I cannot have everything and I was quite lucky with the weather so far. Still, on the day of the toughest hike... damn.

Regardless of my bad luck, the views at Seal's Tar were absolutely breathtaking and I rested there for a good 30 minutes to take it all in and go for some amazing snaps.

Luckily, my hostel had a sauna, so after the tough hike it was a perfect place to chill out and allow me legs to recover.

The following day, I headed out to walk the Hooker Valley Track that is considered as one of the most beautiful and easiest tracks in New Zealand. It's a 3h walk (11km, elevation gain a modest 197m) that winds its way through the mountains towards Hooker Lake with spectacuklar views over the Muller Glacier and Mount Cook. I was doing the track with Maider, who I met in the hostel the previous day. It really was a magnificent hike, as we crossed hanging bridges, nibbled on large chunks of ice from the lake and were just in awe of the fantastic surroundings.

After this track, I was truly amazed by how beautiful New Zealand's nature is. I mean, I knew it before, but it just kept getting better and better.

Talking about better, in the evening it started to snow in Aoraki, And I mean, SNOW. By the time I woke up the next morning, at least 50cm of snow had fallen. Interestingly, the only road out (Highway 80) was closed as a result. In other words, I was stuck in Aoraki. Not a bad place to be stuck in, to be honest.

So, in order to pass the time, we took the car and drove through the village and through the snow and having a little snowball fight.
It was honestly the best finish to my hiking adventures through the Southern Alps. Stuck in snow. Luckily, Highway 80 was cleared around midday and I could drive out to my next destination.

As I was sitting in the car, a feeling of genuine happiness was flooding my body. I was having such a great time hiking New Zealand's mountains, taking amazing pictures, soaking up the scenery and the alpine atmosphere. It really was what I hope to gain for my mind, body and soul when I decided to include New Zealand on this trip.Read more