7/16/2023 2 Comments HOPE KIWI LODGE and Hot SPringsI've always thought that there was something a little magical about hiking in winter. It's hard to beat the crisp, clear mornings, snow on the surrounding mountains and sitting around a roaring fire with a great group of mates. After nearly two years away from the wilderness (although having triplets could be described by some as a type of wilderness) I may have built up a somewhat romanticised notion of what three days in the Lake Sumner area would deliver in June but I'm going to come right out and claim that this was one of the best trips I've ever done. Seriously long days on the feet and subzero temperatures kept us honest but this is a part of the country that has something pretty special to offer those who have the stamina to go the distance. After bailing on work at midday on Friday, it wasn't until late afternoon that we made our way to Windy Point and the shelter at start of the track. From Christchurch it's a 2 hour drive towards the Lewis Pass to where the Boyle River meets the Hope and a sizable car park just off State Highway 7. We had about 2 hours of daylight before things were going to get interesting so we layered up and hit a muddy track for the 10km trudge to Hope Halfway Hut. The track is easy to follow even in the dark but the topo map obscures many of the small inclines that become all the more noticeable with a heavy pack in tow. Our small group of four made it to our dinner spot in about 3.5 hours. Only the absence of a fire at this location convinced us to set out for the second half of the walk once it was properly dark. The ground was completely frozen which made the mud easier to walk across but the water in our drink bottles had already started to freeze and staying warm was going to require a bit more consideration as we headed further up valley. The going actually gets easier from here as the track flattens out and crosses large open areas of the river bank. The track is well marked with poles but I would still recommend a decent headtorch for navigating through here at night. The hoar frost was starting to become more apparent as we neared the swing bridge to cross the Hope River. Ice crystals were twinkling off every available surface and the tips of my hair were freezing around my cheeks. The solid white dusting gave the impression of walking through Narnia as we marched the last 5km through the forest to Hope Kiwi Lodge. Some fallen trees created some interesting detours as we neared the hut and later the next day I wandered off the path completely as I navigated this section again. 6 hours after we left the car we arrived to a single occupant in what is a rather lovely hut situated in a large clearing beside the river. Most importantly this location houses a fantastic fire, plenty of mattresses and a well equipped kitchen facility. After getting the fire cranking we turned in for some well deserved food and sleep. Saturday morning saw us split up into Alpha Team (in charge of shooting dinner) Bravo Team (just me doing hot pools recon) and Camp Mother (in charge of getting the housework done). Alpha Team were up and away early while the remaining team members enjoyed a leisurely breakfast before I set off for my real objective for the trip. Tucked away up the aptly named "Hot Springs Stream" is an amazing little hot pool that my husband had managed to get to only a few weeks earlier. Granted he had set off from the much closer St Jacobs Hut but I had all day to get there and back and the weather was pristine if not still a tad chilly. I made my way back toward the swing bridge only to hear the quiet calm of morning punctuated by not one, two or three but five separate shots ringing out across the valley. I figured Alpha team had either shot dinner or were in the midst of some sort of guerilla war style shoot out. I left them to it and continued on up the Hope Pass Track. It was easy going but as I checked my GPS every 30 minutes or so it began to dawn on me just how far I had to go and how little daylight would be available come mid afternoon. I picked up the pace as much as possible as I had opted to bring a reasonable amount of gear in case I got caught out in the cold on my own for any reason. It seemed to take forever to make it around the wide sweeping bend of the river but I finally made my way to the first check point for the day at St Jacobs Hut. This is a tidy but basic set up with everything you need but not a lot of home comforts. The valley hadn't seen any sun yet and I kept moving in search of some respite from the shadows. The track while easy to negotiate, has in fact been washed completely away in several sections from here. I found especially on my return trip that simply walking in the river bed was easier than scrambling up and down the cliffside every few hundred metres. I passed the turn off to Lake Man Biv and silently wondered how often anyone makes it all the way up there to visit. I was making good time up the valley again and the sun kept my spirits high as I ticked off more and more distance between me and my sleeping bag. I still hadn't seen a single other person as I checked in at Top Hope Hut and read as much as I could by way of instructions as to how to find the pools. The notes in the back of the hut book proved incredibly helpful about 30 minutes later as I rock hoped up an icy river bed looking for the tell tale signs of thermal activity. The smell of Sulphur was obvious from the time I crossed the Kiwi and started working my way up Hot Spring Stream. I had to go further than I had anticipated though and I was already 30 minutes passed the time I had planned to be heading back. Finally I found the marker on the side of the river bed and immediately behind it two perfectly formed hot springs. The outside temperature was hovering around 5 degrees but after spending the better part of 3.5 hours getting there it would have been rude not to jump in for a quick swim. I can confirm they're perfect bath temperature and the cold water running from the stream adjacent was just enough if you needed to practice some temperature regulation. Getting out and putting on my freezing cold and soaking wet pants was possibly the lowlight of the day but I felt invigorated by my midday dip and powered back out to the main river to get my blood flowing again. The 30km round trip from Hope Kiwi is definitely not an easy way to access this magical spot but visiting alone in the dead of winter in the middle of a hoar frost was a bucket list type experience. From here I really had to turn on the after burners to make sure I was back in range of Hope Kiwi before the rest of the group started to come looking for me. I had limited time to get 15km back down the river and navigate the slips that had slowed me on the trek in. I ended up jogging a few of the flatter sections to give myself some more leeway and cut the return journey down to three hours. On the whole section of track I only saw one hunter who had dropped off the tops that afternoon and a small fixed wing plane making it's way lazily up the valley. I'm not usually that big on total solitude in the mountains but there was something epic about having that day and that winter wonderland to test myself physically and mentally with a great challenge. It didn't hurt that I got to return to dinner cooking, a fire roaring and a hot water bottle warming my sleeping bag (Thanks Camp Mum!).
The shots from that morning (well some of them at least) contributed to a friend's first deer and quite a bit more weight to carry out the next day. We were 5.5 hours back to the car and the legs were well and truly feeling the distance and the heavy loads by the time we found ourselves back in civilisation. While I highly recommend the walk for any ability level in terms of technicality, the distances are big and longer summer days may be a better fit for the less experienced Windy Point - Hope Kiwi Lodge: 6 hours (in the dark) Hope Kiwi Lodge - Hot Springs Return: 7 hours Hope Kiwi Lodge - Windy Point: 5.5 hours
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1/27/2021 3 Comments Jollie Brook CircuitHave you had a busy week at work and just need to get away from it all? A nice easy overnighter into Jollie Brook hut might be just what the doctor ordered! This relatively popular jaunt is a perfect last minute destination and is a great intro to tramping in the Lake Sumner Forest Park. We managed to skive off work a couple of hours early on Friday afternoon and all piled into the trusty outback to hit the road. Turning off the main highway at Waikari we soon hit the stretch of windy, gravel road which would eventually deposit us at the car park near the sisters swing bridge - our ticket across the mighty Hurunui. We had a slightly iffy forecast going into the weekend, with a fair amount of rain predicted for the main divide which had scuttled our plans for a trip up the Taipo river in APNP. Our hope was that by moving north and further east of the divide we would escape the worst of it. We set out at the trailhead late afternoon and negotiated the initial quagmire of a track for 15 minutes to the sisters swing bridge. When seeing the Hurunui it becomes apparent why the swing bridge is necessary. The river at this point is swift and deep, an untamed mass hightailing it towards the ocean at pace. Definitely not a river that could be crossed on foot. After taking the obligatory photos we set off again on the true left heading upstream. The track here skirts the edge of the range before striking out across a large sparsely vegetated plateau towards Gabriel Hut, close to the eastern end of the lake itself. Gabriel hut is a pretty grim, depressing affair - better than being in the rain, but worth moving on from if you have the ability to! The Jollie Brook hut is a fantastic design, with a central room and two separate bunk rooms at each end. It has a roaring fire, and plenty of wood to go around. It has campsites galore and a meat safe out back for those of you who like to be armed while tramping. When we arrived our advance party already had the fire cranked and the billy on. Just what the doctor ordered. Our group took three and a half hours from the car into Jollie Brook but it's worth noting we were racing against the fading daylight. Our advance group took closer to an hour longer so budget on 3.5-5 hours for the walk depending on how leisurely your pace is. The rain held off for us, and other than gale force winds in the night we were pretty lucky with the weather. After spending a successful day hunting and gallivanting we decided to head out on the Sunday morning via the Jollie Brook to complete the circuit. Generally speaking you want good weather to do the full circuit as the Jollie Brook has to be forded multiple times on the way downstream and it would quickly become impassable in heavy rain. In fact even without any rain for a good 72 hours we still found the Jollie Brook swift and deep for our first few crossings after leaving the hut. The track follows the river downstream, crossing from bank to bank here and there. A few good campsites were spied along the way, with future plans to explore the valley hatched throughout the walk. Soon we found ourselves at the confluence with Cold stream. Cold stream hut is 6 bunk hut about an hour upstream from this junction. We continued our downstream meander as the Jollie Brook slowly grew in size. At no stage did we run into trouble crossing but as mentioned earlier it wouldn’t take much to make it dicey. Before the Jollie Brook meets the Hurunui we decided to cross and follow the track on the true left of the Hurunui back towards the sisters swingbridge and our cars. There is also a further swingbridge downstream of the Jollie Brook - Hurunui confluence which is another popular parking spot (the Jollie Brook Swingbridge). After hopping back over the swingbridge and dodging the mud we arrived back at the car for a celebratory beer before heading back to civilization.
The walk out took us a cruisy four and a half hours. An overnight trip into Jollie Brook hut is suitable in most weather due to the bridged river crossings and would make a great family trip. The full circuit in good weather is very achievable with easy navigation and simple river crossings. If the weather is poor, or it has been raining heavily within 48-72 hours - perhaps give the circuit a miss. If you are going to attempt the circuit and are unsure of your river crossing ability then I would suggest travelling clockwise on the circuit as this gives you an easy bailout option if you struggle with the river levels. |
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