Trip Reports

Waiau Pass Trip   —   19-25 Feb 2004

Day 1 — St Arnaud to West Sabine Hut — 19th Feb 2004

Written by Peter S

The party of 8 consisting of Ralph F, Ralph L, Lyndell, Sue, Alan, Peter S, Christine and Paul, awoke to a rather subdued dawn chorus at the Yellow House, St Arnaud. It was not quite raining and the clouds were lifting. Spirits and morale rose accordingly. Snow and gales had been experienced only days before by WADTC groups at Arthur’s Pass and the Bushline Hut.

After a hearty breakfast consuming our surplus food, we embussed to Lake Rotoroa. The shuttle diesel kept cutting out due to a faulty chip (advanced technology). Had a great ride on the Water Taxi, morale at a peak and quaffed our last beer! The new Sabine Hut is very posh. A grand walk up the Sabine with the river quite full but clear and side streams passable. We enjoyed a lovely lunch in the sun and arrived at the hut just as the thunderstorm commenced. The cold front had arrived as forecast. But did we care. Ralph provided us with a huge dinner of macaroni cheese with lots of salami.

Day 2 — West Sabine Hut to Blue Lake Hut — 20th Feb 2004

Written by Sue

Following an early night, we awoke to find snow below the bush line on the mountains above and below the West Sabine Hut. The hut was nearly full, so it was a bit of a scramble to get breakfast** together amid the crowd.

We left for the Blue Lake Hut at around 10am, knowing we had about a 3 hour walk ahead of us. The track was very beautiful, with stunning moss and forests interlaced with huge boulders and avalanche debris amid screed areas. There seemed to be a good population of robins darting around — or maybe it was the same one. The river was running high and very fast, with some quite deep side streams and the odd huge waterfall glimpsed through the bush.

At one of the deepest side streams there were several options of getting across: over a green slippery log, a large jump with aid from Paul, or a near waist deep plunge. Alan bravely chose to submerge himself in icy water to upper thigh level, showing us all how to achieve a very cheap sex change operation. It was all rather numbing.

About an hour into the walk, the weather started to close in, and it came very cold and bleak. After a bit of a climb up, it was good to see the hut — and the small snowman that some kind person had left to greet us on the boardwalk. There were also patches of snow on the mosses leading to the hut — time for fire and soup!

The weather continued to deteriorate, and it rained and lightly snowed for the rest of the day. After a hearty feast, we retired to bed to listen to the thundering gales walloping down the valley — sounding like trains approaching and at times, rocking the Blue Lake hut on its foundations!

** During breakfast that morning there was a brief conversation in regard to food supplies should we get snowed in. A lively debate was conducted on whether the fat ones or the skinny ones would be consumed first. After it was pointed out that one of the party held an uncanny likeness to Hannibal Lector (aka A. Hopkins), things went quiet and we all hid our pocket knives.

Day 3 — Blue Lake Hut — 21st Feb 2004

Written by Christine M

A day of isolation enforced on us by heavy rain, low snow levels and howling gales on the tops. Our one hut mate of the previous night had departed and with him the need to retain a façade of sanity. There was lots of loafing in bunks while the boys played with the fire in our attempts to stay warm. Sleeping bag clad figures padded the hut and the more animated bags competed in a hurdle race. Pigs was played and played and played. Chess was played and played and played. The derelict woman’s magazine was read and read and read. What pleasure to muse in our humble surroundings on fashion, celebrities and quizzes — do you have a high maintenance friend? And then the ultimate in quizzes devised by Sue — are you a high maintenance tramper? We bared our souls.

Day 4 — Waiau Pass Day Trip — 22nd Feb 2004

Written by Christine M

With the prospect of substantial rain and cold southerlies over the remaining days of our trip, we flagged our original plan to walk through to Lewis Pass, wary of rivers and miserable camping conditions. Today was forecast to be dry until late afternoon and yesterday’s rain had washed away much of the snow, so we had an excellent opportunity to explore Lake Constance and ascend the Waiau pass.

Low cloud shrouded the peaks as we climbed the moraine bank through the trees and subalpine scrub with Blue lake lying still and green below us. A magnificent view rewarded our climb; the snow dappled mountains framing Lake Constance were clear and we identified the Waiau pass in the distance.

The route ascended a slope of loose rocks and then sidled alpine vegetation above bluffs for some distance. Dodging the speargrass was not always easy. We enjoyed brilliant views at the top of a steep gully for morning tea. Leading the descent of this valley, Paul spotted a chamois which he stalked to within metres for no doubt the fauna photo of the year.

The high lake level made it impossible to keep boots dry as we followed the lake edge and prompted many energetic deviations up the banks. All in vain as, when we reached the flat at the south end of the lake, the streams ensured a good dunking for all. The final climb rose steeply above the flat and it was a fair scramble up the clumps of vegetation, rocks and scree with ill-timed cloud obliterating views as we climbed. The wind was viciously cold at the pass deterring some of the group from braving the pass itself. Those who crossed the pass found themselves surrounded by bleak snowy basins and we wandered through shallow snow a little way down a spur so we could escape the mist for a view of the bush and river far below in the Waiau valley.

Returning was a big hop skip down the scree to the flats and then we retraced our steps following the Sue trail, who had returned earlier having decided against the final climb to the pass. What beauteous pebble and floral arrows and ‘S’s graced our path!