Outdoor Video Magazine

Length: 5km to ridge top (one way)
Time: 3-4 hours round trip.
Book: David Thompson Highway - A Hiking Guide Book
Elevation: 1400m to 2100m
Date Done: March 17th 2007
Effort: Medium-High
Rating: 7/10 in Winter/Spring
Map: 83 C-1 Whiterabbit Creek (not needed)

What a cool name for a hike, Vision Quest. I was hooked before I even read the trail description. It is named as the area was used as an native vision quest site. This hike was brilliant as a half-day hike in early Spring/Winter, as it is an open South-facing slope that is also windblown from the West meaning it clears of snow very early. We got right up to 2100m without needing to put feet in any snow in mid-March. Great views of the surrounding area, but I could see it being a lot less exciting/beautiful in Summer when there are all those other great trails accessible again.

The trail starts 42km West of Nordegg at a waste disposal site that is sign posted from the David Thompson highway. If you pass the David Thompson resort or the Cline River you have gone too far.

There is no technically no trail for this hike…but I could definitely see one. It leads from the car park straight up the slope through the trees following the edge of the waste disposal site. It goes past the well-meaning but slightly incorrect sign which notes ‘This is not a trail’. The ‘trail’ leads up through the trees, quickly coming out onto more open slopes in the edge of the ridge. You can now follow this ridge up, which gives you lovely open views all the way to the top. It’s pretty rough going and pretty steep too. There are 3 obvious bumps on the ridge, I’m not sure whether the second or third is supposed to be the end of the hike. I think it is probably the second bump. To get to the third involves a slightly exposed scramble (see background of the pic with the girls). We by-passed this given the snowy and icy conditions i.e. turned back. If you’re comfortable with heights, and in summer, this probably wouldn’t be too bad at all and it would be awesome to get right to the top. There are nice views of the Saskatchewan River Valley and Lake Abraham.

In the afternoon of the same day, we took a jaunt up Hoodoo Creek. I thought this combination of hikes was fantastic, and it made a nice change to do two short hikes (both very different) in one day, rather than one big long slog. Hoodoo Creek is just 3.5km away too.

See also my post on Hiking New Zealand’s North Island.

I spent a month and a half on New Zealand’s South Island in the summer (our winter) of 2003/4. It was their wettest summer on record I believe! Yes I did get wet, often. But I still think New Zealand is the best country I’ve ever been to in general, and the best country for outdoor activities (sorry Canada, but you’re just too big).

I will give you a run-down of my highlights of hiking the South Island, and will again point you in the direction of the Lonely Planet Tramping New Zealand book which is an excellent purchase. It is also easily available in bookstores and outdoor shops outside of NZ which is useful for planning your trip in advance.

First off the most famous tramp (that’s a Kiwi style hike) is Milford Sound. Unfortunately I can’t comment on this one…I expect its very beautiful and TOTALLY over commercialized, busy and way too well-maintained for me! But maybe I’m just jealous because you need to book many, many months in advance to hike it between October and April, and the average INDEPENDENT hiker spends $275NZ to do the hike! Yes, that’s unguided. And you’re not even allowed to camp! Huts only. If you like ‘real’ hiking, only consider this hike out of peak season, or accept it as a walk in the park.

The next most popular tramp would be the Routeburn…easier to get on than Milford, but book well in advance if you want to use the huts. However, you can camp on this one. It is a gorgeous hike, but way to tame and too busy for me. It’s supposed to be a 3/4 day hike, but I actually hiked it in one day (including the side trip and many photo opportunties, so no, I didn’t miss out!). It’s worth doing, just be prepared for crowds.

OK, time to talk about the more ‘interesting’ hikes. Abel Tasman is one of the great walks, but how about kayaking it? Kayaking a walk you say? Yep…the trail goes right along the coast, and you can get to all the same campsites by sea-kayak. The views are better from the sea than the trail, you get access to some hidden coves hikers can’t get too, and you get to play with sea lions. Plus you can take beer because weight doesn’t matter so much in a kayak! If you have some experience, then defintely do this non-guided.

OK lets get away from the crowds and the great walks. Lets talk Arthurs Pass. Just a short drive inland from Christchurch, this place sees less tourists and more locals. Gotta be a good thing. If you come here…you HAVE to stay at the youth hostel on the North ide of the road (there are two youth hostels, and one road, its pretty easy to find!). It’s a great place and the owner is the nicest, coolest, most helpful person you’ll ever meet. The scenery is not as dramatic as the southern end of the Southern Alps, the mountains not quite as big and scary looking, but as a result the area is more accessible to non-mountaineers and there are some great hikes. Avalanche Peak is an excellent day trip, you can do it from town, and it has some beautiful views and a bit of scrambling/exposure at the top. Then there is the Waimakariri-Harman Pass route which is awesome. Trackless in parts, beautiful scenery, some interesting river fords, a self-powered cable-car crossing, single wire bridges, and dig your own hot-springs. This hike has it all. Plus I did it with a lovely Swiss girl who is now a lifelong friend and a German guy who baked us fresh garlic bread on his Trangia. Check out the MANY other routes (a route is more challenging than a tramp in terms of route finding and trail conditions…so they’re more fun!) in the Arthurs Pass area here. Beware Kea’s (parrots) eating your tent, your backpack, your bike, your anything-you-leave-unattended-for-30-seconds. Aren’t they cute….bas***rds.

Stewart Island is well worth a visit for hiking. The terrain is very different from the other areas of NZ and it is your best chance to see a wild kiwi (the bird, not the local or the fruit… or the fruity local!). The 3-day Great Walk is mostly on boardwalk…urgh…but it’s still pretty. If you have time, the 8 day NWC (North West Circuit) is an awesome mud-fest of fun and endurance with some stunning lonely beaches. An alternative is to head out to Mason’s Bay, then arrange for a water-taxi to pick you up on your way back from the hut that is before you get to Mason’s Bay (to save you backtracking all the way).

Another good one is the Copland Track (unfortunately an out-and-back) which has some stunning mountain, forest and river scenery. Also the Rees-Dart is fantastic if you link it with the Matukituki Valley Track via the Cascade Saddle, which gets you high up in the Alpine zone. A side-trip up the Matukituki Valley with a night at Liverpool Hut also provides some stunning views of glaciers and some of the highest peaks in New Zealand including Mt Aspiring.

North of Christchurch in the Kaikoura region (where the whale watching is done from) I would recommend a challenging route up Mt Richmond

Hey, well as a follow up from my previous post, I browsed the web for some video content of the hikes/areas I mentioned. So check out these videos.

This first one shows a group doing the Tongariro Crossing….good soundtrack! Is that the Pet Shop Boys? Rock on.

Unfortunately, the pumping sound track for this video is the blowing wind in the mic. But anyway, gives you an idea of the stunning view from the top of Mt Taranaki.

One final video showing a view on the Lake Waikaremoana Track. Aaaahhh…hear those Kiwi accents? Brings back some memories!

see also Hiking New Zealand - South Island

Most people that go to New Zealand spend most of their time on the South Island, especially if they are outdoor enthusiasts. This is a mistake in my humble opinion. The North Island is almost equally cool, and it actually beats the South Island in terms of it’s variety of scenery and terrain, although it lacks the big mountain ranges obviously. It has spectacular volcanic scenery, crazy coloured lakes and rocks, a Mt Fuji look-alike to summit, beautiful coast, and tropical forest.

I wouldn’t normally recommend a Lonely Planet book, I don’t think they do the best travel guides. However, in this case I will make an exception and say the Lonely Planet’s Tramping in New Zealand is an excellent purchase. Its well written, really easy to follow and find tramps (that’s Kiwi for hikes by the way), and has a range of difficulty from easy to pretty hard (e.g. the 10 day North West Circuit on Stewart Island).

The ‘have to do’ hikes on the North Island in my opinion are: Tongariro Northern Circuit, Mt Taranaki and then something in the East Coast/Hawke’s Bay; either the Lake Waikaremoana Track or if you want something less busy and a bit wilder the Manuoha to Waikareti Track.

Tongariro Northern Circuit
This is a 3-4 day hike through some mountainous volcanic terrain. It is fairly easy walking on the whole. Some steep sections. But it is not overly long, navigation is easy (in fair weather), and there are no exposed sections. If you do it, you have to make the side-trip up Mt Ngauruhoe (pronouced Nara-hoe). It is well worth it. Plus you can say you’ve been to the top of Mount Doom (it was the volcano used to film some scenes of Mount Doom in Lord of the Rings). It is a steep, steep, climb up scree. But there is no danger, and no exposure, and no real scrambling involved. Coming down is awesome because you can scree run all the way down. Coooooool. From the top you can see the view of your path ahead stretching out. And boy is it a tempting view.

From Whakapapa (Fa-ka-pa-pa) to the first hut, Mangatepopo takes 2/3 hours. And is not very inspiring, apart from the looming shape of Mt Ngauruhoe on the horizon. I got here for lunch time, and then decided to do the trip up Ngauruhoe that afternoon from the hut…rather than make time the next day. This does involve a lot more backtracking…but it only took around 3 hours to the top and back from the Hut. This was going pretty fast though, so I would probably allow 3-5 depending on your ability. Don’t beeline for the summit..follow the Tongariro Track as long as possible…right up to the saddle. It is less steep this way.

Mangatepopo to Oturere Hut is the best day of the hike. It is what the people doing the one day Tongariro Crossing will do. I have heard it described as the best day hike in the world. This may be an exaggeration….but it is a pretty f***ing sweet day! Crazy red rock (Red Crater), crazy blue/green volcanic lake (the Emerald Lakes), crazy lava formations, with a good bit of elevation too. Oturere Hut is a nice place to stay. A good view of Ngauruhoe dominates one part of the skyline, a constant reminder of the awesome hike you did that day.

Oturere Hut to Waihohonu Hut is a short 2-3 hours, so it may be best to have a super long day and get all the way to Whakapapa in one which would take around 6.5-8.5 hours. The hiking on these days is nothing like the Tongariro Crossing, there are no real highlights, but it is steady, entertaining walking nonetheless. A variety of open terrain and nice forest with lots of small ups and downs keeps you on your toes.

This is site has a good review of the Tongariro Northern Circuit (and this is where I got some photos from, my photos haven’t been scanned yet).

Mt Taranaki
First off the DOC Website (Department of Conservation) states you need 7 to 11 hours to get to the summit of Mt Taranaki. Don’t let this put you off!! To give you an idea, me (going very quickly) got to the top in 2 hours 5mins, and took about 1 hour 15mins to come down. A fast hiker could easily get up and down in 6 hours including an hour at the top enjoying the view. An average hiker would probably take maybe 8 hours maximum including an hour at the top for the view. The view is incredible…you are the highest thing around for hundreds of kilometers…and there is nothing even close in that distance. You can see the sea for 270 degrees of the view, and you can also see right across to Mt Ruapehu and Mt Mgauruhoe in the distance.

The most important thing is to GET AN EARLY START. Because of the topography of the area, the fact there is this 2000m+ high mountain located in a flat area next to the sea means that Mt Taranaki is a cloud magnet. On a crystal clear morning, you can almost guarantee there will be cloud over the summit by 10am (the native name for New Zealand, Aotearoa, means Land of the Long White Cloud remember…). So make it your aim to get to the summit at 10am or before so you’re not disappointed.

The hike itself is pretty much constantly steep terrain, with a fair amount of nasty volcanic scree (nasty on the way up, fun going down). Only attempt when there is snow covering if you are properly equipped and experienced. A fall on these slopes when there is a snow covering would mean a LONG LONG slide if you can’t self-arrest. However in summer you will be fine. Navigation is a slight issue in bad weather/cloud, the track through the scree can be confusing and hard to follow, so take care and be sensible.

Did you know they actually filmed the Last Samurai (with Tom Cruise) in New Zealand? It was cheaper and easier than filming in Japan. And they used shots of Mt Taranaki in place of Mt Fuji. It does look pretty similar….cool huh?

Check out the DOC website for details of the Lake Waikaremoana Track and the Manuoha to Waikareti Track.

The Lonely Planet’s Tramping in New Zealand Guide. Get it from Amazon.

Length: 48km
Time: 3/4 Days
Book: None I could find, parks office has details
Elevation: 1400m-1400m = FLAT!
Date done: April 14th 2006
Effort: Medium
Rating: 8/10
Notes: Lots of grizzly tracks on trail - beware! Rating applies to April, could be plain/boring in summer
Map: Can be done without

If you don’t want to go uphill but love mountains, this is the hike for you. Also for an early spring hike it is perfect. This trail takes you through spectacular mountain scenery whilst hardly gaining any height at all. It has some superbly situated campgrounds, and is well maintained. I did this in April of 2006, and the parks people thought you we were crazy for trying to go backpacking at that time of year. But the low elevation and the low snow levels for that year meant that trail was in perfect condition for hiking right up until the last few kilometers approaching Fortress Lake. By then there was some old, crusty, thigh deep snow to battle through. The days were very warm and sunny…and the nights and mornings a little chilly to say the least. Fortress Lake was still fully frozen over.

Day 1 - 6km (half day)
Starting from the Sunwapta Falls car park on the Icefields Parkway, follow the trail over the falls and through some rather repetative forest to the first campground, only 6km from the start. From here there is your first view of the mountains to come. It is a gorgeous area with a nice lake as well as a river, and it provides some excellent photography opportunities at sunrise.

Day 2 - 18km
Following the trail onwards, I recommend breaking out to the river to your right occasionally to get the best views. You can even hike along side the river on a fairly decent game trail all the way to the next campground, a total of 15km from the start. Or you can stick to the true trail that takes you through the trees and limits your views somewhat. This campground is in a lovely spot too, with yet again a gorgeous lake nearby and two rivers. We had lunch here.

Crossing a suspension bridge It is now another 9km to the third and final campste at Fortress Lake. The trail becomes slightly narrower but remains very clear, and rises and drops in places. Eventually you come out to the main river bed, where you have to ford. This was no problem for us, but during high-water this would be impossible. If the water is low, this huge river bed gives you a good chance to soak up the views of the mountains on all sides. On the farside, the trail becomes less distinct as it winds along the trees by the river. This is where we started to pick up some bad snow that made the going tough. It is possible to stick to the river bed for a clearer walk though, just keep an eye on the path. Eventually it swings away from the river and heads toward Fortress Lake passing through gorgeous mossy forest (welcome to BC, you actually over the Continental Divide now). The final campground is perfectly situated above the lake with some stunning views. A shame the lake was still frozen in early April.

Day 3 - 18km
You know have to retrace your steps all the way home. If you want you can stick to the river all the way to the first campsite, or you can follow the main trail. Or mix the two. We decided to take the river back for some variety. In retrospect, I think this was slower and more tiring too. Maybe it’s just cos we were out in some VERY hot sun (it was April, but it must have been around 20C!!), or maybe it was the hour long game of frisbee we had! The river bed is sandy, flat, and huge. One day I would like a full Ultimate Frisbee game here, haha. The open views were amazing, and it was excellent for avalanche watching. We must have seen about 20 in one day. We spent the third night back at the first campsite.

Day 4 - 6km (quarter day)
We hiked the final 6km back to the car, and enjoyed a leisurely drive back through Jasper in some stunning weather.

This would make a gorgeous cross-country ski in winter and you can actually take bikes as far as the second campground (it’s a recognised MTB route in the park).

Located near Nordegg, Alberta in the Canadian Rockies.

Length: ~43km
Time: 3/4 Days
Book: David Thompson Highway - A Hiking Guide
Min/Max Elevation: 1365m-2700m
Date done: August 24th 2006
Effort: V. High
Rating: 9.5/10
Scariness: 1.5/3
Maps:

Wow. What a hike. This has a fair bit of elevation gain (around 1800m) in total if you do the side trips. But you get to the top of 2 mountains over 2600m, you see two fantastic gorgeous turquoise mountain lakes perfect for fly fishing, and you’re probably the only person in the area that didn’t helicopter in! It is kind of a half-circle route requiring two cars/hitchhike…but this means backtracking is kept to a minimum. You approach Landslide Lake initially from the South over a high pass (more exciting then approaching via Cline River valley), and you leave Landslide Lake/Lake of the Falls via the Cline River route.

Day 1
Start from the Landslide Lake parking area 1km west of Whirlpool Point on Highway 11. This is just west of Abraham Lake, which is west of Nordegg, which is west of Rocky Mountain House which is in Alberta! Ok I’ll stop. The trail initially climbs very gradually through some deciduous forest. It soons steepens though, and the trail quickly becomes a relentless climb that offers great views back over the Saskatchewan valley. As you approach the treeline, the trail crosses a stream and then continues to climb through scree and talus. Here the trail becomes indistinct and you can take what ever path you fancy up the final hard slog to the pass at ????m. At this point we decided to dump our heavy packs, have some lunch and then head up the peak to the west. This actually only takes around 15mins to the top from the pass and is well worth it for the views. It is a tiny bit of scrambling but nothing exposed at all.

Returning to the trail, you now have to cross the barren rocky landscape to the otherside of the pass. Luckily this is flat. When you reach the otherside you have your first view down to landslide lake. Fantastic. Pick your own route down the scree and descend quickly down to the valley bottom where you can rejoin the trail along the righthand side of the stream. It’s then not too far to the shores of landslide lake where you can find your camping spot either at the South or North end of the lake. I would recommmend going right to the north end where there is a nice little site with a view down the lake. Fishing time.

Day 2
The day starts with a nice gradual descent along side a beautiful mossy stream to the junction with the Lake of the Falls trails. Here you bear left over the stream (west) and follow the trail that passes through some nice camping spots. The first part of this trail is flat along by the river, but after a couple of kilometers it starts to rise with increasing steepness away from the river. Around the top of the climb, there is a nice view left to a large waterfall through the trees. You then drop steeply to cross the steam, and immediately rise again in a short but very very steep climb. Once you reach the top it’s plain sailing all the way down to Lake of the Falls. You pass through a gorgeous valley, surrounded by nice peaks….accompanied by the sound of HELICOPTERS. Yes, when we were there helicopters fly low and loud over the trail about every 30mins. They are doing tours to the Columbia Icefields, and taking in and picking up fishermen from Lake of the Falls.

Upon reaching the lake, you realise it was all worth it. It’s a fantastic colour, and in a fantastic setting. Lush green trees and meadows around, big cliffs (we saw a mountain goat here) and it’s full of fish. There are some nice camping spots here, and it was sorely tempting to stay the night here. However we stuck to our original plan and pressed onwards. We continued to the far end of the lake, following the stream right back to the end of the valley. It’s a gradual climb through a lovely alpine valley, however nearer the end of the valley it becomes very rocky and tough walking. The headwalls of the valley on all 3 sides provide an excellent setting though, giving a feeling of isolation compared to the busy, noisy lake of the falls. Climbing the scree to the pass at the end of the valley is tricky business. It’s unstable, steep, and takes a lot longer than it looks. Upon reaching the pass you have a gorgeous view down the Saskatchewan valley again.

Continue to climb to the left (east) over the first peak. The hiking is easy, the gradient OK, and the views remain stupendous. The ridge is not exposed. From the top of the first peak you can see for miles around, and streching directly in front of you is the inviting ridge to the next summit. At this point we descended to the saddle inbetween the two peaks, and pitched tent. Surprisingly we found a perfectly flat spot among the rocks. Camping at 2600m with no-one around, and a view reaching all the way to Abraham Lake in the distance was very special. You are one of the higher peaks around and view really is 360degrees. We enjoyed a perfect sunrise and sunset. I wouldn’t recommend camping here in bad weather though…you would become a perfect lightning conductor.

Day 3
We started the day with a trip of to the summit of the first peak (that we already climbed) for sunrise. Wow. Then we packed up the tent and headed along the easy ridge up to the more northerly and higher peak. From here you can see down to Lake of the Falls, and the view is still amazing. Then we headed back down to the saddle where we camped, picked up our stuff and descended the mountain side due West. Exactly what it says not to in the book. But the going is not too bad, loose talus that is awkward on the ankles but makes for a quicker descent than retracing steps all the way. Once back down to Lake of the Falls, it’s time for a long tiring hike all the way back out. At the junction with the Landslide Lake trail turn left, and take the trail that eventually joins the Cline River and leads back to Highway 11 on the shores of Abraham Lake. There are nice camp spots all the way along here if you don’t feel like making it out in one day. On reaching the highway it’s time to hitchike back to your car, or drive back in the sensibly left shuttle car you placed here beforehand.