After the lung busting climb up to the Bushline Hut and a night of giving Steve a merciless lesson in how to play Gin Rummy (as usual), we awoke to our second glorious day of sunshine. What's going on? Is this really NZ? Apparently the sun does shine...occasionally. We headed off up the Roberts Ridge at a suitably lazy hour (as usual). Our goal for the day - the Angelus Hut.
Start of the hike through Hansel & Gretel country. I had to prevent Steve from leaving a trail of breadcrumbs. Silly boy.
Atop the ridge with St Arnaud and Lake Roititi in the background. I think I was suggesting the camera operator step back so he could get our feet in the shot. He didn't listen. Then again, when do stone cairns ever listen?
The barren and lunar landscape of the Roberts Ridge. Pretty desolate but starkly beautiful.
Wondering why my pack was so heavy I stopped to investigate and to my surprise out popped a semi naked man carrying a billy can. How odd.
The route that lay before us. Somewhere in the cluster of snow dusted peaks in the distance is Mount Angelus. This was shortly before we were caught up and overtaken by a group of 12 year old cub scouts. I think their mini stature suited the terrain.
Some corrie lakes. Strangely Blue had been through again. Not much sign of his British cousin, Strangely Brown although plenty of evidence of his brother, Baron von Landscape.
Steve had been in charge of provisions and learning from our experience of the Routeburn Track where we were kitted out like some nineteenth century nobleman's expedition, we had veered to the other extreme. I mean I like figs, dried fruit and nuts but five days of bird food can be a bit tiresome on the constitution. Where's the potted ham, Madeira wine and plum duff?
My attempt at an arty B&W shot. Steve's attempt to release some trapped wind.
More evidence of Baron von Landscape.
To fit in with the alien landscape even the plants looked like Mars lifeforms on a team-building exercise in this desolate spot.
As we ascended pockets of snow started to scatter the path. Terrific.
A little vid clip of us bagging a subsidiary peak, Mt Julius, along the way.
The end of the day and we sight the Angelus Hut nestling on a promontory (if a hut can nestle).
We abandoned the bird food and got stuck into our 'Just Add Water' meal. Actually, not half bad. We didn't have any sausages to go with the tomato & onion sauce alas. Not even a fine chorizo sausage from Galicia...nor indeed a bottle of 1996 Rioja to wash it down. Ah well.
