Mueller Hut HIke Take 2 (Jan 4)

After much consideration I decided to try to hike up to Mueller Hut AGAIN if the weather was good despite the fact that it would be a push for me to make my bus out of Mt Cook.

I woke and it was completely clear. I put my bags in storage and headed out to the trailhead. As I neared the trailhead low clouds began to develop in the valley. I began climbing. It was nice to climb in the early morning. It was very peaceful and a bit cooler. The clouds began to increase and I was worried that I would have no views but a guy coming down from the hut said that the views from above were spectacular despite the clouds because the hut is above the clouds.

It was a hard hike up - short and steep (elevation gain over 1000m). On the way up I was treated to a show by a couple of kea. They actually landed right by the trail and then took off and flew above my head.

The trail was very steep (as I discovered yesterday) and past Sealy Tarns it was generally scrambling over boulders walking from pole to pole. I also had to walk up a slope of scree (very nasty) and cross a small snow field (no biggie). After a couple hours of hard hiking I emerged above the clouds with some spectacular views and all the pain faded away [It must be like having a baby - painful but you forget it once you see the beauty at the end of it]. You could hear the glaciers and snow cracking. I saw a few avalanches. It truly was awesome.

I was kind of congratulating myself on completing what I consider a pretty tough hike when I saw that a four year old girl hiked up yesterday and was hiking down today. I guess I am not so tough. (Apparently in the hut talk the evening before they noted that the girl was the youngest to hike up to Mueller Hut. My question would be at what age will she attempt Everest?).

It is a good thing that I am at the end of my trip. My boots have holes in them (they are only about 2 months old). I cut myself on the first hike up to Sealy Tarns on an agave-type plant and bled all over my hiking shorts because I was more concerned about the wind than the pain in my hand. On my way down from Mueller Hut I ripped the same pair of hiking shorts - luckily it was a small rip in the pocket.

Here are a few more photos.

I am now in Christchurch and am off to Akaroa tomorrow at 9am to do the Banks Peninsula Track on Jan 7.