(Pictures show Rob Roy Glacier in winter and summer)
After a surprisingly cozy sleep in Buttercup (Jennifer’s name for the trailer), we woke up and set a course for Mount Aspiring National Park where we planned to do the trek to Rob Roy’s Glacier. In order to get there, we drove through Wanaka and into the beginning of Mount Aspiring National Park -- both absolutely beautiful places.
The area around Mount Aspiring National Park and Wanaka was very extreme. There were extremely tall mountains with very low canyons and valleys. It was an awesome drive because we got to see some really unique landscapes while driving on an extremely off-road road with an extremely on-road car. There were a lot more deer farmers in this part of the country than there were down south, and I thought it was kind of funny seeing domestic deer when that isn’t really a thing in the States.
When we finally got off the incredibly bumpy road, we parked our car at the trailhead for the hike and began the trek. It started in this incredibly flat valley between two straight, huge mountain ranges. We veered off to the right and started going up one of the mountains, heading away from the valley.
The track was incredibly slippery, and since my boots were still soaking wet from the day before, I had to trust in my sneakers. Not even 5 minutes into the hike, I slipped and fell on the ice, but it was more funny than painful. We pressed on, and the track began to get less icy (good) and more snowy (bad). A decent way up the mountain, the snow was only inches, but as we approached the glacier, the snow crept higher. The last 15 minutes to the lookout point were all in a foot of snow. Eventually, I accepted it and just started going up as fast as possible.
The lookout point here was a lot different than the other hikes that we have done. Instead of being high above everything and seeing miles away, we were standing in the middle of 3 different peaks, with the glacier frozen on top of two of them. The glacier was dark blue compared to the rest of the mountain, and every 20 seconds or so, we could hear a huge crack echo through the mountains. Normally, we wouldn't think anything of this. But the signs along the track and at the lookout point warning of frequent complex avalanches made sure that I had butterflies in my stomach every time I heard a crack or thump.
We ate a sandwich in the avalanche zone, then continued on our merry way back down the mountain. Overall, this was a quality, quality hike. It wasn’t too difficult, the hike itself was cool, and the glacier was really awesome to see, especially because I had never seen a glacier in my entire life.
We drove back into Wanaka and had dinner at one of the restaurants right on Lake Wanaka just as the sun was setting. Again, the seafood chowder played a vital role in warming me back up. Afterwards we returned to Lake Hawea for our last night with Jennifer.
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