Duke of Edinburgh Award trip - Routeburn Track
By Richard Roe | Posted: Tuesday October 22, 2024
What better way to ease into the pressure of exam term than with a walk in the hills?
Eleven members of our Duke of Edinburgh Award tramping group thought so anyway and set off on the last day of the holidays to explore the Routeburn Track area. Despite a questionable weather forecast and even some snow flurries on the drive southwest, spirits were high as we set off from The Divide just after 1pm. The clouds even cleared enough to make a scenic side trip up Key Summit worthwhile. Progress was slowed significantly as we negotiated our way around a large slip that had taken out a chunk of the track, then it was pretty easy going from there on. The 174m high Earland Falls were looking magnificent, and the sun came out in the late afternoon for some stunning views of a calm Lake Mackenzie which was where we would spend the first two nights. Based on a forecast which had promised overnight snow to low levels, we had ditched the tents in favour of accommodation at the Lake Mackenzie Hut. As it turned out, all we had to endure was a couple of cracking frosts and not a drop of precipitation the entire trip.
On Day 2 we had a relaxed start, giving the ice a chance to soften before we attempted a visit to the 1255m Harris Saddle. Several patches of snow had to be crossed where it lay in the shadows, and by the time we reached the Saddle itself our whole world was white. The final stretch to our lunch spot at Lake Harris was tough going in the snow, but definitely worth it for the spectacular views. We returned to Lake Mackenzie by the same route where several lads braved the icy waters for a refreshing dip.
Day 3 saw us retracing our steps to The Divide, with another stop at Earland Falls and lunch at the site of the demolished hut at Lake Howden. From here the Year 13 group took the Pass Creek track down to the Hollyford Road, and the rest went back up to Key Summit to appreciate even better views without the cloud cover from the first day. That evening we drove down to the derelict Gunn’s Camp (destroyed in a landslip almost 5 years ago) and set up camp there beside the Hollyford River.
On our final day, after dismantling tents and packing gear into the van, we drove back towards the Milford Road and tackled the track up to the picturesque Lake Marion for lunch. Several boys chose to cleanse themselves in the icy waters once again, which was definitely appreciated for the long van ride home.
This was another very successful trip. I was impressed with how quickly the new recruits have picked up elements of navigation and teamwork. A massive thanks to Mr Scott for filling a staff vacancy at short notice, missing his birthday celebration at home, and holding things together when my car let us down on the last day.
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