Buckland Peak

overnight trip to Buckland Peak

Christmas was over, the weather was splendid and the forecast didn't look too bad either. We had spent enough time eating too much food and hanging out at the beach. Time to get back into the mountains. Christmas in the summer is weird, I've never really had real Xmas feelings, it was a pleasure though to walk around in shorts and t-shirts and going for swim in the ocean, while my relatives are freezing on the other side of the world.

The 1300m high Buckland Peak near Westport had always been recommended to me, I could just not do it earlier due to rainy and cloudy weather.

We took quite a few pictures for such a short trip.

Our helpx host drove us to the car-park and we had some boring 6km to the trail-head in front of us. There weren't too many cars parked and it looked like we would have the trail for us.

1000 & 100 Acre Plateau

4 day round trip to the 1000 & 100 Acre Plateau

Another trip in Kahurangi National Park, this time in the southern part of it. 

My knees and heels needed a rest after my last trip. I didn't expect that it would take me 2 weeks, though. Well, working for a while, reading and planing more tramps was not such a bad thing. The forecast looked pretty good, a map was bought and my route was set. Heck, I even got some good local advice. There are some nice gems in this area. Time to get out before Christmas.

I hitch hiked to Matiri Road right after Murchison. It was a scorching hot day and walking on the gravel road didn't make it any better. After about 8km a farmer gave me a lift for a few kilometres. I was struggling a bit in the hot weather and finally reached the first car park. Some cows were blocking my way for a while further on the trail. It was farmland all the way till I reached the trailhead.

When it rains it pours: Wangapeka & Leslie - Karamea

Time to get my feet wet: hiking in river valleys and enjoying river / creek crossings. Well, and getting out of my comfort zone.

part of the trail

The Wangapeka and Leslie-Karamea are actually 2 walks which can be linked. A little side note: people in New Zealand are actually called Kiwis and a hike is called a tramp, which makes a hiker a tramper.

Both tracks are in the lesser known Kahurangi National Park in the northwest of New Zealand's South Island. Check the linked sites about both walks if you would like to know more about them.

All pictures can be found here.

Great Walk 1: Abel Tasman

4 sunny days in Abel Tasman National Park in May 2011

I had itchy feet and decided to do the Abel Tasman as my first multi day trip in New Zealand. It was mid May and the forecast looked splendid, just sunshine for 5 days. Perfect conditions to get out, the days were short too and I rather wanted to have an easy stroll to enjoy all the views, besides, some Great Walks are cheaper and also less crowded in the off season.
All picture are here. A map of the area can be found here.

getting out of the city: Howe Sound Crest Trail

Vistas on the Howe Sound Crest Trail

The Howe Sound Crest Trail (HSCT) is literally 45 minutes away from Vancouver. The southern trail head starts at Cypress Provincial Park (local ski mountain) and ends in Porteau Cove, which is basically halfway between Vancouver and Squamish. It is about 30 km long and most people hike it in 2 days. The HSCT can be done in a day (10 or more hours of fast walking). There is a detailed route description at clubtread.com. The official park site has more info about the area.

We went southbound, I recommend to go northbound though. The trail markers are way better to spot heading north. The HSCT is probably one of the best short hikes near Vancouver. We did it in late August 2010.

More pictures are here.

beach walking: North Coast Trail, Vancouver Island, Canada

Hiking through a lush temperate rain forests and strolling on beaches in late August 2010

The North Coast Trail (NCT) was my first coastal walk and it was also the first time for me to get to see Vancouver Island. My itinerary was to finish the trail in approx. 3 days and spent another 3 days in Cape Scott National Park. The NCT is actually an extension of the aforementioned park and has been finished just a few years ago. I always wanted to do the West Coast Trail, but the NCT is less crowded and also cheaper and no booking is required. There is just a $ 10 fee for every campsite.

unfinished business: Stein Valley, Lillooet Lake to Tundra Lake and back

6 day trip in Stein Valley National Park, 3 hours north of Vancouver, British Columbia

Tundra Lake, Caltha Peak in the back

2009 was a warm year. The summer was really dry and there was lot of haze from all the forest fires coming down towards the local mountains in Vancouver; more on that later.

length: approx. 48 km
difference in altitude: approx. 4150 m
Temperatures: approx -2°C to +30°C
perfect weather: 6 sunny and hot days, just a light drizzle for 2h, unbelievable good conditions for this area
date: late August 2009

All pictures are here.

This trip in particular influenced me in many ways and I still remember a lot of it. I just recently started blogging (2012) and it actually took me a few years to write this down, but I still remember a lot of it...