This is my first post after hive reach an all-time high, though everything seems to be stable now, I am so excited to be on the train and witness this.
On that positive note, today I would take you to another popular track in Wanaka township, a very scenic town in the Otago region. Did I tell you that I spent a fair amount of time in this area? Yeah, most of that time, you would find me on the mountain.
While Roys peak is popular because of that famous pose everyone often does at the saddle, I think not many people know about the skyline track which is an extended version of Roys peak. I actually hiked Roys peak twice in different seasons and the second time I did the whole Skyline track which is a totally different, yet exciting experience.
The track is listed as advanced level, but it is totally doable in good weather conditions, always check the weather forecast for your own safety.
Carpark → Roys peak.
Skyline is a 23 km track for one way, you can either start at Roys peak track carpark or at the other end on Cardrona Valley Road. When we did Skyline track, my friend and I decided to hitchhike to Roys peak carpark and caught a ride back to town.
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Now, it is also important to take care of "your business" as there are only two toilets at the beginning (near the carpark) and another one near the top, considering this is a long track, better take good care of it, LOL.
As soon as we left the car park, it was a constant uphill climb. I must admit that it was not easy for me the first time as it was like going straight up, imagine you do not warm up before the run, it was exhausting.
After about 10 minutes into the track, one of my mates started to fall behind, we stopped to wait for her, but she insisted to leave her there, she wanted to go back to the car park by herself. Since there were only three of us, there was no point leaving anyone behind, we tried to talk her out of it and move on after a short break.
However, she was out of breath after a while and her lips looked very pale, we immediately sat her down, feed her some chocolate and water, we would have practically put sugar in her mouth if it had had any. I was no expert but it looked like her blood sugar level was dropping quickly and the sudden elevation change made it worse.
Luckily, she felt much better after resting and we could continue to climb up.
Summertime is also the peak season for hiking, so the track is always busy this time of year. We were lucky to find a parking spot along the road though.
As we were walking through farmland, it was encouraging to constantly look back to see lake Wanaka in the backdrop and imagine the wonderful view when we are at the top.
There were lots of sheep and goats wandering along the slopes, they had no idea that I got jealous looking at how they could run up and down this track all day without getting tired.
These sheep were really calm and did not mind us, the visitor at all.
It got a little better as we passed the meadows and climbed through the tussock areas. At this stage, I already got into the walking mode, so the walk became more enjoyable.
It did not mean that we were not exhausted, we kept pushing and telling each other "It's almost there", though everyone knew it was not LOL.
Looking back from the saddle, we had been following a zigzag path the whole way.
One thing we did not see it coming was the queue at the saddle. Yes, there was a long line about 10 m waiting to take that "pose" at the slope.
Okay, we were here anyway, so rather got in line and took that shot.
On that nice summer day, we were able to admire remarkable views of Lake Wanaka, the bays, and the Southern Alps, including Mt Aspiring.
"She said yes!", someone stood in front of us told her friend. Okay, it turned out someone had just proposed, don't get me wrong I was happy for the couple, but do you really need to do it here while everyone is waiting.
This was the view from the saddle on my second trip in November, you could see the snow-capped mountains in the backdrop.
Summit 1578 m — November — the end of Spring, and just after the lambing season.
I finally reached the summit at 1,578 m when I did the Skyline in the Spring. It took me 30 minutes to climb from the saddle. This time the weather was not really ideal, it had been the same forecast for the whole week — overcast and rain in the forecast.
It was a shame that we could not see a paranomic view of the area as expected due to the clouds and thick fog.
Mt Alpha 1630 m.
As we were going up, the fog was getting thicker and thicker, but the changing of scenery was still intriguing.
We continued to follow the ridgeline towards mt Alpha, the low clouds and heavy fog made for poor visibility, so we had to watch our step and stick to the track. The good thing is the whole trail is well-marked, so one less thing to worry about.
Beware of the steep and quite exposed section before reaching the top, I slipped a bit because it was really wet.
The highest point was blanketed in fog, so I was a little disappointed, to be honest.
Leaving the top, we descended through the tussock and then to a 4WD farm track. We finally got a better look at the landscape as the fog started to lift.
The rest of the track is all downhill walk, so we could speed up a bit as it looked like it was going to rain.
The worst thing finally came, it started to rain when we nearly reached the Spotts creek, though it was just a shower, I hate walking in the rain. Anyways, we covered our backpacks and keep moving.
My mate and I all ran out of water and we felt really dehydrated, so we took some from the small creek on the way, don't be like us as it is inadvisable to drink the water here (we were fine, but what if you get sick 🤮).
There was only one person we met on the way down and he was not even a hiker, so it was just us and nature. It was a long walk and I just let my mind wander, it was indeed quite therapeutic.
We finally reached the other end after 10 hours which was a really good record for me. Usually, I am not that fast, but I think the rain did help a lot with the speed-up. And the most important thing was it took me less time to reach Roys peak compared to the first time 9 months ago. Yay me! 😊
Hope you enjoy the ride! hike on and hive on! 😂