Blue Lake

What a stellar day. It's hot work but as we climb towards Lake Constance with Blue Lake behind us, we talk about the leisurely lunch we had beside the lake.

Our route is now part of the Te Ara Roa Trail. It's full of characters and the ones we spend time with were fantastic. We passed by the Blue Lake hut at lunchtime, heading for lake where we'd have our lunch.

Ron, an exuberant Canadian popped out to greet us. He'd use finished polishing the hut to a gleaming standard it's possibly never seen. His afternoon task was to ferry water from the lake to the hut tank. He wasn't staying there the night, he just likes doing good things.

Before long Ron appeared at the lake with his carbon fibre guitar. He serenaded us and another couple over lunch, a talented man with the voice like honey.

Ron was back for his second summer in NZ. He'd left his bike at Murchison and was doing part of the Te Ara Roa. Sadly we were heading in opposite directions as some of us thought Ron was the perfect man ;-)

After lunch and a meditative wander around the shore of Blue Lake, one of the purest sources of water in the world, it was up and off for us. Now I was entering territory I haven't been in before, rough, high and spartan, just how hpx likes it.

We pitched our tents at the foot of Waiau Pass, the purpose of our trip, and what we'll climb tomorrow. Our camp site is a tad under 1400m. I wonder if my light weight sleeping bag was such a good idea. I'm about to find out in the most beautiful mountain valley you can imagine.