Isthmus peak

This has to be the most beautiful mountain I have ever climbed. Set between Lake Hawea and Lake Wanaka the trail winds it’s way up, up, and a bit more up, but once you arrive at the top you are rewarded with a view of both these turquoise wonders of the world with the jagged snowy peaks of Mt Aspiring National Park in the distance. It almost doesn’t seem real it is so picturesque.
It will be an early night for me tonight, not only because I am exhausted from the hike but also because the second release of PCT permits opens at 7.30 am. Have been trying to choose an alternative starting location if I can’t start at the beginning, preferably one that doesn’t have a water alert section or a 5,000ft ascent section but can’t find one. So it’s fingers crossed for starting at the border with it’s more undulating, friendly looking elevation charts.