High country 1

It's been a few weeks since I've been in the hills.

View large to get the feeling of big

We have a wee window of good weather to make the most of the high country before another spring system swings in from the Tasman Sea.

4 of us are headed for Tribulation Hut, fortunately for us no tribulation involved. I love this big country. It's unforgiving in the cold and heat but today it's pleasant with a warmish wind at our backs.

That's the head of the Rakia River in the distance. You can see the alpine bog area around the tarns (mountain lakes) and the Black Hill Range is opposite. I've been up some of those peaks on other trip but not for a while.

After a brew at the hut we wandered off down river for an explore and to check out Cookies Hut, a private high country station hut. We sighted the hut but with a now stronger and cooler wind to walk back into, and heading up river instead of down, we decided seeing Cookies Hut was enough.

With no heating in the hut it wasn't too bad, but we were happy to get into our sleeping bags to keep warm just after 7pm. Happily I'd nodded off by 7.30pm :-) A watery full moon behind high cloud woke me 3 hours later.

Just magic.