Day 11/64 🥾Te Araroa Trail - The South Island 🇳🇿
📍Supported by ZOLEO @zoleolifeeurope #ChallengeWithZoleo
Richmond Alpine Track
ℹ️Stats: Thursday 11th January
Weather: Hot & sunny ☀️
From: Hacket Hut
Start time: 8am
To: Slaty Hut (1400m)
End time: 2.50pm
Accommodation: 6 bed hut - bottom bunk
Terrain: multiple river crossing, steep climbing through forest, across a saddle, scree
🥾Km: 10
🦶Steps: 12,878
Total Km: 1883/3028 = 62% ✅
💰Costs: $0
Subjective feeling out of 10 on:
Enjoyment: 10/10
Fatigue: 4/10
Ease of terrain: 8/10
⭐️Highlights: an incredible day. Once we got through the forest and up to Starveall Hut. The views were amazing.
🏔️Challenges: a big day of climbing - but it was totally worth it. Lactic acid in the legs was a little painful towards the end.
💭Thoughts: I can’t wait for the next few days!!! I’m so excited!! 🥳🥳🥳
Day 12/64 🥾Te Araroa Trail - The South Island 🇳🇿
📍Supported by ZOLEO @zoleolifeeurope #ChallengeWithZoleo
Richmond Alpine Track
ℹ️Stats: Friday 12th January
Weather: hot & sunny ☀️
Walked with Bertie @fundraise4fiji
From: Slaty Hut
Start time: 7.11am
To: Rintoul Hut
End time: 3.30pm
Accommodation: hut 6 people - bottom bunk
Terrain: steep, rocky and exposed. some scrambling and is “the most difficult portion of the Richmond Alpine Track”
🥾Km: 14
🦶Steps: 17,962
Total Km: 1896.5/3028 63% ✅
💰Costs: $0 🥳🥳🥳
Subjective feeling out of 10 on:
Enjoyment: 10/10
Fatigue: 5/10
Ease of terrain: 10/10
⭐️Highlights: omg!! So many - it’s been a phenomenal day. 360 degree views, tough walks. Summits 🏔️ Mt Rintoul 1731m ✅
🏔️Challenges: lost my go pro - at the start of the day - lucky found it after walking back to the hut. The steep ascents and descents, the scree fields, the exposures. It had it all!!
💭Thoughts: what an incredible walk!! It’s been amazing, the people, the weather, the terrain. Everything has been epic!! Loving the South Island 🏝️
Day 13/64 🥾Te Araroa Trail - The South Island 🇳🇿
📍Supported by ZOLEO @zoleolifeeurope #ChallengeWithZoleo
Richmond Alpine Track
ℹ️Stats: Saturday 13th January - walked with Bertie @fundraise4fiji
Weather: hot & sunny ☀️
From: Rintoul Hut
Start time: 8.10am
To: Mid Wairoa Hut
End time: 2.15pm
Accommodation: bottom bunk - new hut.
Terrain: rocks, through forests, over Purple Top. Steep descent to the river, across a swing bridge.
🥾Km: 12.5
🦶Steps: 16,700
Total Km: 1911.5/3028 = 63% ✅
💰Costs: $0 🥳🥳🥳
Subjective feeling out of 10 on:
Enjoyment: 8/10
Fatigue: 6/10 - felt super tired in the morning. People were leaving the hut at 4.10am and making a lot of noise! It was hard to get back to sleep.
Ease of terrain: 8/10
⭐️Highlights: having a swim in the river by the hut. It was cold but so refreshing! Having a shortish day!
🏔️Challenges: some of the steep downhill sections were tough going. Lots of wasps, bees 🐝 and sandflies - trying to get them out the hut!
💭Thoughts: 2 more days to go! Food is running low!
Day 14/64 🥾Te Araroa Trail - The South Island 🇳🇿
📍Supported by ZOLEO @zoleolifeeurope #ChallengeWithZoleo
Richmond Alpine Track
ℹ️Stats: Sunday 14th January - walked with Bertie @fundraise4fiji
Weather: cooler & light rain 🌧️
From: Mid Wairoa Hut
Start time: 8.10am
To: Hunters Hut
End time: 4.30pm
Accommodation: bottom bunk
Terrain: steep terrain, 8 river crossings, erosion is places. Rooty sections - high exposed ridge.
🥾Km: 12.3
🦶Steps: 15,745
Total Km: 1929/3028 = 64% ✅
💰Costs: $0 - whoop whoop!! Although worried about how much I’m going to spend when I get to town….
Subjective feeling out of 10 on:
Enjoyment: 8/10 🥳🥳🥳
Fatigue: 8/10 so tired today - really feeling it!
Ease of terrain: 9/10 - so much climbing.
⭐️Highlights: seeing Bram (from canoeing 🛶) at the hut! Having a hot chocolate in my empty Nutella jar.
🏔️Challenges: my food is getting very low! I’m almost out. Only stopped for 15 mins at Tarn hut. It started to get a little windy on the ridges.
💭Thoughts: what a day! The plan is to get to town tomorrow - which is going to be a real push!!
Day 15/64 🥾Te Araroa Trail - The South Island 🇳🇿
📍Supported by ZOLEO @zoleolifeeurope #ChallengeWithZoleo
Richmond Alpine Track
ℹ️Stats: Monday 15th January
Weather: hot & sunny ☀️
From: Hunters Hut
Start time: 7.25am
To: St Arnaud Village - Alpine Lodge
End time: 4pm
Accommodation: top bunk - 4 girl dorm
Terrain: hard going, muddy, rooty, Rocky - your normal NZ terrain
🥾Km: 21.3
🦶Steps: 26,194
🚗Hitch - SH6 🙏 Nathan - such a legend for picking me up. It was such a quiet road. 8/12km
Total Km: 1968/3028 = 65%✅
💰Costs: $65 accommodation- dorm room
$28 resupply - wine, chocolate, crisps
$21 coke & gf Hawaiian pizza
$18 gin & tonic
$52 - Dinner & wine 🍷
Total $184 😯
Subjective feeling out of 10 on:
Enjoyment: 8/10
Fatigue: 7/10 - got a second wind after arriving at the lodge
Ease of terrain: 9/10
⭐️Highlights: seeing Destroyer at the last hut and having a catch up. Getting a hitch into town 🥳, eating pizza with David (amazing ultra runner from the UK) getting to the shop before it closed. Drinking a G&T in the sun and catching up on socials. Life is good. Plus a rest day tomorrow
🏔️Challenges: got sunburn on my back while waiting for a hitch. Such a long day!
💭Thoughts: sometimes when you look at obstacles and challenges in the distance, for example, a massive mountain to climb or a river to cross.
🧠You start overthinking things in your head. What I’ve found is when you actually get up to the obstacle and break it down and take it step-by-step it’s a lot easier to manage and before you know it you’ve climbed that mountain or crossed the river 🏞️