Hike up to French Ridge Hut – 23rd December 2019
French Ridge Hut. Elevation gain: 950m. Distance walked: 18km. Hard? Just a little bit. It is the most fortunate that the days are long in summer in New Zealand with daylight dominating the majority of the 24hrs each day.
The drive in to Raspbery Creek Car park was loaded with gravel roads and fords – in a small, SUV hire car. With each ford came a huge splash of water and maybe the sound of the underside scraping some rocks… Henry, Maria, Matt and I braced our fully loaded car with gear for the 7 or so river crossings.
The picturesque hike begun at 0930hrs for Matt and I where the valley provided a glamorous view of Mt Aspiring National Park. Both our backpacks were 29-30kg each – that is half my body weight and it was a slow lug along the formed track whether it was flat, uphill or downhill (the most painful). Each step was timed and consistent as my body hauled alpine gear, sleeping gear, food, cooking gear and clothing for the next 10 hours and 30 minutes.
Aspiring Hut was reached in about 2-3hours where lunch was quickly eaten before we continued to the steeeeep bit. From the base of Matukituki River, I took 5 hours to reach French Ridge Hut. The steepness is so painfully slow, every hard 45 degree scramble took so much effort and a rest every 10mins or so. My calf muscles were tired half-way up and soon my right thigh was partially cramping by the time I made it to French Ridge Hut.
On the flip side, however, the view of the valley below was spectacular as ever changing clouds come, went accompanied with the sunset. Once the rainforest section was passed, the deceptive grassy hills presented themselves…Each orange marker at the hill-top appeared to be the end of the track but it never was. Grassy hill after grassy hill and finally I see the red coloured dunny! I’m there! I don’t think I have ever been so happy with seeing a toilet but on that long day it was an achievement.
Jenny, Maria, Ash and Henry were already there about 1-2 hours before me. My long awaited dinner never came since 30-45minutes later, Maria says ‘Brendon, you should go look for Matt’. That means – go back down the track…
So, with a PLB and headtorch with me I run back maybe 1km or so to find Matt with Stephen and Jeffery all slowly pushing up the grass hills. I give Matt a hand with rope and other bits of hanging gear off his pack and by darkness all 8 of us are at French Ridge Hut.
As I arrive, I find out Matt does not want to ascend Mt French tomorrow. In my moment of unpacking/trying to be quiet/trying to eat/packing for tomorrow, I get offered to climb with Maria and Henry tomorrow waking at 0330hrs. After one pear for dinner, it’s now pass 2200hrs or so and I launch to bed after taking some random drugs Maria gave me (ibuprofen).