GLENTANNER, MT COOK, 18th March, 2021

Woke up to cloud to the deck 😩 just as we left doing Mt Cook  until today, after such a beautiful day yesterday. We didn’t have time yesterday after travelling most of the day and having to get to a holiday park in time for the America Cup.  We are also staying 25km from the Mt Cook area. We took off this morning up to Mt Cook area to do some of the walks not knowing if we will see any of the mountains. Our first walk took about an hour up to  Kea  Point Lookout. Looked over  lake Mueller but couldn’t see  the mountain  across the lake due to the low cloud. As we returned down the hill someone said look behind you and as we were walking away from the mountain didn’t notice the the clouds were starting to lift yippee. Maybe we will get a sunny day after all... by the time we reached the bottom of the track it was almost clear. We could now see  the mountain appearing. We can see snow. Our second walk was the big one up to the Hooker glacier at the bottom of Mt Cook.  We didn’t go right up to the Hooker Lake to view the glacier as we were getting pretty tired and we did do the full walk in 2009. So we did know what it looked like. This was twelve years  ago so much younger then. Our third walk was a steep walk with lots of steeps that went up 100m. Called Blue Lakes and Glacier view walk. We were told by the info guy that it was a short easy walk. Yeah right. I nearly didn’t make it but was determined to do it. Every joint was aching by now. Made it. After these three big walks we walked, 14kms all up. Phew 🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵

You wouldn’t believe it we woke up to this low cloud. Above and below. What are our chances of seeing Mt Cook today?

At the top of the track to Kea Point Lookout.

Looking over Lake Mueller.

Similar around a bit.

This is the bottom of the mountain. Cloud covering the rest. So we had no idea how high it was.

We heard a lot of crashing in the valley like thunder and then realised it was avalanches but couldn’t see anything due to the low cloud.

We were coming down the track and turned round to see this massive mountain up there. The clouds are lifting.

By the time we got to the bottom it looked like this. Tis Mt Sefton. 

Now we are at the start of our second walk. The Hooker Valley track. That’s My Sefton that was under cloud on our first walk seeing it at a different angle. You can just see the lake. We are about to cross our first swing bridge. PT won’t like that,

Looking up the river under the swing bridge.

The same mountain. This shows the high ledge above the lake that’s where we walked to in our first walk from the car park side.

This is the second swing bridge. This is a big one and high up over a very fast running river. PT did well.

Looking down off the swing bridge.

First glimpse of Mt Cook along this track.

Closer again.

These are the tracks very well kept. A few steps on this track but not too many.

You see quite a few of these slips bringing down all the loose rocks.

Another part of the tracks.

Coming back over the big swing bridge.

Looking down

Nearly at the end of the track back to the car park.

Looked up at the mountain we first saw. Interesting cloud flowing over the top.

At last back at the car park. Very sore feet.

This is the area where you park for several of the walks and Doc allows freedom camping. Although we didn’t stay here

Another glimpse of Cook as we left.

The Hermitage Hotel. We stayed there twelve years ago.

Now on another road out to climb up to the Blue Lake and Tasman Glacier view track .

This is where we are heading. 

A very very hard hike up to the viewing point to the Blue Lake and Tasman Glacier.

Blue Lake. In 2009 we went for a boat ride on this lake to ride round the icebergs that were floating around in those days. They told us then that they were slowly melting but no sign of them at all now. From the water level to the first white I all glacier. 

This is the step track we climbed up and now on our way down. About 100m in height. It was tuff but I made it just,

Looking down over the valley we drove through to get here.

Looking back at the mountains which we couldn’t see on our way up this morning. On our way back to camp 25km down the road. Both very tired. We will be sore tomorrow.

We came out of the lounge tonight and just caught this sunset over Mt Cook. The light was fading fast so not very clear.

We are off to Lake Tekapo tomorrow for two nights staying at the Lake Tekapo Holiday Camp.