Gillespies Pass - AKA the Young-Wilkin River Circuit
Amy and I had planned to do this tramp over the Easter weekend continuing a long-standing tradition of mine of spending stat days in the bush...unfortunately with the weather against us I was forced to go kayaking, what a shame!
After a couple of days on the river (Okuku and Kakapotahi) we headed south to begin our adventure.
This tramp is easily one of the best I have done in NZ; great tracks, superb scenery and a great sense of isolation! Check out these pics and let me know what you think...
46km by track, 20km by river, 2000 vert m of climbing, 4 days, three river crossings (only one serious - Makarora), 2 huts and one hell of an adventure!
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| Packing the night prior - all the essentials! |
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| The circuit |
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| The jet boat ride up the Wilkin River |
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| Our commercial taxi - V8 power! |
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| Only a few hours into day one and we had already climbed a lot, this shot taken above Siberia Valley |
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| We made it to the Siberia airstrip, a neat plateau where glamorous trampers can fly in to |
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| Looking up the Siberia Valley |
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| Misty mornings |
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| And the boots are wet, far too early and far too cold! |
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| Paradis shelduck |
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| Not very people friendly |
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| Departing Siberia Valley, about to start the 600m climb into Crucible Valley |
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| Lake Crucible, 1200m ASL |
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| Skinny dipping, it'd be rude not to! |
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| Endangered rock wren - a very rare bird |
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| Looking back down the valley. To add some perspective, one of the rocks at the foot of this image is about 2m high! |
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| Beaut native NZ bush |
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| The view from Siberia hut |
Day Three
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| About to leave the Siberia Valley, this time to climb to 1600m ASL, Gillespies Pass |
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| Climbing climbing and more climbing |
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| The bush thinned out and turned to this sparse tussock land |
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| With this neat ridge line in sight, we were nearing the summit |
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| Summit selfies, too cold to hang around for long! |
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| Dropping down the other side into the Young Valley |
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| And by the time we reached the bottom, we felt anything but Young. |
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| Stitch bird? Female possibly. |
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| Young Hut |
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| Success at the end of day four, we made it! |
Looking across Lake Hawea on a misty afternoon
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| Post travel rainbow |
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| The Haast River at an almighty flow |
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| Terrifying whitewater |
