21.13 Queenstown, New Zealand: Ben Lomond Mountain, one of the finest hiking experiences.
We left Hawaii on a nine hour flight and arrived in New Zealand over a day later. We have quite a story to tell but one not related to time. Jenni stands on peak of Ben Lomond Mountain. The challenge of reaching Ben Lomond Mountain summit together with the views and beauty of the whole area are hard to match. Certainly as regards the effort to reach the peak, 'Charity', one of the Three Sisters Volcanoes in Oregon, is a close match. We were tired following the hike as we commenced from the 'real bottom'. Most people, we are told and witnessed on the day, ride the gondola up to the starting point, some 1,200 feet, which takes an hour by foot. The elevation gain, depending on who one believes, is anywhere between 4,500 and 4,800 feet to the peak. Should you trust the judgment of our muscles then it felt more like 5,000 feet. Nevertheless, it is one of our favorite experiences. Unfortunately, it does not seem to get easier. Mount Aspiring in the dis...