We don't quote others with regard to the hikes we undertake. However, to gain an objective view, we included some comments which are listed in the paragraph below:
(Quote from Hikers' travel magazines.)
The hike up Mount Fox is one tough cookie: at points you literally will be gripping the trail in front of you. On a clear day, the panorama from the summit of Mount Fox is one of the most dramatic in New Zealand, including Fox Glacier, Mt. Cook, and Mt. Tasman. By completing this hike you will have earned what those on scenic flights pay big bucks to see. The cliché in the early guide books that this track is “not for the faint hearted” is no exaggeration. The trail climbs relentlessly through a lush rain forest. The route is poorly maintained, so it is important to be vigilant. There are parts of this hike where you are climbing vertically on tree roots and wet rocks. This hike is known as one of the toughest and best day hikes on the South Island.
The editor at the conclusion.
Catching the editor unaware after the half-way down mark...I felt quite helpless.
We don’t believe we’ve had tougher days; we also have the feeling of accomplishment to go with the sore muscles, bones and scratches. We began the hike scaling the mountain with an awkward trail, sort of trail, in bleak weather. The term is 'unformed' in this country. When we commenced, the region was completely covered in cloud. Up we went and for much of the time it was or felt vertical. It was a scramble over tree roots as we pulled ourselves higher and pushed with straining thigh muscles. To characterize the experience, we thought of this: Imagine you know a person who irritates you immensely. Furthermore, this person is always nagging you to take him with you on a hike because he wants to impress you. Mount Fox is the hike to undertake.
The hike had an incredible crescendo when we finally passed through the thick clouds and glimpsed sunshine. We pushed on and still did not break the tree line. The photographs have a special meaning for us. Whereas both you and we have seen similar scenes, it makes a big difference when one struggles to break through the clouds on a climb such as this one; the reward is so much more meaningful, the photographs have a different perception which is clearly in the eyes of the witness on the day. On and on we went until we saw the surrounding peaks with clouds abutting them. We had arrived at the trig point. Our aim was to reach this point and so we did not continue much further. Whether we should have is another issue. See later for more details of this amazing day and better night in bed allowing the muscles and bones some respite. (continued at end.)
The editor finds energy to take out her camera.
Facing one hurdle after another.
Pushing on and making some progress...trying to 'smell the roses'.
Feel the progress as we break through.
Reaching the Trig point...relief but thinking of the return journey.
Now the reward above the clouds. (Clouds always for Maude.)
Cloud cover. Had it been a nice day at ground level, we would never have seen glorious sights from above.
Viewing part of the southern alps but not caring, just enjoying.
A view on the other side.
Clouds, clouds...
Grey clouds underneath, white clouds from above. The sights were breathtaking, especially because one struggles
up through the clouds and over rough terrain to achieve the resulting views.
New Zealand is humming. It’s very busy, hence accommodation is at a premium. Good for the hospitality industry but it does create inconveniences for us. We don’t like to book accommodation too far in advance but one has to be realistic—therefore, in certain regions we go contrary to our desires. We identified Mount Fox as a hike we wished to undertake. I think the editor is sorry we found it, the mountain and maybe the accommodation, too. There was no affordable availability in the area so we settled for staying up the road from Fox Glacier in Franz Josef. The only accommodation available was in a backpackers outfit. We managed to reserve a room with two beds, lights, two windows and electricity. Showers, toilets and basins as well as kitchen and dining area would be communal. It’s a little different from the norm especially for the older sect. Nevertheless, although it was occupied by youngsters mostly, there were a few elders including a couple of hunters with whom we enjoyed conversation. From the window of the communal room, Jenni was able to peer into the back of their truck and see a couple of skinned animals. I preferred a toilet view. Whether Mike was impressed with two vegetarians is another issue.
Truth be told, we enjoyed the stay immensely, contrary to expectations. The atmosphere in the communal areas was terrific. Although I had to ask some youngsters to turn off their boom-box one night, things went well. Showers worked well and we hope we managed to outrun athlete’s foot or should that be ‘feet’. Even when we stay in better class lodging, we only have one shower. Here we had two so we could shower together in time, not place. Place would have been difficult because of the size of the cubicles; or, on the other hand, the size of us.
As we write this, we notice a universal phenomenon. Nearly everyone around us is on their phones. Those not, are cooking dinner, others are peeping into what their neighbors are eating while some eat from their pots, pans and sundry utensils. Chateau Franz Josef is famous for offering free soup in the evenings and sandwiches, waffles and cereal for breakfast. Comes 6pm, the place fills and it develops a buzz. We often try to remember what we were doing when we were the ages of most of these youngsters, varying from 18 to 28. Actually, all I bemoan is that I did not hike mountains when I was forty years younger. I have to believe I would have been more agile, stronger, and perhaps, more intelligent. Suffice to say, when one focuses on what matters in life, the comforts are less important, sometimes even hampering an experience. We will continue to intersperse our stays with opportunities like the visit to Franz Josef. In fact, we have reserved an 'upmarket' backpackers for a fairly remote region, coming up soon.
Back to the hike or more realistically, the adventure of the day. What a day. We climbed 3,500 feet over tree roots, rocks and mud. Bear in mind that the accumulation of say 600-800 feet per mile is a reasonable hike. We acquired elevation at a rate of 2,000 feet per mile. However, the real issue was returning to ground level. Moving down is far more difficult and dangerous than climbing. My heart went out to the editor as she whined her way down. By the time she passed the halfway mark (downwards), she was a tired, sore and a downhearted woman. As our recently departed special friend, Harold Shapiro, used to say, “A winner never quits and a quitter never wins.” I mentioned this piece of wisdom out loud and the editor completed the hike with aplomb. To say I was proud of her would be an understatement. Courage arises only when one knows fear; strength surfaces when one deals with weakness.
So would we do it again. Probably not...unless offered an incentive.
Cheers,
Jenni and Jeffrey
The previous day, a view of Franz Josef glacier close to sunset.
We had displayed a number of cartoons from the walls of the backpackers on this blog which we've since removed as being inappropriate relative to the sadness many of us are undergoing, after Nate Levy's passing. We will display them at a later stage.
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