30.20: New Zealand: Avalanche Peak, a strenuous and incredible hike, climb and scramble amongst great beauty in a rugged environment.
Jen reaches the halfway mark...on the way up. Into the heart of the southern alps: sometimes intimidating, always thrilling. Should one wish to characterize New Zealand’s real heart, certainly those aspects outside the few ‘big’ cities, one might use descriptive words like hardy, rugged, elusive, explosive, testing, beautiful, mesmerizing, dangerous, unforgiving, erratic, changing, volatile, growing and a whole lot more. Admittedly, many parts of the world could also fit the profile. (Indeed, remove hardy and rugged and one could be describing a woman.) Nevertheless, this seemingly small couple of islands is neither small and certainly not tame. The last half-dozen or so hikes, essentially climbs, and a few earlier experiences, illustrate this succinctly, we think. Specifically, Avalanche Peak above Arthur’s Pass Village encompasses it all. We can’t remember, although it’s certainly possible, enjoying a climb of 3,600 feet in a mere mile-and-a-half through a gorgeous fore...