Avalanche Peak at Arthur's Pass

This is probably the first time I had set out to do what I imagined would have been the prime reason for coming to New Zealand in the first place, hiking! A mix of idleness and good weather had conspired to drag me out of my stupor and into the great outdoors. My colleague and good friend Andreas decided to join in too. We (rather I) chose to scale up Avalanche Peak which is located in the picturesque mountainous region of the Southern Alps.

The drive to Arthur's Pass itself was an enjoyable one, it was actually quite dramatic once you hit the alps coming from the Canterbury plains. We found ourselves winding through the valleys and skirting the sides of the steep mountains till we reached the village of Arthurs Pass which itself is 737m above sea level. There isn't much here apart from the train stop and sprinkling of accommodation choice. However they do have plenty of hiking options for all levels of fitness and likes. I obviously opted for the one with the best view which more often than not requires a healthy amount of walking (or in this case, scaling)

The trek is a loop that covers 6km with an elevation of 1100m. As you can imagine, the start of the trek was practically vertical and it kept going like that till the top. You'd have to be a mountain goat or a die hard mountaineer to relish such a hike. For everyone else, its quite a struggle to make it up this unrelenting incline. At some points it was quite unnerving as it basically traverses rocky ridges that are narrow with steep drops on either side. The views were well worth the effort though. We made it to the last 20 meters until we were confronted with the most terrifying bit of the hike. It entailed a 20m stretch of a knife edged rocky ridge 1800 above sea level with sheer drop offs on either side to reach summit of sorts which was wide enough for a dinner table. Andreas had enough by then and I kinda chickened out.... for now. I will be back someday to conquer it as the view on the other side was far more spectacular. I peeked around the corner and could make out the entire expanse of the western side of the divide and the southern reaches of the Alps, a full panoramic view! Someday....

It took us about 5.5 hours to complete the entire trek which offered grand views, unique landscape and vegetation. Not to forget the cheeky Kea's - parrot like bird that love to steal your food and ruin your belongings. I would certainly recommend this hike to everyone who has the stomach for it!

 Sort of at the peak, the kinfe edged ridge is behind the huge boulder

 The Kea

 Going down was pretty tricky and hard on the knees

 The Kea's will follow and observe your every move

 Mount Cook Lilies

 Mossy Forrest

 Exiting the tree line

Can you see the people at the top? Its not even the peak!

 A little universe in itself

As the year ends.....

As the year draws to a close, time almost stands still here in NZ. University is closed, most offices are either closed or on skeletal staff. There is a quiet calm in the city (with the exception of the malls) that almost begs the arrival of winter with its silent snowfalls to complete the picture. Alas, this is NZ and its quite a blazing summer thus far with full sunshine and nary a drop of rain, perfect for the barbies!

I was hoping work through the year end holidays but mother nature had other plans. The series of sizable quakes on the eve of the eve of Christmas once again sent buildings shut and the campus is expected to re-open only on 4th Jan. So I here I am thrown into an unexpected holiday. I have not planned much and am just taking time to unwind and reflect on the year that was in Christchurch.

It probably was not the best of beginnings having arrived 2 weeks before the major quake, but looking back I am thankful for the entire sequence of events that led to my arrival as well as what took place after Feb 22.

I am thankful for my family and friends who supported my move to Christchurch,
thankful for being blessed with such warm and supportive colleagues and friends here,
thankful to have been spared my life and be free of injury,
thankful to have witnessed and be among such resilience in the face of adversity,
thankful to be able to have all I need,

and most of all, thankful to be in a country that has as much beauty in the hearts of its people as it has in its surrounds

Despite the continuous shaking and uncertainty, its a wonderful place to be in.

It constantly reminds you that you are alive and it gives you wonderful opportunities to live your life ;D

NZ2011

So were are on the road touring the south island for about 2.5 weeks. Here are some of the panoramic photos taken which cant be uploaded on facebook for some reason :P