Back in time with my original itinerary, with an easy day marching down to the popular Greigs Hut.
Yeah, you can drive there if you like a little motorised adventure.
The problem of returning to my car started to loom large. Either I will continue over the Raglan Range via Bull Paddock Creek Hut, and have to deal with crossing the Wairau River.
Or, on the other hand, bail down the valley to the highway. That would mean quite a few easy kilometres to the Leatham Road, then more to the highway. I’d have to hitch the 20 or more kilometres along the highway due to the busyness of holiday traffic, but from the Rainbow Road turnoff, I’d have a repeat dose of the morning’s effort with my feet heading up to where I parked the car at the side of the track 12 days ago.
Either would be an exercise, except one would take two more nights, at mid-Silverstream and Bull Paddock Creek Hut, and needs to cross a major river, and the other, a very long walk, doubled at the end of the day, and a reliance on hitching in the middle of a pandemic.
See what my body has to say later on.
I left after 10 am and slowly moved down the valley.
After the first swingbridge, not too far down, it was clear that an old four-wheel-drive track had been smashed out up the valley at one stage, all the way to Siberia Hut, and while it was overgrown in places and washed out, was going to be with me until Greigs Hut.
Too easy.
A few minor windfalls, and some ups and downs around big bluffs, but it wasn’t gonna be too long before I cracked it out. Not much point hanging around as it was all through conifer forest.
Five minutes after getting to the hut, with just enough time to roll out my sleeping bag, a couple of blokes arrived in four-wheel-drive. Then three vehicles came down the hill, not stopping.
A couple of guys from Nelson allowed some conversation, much about wheeled transportation.
Then rain started falling. A heavy downpour for a while. Drizzle was of no consequence, but heavy rain would be a major problem for them if it continued due to them needing to cross the Leatham River right by the road. Right after dinner, with rain continuing to fall, they decided they couldn’t risk a major river rise and headed for home.
My easy way out tomorrow morning went with them.
Easy come, easy go. Even if it was in my imagination.
The place is quiet, now it’s all for myself.
I think I’ll slide into bed for an easy night.
Big day tomorrow. Hope the rain stops.
A guide to the night’s accommodation: Greigs Hut
