A rest day, which meant I went back up to the saddle then branched off on the High Route around Anatoki Peak until I could get a good view of where the route went.
I stopped just before the cairns plunged off down the slope. There wouldn’t be much more to see because where I stopped had a magnificent view of a whole assortment of steepness: shear faces of mountains; big bluffs; smaller bluffs; snow grass slopes.
Way down below, hidden by ridge was the part of the in Anatoki River I had followed, but yesterday’s efforts were mostly in view, that long slog up through the forest and up onto the ridge. Way down the Anatoki there was the coast and the headland at Tata Beach, maybe the headland at Wainui behind.
Let me tell you I had plenty to see up there. But mostly the smashed up landscape between me and The Needle, that’s just in behind Adelaide Tarn. Lots of alpine flowers doing their thing and down lower, in a meadow of soft pointed bulbinella with upright yellow flowers more than a few bumblebees were fully occupied.
Hardly a cloud, only the odd gust of wind, and I’m up at 1500 m sweating in the sunlight.
It’s a totally dynamic place in the world, but with so much effort to get up here I’m not sure I would really want to do it all again. I’m making the most of it while I can.