“On a Mish” #122 Slippery When Wet (Part Two). Gertrude Saddle(1410m). Fiordland National Park. 12.3.2019. The signage along the Gertrude Saddle Track has increased as time has gone on and unfortunately more accidents have happened. Some of these accidents have resulted in loss of life which shows the area is no joke, but some people forgo the warnings and push on in less-than-ideal conditions. I hate to say it but, on this occasion, (unknowingly) we were those people…
The rain in the area was long gone, but the watery aftermath still lingered. Along with some epic waterfalls, there were large pools of water which we had to wade through to get up the valley. It might have been uncomfortable, but the top of the track was going to make it worth it, right?
We carried on through the small beech tree forest which had just been watered and was looking very lush. After getting through the forest section at the start of the trail we got above and away from the water and could really stretch our legs in the spectacular environment.
After a short climb we got to the final warning signs which warned of how slippery when wet the place really is. There is a short part of the track which crosses over rock slabs and when water is running over them, they can be a death-trap. This is where several of the fatalities have occurred, so we took care and at one stage looked for an alternative way to get above the wet slabs. I took on a rather steep scramble which Dylan and Tom didn’t like the look of, so we very carefully crept across the slabs to reach the wire which helps you climb up to Black Lake.
Above Black Lake and the climbing wire the track enters a boulder field, and it was from here that water was no longer an issue. Not long after crossing, clambering and hopping over the massive stones we reached the saddle, and any throughs of wet feet disappeared. To say the view is stunning, spectacular, amazing, awesome etc is an understatement. Even though I had been here many times, the vista still blows my mind!
From our high view point we could see all the way to Piopiotahi Milford Sound, along with the many Darran Mountain monsters that stand so tall above the famous fiord. The reason why the Darran Mountains are my favourite place was on full display and Dylan; Tom and myself were pleased to have got to the top after all we had been through earlier in the day.
What goes up must come down, and as hard as it was to leave the saddle, we could be up there forever. On our way down we were reminded of how quickly water can drain away in Fiordland. Many of the areas that were extra slippery due to wetness were dry, and the scramble down the slabs wasn’t the ordeal that it was when going up. There was still the odd greasy part, but we could easier avoid them unlike in the morning.
Not too far below the slabs we encountered the first humans we had seen all day, and we passed on the message to be extra careful when crossing the wet areas. I’m guessing that due to us not seeing anything in the newspapers about an accident on the track, the people took our advice and survived their own mish up to the spectacular saddle.
Once back down at the car we could finally remove our still soaked boots and take a sigh of relief that we had got through our watery encounter. I highly recommend a wander up the Gertrude Saddle, but I also recommend you don’t do what we did and wait till the track is dry. The many signs warning of a place being slippery when wet are very correct and should be obeyed, or you might just add yourself to the list of people who ventured up the Gertrude Saddle Track never to return…
