“On a Mish” #96 The Other Way Home (Part Three). Emily Pass(1607m). Lake MacKenzie Basin / Routeburn Valley. Fiordland National Park / Mt Aspiring National Park. 17.4.2012. A long time ago a young woman decided to tempt fate and go the ‘Other Way Home’ while hiking the Routeburn Track. With her guide she hiked up to, and then climbed over, a pass that would ultimately bear her name to mark her achievement. I knew once starting work as a guide on the Routeburn Track and learning about this ‘Other Way Home’, that I would eventually have a crack at the pass, and with blue skies above I found myself only a few metres away from my turn at standing on Emily’s mountainous pass…
I got to the top of the small peak between the two passes and my brain and eyes thanked me for showing me what I love. I was so mesmerised by the incredible view that I simply sat on a rock in stunned shock. While enjoying a well-earned snack on the top of the pass I checked my watch, then panic kicked in once I saw the time. The mission had taken a lot longer than expected (mostly due to how beautiful the views were and me not wanting to leave them!), and I needed to get back to Lake MacKenzie Lodge to re-start work.
Just before heading away, I bumped into the lodge managers from Falls Lodge on the Routeburn Valley side of the track. We had talked to each other the day before, and as a way of making sure each other was ok we planned to catch up near the pass. The timing couldn’t have been any better, and as far as spots for a chat go, this was right up there with the best!
After saying goodbye to my Routeburn family members I began what I hoped was a quick journey back down to Lake MacKenzie Lodge. Getting somewhere quickly in Fiordland is always a real mission, and from first-hand experience I wouldn’t recommend rushing down from a rocky Fiordland alpine area. Thanks to a couple of rushed tumbles during the journey I needed a plaster or three when I got back to the lodge!
The mish will go down as one of my favourites, and for those prepared, a hike over Emily Pass(1607m) is a true adventure that will not be forgotten as well as a high-altitude alternative to the normal Routeburn Track. If you have had the opportunity to walk the Routeburn and want more, then I highly recommend adding a hike up and over Emily Pass(1607m) to your ‘Missions To Do list’. And while tackling the pass have a think of Emily Forsyth back in the day taking the ’Other Way Home’ and crossing ‘Her Pass’ for the first time…
