“On a Mish” #185 Paradise from Above (Part Two). Ari / Mt Alfred(1375m). Glenorchy / Routeburn Road. 12.12.2009. Back in the day there used to be a public hiking track up the western side of Ari / Mt Alfred. For a couple of years, I would look at this track each time I finished a Routeburn Trip and wonder what a stroll up it would be like. I finally got my act together and hatched a plan to visit the peak on my day off, and it is safe to say that the view of Paradise from above had me wondering why it had taken so long to get here!
As pretty as the beech trees at the base of Ari / Mt Alfred was, the continual zigzags up through the dark forest did start to look a little repetitive until I got above the treeline. Like so many wander’s throughout Nz, the trees obstruct most of the views until you climb above them. As soon as I was out of the forest the views started to build in breath-taking brilliance, and finding the motivation to carry on to the summit was easy.
Finding a small break in the bluffs just below the top is the only way to the summit. This is where the track merges with many animal trails, and the exact way up becomes a little bit confusing. After some searching I worked out a way through, and then a short scramble was the last challenge before I was on top of Mt Alfred.
It was as if time had sweetened the sights. The panoramic views were amazing, and it was hard to work out the best way to look. Far below were the many braids of Te Awa Whakatipu / Dart River, with the Humboldt Range towering above it. On the other side I was peering down at Paradise from above, and beyond that was the mighty mass of Pikirakatahi / Mt Earnslaw, which had its head hidden in the clouds.
So far, the weather was holding but for how long? I headed northwest along the summit ridge to the trig tower on the true summit and looked down to the Sylvan Campsite where I had camped, and I could see that the mountains around the Route Burn were beginning to be thrashed with rain. As the first spits of rain began ‘Been there, done that’ was about all I could think before beginning my retreat off the mountain and out of the rain.
By the time I got to the treeline the drizzle had become rain, and looking up at the top of Mt Alfred(1375m) I realized I had got the final view from the top before the storm swallowed the mountain and all the views. Luckily, I had had my fair share of epicness, so I wasn’t disappointed at all that the weather had changed.
Nowadays you need to tackle Ari / Mt Alfred with local guides as the access through the private land that surrounds it has been cut off to the public and the track up is no longer useable. If you can afford a guide and have time, then I highly recommend you have a go at climbing this small but very impressive peak at the top of Lake Wakatipu. The view of Paradise from above and everywhere else from its summit is absolutely outstanding!
