“On a Mish” #345 Stress Free in the ‘Place To Be’ – Part Two. Poulter Valley. Arthurs Pass National Park. 22.8.2022. Even the word stress can create stress, and being stressed out is no fun for anyone. People have different ways of dealing with stress, and for me there is no better way than heading into the mountains. Of course my injury has created a lot of stress and made this easier said than done. But, overtime the draw of the wild has forced me to adapt my adventures around my limited abilities. My two pack system has done the job recently and this was the way I was going to attack the pristine Poulter Valley…
With each bump on the gravel road I got closer to my target, however I did have too stop to take in the view of the Waimakariri Valley and its stunning mountains which surround the valley like a massive backyard fence. Eventually I got to the perimeter fence of the station, and then began to test the 4wd abilities of the mighty Honda Cr-v as I followed the rough farm track down towards the valley floor and the Poulter River. The farm track deteriorated the further I travelled and because I was by myself I really didn’t want to get stuck. About 20 metres above the river the track became too gnarly so it was time to park up and get my legs moving.
My plan from here was to wander up the valley (not too far) and find a good camping spot with views. The Poulter Valley is incredible from top to bottom so finding a spot was easy, the only issue was the fact that after walking for about a kilometre the track came to an abrupt end. The record breaking rain during July had rearranged parts of the valley and this meant the track ended at a cliff. No one likes back tracking, especially when hiking with a pack is far from enjoyable, so I just had to keep telling myself “imagine the view” and after backtracking for a couple hundred metres I found a way down to the river which I followed until I found the perfect spot on flat, grassy area about 1.5 kms up the valley. The weather forecast I had read back in Christchurch mentioned low cloud, but as I began to head back for my second pack I was striding (with a limp) in the sunshine and beginning to feel stress free in the Place to Be… (PART THREE 3/3)
