“On a Mish” #183 A Unique Opportunity (Part One). The Percy Saddle(1075m). Fiordland National Park. 11.11.2017. I have sometimes compared my love for the wild locations I have worked in to someone working in a fast-food kitchen (like I used to). There have been many places that I have worked which have also been my downtime playgrounds. So, imagine someone returning to the kitchen to check out the deep frier on their days off! Having the unique opportunity to have inside knowledge of a location or as in this case, a lift to a remote place to explore…
After moving from Tuatapere to Te Anau to start working for Real Journeys I learnt that as an employee I could get a free ride across the pristine waters of Lake Manapouri and then have many mountains to choose from to climb. I had been with the company three weeks, and it was time to partake in the unique opportunity available and go explore the Percy Saddle area.
Spring snow still clung to the hills and there was a good chill in the air while I waited with the other passengers at Pearl Harbour. I was the only one in the line for the boat with a camping pack and hiking boots on, so I attracted the odd person who was wondering what I was up to. Explaining my intentions is an excellent way to get me pumped up about what I was about to do.
After getting to West Arm Wharf everyone but me headed over Wilmot Pass for their adventure in Patea Doubtful Sound, a place that would become my home if the future. The rumble of the boat and crunch of tires on gravel eased into the sweet sounds of Fiordland National Park. Native birds were chirping, and the sound of rivers and waterfalls became the soundtrack for the remainder of my mish.
A short wander up the Wilmot Pass Road to me to the Percy Saddle Road turn off which I took and with each step I could feel the remoteness settling in. In the 1.2-hectare national park there is a network of over 500kms of hiking track. Some are easier than others, but for the most of it traveling in Fiordland is usually a tough slog with views to match the effort. Having a road to follow is as unique as being able to cross over Lake Manapouri for free and I was making the most of both.
The forecast was for a short blast from the south clearing to clear skies and sunshine. Sitting out a storm in my tent was nothing new to me, so the plan was to get up to onto Percy Saddle as quickly as possible to avoid getting wet. After getting above the first section of forest I could see the skies already painting picture of what was coming. Knowing foul weather is on its way is a good way to getting your feet moving a couple steps faster than usual.
After zigzagging my way up the road, I got to a point where I could see the saddle and get an idea of camping spots. I was only a stone’s throw away from place to pitch my tent when I felt the first spits of rain. Luckily, I am no stranger to constructing a tent with haste, and haste was needed because the spits had become drenching drops…
