“On a Mish” #183 A Unique Opportunity (Part Three). Peak 1293m to Lake Manapouri. Fiordland National Park. 12.11.2017. The effort needed to carve the roads needed for the Manapouri Power Station and Tiwai Point aluminium smelter was monumental. Along with the mixture of rock types and rough weather found in Fiordland National Park there is also about a billion sandflies waiting for their next meal! Hats off to the construction crew who got the road through the mountains and then strung and hung the 146km long network of wires and pylons. Nowadays it is only the odd working doing maintenance who will be found in the area, everyone else is using the unique opportunity to get deep into Fiordland in search of an adventure just like me…
I didn’t spend much time on the summit of Peak 1293m because I knew time wasn’t on my side. I dropped down the western side of the peak and found that the ridge had a deep notch missing. It was like the ridge was a cake and someone taken a slice. I was hungry for a piece of the action but was I was going to have to work for this dessert.
A short downclimb got me to the base of the notch and it was here that I encountered a problem that I wasn’t prepared for. My options were to climb the near vertical wall of rock, dirt, and loose foliage. Or sidle across a steep snow-covered slope to a point where I could get back up to the ridge. This was by far the better way to go if I had my crampons with me. When I left home, I had taken my ice axe but foolishly left my crampons behind, and now without them I was stop dead in my tracks. I decided that I didn’t want to become a news article, so I turned back and began my wander back to my tent.
On the way back down, I took many photos of the incredible scenery that surrounded me. The eye catching white of the snowy peaks merged into the many greens of the Fiordland Forest, and far below was the dark blues of the very deep Lake Manapouri. In no way was I downhearted that I didn’t get to my intended target as the sights soon swallowed any disappointed, and I returned to camp with a big smile on my dial.
I packed down camp under the watchful eye of Mr Kea, who thankfully didn’t destroy my tent while I was away. After everything was stashed away and strapped into place, I shouldered my pack and took one last look around at the grandeur of the Fiordland Tops. The snow added to the unrivalled epicness, and I couldn’t wait to get back home a check out the pictures I had taken. But before I could download the pics, I had a few kilometres to cover to get Lake Manapouri and the wharf at West Arm.
In nearly every tramping situation in Fiordland National Park you must keep your eyes on your feet as you negotiate tree roots, mud bogs, and many other tripping hazards. However, the unique opportunity of the Percy Saddle Road (plus the Borland and Wilmot Pass roads) means you can look around and not worry about your footwork when traveling. I was down to the wharf in a flash, and once onboard the boat I could put my feet up and start checking out some snaps of a snowy paradise.
While it is awesome, the fact that you are always near the powerlines does take away a tiny bit of the remoteness. But as you will see with how many trips I have done along the Borland Road or up to Percy Saddle, I make the most of the unique opportunity. If down in Southland and looking for an adventure I suggest you do the exact same thing!
