Te Araroa detour is trip highlight

Just a few clicks up the Milford Sound Highway from Cascade Pass, at the end of the Routeburn tramp, is Homer Hut which is run by an alpine club.

Gertrude saddle looking west

I ended up here after a leisurely two nights and three days on the Routeburn track following my heart rather than a trail.  A short ride up the road and a long conversation with the driver, a young Canadian geologist with whom I learned a lot about the NZ alps from, including Homer Hut.

Evening approaches Gertrude saddle above Homer hut

Homer Hut is at the base if Homer Creek, now a dry rock basin.  Though water melts from many snow patches up high, the valley floor is so rocky and thick that a fair sized river just disappears into it.

Fog lit by moonlight, Gertrude Saddle near Milford Sound

The hut looked just like a DoC hut but is run by an alpine club and has a permenant warden to assist hikers and look after the hut.

Next morning, clouds down below 

When I approached the hut the warden met me up the door with a cigarette in one hand and laundry in the other.  With 30 years of tramping experience he really knew the area.

These mountains are still 500-1000 meters above the fog which is covering most of the  deep valley

He suggested that since the weather was headed down hill that I head up to Gertrude Saddle and camp there.  I did and OMG.

dbBrad Te Araroa freestyle, ascending Mt. Talbot

Highlights of this Te Araroa detour include meeting two climbers up on the mountain with the comic book names of Froto and Conan.

dbBrad, Conan and Froto on Gertrude Saddle

With them I climbed Mt. Talbot, learned a lot about the magnificent climbing and trekking in Fjordlands, and spent a day with some of the locals in Te Anua locals on my way to my Doubtful sound cruise.  We talked about hunting, boats, dogs, lodges, trails, climbs, helicopters and truck tires!

A cairn helps finding your way back down from Mr. Talbot, but what helps even more are two skilled locals named Froto and Conan who lead you safely along the mountain.

Running around on the smooth rock of Mt. Talbot high above  the fog and the Milford sound highway , highlight of my Te Araroa 'freestyle' trip as I near the end.

Froto and Conan can't decide where to look!  There were outstanding views in all directions all day.

dbBrad self portrait along the Te Araroa trail, freestyle route!

Conan, Froto and dbBrad hang out high above  the fog engulfing the Fjordlands

Conan climbs up a steep section of rock on Mt. Talbot

View from my camp site on Gertrude Saddle

Returning to Gertrude saddle (camp) which is about to be engulfed in fog.

Fjordlands, New Zealand Alps, South Island, just above Milford Sound Road by Homer Hut.