Speaker 0:00

Today we're heading to the Root Burns neighbor, an easy and popular four day tramp, along two beautiful valleys. Let's talk about the greenstone cables track.

Peter 0:09

So

Jonty 0:16

Kira and welcome to the Tramping Life, a podcast about hiking in RO New Zealand, or as we call it here, tramping. I'm ch and in this episode I'll talk about a specific track or hut. I'll give an overview and share my experience along with the highlights and some practical advice.

Speaker 0:34

The Greenstone cables track is a 61 kilometer circuit through the Greenstone conservation area near Glenorchy at the head of Lake Wdi. You can walk the track in either direction, but most people head up the Cables Valley over the 698 meter high mackellar Saddle and down the Greenstone Valley. Back to the start At Greenstone Road end, the valleys have distinctive character. The Greenstone is broad and river flat dominated. Whilst the cables feels narrower and more secluded, as the name may suggest, the Greenstone Valley was once a route from Lake Wakati to Northern Fjord for Maori to collect pun with European settlement, the valleys took on a more utilitarian role becoming part of high country Pastorial runs with stock driven through the valleys during the Otago Gold Rush in the 1860s, these roots gained importance as inland access corals. The track is comparable in quality and infrastructure. To the great walks, there are three dock huts along the way, Greenstone hut, mackellar hut, and midcaps hut. Greenstone is 20 bunks, the other two are 24 bunks. I walked the track about a decade ago when I was overworked and feeling exhausted for weeks, struggling to get through each day. So I thought a 61 kilometer walk by myself in winter in the back country seemed the obvious answer. I did it over four days and novelty compared to my usual approach of speeding along skipping every other hut. I walked it in the opposite direction to most people for reasons that are unclear to me now, but probably related to transport timings. day one, was a pleasant 12 kilometer warmup through the mist past some nice waterfalls. The sun came out as I approached Greenstone Hut, a modern build, nicely situated reviews over the Alice Mountains. I had the HU to myself. I'd only seen two groups of people on the track, and I was the first person they'd seen in three days, I went foraging for firewood to replace what I was gonna burn, and then spent an hour failing to convert wet wood into a raging fire. Nearly passing out in the process from being a human bellow. With my breath visible inside the hut, I resigned myself to wearing every item of clothing I had with me. Six layers of Merino, a fleece, my jacket, scarf, hat gloves, two pairs of thick socks, long johns, and two pairs of trousers just as I was settling in for a cold night. In the darkness of flash of light outside caught my eye. A pair of hunters from Tim Roo provided some unexpectedly welcome company to help pass the evening. They also managed to get the fire going though with the aid of Firelighters they brought with them. One of them had a bizarre theory about the recent UK EU referendum results being predicted by a passage in the Old Testament. I woke in the morning in darkness, surprised it was nearly 8:00 AM was only one week after the shortest day, and I was close to the bottom of New Zealand. I spent the day walking 18 kilometers along the Greenstone Valley out in the open for most of it. There was none of the forecast, rain or snow, but little sunshine either. I had a quick look around the locked Steely Creek Lodge, a privately owned guided walk hut. The kitchen area reminded me of a hospital waiting room. Soon after I made my way over a somewhat precarious, feeding wide bridge and had another three hours to go enlivened by a dash of sunshine. I finally made it to McKellar Hut by two 30 for some much needed. Late lunch, I attempted another fire. Even with fire items in this hut, I failed and I was unconvinced that small stove would've provided much warmth anyway, so I laid up all my clothes again and passed away the long evening writing and reading. This was the second time I'd had hu to myself, quite a surreal and at times spooky experience. I was hours walk away from anywhere else with only the sound and nearby river in the background for company before the moon came up. Of darkness is absolute. You literally lose your sense of sight. On a clear night though, you get the most amazing view of the stars. I slept for over 10 hours. Again, waking to unexpected daylight. As I hope this walk was curing rather than adding to the exhaustion that had been hanging over me. I got going and soon past the rather nice late Mackellar before heading up Mackellar Pass. It was rather cloudy at the past, but it was a good place for lunch. I sat under lichen encrusted trees on which three Kia perched With views of distance, snow cap, mountains after lunch, the skies cleared and are headed over the pass from the Greenstone Valley into the Caples Valley. The cables Valley was mostly forest, but it did open up towards the end. As I approached the mid-caps hut home to the best views of the trip and four companions for the night. It ridiculously well traveled. Australian t Tramer called Peter and three kiwi hunters from Invercargill and Gore. Everybody turned into bed at eight 15. So despite being up for less than 12 hours, I did as well, which was easy enough after having walked 22 kilometers that day. There was no line. The next day, as the hunters were up at 6:00 AM chatting to Peter about his many adventures over the years, he made me feel like a slouch until it was finally light enough to walk. Just before 9:00 AM I passed over an impressive canyon near the hut for continuing along the low cloud filled cables Valley home to a few cows and back to Greenstone Road. After a couple of hours, easy walking, as is often the case. I had the best weather on the final afternoon as I got transport back into Queenstown before spending the afternoon enjoying non dehydrated food at various cafes in town. In terms of the highlights of the greenstone cables, the two valleys are quite different and rather lovely places to wander through. The track may not be as spectacular as nearby root burn, but it's still a beautiful part of the world to explore. On foot is one of the easier multi-day tramps, so it makes a good introduction for people interested in tramping, but may not have that much experience and is popular with families. And there are attractive lakes on the Greenstone Lake Howden and Lake Mackellar. And the chasm near Greenstone Hut is pretty cool. Whilst the Cables Valley has some particularly nice forest to finish with some practical advice book The Huts, the Greenstone cables is as busy as the Great walks, so over popular times of the year, you are likely to book well in advance. During winter, there can be avalanche risk, and thick snow can make the track challenging. for much of the track, you're fully exposed to the elements, so check the forecast before going and make appropriate decisions, particularly on what to bring. Finally, the greenstone road end is the usual start point. The final 11 kilometers into the car park from Glenorchy is a backcountry, gravel road with Fords that can become tricky after heavy rain, but is generally fine during the season.

Peter 6:42

So

Speaker 6:44

Thank you so much for listening to the Tramping life. If you've enjoyed today's episode, please follow the podcast in whatever app you use. Tell a friend about it and consider leaving a rating or a review. It really helps more people discover the show. you have any questions or feedback, I'd love to hear from you. Drop me an email at the tramping life, one word@gmail.com.