It was the large yellow packliners that ended my early interest in the Great Walks. Maybe I was just a super-intolerant 20-year-old, but the relentless rustling of plastic in the bunk rooms on the Kepler Track every night – at all hours – really irked me. So apart from the Kepler and cycling the Paparoa Track, I’m embarrassed to say I have purposely avoided the Great Walks for the past 36 years.
Last winter I decided it was high time I dealt with this irrational grudge, so I returned to the Kepler with my husband David. Still a bit wary of packliners in full bunkrooms, we chose to go in late June. It would be cold but the huts would be quiet.
The Kepler demands respect and care in winter. The alpine section climbs to 1400m and can be covered in deep snow, obscuring the track. Under certain conditions avalanches could be a risk, or the track could be icy and slippery, requiring the use of crampons and ice axes.
We checked the webcams around the area to look at snow coverage and spoke to staff at the Fiordland National Park Visitor Centre in Te Anau. Not much snow had fallen yet, so avalanches wouldn’t be a concern. There was a good covering of snow on the higher peaks, but Luxmore Hut, at around 1000m, was snow-free.
We didn’t need to worry about this on the first day, though, as the track begins at just 200m in tall red-beech forest along the shores of Lake Te Anau. And what a track it was. Most of our walking in the hills is off-track, but here the windfalls had been cleared, small creeks bridged and the boggy bits were filled with gravel. It was delightfully easy walking. Uphill was also easier on a track of this standard, and we ascended the 800 vertical metres to the bushline faster than expected.
So far so good, I thought. I could get used to this.
I didn’t know what to expect at Luxmore Hut. I couldn’t remember it from 36 years ago, but had heard it described as cavernous and soulless. It was far from that. The low winter sun shone into the large dining area, and while it wasn’t warm inside, it was welcoming. So too was the volunteer hut warden who showed up soon after our arrival. Chatty and friendly, she checked our hut passes, explained that firewood is rationed to one banana box a day (wood is flown in so needs to be used sparingly) and said she would light the fire at 4.30pm.
A volunteer warden is always present at Luxmore Hut during the off season to advise walkers of weather and track conditions, shovel snow when necessary, look after the hut and generally keep an eye on things. It’s a highly sought-after job, and our warden returned every year for her allocated week. With a helicopter flight in and cosy warden’s quarters, I could understand the appeal.
The hut has expansive views of Lake Te Anau and across the South Fiord to the Murchison Mountains. Surely its location must be one of the best in the country? I began to wonder what other views I might be missing out on by ignoring the Great Walks.
There were only six of us in the hut that night, and we were free to choose any of the 54 beds. I couldn’t imagine what the large bunkroom would be like if every bed were full. Most Great Walk huts are fully booked during the high season, and hundreds of people cope perfectly well. Perhaps it’s not so bad after all. Was I just being precious?
In a large hut it makes sense to separate sleeping and eating quarters, but that created a dilemma for me. In the small backcountry huts that I am used to, I’m pretty much attached to my sleeping bag in winter. I read and eat in it, and only leave it when bladder pressure exceeds pit suction and I’m forced into the cold to pee. There was only one thing to do: I carried my bag to the dining room, chose a window seat with a mattress on it and curled up to while away the afternoon. It was a stunning location in which to drink tea and read.
The following morning, misty cloud hung around the tops and a thick inversion layer blanketed the lake below. It was well after 11 before we set out to follow the track through tussock and rock to where it sidles below the main ridgeline of Mt Luxmore. As we climbed higher there was a good coverage of snow, although the track itself was mostly clear. We didn’t need ice axes or crampons but were glad to have the added stability of walking poles.
The cloud around the tops continued to lift, revealing the distant rugged peaks for which Fiordland is so well known. Layers of ridges spread out before us, and we marvelled at the view and were grateful for the warm sun.
We were reluctant to leave the alpine tops to make the descent to Iris Burn Hut, 800 vertical metres below. On the tops the sun reflected brightly off the thick inversion layer hanging in the valley. It would be freezing below that cloud. We decided to stay up high for sunset, drawing every scrap of warmth from the sun while it lasted, and to descend in the dark. We wrapped up warmly, made a late afternoon coffee and downed a packet of chocolate biscuits. With the setting sun throwing gorgeous light on the golden tussock and casting shadows across the valleys it was, simply, one of the most blissful brews we have had in the mountains.
We lingered until the sun left and the air turned arctic. Ice had formed on the many steps that cut through the steep drop from the ridgeline into the bush. By torchlight we navigated the descent through the forest, thankful for the high standard of track.
The smell of smoke drifted up to meet us as we approached the hut, raising hopes of a warm welcome. It was not to be. Three trampers had a meagre fire going with the log burner door open to extract as much heat as possible from the smouldering wet wood. The dining area felt cavernous in the cold and the dark.
We cooked dinner quickly and ate outside on the deck, rugged up in our sleeping bags, enjoying the stillness and the stars. The fog had cleared, frost was already forming on the grass, and our breath shone white in the moonlight. Then, to our delight, a kiwi called in the bush close to the hut, a shrill, distinctive whistle that can’t be mistaken for anything else. We beckoned the others outside, hoping it would call again. It didn’t, but the experience of waiting together, listening intently, was enjoyable despite the bone-chilling cold.
The following morning we were optimistic about the weather, and shortly after leaving the hut passed through a clearing with dramatic mountain views. Alas, soon after that the fog rolled in, blocking any further vistas and trapping the frosty cold of the valley floor. We walked quickly to keep warm through bush with pretty creeks and carpets of crown fern.
The track took us down the Iris Burn to Lake Manapōuri and on to 40-bunk Moturau Hut, which sits on a small grass terrace overlooking the lake’s calm, dark waters. However, the fog was so thick on the lake that there was no sun and little light. Lake Manapōuri’s fine reflections, bush-clad islands and the snow-covered peaks beyond were completely obscured. I’d love to come back in summer.
Cloud accompanied us again on our final day, and to keep warm we walked far too fast over the 16km of hard-packed track. We had covered 16km the day before, and what had seemed delightful on day one now felt arduous. Unaccustomed to long walks on easy tracks where each step is the same and the body moves uniformly, we were foot-sore and our legs ached. Others often admire us for our off-track tramping, but well-graded tracks can be far harder on the body. Throw in not wanting to stop because of the sub-zero temperatures, and we were humbled by how difficult we found it.
By walking the Kepler in winter we achieved the solitude we desired – but at a cost. Our day above the cloud was a highlight. The afternoon sun shining on the snow and tussock created a marvellous atmosphere that will remain a favourite tramping memory. Warm sun can make all the difference to the enjoyment of a winter tramp. In contrast, the cold on the last two days was brutal.
Once home I contacted my niece, who has done several Great Walks in summer, and asked her what it’s like to be in close quarters with so many people. While she admitted sleeping is often interrupted, it’s all part of doing a Great Walk. She said that a lot of joy comes from sharing experiences with like-minded people.
I thought about listening for kiwi in the icy dark at Iris Burn Hut with people whose names we didn’t know. I understood what she meant. Bonding experiences between strangers can happen so readily in the mountains.
Maybe the next step in my Great Walks journey will be to seek less solitude and try one in summer. After all, packliners have changed significantly over the years, and some are made of material that barely makes a sound.
1. Take lots of gas for unlimited brews. Gingernuts for dunking are a must.
2. Take high-energy comfort food and snacks that can be stuffed into pockets and eaten on the go if it’s too cold to stop.
3. Carry a drink bottle that can be filled with hot water to act as a hottie at night.
4. A small piece of closed-cell foam mat to sit on will keep your butt warm and dry. A full-sized sleeping mat placed on the hut mattress at night adds significant warmth.
5. A winter-rated sleeping bag is a must.
6. Take hut shoes. An insulative layer between your socks and the hut floor will keep feet warm.
7. Firelighters and newspaper will help ignite damp wood.
8. It’s easier to stay warm than to warm up, so always put on extra layers when you stop.
9. Take two or three sets of gloves and two warm hats. It will be impossible to dry gear, so carry a back-up.
Hut facilities and fees in winter
Facilities on the Kepler Track are reduced during winter; there are no flush toilets, cooking facilities or running water in the huts. You must carry a cooker. Water is available from outside water tanks or, if this is frozen, from a nearby water source or by melting snow. Bookings are required for Luxmore Hut, and a warden is present. Backcountry hut tickets or a backcountry hut pass can be used. All huts: adults $25, children $12.50, infants free
Safety
Contact Fiordland National Park Visitor Centre in Te Anau (03 249 7924 or fiordlandvc@doc.govt.nz) to check track conditions. Appropriate safety gear, such as avalanche safety equipment, ice axes or crampons may be required. Only go if you have the fitness, experience and competence to tramp in alpine winter conditions. The hut warden at Luxmore will be able to provide up-to-date track conditions, so heed their advice before proceeding.
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