New Zealand is famous for its wild aspect. It attracts many tourists who come to hike in the country, and we are a part. A few years ago, DOC (Department of Conservation) has developed or improved roads existing rank in the top ten best roads in New Zealand they are called the "great walks" (Funky steps). These hikes are indeed spectacular. Given the success, the DOC held a reservation system of shelters that dot to regulate the flow. So we booked for this hike, the Routeburn, for three months (the Kepler also where we will go in a week). It's a bit difficult to design for the French having to book for walking in the mountains but ...
So we are for three days with our bags and shoes back on feet. That morning it rains like 200 days out of 365 in this region where it rains 8000mm per year (8m! Nearly ten times more than in Paris!). It equips a little more than usual left to look like a hunchback and a troll :-)
The rain has caused flooding streams and waterfalls becoming rock'n'roll to cross. Yes, it's hard to keep your feet dry with water up to their knees.
But this water also creates waterfalls or magnify existing fact giving the surrounding landscape from the air magic. This is the case with this 174m high waterfall that made a terrifying noise and creates its own wind up so much water there is.
We spend the first night under canvas. They brought plastic sheeting to protect themselves a little more, what a beautiful facility.
We're pretty happy with us once wrapped in our sleeping bags at dry with a good cast of noodles in the stomach. It remains dry until a terrible wind starts to blow with a rainfall rather than swing. We hear the gusts of wind blowing through the treetops like an avalanche of noise before we melt it. That's when our wings and cover the canvas of the tent sticks cons us to share all the water flowing above. Needless to say we were very wet. The quilts have come to take on water, then the bottom of the tent too, so ... it folds! Despite the late hour or early morning, I do not know how you can say for 2-3hours in the morning they dismantled everything to go under a shelter nearby. There is a son of anywhere to dry it and try a little redormir.
I admit we did not sleep very well. It has taken time to see the sun rise. It then goes into the hut next door to dry our things, or rather trying for the fire is not well virulent.
We are soon joined by other walkers who arrive every wetter than each other and found a little place for their business.
Given the weather does not seem to work out today, we arrange with the caretaker of the "hut" (the name of the shelters here) to sleep rather than walking up to the next. We can spend a night in a dry and leave the next day ... the sun! Forecasts were not very optimistic but it is there.
We also have the opportunity to make a small detour to a summit that allows a view of the surroundings, very spectacular! You can even see the sea at the end of the valley despite the 50 km.
A beautiful hike memorable despite water has played spoilsport, but it is also the memories.
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