I completed such a challenging, both mentally and physically, hike today -- Mueller Hut.
But first...I had a lazy morning and headed to the visitor center to get information on the weather. The guides reassured me that it may not pour rain, and that I can always turn back at Sealy Tarns instead of continuing all the way to Mueller Hut.
I was excited and full of adrenaline, this was supposed to be an extremely rewarding hike. It was 10:45am when I started from the White Horse Hill carpark. Except it turns out that I didn't pay attention and do enough research, and I went on the Hooker Valley walk instead! I knew that Mueller Hut's track had the same starting point as some tracks, and I just assumed it was Hooker Valley. So there I was, walking along and thoroughly enjoy the views...but noticed that there were so many families on this walk, and there were no stairs or elevation gain. I had walked for about 45 minutes. I remember one sign that had arrows pointing to a viewpoint of Mueller Lake, and I thought that was confirmation it was the correct way. But...I asked someone who then told me they were walking the Hooker Valley track. So back I went. And in my trek back, I passed my roommates who had just checked out for the day. They confirmed Mueller Hut started on the other side of the car park, and reassured me that I would be fine with the time.
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| Beautiful Hooker Valley trail and bridge in background |
I was glad that the 1/4 of Hooker Valley I experienced was flat and had beautiful views all throughout. I considered it a warmup walk...from 10:45am-12:15pm.
When I finally got started at the bottom of Mueller Hut, I triple checked the signs. Need to learn my lesson about researching walks...
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| Try number two! The hike begins... |
The beginning of the hike was brutal. As was the middle and end, actually! The first hour or two was stairs. Nonstop stairs, some really steep. There must've been at least 2000 stairs. I had to take a break every few flights. While it was sunny out, it was nothing like yesterday's hike up Mount Iron. There was a chilly breeze that kept me cool.
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| 1/4 of the way up Mueller Hut...Only a few hours to go... |
I passed a lot of hikers coming down, far more than going up with me. So many people passed me on the way up...I was slow!
After the stairs, I reached a viewpoint before the scrambling begins. The scrambling must have been for 1.5 hours or so. I can't recall..but it was so slow going, as I also had to take many breaks, and think about how to navigate up the rocks. The orange sign posts were a savior. Who knows where I would have ended up if those weren't present. It was nerve wracking looking down the mountain. What if I slipped on a rock and fell all the way down? It was so steep and daunting as looked up what I needed to scale.
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| Viewpoint before the hour-long scramble begins! |
But slow and steady..and finally I reached the ridge line. The views were already incredible as I was climbing up. From here, the path led to the left, and it was extremely windy. No more scrambling, but very rocky still and had to deal with the wind gusts and cold. I'm glad I wore five layers!
Wrapping around the mountain for a good half hour finally led me to the Mueller hut! I was so happy that the destination was close. It took me almost four hours to get up to the hut. Definitely one of the longer and harder hikes I've done.
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| Mueller Hut! |
The hut had some gas stoves, fresh water, and toilets. I got more water and just relaxed as I ate and re-energized. The clouds were starting to blow away from the mountain and more and more sun was coming out, but I knew I couldn't stay too long if I were to get back before it got too late.
I rested for maybe 45 minutes, enjoying the views from both inside and outside. It was incredible to be standing next to the giant cliffs and mountains completely surrounding me. I've never experienced anything like it.
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| Incredible and out-of-this-world experience to be surrounded by the glaciers and mountains. |
Then...the slow trek down. I was worried about the scrambling, but going down actually wasn't too bad. I think I mastered the crab crawl where I'm low to the ground and grab hold of rocks. It was actually the stairs that gave me a hard time. From my past experience with stair climbs, I know it's the down that messes up my knees and calves. So I took it really slow, going down sideways awkwardly. Eventually my legs felt like jello.
Ironically enough, I passed a guy climbing up, who 1) was wearing crocs, and 2) thought it was the Hooker Valley trail. Oops. Poor guy. He must've already climbed up 30 minutes of stairs. I'm glad I got mixed around the way I did instead of his...
Finally made it to the end! 12:20pm start time, 7:40pm end. Inclusive of many breaks. I'm glad I pushed myself and completed the hike! My legs and feet are so sore, but the views were incredible and worth it. Unforgettable.
Tomorrow my legs get a rest as I drive to Christchurch!
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