Arthur's Pass National Park

On Friday afternoon, I met up with my Williams College Geosciences friend Dan Walsh, who is currently spending the semester at University of Canterbury, and his roommate Chris, who is from Germany and is studying Business/Industrial Engineering. Once they arrived in Lincoln - only a short bus ride from UC - we piled into my car and headed out towards Arthur's Pass. Arthur's Pass is a winding roadway that cuts through the Southern Alps and reaches the west coast. It is the only route to the west coast for about a thousand kilometers in either direction (north or south). So, it has some historical significance. The three of us, however, were heading to Arthur's Pass to go hiking in the national park which bears its name. On Friday, we drove into the little village of Arthur's Pass around 7:00pm and everything was already closed, so we went to find a spot to spend the night. About 10km back, there was a nice bare-bones camping area (no water, no electricity, no numbered sites, etc.), and that's where we decided to spend the night. We set up a tent in case of rain, but our plan was to sleep under the stars. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, so we slept in our sleeping bags out in the field. The stars were incredible. It did get down to about 40 degrees, but we came prepared so we were fine. Check out the pictures of Friday night here:

Driving to Arthur's Pass

I awoke just before sunrise the next morning, ready for the day. We went to the park visitor center and asked about some good day hikes; we decided to take the Avalanche Peak track, a strenuous 6-8 hour return hike that would bring you to the summit of Avalanche Peak, the second-highest peak in the area. It was an incredible hike: challenging climb, great weather, great visibility, and wonderful views. See these awesome pictures here:

Avalanche Peak track in Arthur's Pass Nat'l Park

That night, we stayed at a really inexpensive, but homey hostel. We made grilled cheese for dinner, and played Pictionary with a French-speaking family on holiday, who were also staying in the hostel. The next day, we drove back towards Christchurch, but stopped in the Castle Hill Basin first to hike around for a few hours and eat lunch. Castle Hill is awesome because huge limestone boulders and outcrops dot the surface of this basin, which is surrounded by scenic ranges. We ate lunch on the slopes of a large hill, and then we played a game of cribbage when we got to the top. Pictures:

Castle Hill Basin

We got back to Lincoln U around 4:30 today - what a weekend. I don't know what I will be up to this weekend, but I plan on traveling and hiking again. Hope all is well with you back home!

Much Love,
-James