International Walking | Jims Walking Journey

A walk along the Hooker Valley Track

After completing two of the ten ‘Great Walks’ in New Zealand we’re working our way slowly up through South Island, taking in some of the sights and doing some day walks. The Hooker Valley track is on the list as it is one of the best day walks in New Zealand and has great, close up views of Mount Cook, the highest mountain in New Zealand. We have decided to spend the night in Twizel as it’s near to the start of the track. It’s a quirky name for a quirky little town that has a slightly strange feel about it. Wikipedia tells me it has only been around since 1968 and was built to house workers on a hydroelectric scheme so this might explain its rather functional, frontier like atmosphere.

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A Walk up Puig de Santuiri

Of all the walks around Pollenca, the walk up Puig de Santuiri is perhaps not the most exciting one to complete, or the highest, or the prettiest. In saying that though, it is interesting in its own right, provides good views from its modest summit and is well worthy of a couple of hours of your time.

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Routeburn Track – Lake Mackenzie Hut to The Divide

Day Three Lake Mackenzie Hut to The Divide

All was quiet and still in the valley as I paid a visit to the outside toilet during the early hours. I could see the stars were out so turned off my head torch. As my eyes adjusted to the dark I became aware that above me, the Milky Way was stretching out gloriously across the inky black Southern night sky. A million diamonds twinkling through a black curtain. I stood there for a while, mesmerised by the sight until the night air started to chill me and I made my way reluctantly back into the hut and my warm sleeping bag. The clarity of the air in New Zealand and the lack of light pollution in the mountains has meant regular sightings of the Milky Way during our tramping adventures and it has been a joy to see the stars of the Southern Hemisphere throughout this trip, even if I have not quite got used to seeing Orion upside down.

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Routeburn Track – Routeburn Falls Hut to Lake Mackenzie Hut

Day Two Routeburn Falls Hut to Lake Mackenzie Hut

Day two on the Routeburn Track dawns bright and clear. All twenty or so bunks in our room were full but there were no ‘nighttime noises’ and I slept well, helped no doubt by the fact that the girls from Otago were at the opposite end of the lodge. The weather forecast is for rain early afternoon so I am keen to get moving as soon as we can. After breakfast we finish our packing on the balcony of the hut enjoying the morning sunshine and final views down the main Routeburn valley.

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Routeburn Track – Routeburn Shelter to Routeburn Falls Hut

Day One Routeburn Shelter to Routeburn Falls Hut

Driving to the start of the Routeburn track I was wondering if the walk we were about to do could possibly compare with the beauty and majesty of the Milford track that we had walked only one short week ago. As we left Queenstown and joined the lake road heading north, I realised I needn’t worry. Lake Wakatipu, looking like a huge sapphire jewel set deep into a ring of mountains appeared before us glistening in the morning sun. It stretched for miles and beyond that, the Southern Alps of New Zealand reached their snowy topped fingers high up into the bright blue cloudless sky. Even the road itself, straight as an arrow in places and lined with purple Lupins seemed to be leading us invitingly into the heart of the mountains. It was the road to El Dorado and for the next three days we were about to partake of its golden treasures.

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Glenridding Dodd and Sheffield Pike from Glenridding

Glenridding Dodd and Sheffield Pike, the objects of today’s walk form the northern wall of the Glenridding valley and can be clearly seen from Glenridding village and from Gillside campsite, my home for a couple of days walking. Unfortunately (or fortunately if you like the heat) today’s walk coincides with some of the hottest days of the summer and with temperatures reaching into the 30°c’s an early start seems best to avoid both the crowds and the heat.

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A walk up La Mola, Mallorca

La Mola looks down onto the pretty seaside town of Cala sant Vicenc in the far north east of the beautiful island of Mallorca. Here, you can while away the hours enjoying a nice cold beer or meal in one of its many picturesque sea front bars whilst gazing out onto the aqua blue Mediterranean gently lapping onto the small sandy beach. In fact, the Med features prominently today, being in view throughout most of the walk.

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Milford Track – Dumpling Hut to Sandfly Point

Day Four Dumpling Hut to Sandfly Point

It’s our final day on the Milford Track and there is a sense of anticipation in the air. Today, the forty of us ‘independent trampers’ who over the last four days have all walked together, ate together, talked together and slept under the same roof together will all complete our journey and at last fulfill what for many, including myself, will have been a long held dream and ambition to have walked ‘The Finest Walk in the World’.

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Milford Track – Mintaro Hut to Dumpling Hut

Day Three Mintaro Hut to Dumpling Hut

As forecast we awake to a completely different scene from the Sunshine and clear blue skies of yesterday. Cloud and mist have descended low into the valley overnight, draining the colour from the trees and muffling the sound of the birds and the rivers. The huge rock wall of Mount Balloon opposite which last night rose up before us like a giant is completely enveloped in mist and may as well have disappeared as far as we were concerned as we could see nothing beyond twenty metres. The air was still and the mist, cold and damp, hung in the air. It was like a grey wet blanket had been thrown over the valley.

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Milford Track – Clinton Hut to Mintaro Hut

Day Two Clinton Hut to Mintaro Hut

Sometime during the night the rain had stopped and when we left the bunk room the sun was breaking through and the clouds were beginning to lift away from the mountain tops. We enjoyed breakfast of porridge and banana washed down with plenty of tea and chatted with some of the Americans who we met at dinner last night. Our fellow ‘trampers’ seem to be a fairly international bunch, mostly Americans with a smattering of French, German, Dutch and Australian. As far as I can tell, no Kiwis though. The only other Brits seem to be a doctor who is working in Dunedin and his wife.

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Milford Track – Glade Wharf to Clinton Hut

Day One Glade Wharf to Clinton Hut

The Milford Track is remote, so remote in fact that you have to get a boat to the start and from the finish of it. There are no roads on the track, everything has to be walked in or brought in by helicopter. This, in its very essence was the appeal of walking The Milford Track for me. A four day walk through pristine rain forest wilderness, following crystal clear rivers, surrounded by snow capped mountains rising straight up from steep sided valleys sounds just like heaven, and in a way it is.

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A walk along the Vall de Boquer

If you are a walker staying in the Pollenca area of Mallorca, the pretty walk along the valley de Boquer to the small bay at Cala Boquer can make for an attractive alternative to sitting on the beach or frequenting the gift shops. It is not too strenuous, would fill a morning or afternoon nicely and as well as providing some valuable holiday exercise it reveals a little glimpse of authentic Mallorcan landscape. If you are walking in the summer, remember to take plenty of sun protection, hat, fluid and food as there is no shade and no facilities throughout the walk.

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A walk up Puig de Maria

We’ve been visiting Mallorca for decades. In the early days it was Santa Ponca in the South West but over the last few years we have fallen in love with the peace, quiet and beauty that can be found in the North of the island, particularly the pretty town of Pollenca and surrounding area. Continue reading “A walk up Puig de Maria”

Kilimanjaro – Lemosho Route -Millennium Huts to Mweka Gate – The End

Day Eight Millennium Huts (12,556ft) to Mweka Gate (5,358ft) – The End

Unsurprisingly I slept like a log, helped no doubt by the fact that I was absolutely shattered after summiting Kilimanjaro. We walked for thirteen hours yesterday, and we are now back in the land of trees and warmth and I was sleeping on soft flat dry soil as opposed to dusty gravel at a 45 degree angle and minus 5c. Having gone to bed at 6.30pm last night I was wide awake at 6am this morning for the final day of our magnificent Kilimanjaro adventure. Continue reading “Kilimanjaro – Lemosho Route -Millennium Huts to Mweka Gate – The End”

Kilimanjaro – Lemosho Route – Uhuru Peak to Millennium Huts

Day Seven (Part 2) – Summit Day – Uhuru Peak 19,341ft to Millennium Huts (12,556ft)

Why men climb mountains is a question that has been asked for as long as men and women have been climbing mountains. I guess the answer is as individual as the person who is asked. I’m sure Alex Honnold and Chris Bonington would give different, but not maybe too different answers. For me, walking satisfies a deep need. A need, not to achieve, or conquer but to find peace with myself. It gives me time to think and reflect, time to pray and settle my mind, time to consider and make decisions. Life and experience change us but the Mountains remain reassuringly the same. They provide a constancy in our lives and the mountains are always bigger than our own personal circumstances. So here I am on top of a Mount Kilimanjaro, filled with that immense sense of satisfaction that comes from doing something that is not easy, that takes something out of you but gives you so much more back in return.

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Kilimanjaro – Lemosho Route – Barafu Camp to Uhuru Peak

Day Seven (Part 1) – Summit Day – Barafu Camp (15,295ft) to Uhuru Peak 19,341ft

It’s two minutes past midnight and we are ‘pulling the trigger’ on our summit bid as Joshua put it in his briefing. Another phrase that struck me in his pre-summit briefing was “give me the next six hours of your life and I’ll get you to the Roof of Africa”. I’ve dreamed of climbing Kilimanjaro for years, I’ve planned and prepared for this trip for nearly seven months, I’ve walked for six days to get to this point and now, all that remains is six hours, six hours to fulfill a dream.

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Kilimanjaro – Lemosho Route – Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp

Day Six Karanga Camp (13,235ft) to Barafu Camp (15,295ft)

Unzipping the tent after the 6.30am wake up call reveals a cold, damp and misty Karanga camp. Despite the dark weather however, my spirits are high and I am starting to allow myself to believe that I am going to get this job done. My head is OK with no nausea, I seem to be acclimatising well and the last couple of days I have felt good. Today we will reach base camp and at midnight tonight we will ‘pull the trigger’ as Joshua likes to say on our summit bid. All I’ve got to do is keep well, keep hydrated and keep putting one foot in front of the other. ‘Pole Pole’ is the Swahili catchphrase on this mountain and ‘slowly slowly’ is certainly the way to do it. We will see.

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Kilimanjaro – Lemosho Route – Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp

Day Five – Barranco Camp (13,077ft) to Karanga Camp (13,235ft)

Day five dawns bright and cold in the Barranco valley and my tiredness and somewhat melancholic mood of yesterday has lifted along with the early morning mist. Barranco camp is big and busy, unlike the others we have stayed at up to now. It also looks very different, it’s very rocky and almost pushed up against the Barranco Wall which dominates the camp like some huge Giant standing over us. The ‘Senicio Kilimanjari’ trees are also dotted all about the valley and I keep thinking about ‘the day of the triffids’ and wondering if they are going to come alive.

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Kilimanjaro – Lemosho Route – Shira Huts Camp to Barranco Camp

Day Four – Shira 2 – Shira Huts Camp (12,779ft) to Barranco Camp (13,077ft) via The Lava Tower (15,180ft)

Since the start of the trek we have been approaching the mountain from the West. Today we start to walk around the South of the mountain heading towards Base Camp in preparation for our summit day. There is a growing feeling, that we are approaching the ‘business’ end of this walk. The mountain is getting closer every day now and the trail itself is getting rougher, steeper, more volcanic and less defined. Our altitude is slowly creeping up which means less oxygen to breathe and the nights are colder. We have now crossed the Shira plateau and today we will say goodbye to it before heading up to the ‘Lava Tower’ for acclimatisation and then down to Barranco Camp to sleep.

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Kilimanjaro – Lemosho Route – Shira One Camp to Shira Huts Camp

Day Three – Shira One Camp (11,496ft) to Shira Huts Camp (12,779ft) via Shira Cathedral (12,671ft)

We wake up to a freezing Shira One campsite with the ground frozen solid and ice frosting the tents. After two days of walking I am starting to get into the rhythm of this walk now and the developing daily routine that consists of walk, eat, sleep, repeat.

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