Had set
the alarm at 6:00 last night but could not get out from my seeping bag after
6:30 being cold.
Start delayed at 8:30. Walked down the track muddier than
summer season and for to Greenstone hut, where I spend 1/3 of summer, at 9:45. Fire was in the log burner, but there was no one there in the hut. Saw many
foot prints on the snow up to around this hut, but nothing from Mavora Walkway.
Kept walking in the unexpectedly deep snow. A familiar mountain path looked a
totally different place with snow. The track was hardly defined being blocked
by branched and seedlings bent over the track with snow. Ploughed through the
snow that was deeper than my knees or hips, and it reminded me of TA's highest
point Stag Pass, 1,200m higher than this place, that I climbed on 9th of May. Once
over the hill, snow was 10-20cm on the south side and became easier to walk.
When arriving at Taipo hut at 13:30, totally got worn out both physically and
mentally, and was chilled. Weather started breaking gradually, too. Changed my
plan to stay in this hut today, not going to next one. Spent a long afternoon putting on all my clothes and snuggled in my sleeping bag with a hot drink in
my hand, hearing the rain on the roof. Went to bed at 22:00. Walked 5 hours, 14km.
6:00にアラームをセットしておいたが寒くて寝袋から出る気になれず、結局6:30過ぎに起床。出発も8:30頃になってしまった。
夏季に比べてドロドロにぬかるんだ道を歩き、自分が夏の1/3を過ごすグリーンストーン小屋には9:45着。暖炉に火は入っているが誰もいない。ここまでは多くの足跡がついていたが、マヴォラ・ウォークウェイに入った途端足跡が全くなくなり、予想外に厚く積もった残雪の中先へ進む。
見慣れたはずの山道も、雪のためまるで別世界のように見え、また幼木や木の枝が雪の重みでたわんで道を遮り、とこが道だか判りづらい。膝上、時には腰までのラッセルもあり、まるで今月の9日に越えた、ここより1,200mも高いTA最高点のスタッグ峠みたいだ。幸い峠を越えると南側は積雪量も10-20cmと減り歩きやすくなった。
13:30にタイポ小屋に着いた時点で体力的にも精神的にも疲れており、体も冷えてしまっていた。ちょうど天候も徐々に崩れてきたので、次の山小屋まで行く計画だったが変更して、このタイポ小屋に泊まることにする。長い午後は服を全て着込み寝袋にくるまり、温かい飲み物を手に、雨の音に耳を傾けながら過ごした。22:00就寝。本日の歩行5時間、14km。
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