| Leader | Mentor | Tail Ender | |
| Standards | Brent | Chris | Janice |
| Alternates | Bev | Sally | Moira |
Statistics: distance 12.5km (to hut); time: usually 5hr
Stupendous? Glorious? Fabulous? These were words I had in mind from the start to sum up our Bealey Spur tramp, but as things turned out none of them were particularly appropriate. More about that later.
The spectacular landscape near Arthur’s Pass is something people are prepared to pay a lot of money to see when they travel by train. We got to enjoy it for a mere $25 each. The sights of the ghostly mist shrouding Lake Pearson and also the frozen willows were especially memorable.
The area was certainly in the grip of an impressive frost when the 21 well-rugged up standards and 12 alternates set off briskly up the Bealey Spur track at 10am.
One of the great things about this tramp is the variation in the landscape every half hour or so. We began by walking through a lovely mountain beech and black beech forest, then the track was flanked by manuka scrub, before opening up to tussock, before surprising again with further changes alternating between forest and tussock. It’s a bit like a Great Walk, but in miniature.
DOC rates the track as ‘easy’ but that is debatable these days as it is washed out in many places. The going isn’t particularly steep, but elevation is gained without much in the way of switch-backs. The tree roots did help to form natural steps, but it was necessary to take great care not to trip up on them. Just to add to the drama there was the impressive drop-off on the left, way down to the Bruce Stream. Walking on frozen mud is surprisingly easy but more hazardous were the mirror-like sheets of ice which weren’t about to melt in a hurry. That is despite the wonderful sunshine that was beginning to warm us up rather nicely.
A well-earned morning tea for the standards was taken at 11am, in a pleasant patch of sunshine beside the track. The alternates had enjoyed theirs a little earlier on.
Before long we reached the lookout point which gives breathtaking views of the glistening snow-capped Alps and the extensive braided Waimakariri River, also Klondyke Corner, and the highway winding its way north to Arthur’s Pass.
Boardwalks helped us navigate another different part of this variable landscape, an area of bog with many frozen little tarns. In answer to my musings about how thick the ice might be, Linda bravely extracted a piece which was about 3cm thick.
The swamp gave way to forest again, and then, like the Three Bear’s Cottage in the woods, suddenly there was the Bealey Spur Hut (and inside was evidence suggesting Goldilocks had recently been in there, though none of the three sets of rustic bunks were broken). It was great to see that this historic hut is still being used as it had been built getting on for 100 years ago. It was known originally as ‘Top Hut’ as it was the topmost musterer’s hut in the days when this area was used for summer grazing of sheep.
Despite the frost and ice on the ground, the area by the hut was the perfect place for lunch for everyone, as the intrepid alternates had arrived at 12.45, only about 15 minutes behind the standards.
Although continuing on the track to the top of the spur has been the goal of the standards in the past, there was no clamour to carry on further. So, there wasn’t a great rush for the standards to set off, but eventually we headed back down the way we had come up, still having to be careful because of the combined hazards of tree roots, mud and sheets of ice.
Then about half way down word filtered through that all was not well with the alternate group behind us. One veteran tramper had fallen dramatically but was ok, and then another had slipped and was not ok. A big shout out to all those people who looked after Real Trooper Wendy so well. The locator beacon and cell phones were put to good use, and a rescue helicopter arrived within half an hour of being called. It was still a matter of two hours before our stoic friend was on her way to hospital and everyone else was back on board the bus. So just after 5pm the bus was heading back to Christchurch, with a somewhat sombre crew on board.
Our driver Peter was great, very helpful and uncomplaining about his working day being extended by several hours, and he got us back safely to Bishopdale by 7pm.
So yes, the weather was superb, and the views were amazing. But none of us would call it a stupendous day after all.
Text by Shirls
