Alpine Tramp

In New Zealand nobody says "hiking", they say "tramping". Accordingly, today I went for a 6-hour tramp to the summit of Ben Lomond peak. This is the main mountain northwest of Queenstown, but you usually can't see it unless you're standing in the right spots. The trail starts pretty close to my house and winds through a dark douglas fir forest, crossing parts of a serious downhill mountain biking course and two streams before entering a series of switchbacks. Higher up the forest composition changes dramatically; most of the trees appear to be some type of beech, but there are also these strange twisty trees with tiny round leaves. I need to get my hands on some field guides, because there are lots of crazy plants and birds around here that I'd like to identify properly. I saw 5 different bird species today, and all of them were making some really bizarre sounds. As I climbed higher the forest just suddenly stopped. There were no stunted pioneers growing higher than their companions, it just went from big trees to no trees as I emerged into the alpine. The snow-line was met shortly after the tree-line, but luckily the trail was well-trodden and I wasn't stomping through powder. I did find a spot where the snow had mostly melted away, so that's where I took a break and ate lunch (pictured below:)

It was a beautiful day, clear and chilly but not too cold, and the sunlight felt great. The last section of the hike was significantly steeper, with a few tricky spots of slick ice and rock ledges, but I pushed on until reaching the summit at 5,735 feet high. The view at the top was breathtaking; you can see for miles in every direction, and there are countless peaks covered in snow.


You can check out a topographic map of the area by clicking here (Ben Lomond is the highest spot). When you're done with that, watch this video of me spinning the camera around in a circle: