The Climb (Milford Track, Day 3)

March 5

At last night’s briefing, the guides shared that this 9 mile day up McKinnon Pass from Pompolona Lodge to Quintin Lodge would be a challenge. It could take up to nine hours or more to reach our destination. The weather report called for snow, wind and more rain, especially at the summit. They cautioned us to take our time as it was a 2,100 ft elevation gain from the lodge and a much steeper descent at 2,700 ft with poor trails and rocky conditions.

We departed at the crack of dawn. It was just 7:30 a.m. when we left the lodge. It was spitting rain, windy and cold as we zigzagged up the mountain to Lake Mintaro at the head of the Clinton Valley.

We stopped for morning tea at a shelter and then continued our climb. It felt like a Superman Stair-master workout that had no end. We were redefining our calves and quads as they burned with every step. And it was raining and hailing, again.

At times we rested and added windbreakers to help protect us from the wind until we finally reached the McKinnon Memorial where we rested and caught our breath and some magical photos — some of the best yet on our trip.

Twenty minutes later we summited Mt McKinnon and found shelter from the elements in Pass Hut overlooking the Clinton Valley. We enjoyed our lunch there and rested for about an hour to prepare for our steep descent. We were lucky to see some alpine Kia parrots who sounded more like crying cats than birds.

The descent into the Arthur Valley was steep and uneven. Many times we found ourselves without a path and used our butts to scooch down the mountainside through waterfalls and slippery cliffs. Viewing platforms along the way gave us opportunities to rest and take in the great views of the Cascades and countless waterfalls.

Eight and a half hours later, Quintin Lodge was a welcome sight to see at the bottom of the Pass, and again the lodge was a sight to behold. Our views from this setting were remarkable. It was hard to imagine it was even real.

Some hikers dropped their packs and went for another 90-minute round trip to Sutherland Falls, one of the highest in the world at 1,904 ft and the highest in NZ. We settled for enjoying their pictures and opted to call it quits for the day.