Day 99 - Top Timaru Hut

The rain fell heavy last night, and continued on into the morning. A few others made it to the hut last night making us four. No one was is a rush in the morning. Not only was it still raining hard, but the mountains were covered in a light dusting of snow. I figured I would wait out the worst of the storm and try push to the next hut. I did not want to spend a zero in a small a space, too much anxiety. 

Eventually around 2:30 the weather became a light drizzle. I figured I waited long enough. Me and a French Canadian couple from the hut pushed on. Once we got hiking we felt totally fine. Looking at the rain from a cozy hut is not appealing, but once you force yourself out there you realize that hiking in a light rain is perfectly comfortable. 

All I was aiming for was the next hut, a mere 14km away, but over a mountain pass. As we ascended we broke into the clouds. Although most of the last nights snow had melted, some patches remained. Meanwhile it was still snowing, pelting against my face, the drizzle had turned to snow at this altitude. The gloves and long johns were on. A stark change in weather the last 24hrs; Yesterday sunburning, today frost bitten. 

The valley was very beautiful with the rain. 

The rivers ran black with the silt of a fresh storm. 

I reached the hut with my fingers crossed that there would be space for me inside. Alas, everyone at this hut took a zero and didn’t go anywhere today. The section after this but had lots of river crossings so I can’t entirely blame them. There was some 14 of us for this 6 bunk hut. With my hopes of a dry bed dashed I pitched my tent. I spent the evening sewing and superglueing rips in the mesh of my tent that have been appearing. No sandflies allowed in here!