Last Friday I prepared to head up North to Collingwood to run the Heaphy track, however they had been experiencing heavy rain and the access to the track was impassable. The track would also have been sodden, slippery and flooded in places. I needed a new plan! Suprisingly enough, Fiordland appeared to have had the better deal as far as weather, so after checking this with DoC, I headed south to Te Anau to run the Kepler.
I drove all day, then slept in my car (rather uncomfortably as I had no roll mat or mattress!) in a backpacker car park (the back packers had closed by the time I got there). So after a poor nights sleep, I woke at 05.15 am, and drove to the start of the Kepler Track.
The Kepler is a 60.1KM track, with over 1000m of climb, reaching about 1500m over the Kepler Mountains in Fiordland. I ate a one square meal bar, and downed some powerade, before setting off at 06.20am. The morning light was beautiful over the lake, but I followed the track into the forest to begin the climb. A couple of hours later, and I emerged from the bush, onto the tops, yey! It was fairly over-cast, with a hint of light rain, but beautiful views all around. I reached luxmore hut (nearly 14km into the run) at 08.30hrs, and topped up my camelbak, which had been leaking down my back the whole way! I discovered that this was due to disruption of the seal, which I managed to sort, and avoid a long day of hydration drink splashing down my legs!!
Now for the best bit! After further climbing up to about 1500m, the track undulated along a narrow and exposed ridgeline, with spectacular views of fiordland. It felt good to be on gentler inclines and flat, although careful footing was a must, as a fall here could be serious. With a few photo stops and hellos to passing walkers, I plodded on, listening to tunes, and enjoying the view. After about 12km, the track descended abruptly and zig-zagged into the bush, entually reaching Iris Burn hut 14.6km on from Luxmore.
Iris Burn hut is tucked into the forest and is infested with sandflies! Well, everywhere here is, but they were in even more abundance here. I quickly made my way on, after a H2O top up. From Iris Burn Hut the whole way is in forest, something that I struggle with immensley, and still over 31km to go! But the way was gently undulating, and mainly downhill, and the day had gotten very hot, so there was much to be thankful for, the shade, and the lack of uphill mainly. I had managed to convince myself that I had less far to go than I actually had, thinking that after the next hut there was only about 15km to go. How wrong I was.....
As this had been a last minute decision, I had not really researched the track or known what to expect, so on reaching Motarau Hut, on a beautiful little beach on lake Manapouri, I was quite disheartened to read that the end was a six hour walk away, which would mean up to a three hour run in my state, not the hour and a half that I hoped for!
I somehow had phone reception here, so it was a saving grace to read a text from my friend Jane, saying good luck and our little motto...."keep calm, carry on". Oh, thank goodness for this little burst of positivity!! Thanks Jane!
So on I went, stopping only to bandage blisters and to drink. I hadn't managed to eat much, but tried to nibble on a OSM bar. NOT a good running food, made me want to vomit...at least I know for next time to take proper food. I was starving, and although running wasn't a problem, I began to feel the challenge mentally. The key, as always, was good tunes and switching off, and going into Sankey Land, the crazy little world in my head! I stopped to chat to a British couple, who lived in Berkhampstead, where I used to live. She was a nurse too, and they were here on holiday. Its little meetings like this that put you in a better frame of mind and keep you going.
I can not tell you how great the temptation was at Rainbow's Reach (9.5km to go!) to go into the car park and beg a lift back to the control gates! No one would ever know.... but I would, and I didn't want to have to come back and do this again when my conscience got the better of me. On, and on, and on I went throught the bush. I was nearing desperation when I saw a sign..... 1KM TO GO...LOOKING GOOD it said. Woo hoo, I can do this, come on, one last push....
And there were the control gates. I sat down, and leaned against the Kepler Track start/finish sign. From broken to happy in ten seconds! Oh the feeling to have done it! Its amazing how great you can feel, so soon after feeling so bad :-) I sent the obligatory "I'm alive" text to people, then got up to walk the two mins to the car. And then I realised how much this was going to hurt! I made two stops on the 3 hour drive home, and each time walking was a little harder.
Not much left to do but wash, eat and sleep......One down, 7 to go!!
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