Rob Roy Glacier, 2018

We did the fabulous Rob Roy Glacier hike way back in 2009 and again in 2014, and were sure to do it again in 2018. After a brief visit to beautiful Wanaka, we drove the corrugated gravel road out into Mt. Aspiring National Park, and camped at the Raspberry Creek carpark; as in previous years. Next day, however, January 24th, we awoke to a light rain and dense low clouds that obscured all the views. The rain stopped by mid-afternoon, and I hiked about a third of the way up the trail, just to get some steps. Nothing but clouds. Bummer. Next day, however, was more promising, and so we set out on our 3rd Rob Roy hike. One of the great day hikes in the world!

Encampment

Helpful map of the area; don't think you can see Mt. Aspiring
from here; apart from Mt. Cook, it's the other big one in the
Southern Alps; glaciers certainly to match Cook's

Environs and the big river Rob Roy's glaciers feed

Early glimpse of the glacier

More scenic vistas

 

Almost there

NZ has (hundreds of?) thousands of waterfalls; this is one of the
longer free falls

Better part of a thousand feet, I'd guess

Panning a bit; the clouds are so low you can see only the bottom
bits of the glaciers

Panning further

Panning further still

Can't really see that there has been much glacial retreat; certainly
not like Fox or Franz Josef

The trail

Last looks

 

Waterfall City; and that's not a tenth of the panorama!

Lair fixer-upper on the gorge; subject to flooding

More of the trail: standard DOC, not as groomed, immaculate
as one of the Great Walks, but still 10-12k without a cigaret
butt or candy wrapper

Quite a few steps built recently to circumvent wash-outs

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Quite a few lairs, overhangs

The really big one

Smile!

Torrent in the gorge

At Rob Roy