No doubt, hiking is a shoulder season staple activity, but this particular excursion is quite unique.
Last week in our Cold Shoulder series, we headed south to the Catlins for a surf adventure. This week, we turned our compasses West and headed to the Copland Track.
The Copland Track is located just south of the famous Fox Glacier on the West Coast in New Zealand. It's a whopping 17km one-way track and usually takes about seven hours to get to the Welcome Flat Hut (although it took our Mons crew only four hours).
The first bit of the track lulls you into an easygoing tramp in lush forests and open patches of grass. For a hot minute, you almost feel like the next fifteen kilometres could be a breeze.
However, as you make your way upwards, the walking becomes a little more strenuous and that pack on your back seems to get heavier as the hours roll by. Luckily our crew found tons of opportunities to take small breaks and maybe snap a shot or two.
The crew made their way along several swing bridges that cross the rivers on the track. These provided some incredible views of the Southern Alps in the background.
Following a long day of tramping, the hut finally came into view and everyone enjoyed an evening soaking in the nearby hot pools; a well-earned reward.
After spending the night at the Welcome Flat Hut, the crew woke up to a biting cold the next morning. Merino was made just for conditions like these and everyone bundled up for the tramp back down.
This adventure was perfectly suited for the Mons Royale Raglan. We kept cool and odour-free during the slog up to the hut, but also stayed warm when we piled our outerlayers on top of the raglan for the walk down. Plus, we didn't feel at all out of place sporting a baselayer to the pub post-hike for a debrief.
It's only a matter of time now before the mountains don their snowy coats for the winter, so get your hiking in while you still can this shoulder season! Happy adventuring - and remember, pack less, do more.
Photos: Caitlin "Mitchy" Mitchell
Australia
New Zealand
Switzerland
Rest of Europe
Canada
United States
