January 18, 2026
Blue Lake Hut to near Waiau Hut
TA km marker 2038.7 to 2053.3
Hiked today: 14.6 km

Everyone in Blue Lake hut last night professed to be heading over Waiau Pass today so we were not surprised to be woken by an alarm at around 5 am. Soon the hut was bathed in a red glow from various head torches and there was a gentle rustling and creaking as people crept around, readying themselves for the trail.

We were up and on the trail ourselves by 6.30 and straight  away we followed an ascent through the forest. We had layered up our clothing, aware that the air would be very cold as we ascended. As we left the tree cover, we started to feel the first drops of light rain. The track now wound up a steep scree slope before levelling out and then taking us around a hillside and steeply down to the shores of Lake Constance. We skirted around the lake and then the route up the mountainside became apparent.

As we trudged up the steep rocky slope, the rain turned to sleet and we were blasted with strong gusts of wind. The forecast was for snow and 55kmh winds, with -8 being the apparent temperature,  taking into account the wind chill factor.

Right at the top of the pass, we sat down in a sheltered spot for a mouthful of water and a muesli bar for energy. With the mountains in cloud, visibility was very poor and the precipitation had turned to snow.

The descent was as sheer and exposed as we had heard. We took it very slowly and lowered ourselves carefully down the sections of near vertical rock face. Pete took it easily, Rob came behind me to make sure I didn’t fall.

We finally made it down to a river, and once we had shelter from the cold wind, we stopped for lunch.

The afternoon walking continued along beside the river, with frequent crossings. The water is icy cold flowing down from the mountains and we all have wet shoes and socks. In this cold, they are not likely to dry out, and, anyway, we will be walking through water again as soon as we get going in the morning.

We are camped just 30 mins from Waiau hut, close to the river. The sounds of the water and the wind in the trees will hopefully lull us to sleep. It will be a cold night so we are glad of all our warm clothes and our down sleeping bags.