Pictures from a 5-day trip up to Ice Lake on the western side of the Southern Alps. This trip was rated as moderate, but I must admit I found it quite strenuous, mainly because of the first day (9.5 hours of carrying a 20+kg pack on increasingly rough terrain to get to the first hut). But overall a trip well-worth doing, with absolutely spectacular views. Once again, these pictures don't do it justice, but here we go anyway...
At the start of the trip, the views already looked quite promising!
The track went through typical westcoast bush, with pretty little spots like this...
...and along canyons with crystal clear water...
...opening up frequently with splendid all-around views...
...and with the occasional helpful man-made structures. Een gewaarschuwd man...
Don't look down!!
For 5 days, we were surrounded by magnificent peaks.
Our home and backyard for two nights...
...with the appropriate sunset.
And, of course, Ice Lake itself, still frozen over (late August). Unfortunately it was rather cold and windy on the day of our trip up to the lake, but otherwise we had a whole week of gorgeous weather!
A view back down from the lake...
...and up to the snowcapped mountain peaks above it.
