Mt Somers Base Camp
Mt Somers Base Camp Friday 25th – Sunday 27th August 2023
By travelling up to Mt Somers village on Friday afternoon and evening, we had time to settle into our bunk rooms (beware the bunks’ wire bases), prepare a shared dinner including Karyl’s apple crumble for dessert, and play some hilarious games of ping-pong and pool in the games room. Then we were ready for an early start next morning.
We had a fine, frosty, still day to drive up the valley to explore Lake Clearwater and the surrounding mountains. We broke into two groups of four: the first one to explore the northwest side of the Lake Clearwater Circuit and Te Araroa Trail, the other group to climb Mt Guy.
The 2km climb up Mt Guy is short and intense, going straight up to the summit. The 4km from the carpark took us about 2 hours. From the top (1319m) the view is immense and magnificent, looking from the sea to the Taylor Range, across to the Arrowsmiths, the Rangitata River, the Southern Alps with Mt d’Archiac towering high, and down to Lake Clearwater. A breathtaking spot to eat lunch! The snow was low and glittering, the tussocks golden and the sky clear blue. From here we headed down the northwest ridge for 4km to meet up with the other group lunching at the saddle where the Te Araroa trail crosses between the Dog Range and Mt Guy. (Thanks to John and Neville on their radios, we knew exactly where to find them!)
From the saddle all eight of us retraced the footsteps of the first group, heading northwest along the Te Araroa track and around the Lake, across the tussock lands and wetlands with incredible vistas of the Alps ahead of us. The western carpark at the end of Lake Clearwater was a handy carpark to pick up tired trampers in the late afternoon.
Saturday evening saw us dining in style at Stronechrubie, a restaurant complex in Mt Somers village, followed by Roz’s award-winning pumpkin sultana cake back in the camp kitchen and a game of Five Crowns for everyone.
Snow and rain fell that night, so it was a cold start to Sunday. But with the promise of the weather clearing, we headed to the wide tussock lands of Lake Heron, parking at the Lake Heron carpark, hoping to walk to Double Hut by lunchtime. But the weather closed in, and we all turned back to the cars, heading straight into a sleet storm. Every item of warm and waterproof clothing was hurriedly pulled from our packs.
On the way home, Bess was keen to show us the intricately shaped macrocarpa hedges that are becoming a show- stopper in Mt Somers Village. Someone is having great fun creating lattice worked hedges. Then on to Barkers in Geraldine for afternoon tea.
Thanks to such a good-humoured team of trampers who are fun, flexible and enthusiastic; who are keen to share in and appreciate the beauty and magnificence of the country we are walking through.
Jenny Kitchin