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The track is wide and well groomed (although it was icy in
places) and almost impossible to get lost. I wore my hiking
boots but in hindsight wish I opted for my lighter Salomon
trail runners - the ground is so even. The track twists and
turns and gently undulates. There are three impressive
swing bridges to cross – these were track highlights for
me! The rivers flowing underneath are full of energy and
excitement because with each one you know you are
getting closer to the source. It took 40 minutes to hike in
with reasonably heavy packs (allow perhaps one hour).
The track reaches a high point just as the full landscape
of Hooker Lake comes into focus. The Hooker Glacier can
be seen creeping up the mountain in the far distance and
the icebergs float effortlessly, dotted randomly around the
lake. The mothership that is Mount Cook hovers like a
giant. The moment cultivates a feeling of scared respect
for our mountains. The overwhelming size and presence of
the surrounding alps as well as the ‘knowing’ of lives lost
beyond where we are gives way to the realization of how
vulnerable we are as humans. This is their home, not ours.
We just have to hope that when we venture deeper than
the well-groomed tracks like Hooker Lake, we are met with
favorable conditions.
If you’re looking to access one of the most beautiful,
unique, yet isolated places you’ve ever seen on foot with
the least amount of physical effort and time investment -
the Hooker Valley track is it. To put this into perspective, on
the West Coast, it would take an advanced multi-day hiking
mission to access an ice-lake with similar characteristics.
Lucky for us, we didn’t have to paddle far off-shore to get
a closer look at the seemingly peaceful ice bergs. The lake
is longer than we imagined so we decide to leave the ‘full
length of the lake paddle’ for summer. It’s prudent to have
plenty of daylight hours up your sleeve when exploring the
full length of the lake. This is because typically ice lakes
are lined with unstable moraine walls which can collapse
at any moment therefore once you’re in the middle of the
lake, to get back to land you really want to paddle back to
the put in (as opposed to the side which might be the closer
option). If a head wind comes up, this may take longer
than you planned. In case you’re planning on giving this
adventure a go and integrating pack rafting into your Mount
Cook trip, I should give you the safety brief.
"The perspective from the water
of the surrounding nature is
outstandingly different than when
you are limited to land."
Hypothermia is likely on the water if you are not prepared
with the correct clothing - a dry suit is a must. The water
temperature sits around 2 to 3 degrees and if you fall out its
important you know how to self-rescue. There is risk of ice
falling off the glacier terminal at any time which can cause
waves down the lake. Similarly, icebergs can roll at any
time and cause a huge amount of energy and water force
up from deep under (enough to flip a boat) therefore a safe
distance needs to be kept.
Safety brief over.
It’s achievable for anyone with outdoor experience and
common sense to explore close lying bergs from the put
in (just like we did) and oh my, is it worth it. I can’t quite
put into words the feeling within when having a close
encounter with an ice berg, but I’ll give it a go. Surreal yet
grounding. An enlightening and I want to say… almost
spiritual experience, one I could not have had if I didn’t
have my trusty Kokopelli pack raft to explore at a new level.
The perspective from the water of the surrounding nature is
outstandingly different than when you are limited to land.
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