Mount Cook
Mount CookI visited Mount Cook on my way from Oamaru to Christchurch. The drive there is amazing, and goes past a number of dams that create very, very teal water lakes. The weather was a bit less than clear as I got close, but the clouds cleared on my arrival to the park and provided me with some AMAZING photos of the mountain. I did a short hike up the Hooker Valley, which ended at Hooker Lake. The lake actually still has icebergs floating in it, despite it being mid summer. Since I have a bit of interest in mountaineering, I had a bit of a look at the specifics of the climb. As it turns out, it is actually a rather difficult climb with TONS of exposure, lots of glacial traversing, and very steep routes. I considered doing a two day / one night up to a hut overlooking the mountain instead, but I decided I was much too lazy for that. Maybe next time?