Dragon’s Teeth
Day 1
Bainham to Boulder Lake Hut: 19.9 km, 9 hr 45 min, 1379m gain
I remember our packs were way too heavy, and the weather was way too hot. It was December 28th, 2019, and the forecast for the next week was a winner. We set out on a grueling 20 km march to Boulder Lake Hut, baking in the sun while struggling under the weight of our packs.
Our goal for this trip was to get to the Cobb Reservoir a week later from Bainham via the Low Route of the Dragon’s Teeth mountain range. We carried climbing gear to attempt the High Route, but that stuff ended up being extra weight we carried the whole way - Day 3 turned into a ‘rest day’ after we spent a few hours trying to follow the High Route, so we committed to the Low Route on Day 4.
This trip took us to two gorgeous, remote huts: Adelaide Tarn Hut and Lonely Lake Hut.
At the end of that first hot day, I was thrilled to cool off in the magical pool and waterfall near Boulder Lake Hut. Of the few huts around New Zealand I’ve been to with a nearby waterfall (like Siberia Hut), this was the most special and tranquil.
Day 2
Boulder Lake Hut to Adelaide Tarn Hut: 8.4 km, 6 hr 30 min, 706m gain
The previous day was a slog in the baking sun, but the going was a bit easier on Day 2 to Adelaide Tarn Hut. We were off-track now! There were cairns here and there, lightly-warn paths in places, but there were a few times where, in the scrub on some ridge, we would stop and confer and decide the best way forward.
We delighted in reaching Adelaide Tarn Hut by mid-afternoon. The overnight forecast called for clear and calm skies after a warm summer’s day, so rather than pitching tents, we slept under the stars. We heard a kea calling, flying high above us. It took no interest in us, and that’s how wild encounters with kea should be.
Day 3
Attempt to follow the High Route: 7 km, 7 hr, 593m gain
Bill whipped up a delicious pancake breakfast, and we set out with day packs to explore the High Route. It was a long, slow day out, and we didn’t get far. But the point was to enjoy the day and see if we could follow the confusing notes we had about following bits of wire and tin can lids. There were reliable cairns on the approach, but once we entered the scrub under the Dragon’s Teeth, we struggled to connect the dots and find the signs we should’ve found.
Overall, this trip was pretty hard for me back then - my pack was way too heavy, and we had a few long, slow days. But I’ve been thinking this year that I’d be willing to do the trip again. I still don’t know how much success I’d have following the High Route - I’d probably want to go with someone in the party who’s done it. In the couple years after our trip, there were several CTCers who did the High Route with little trouble, so we must’ve just missed signs, or not committed to dubious ways forward, or, most likely, both. I’m also not a fan of long stretches of exposed ridge scrambling, so it’s probably best I stick to the Low Route again!
Day 4
Dragon’s Teeth Low Route to Lonely Lake Hut: 11.1 km, 10 hr, 889m gain
Looking at the stats of this trip as I write this in 2024, it boggles my mind. This trip felt hard, and this was the longest day…but we only did 11 km and not even 900m of ascent. The route-finding was the trick, even on the Low Route. I remember the initial, steep bush-bash down a tributary of the Anatoki River was a bit slow, and required effort to find the path (or vegetation) of least resistance.
Once we were down in the valley along the Anatoki River proper, it was a breeze for a while, and there many more cairns. The turnoff up the spur to the Drunken Sailors was well-marked, but a steep, relentless ascent in the afternoon heat.
Exhausted, we emerged and gaped at the Drunken Sailors. This rock formation really does look like a couple salty dogs. From there, it’s a careful descent among boulders and scrub to Lonely Lake Hut, which I think is my favourite small hut in Aotearoa New Zealand. The recent yellow and blue paint job is fantastic, it fits three bunks efficiently in a small space, and there’s a small library of Intentions Books full of thrilling adventures and braggadocio about fastest times on the High Route.
