Mastodawn

We went from Raspberry Creek to Aspiring Hut and then over the Cascade Saddle to Dart Hut, finishing with the Rees Track and seeing takahē. There are a couple of pictures I've posted before. #SouthernAlps #BirdsNZ

Here are some more views mostly from the Cascade Saddle walk, including Mount Māori (thanks for the id!), a tarn with tufts, and a silty stream. #SouthernAlps #tramping

In good conditions the Cascade Saddle is not that technically difficult, with some moderate scrambling. It can go poorly if you fall, but you wouldn't fall if it was dry and not snowy. It did take us 11 hours from Aspiring Hut to Dart Hut, though, so a pretty long day. The posted time is 9 hours.

There were so many kea! Haven't seen quite so many before. As I posted before, also takahē. Apart from that, here are some silvereye/tauhou. There were one or two fantail/pīwakawaka and South Island robin/toutouwai, but I didn't get good pictures of them. #BirdsNZ

What was also unusual was that the kea were hanging out at the huts. On a previous trip to Aspiring Hut we'd talked to a party who had gone up to Cascade Saddle and seen 6 keas. Here, there were about that number at Aspiring Hut, and also about that number at Dart Hut. It was the kea welcoming committee at Dart Hut: the hut is near a river with a bridge, and then there is a ladder down to the hut. The kea hang out near the ladder and at the hut.

OK, more kea content from Aspiring Hut.

Kea are notorious for eating rubber. They were thinking about eating the bicycles that were parked at the hut.

I also have a picture of a kea trying to steal my inReach, which is posted in my gallery, but not part of the trip report.

It's also reportedly a problem if you camp on the Cascade Saddle itself. It's a beautiful campsite (with a flash toilet), but there might be kea who decide that it's fun to tear apart your tent. Hence our 11 hour walk to Dart Hut.

#BirdsNZ