My Pinnacles Experience: Hiking to Great Heights

First, I bought a sleeping bag. And that meant I had to do it.

Hike the Pinnacles. Stay overnight in the DOC (Department of Conservation) hut. And (hopefully) love it–because one measly overnight stay wasn’t going to justify the sleeping bag purchase.

So, I checked out Macpac and Kathmandu for sleeping bags and bought a fairly nice one that was on sale (which made me feel savvy, but it turns out Kathmandu having a sale is a joke–they’re always having a sale!). Then I reserved my night in the Pinnacles Hut for a 2-day span with no predicted rain, and there was no turning back.

The Pinnacles Hut is the most popular hut in New Zealand, which means it’s decked out pretty nice. It has mattresses, gas stoves, a BBQ, pots and kettles, and plenty of water (that’s probably drinkable, but it’s advised to boil before use anyway). So all I needed to carry was my sleeping bag, clothes, a bit of water for the journey, and food.

I packed up my backpack on Saturday morning and drove to the start of the trail. It was an hour and forty-five minute drive from Whiritoa, where I was staying, and my excitement swelled the whole drive. The last thirteen kilometers were on a windy gravel road, so it felt like time slowed down as I skittered along the path, but finally I arrived. The parking lot was nearly full. The Pinnacles is a popular day hike, as well, so many people were taking advantage of the nice weather.

So far, I’ve hardly encountered another soul on New Zealand hiking adventures, but this trail was looking to be different.

On the Track

The trail started out on a flat gravel path, crossed a river, and continued on. A small detour promised views of Billy Goat Falls, so I climbed a bunch of steps, still on fresh legs, and gazed across the valley at the distant falls.

A half an hour passed on a gradual incline and the humidity in the air gathered and dripped down my face, as per usual. My pack felt pretty light, only because it’s nothing compared to what I’ve carried during hunting season.

Then the stairs started.

The ascent up the endless stairs might have been more painful if the path wasn’t adorably magical. Everything was green and damp, with dark stones and soft moss. The stairs twisted and turned, like the path to a fairytale cottage. I crossed tinkling creeks, stepping from rock to rock, or wobbled across narrow, 1-person swing bridges edged in greenery. Apart from two groups that I passed near the very start of the trail, I was alone in this enchanted forest.

Of course, it wasn’t all magical. I was huffing and puffing and panting and sweating, bracing my hands on my knees to summit each double-tall step. But the beauty leeched some of the sting from my lungs.

I stopped at the Hydro Camp for lunch. This route was once a logging path for kauri trees, climbed by loggers and pack horses, and the Hydro Camp was a popular place for the workers to camp. As it was the first flat ground I had encountered in quite some time, I understood the appeal. I ate lunch beside the stream and then continued on. From here, the trail undulated up and down but it was’t steep and there were far fewer stairs. The track mostly followed a flat ridge line, and it wasn’t long until views of the Pinnacles were visible.

Volcanoes formed the islands of New Zealand long ago, and the Pinnacles, cutting saw-like into the sky, are rhyolite rock which solidified inside volcanoes. Over time, the softer volcanic edges eroded away leaving the plugs exposed.

The Hut

I passed the helicopter pad and then came upon the hut. With a capacity of 80 people, it has an extensive layout with a line of toilets, two bunk rooms with 40 beds each, and a wide kitchen, dining area, and vast decks. I claimed my bunk and then moved outside to sit in the sun. Hikers continued to trickle in and a group of Kiwi’s joined me in the sun, sharing conversation and a glass of wine.

The Ascent

As the sun began to sink toward the horizon, I got back on the trail, this time with only my small backpack, and began the climb to the summit.

Again, it was a lot of stairs. A Google search later suggested there are over 1,300 steps on the track, but I wasn’t counting! Soon, I reached the base of the rocks, and that’s where the real fun started: climbing up cold, metal ladders, scrambling over rocks and roots, and clinging to metal brackets in the rock to scramble ever upward. As I levered myself up from bracket to bracket, rock to rock, the whole world spread out below.

At the top, a viewing platform provides at least one stable place to stand among the pillars of slippery rock. From there, I took in the vistas of the country.

The sunset was not spectacular, but it was dramatic, casting shards of light upon distant peaks and illuminating the expanse of the Coromandel.

I could have sat there until it was dark, but I dreaded inching down the rocks in the dark (even though I had my headlamp), so I headed down while there was still light, and found another place to sit at the base of the metal ladders to watch the final close of day.

The Night

Back at the hut, I grabbed my food and made my way to the kitchen. It was a mad house with children running around, people huddled around stoves, water splashing out of the sink, kettles whistling, and several people sitting on the floor around the fire attempting to dry their socks. I managed to secure a single burner on a stove and heat water for pasta, but when my dinner was ready, there was no room inside at a table. So I ventured outside and ate at a picnic table in the dark with four others. Despite the chill, we lingered for an hour and half talking about New Zealand and learning about each other’s homelands.

The hut mellowed out around 9pm as though some inaudible timer had gone off. Everyone crawled into their sleeping bags to read or sleep. It was finally calm and quiet…

Until the snoring started.

I brought ear plugs and popped them in immediately, but they were no match for the chorus of snores and snorts circulating among the 40 bunks. I was perfectly comfortable in my sleeping bag, but, alas, it was a night of very little sleep. Judging by the groggy eyes of the others in the morning, I was not alone with my sleeplessness.

The Descent

Departure time is 9am so the hut warden can get everything clean and tidy for the next group, so I started down the track. It was easy going most of the time, however, the sky did dribble some rain for fifteen minutes and for a while the stone steps were slippery. However, I made it down very quickly with a lighter backpack and huge sense of accomplishment.

Despite the sleepless night, I enjoyed the hike and the hut experience as it was a great way to meet interesting people. Most of all, I love that New Zealand huts give access to stunningly beautiful scenery, and I look forward to doing more hut trips so I can see more of what this beautiful country has tucked away out of sight.

All in all, I guess my sleeping bag was a good-choice purchase!