I woke up around 8 and made my breakfast in the hut's kitchen. Most everyone had left by then and I wasn't sure if I wanted to hike 50 minutes to the Pinnacles since the clouds and fog were really low and there wouldn't be that great of a view up there. I hung out around the hut, kind of waiting for the low ceiling to lift. I met a couple from Switzerland who had just arrived at the hut. They were very nice and told me they had just been to Alaska this last summer in which they toured up to Denali and down to Homer, Seward, and Valdez. We were also talking with a girl from Germany but her parents are Greek and Ecuadorean.
By now, the skies cleared up and at different times, the four of us headed up to the Pinnacles. It began with many sets of stairs and then once you reached the rocks, there was a vertical, metal ladder. After that, it turned into rock climbing but a few of the rocks had metal rungs screwed into them for easier climbing. It was VERY windy up top, like you better have your hat on tight. It was a great view from up there, you had good views of the mountains, other rock formations, the city far away, and grassy pastures. The Pinnacles themselves were pretty neat, but it was hard to get a good picture because once you're up there, you're right on top of them. I did my best and tried not to get blown away by the wind. The German girl and I chatted while sitting beyond the preferred viewing platform, over the guide wire, and on the Pinnacles themselves. I eventually headed down.
I packed up my stuff and left the hut. I made it to the hydrocamp whilst being careful descending on slippery wet rocks. I made it there in about a half hour. I kept going down and down the valley. More slippery rocks and steps in the lush forest. The majority of the steps on this hike aren't manmade wooden stairs, they're steps that the men back in the day chiseled out of the big rocks. They did this so the pack horses could more easily climb up into the valley. The horses hooves also wore down the rock. But most of the steps are almost perfect, it's pretty neat.
I went across a few swing bridges on my way out which were kind of sketchy and only one person could be on them at a time. The hike was almost over as the main trail in the jungle turned into more of a gravel path. I finally crossed the last bridge, the bridge I should've came to first thing last night instead of going the wrong way! Oh well I guess. I made it to my car and was so happy everything turned out okay.
I drove back into Thames and continued on to Hamilton. I found a holiday park, set up camp, then called the family.
