At first, it was a little overwhelming that I ran my first 50k on New Zealand's Paproa Track merely 15 months ago. Now, with this run of the Kepler Track, these long-distance runs are becoming far less daunting and are more enjoyable each time. The challenge of making it this far in a day feels akin to the challenge I seek out during the climbing season. Only now I have a way to continue the pursuit of excessive accomplishment throughout the year.
Since we had to make the 8-hour drive from Christchurch after a day of work, we attempted to make the entire trek but ended up having to sleep on the side of the road so that we would avoid falling asleep behind the wheel. Despite our minor pit stop, we still managed to head off on the Kepler Track by 8:30 in the morning.
The first 5k of the track is a perfect warm-up. The track winds gently through the trees along the lake shore, allowing plenty of time for my legs to warm up. After beginning a new labor-intensive job over the previous few weeks, I was not sure how this run would go, but the easy start gave me a substantial boost in motivation.
After reaching the Brod Bay campground, the climb up to the main ridge, which the Kepler track follows, was a steep 1200 meters. My motivation dropped after only about a hundred meters of gain. But as I mentioned in my YouTube video of the Kepler Track, my motivation quickly went through the roof after seeing some backpackers ahead of me. Over the past few years, my motivation to stroll through the woods with a massive pack has diminished. Frankly, these quick runs through a track with the promise of a comfy bed in the evening seem far more appealing.
At any rate, the steep climb up this first hill would be the crux of our day as it is in thick tree cover and has little to no reprieve throughout the ascent.
Finally breaking through the tree cover, I was overjoyed to see that we would get some decent views for the day. The weather forecast kept changing the entire time we were planning our trip. Anyone who has hiked in the Fiordland area of New Zealand knows that even a hint of bad weather can turn into a very wet day out. I learned that during my first trip to Fiordland on the .
The next few kilometers went by quickly as we ran toward Luxmore Hut, which we reached in about 2.5 hours.
With our first real rest stop of the day at Luxmore hut behind us, we began the run of the ridge line that dominates the majority of the Kepler track. With sweeping views out over Fiordland and the swirl of low-lying clouds dominating the day, there was plenty to keep my mind busy and my legs moving.
About 45 minutes after leaving Luxmore hut on the Kepler Track, we encountered a sign for the climb of Mount Luxmore. While I had already decided early in the day that I would not be ascending mountains during our run, the sign along Kepler track proclaimed that it was a mere 10-minute walk to the top. How could I possibly pass up a 10-minute summit bid?
After returning to the main track, the next few hours continued with a run down the ridge line with sweeping views of the surrounding Fiordland National Park. No matter how many flowery words I try to string together, I can never describe the scenery.
Unfortunately, after 5.5 hours, we reached the end of the ridge and began our descent down to the Iris Burn hut. With the views behind us, I felt like the rest of the day might become a bit dull as we jogged the final 30km or so back to our van. But luckily, that was not to be the case.
While not nearly as impressive as the views along the ridge, the run through the valley was a pleasant jog through a thick forest laden with ferns, creeks, and small waterfalls.
Though I am becoming better at running these long distances, by the final 5k, my legs had had enough. So, we ended up walking most of the remaining track back to our van to enjoy a well deserved burger.
