Glacier Burn Carpark

This is a challenging day hike which offers you opportunities to view native birdlife. After approximately hiking two hours walking through gorgeous forest you will arrive in Glacier Basin. If you follow the creek further up youll be treated to views of the Humboldt Mountains and the Glenorchy area. It is a very steep track. In 1964, Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart famously tried to explain hard-core pornography, or what is obscene, by saying,I know it when I see it. That analogy is similar to wind-chill and describing the sensation of hypothermia which is responsible for more deaths than avalanches in New Zealand. Your skin will become cold, numb and white, and you may start feel a tingling sensation.This stage of frostbite is known as frostnip. Characterized by tingling of extremities (fingers) and changes in your skin's color and texture. Red skin - initial stage White skin - middle stage Depending on your physical make up (age, height, weight, health and fitness), your metabolism is affected by those circumstances. As you age, you are more prone to poorer blood circulation. Generally, the reason why older people experience the sensation of feeling the colder first. The greater the windchill, the greater heat loss. Once the air temperature gets below 10 Celsius your metabolism has to do more to cope. For any given temperature (below blood heat) an increase in wind speed helps to drain heat from our body faster (the faster the air arrives and departs the more heat it takes away). Wind chill is the term given to this factor. It was here at the glacial basin that the wind chill was most extreme, being Autumn and a beautiful blue-sky day which was surprising and shocking to say the least. I advise to get into a warmer area immediately, heading toward the treeline. It doesnt have to be the middle of winter to make cold weather a concern on your hiking trip. Getting wet on a cold day (rain) can possibly lead to hypothermia. Wearing cotton when it gets wet, it takes a very long time to dry. Plus you lose a lot of your heat through the top of your head, so a woollen winter hat and gloves wouldn't go amiss if youre feeling chilly. I cringe when I see what what overseas tourists wear, when they go hiking in NZ. Cotten T-shirt, jeans and sneakers. Totally unsuitable for the environment. Hypothermia is when your body loses more heat than it produces and your core body temperature drops. Stay safe.
May 5th, 2022

Absolutely idyllic New Zealand alpine bush. The bird life is excellent, many riroriro/grey warbler, ttpounamu/riflemen, pwakawaka/fantail, korimako/bellbird, toutouwai/robin. Worth it just for the birds I reckon! I built some cairns past the bush line as the trail stops. Enjoy!
Jan 23rd, 2022

Favourite walk in the Glenorchy area. Essentially uphill for a couple of hours (dont try it if it is too hot). But beautiful glacial valley at the top, amazing views and a lovely cool stream, so worth it.
Sep 29th, 2021

Love scenery to enjoy
Sep 21st, 2021

(Translated by Google) Beautiful place. There is a certain degree of difficulty, there are many fallen trees on the road that need to be climbed, the path is quite narrow, and some places are relatively steep. Very interesting, it should be more beautiful in winter. It took me nearly 5 hours to complete, and it took 2 hours to get on board . (Actually, you can see the top of the mountain in 1 and a half hours, which is considered complete, but the last part depends on each person) There are different plants at different heights. It is recommended to climb once. (Original) Beautiful place. 52(1)
Sep 29th, 2020