The Dusky Track | New Zealand's toughest trek, by Phoebe Anderson

Here's a link to the full video. 

The Dusky Track is considered New Zealand's toughest marked trek, spanning 110 km through Fiordland National Park. The region receives a staggering 7 meters of rain per year (seven times the amount of Washington or the United Kingdom.) This turns a fairly straightforward trek into a bit of a mission.

To walk the Dusky, one must be prepared for knee deep mud, waist (or sometimes neck) deep river crossings, and constant rain. However, the lush greenery of this remote location and the staggering mountain views from the passes makes all the stumbling and sinking and swearing worth it.

BEWARE: The bridge at the Seaforth river crossing was washed away at the beginning of 2020. After a day of heavy rainfall, the river swelled to 30 meters wide and 5 meters deep with a swift flowing current. The shelter on the Pleasant Range Pass side is primitive, and as a result, our team decided to build a raft for our packs and swim the river the reach Loch Maree Hut instead. We only just made it. Long story short: don't underestimate the Dusky. 

Original content and video by Phoebe Anderson, featuring LOWA Ambassadors Robert Mads Anderson and Alexander Hillary. Also featured are Lily Hillary and Myles Anderson.

Photos by Lily Hillary and Alexander Hillary.