We woke up in the mountains. Mike was actually up first this morning at 6.30 am to watch the sunrise. It was gorgeous. 

Then the cows with their bells came down the hill with their dog. This is a really cool thing I didn’t know about. In Spain, they raise a dog with the herd, so that they bond. Then the dog spends its life hanging out with the cows and keeping an eye on them, mainly to protect them from wolves. We’ve seen a few herds like this with a dog keeping an eye on them. It’s neat.

Im actually not sure who is in charge. Do the cows just go where they want and the dog follows? Or does the dog tell them where they need to go? And how do they even know where to go? Guess they are just wandering nomads like us.

I thought we were at the summit of the pass, but I’d seen a road that goes even higher. So up we went. It was actually nerve wracking, a very narrow road with a sheer drop off at the edge. But the view from the top was amazing! A massive mountain range spread out in front of us, with jagged bits and pockets of snow.

I saw a couple getting ready for a hike, so I asked them about it, using the very little Spanish I know. They said it was 3-4 hours long, and it was facil. I couldn’t remember if facil was easy or hard, but we thought we’d follow them.

We trudged up this steep hill and I found myself puffing. I don’t usually puff on hills. But then I realised we were up a mountain at altitude. We walked as far as a viewpoint and wow. An even better view of the jagged mountains, and the mist sitting in the valley below.

Then we moved on. It was lucky we stopped where we did, because I was able to research our route, and there was a much better way. Just when I thought we’d seen the best scenery, it got even better. We drove through mountainous gorges with rocks and jagged peaks. I can’t really describe how amazing it was so you’ll have to wait for the video.

Then we turned off onto a road that turned proper narrow. There was a sign saying no motorhomes, but we’re not a motorhome, we’re technically just a van. So we went for it. I found myself gripping the edge of my seat at times as we went around corners, worried there might be someone coming the other way. 

And if I thought the first bit was narrow, it got even worse. A sheer cliff on one side, and a wooden fence on the other, and a steep drop into the river below. Imagine Karangahake gorge with a single lane with no room for passing. I was literally holding my breath as we drove through. If we met someone coming the other way, one of us would have had to reverse. And that would not have been Mike!

Thankfully we didn’t meet anyone. But at the end was a beautiful village called Cain, surrounded by the mountains. There was a gorge walk I wanted to do here. But, unfortunately, everyone else had the same idea.

It was a Saturday and all the walkers were out. And there was nowhere to park. Who woulda thought after that thankfully quiet drive in, that there would be so many people! It’s a very popular area for through-hiking and I think it would be spectacular to do a multi-day hike here.

After that, we kept on driving through the mountains. Eventually we found a beautiful spot to stop for the night. It was also at 1600m, and had incredible views over the mountains. It was just a large pull-off next to the road, but there was barely any traffic. I checked the weather forecast and there was no torrential rain or winds forecast, so we thought perfect. It also mentioned mist, but I thought a bit of mist would make it moody.

But then, around 7pm, the fog started rolling in thick and fast. It looked freaky, and I didn’t like the idea of getting stuck up on the mountain in thick fog. Plus our beautiful view would be ruined. So we headed down and found a parking place in a town for the night.

Oh, and when I got some internet to check facil, it means easy.