Hiking the Hooker Valley Track | Mount Cook National Park, NZ

At only 10 KM return and gaining ~100 m in elevation, this stunning track can be completed by walkers with a wide range of fitness levels. Checkout all the gear we use here: https://linktr.ee/chrisanddanya Length: 10.6 KM return Duration: ~3 hours Date walked: February 2022 The Hooker Valley Track is the most popular short day walk within the Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park in New Zealand. From the first of three swing bridges along the way, enjoy the views over the Mueller Lake and listen for the rumbling of avalanches from the distant Mount Sefton. You may be able to spot them before they crash into the Mueller Glacier below. After crossing the Hooker River, the track goes between old moraine ridges and humps. From the second swing bridge, the vegetation changes to more open tussock and a wider valley floor. The second swingbridge in the Hooker Valley was severely damaged during a storm in March 2019. There is erosion on both sides of the bridge which affects its structural integrity during high winds. Engineers have determined the bridge is completely safe when not affected by strong winds and flood events. A third swing bridge then leads to the East Hooker and the source of the Hooker River. The track ends with an amazing view over the iceberg-speckled Hooker Lake and up to majestic Aoraki/Mount Cook and the Southern Alps/Kā Tiritiri o te Moana. More info on the track: https://www.doc.govt.nz/hooker-valley... https://www.alltrails.com/trail/new-z... https://nztraveltips.com/hooker-valle... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hooker_... Our hiking gear: Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 Freetanding Tent - https://amzn.to/4hvxZuR Durston X-Mid 2 Trekking Pole Tent - https://bit.ly/DurstonXMid2 Osprey Eja 48L (Danya's Pack) - https://amzn.to/41PUUvp Osprey Exos 48L (Chris' Pack) - https://amzn.to/4hzfoht Thermarest NeoAir XLite (Danya's Sleeping Pad) - https://amzn.to/41vQHN3 Exped 5R Mummy LW (Chris' Sleeping Pad) - https://bit.ly/Exped5R EE Renegade Quilt (Chris' Quilt) - https://bit.ly/4bSmexn EE Engima Quilt (Danya's Quilt) - https://bit.ly/4i6d036 *See full list here - https://tr.ee/UkOoy9 Our camera gear: Panasonic GH6 Micro Four Thirds Camera - https://amzn.to/3FK3OTq Panasonic 12-60mm f2.8-4 Lens - https://amzn.to/41Jj0HO Panasonic 50-200mm f2.8-4 Lens - https://amzn.to/41rPYfT Panasonic 9mm f1.7 Lens - https://amzn.to/4ixqK6R GoPro Hero 10 - https://amzn.to/4kyMEIH Peak Design Capture Clip v3 (to carry camera) - https://amzn.to/426huAW DJI Mini 4 Pro Drone - https://amzn.to/3R9Rr5F *See full list here - https://tr.ee/8aJxNv Note: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases on affiliate links. #chrisanddanya