Lord of the Rings page 5

On the way to Edoras (Mt. Sunday)

You have to ford three cold mountain streams on the hike to Edoras.  The water is not deep, but it is swift and COLD.  You take a change of socks & shoes, as well as a lunch when doing the trek to Edoras.  Notice you can't even see the mountain, much less the Alps because of the mists.

On top of Edoras (Mt. Sunday)

We finally made it! We are on top of Mt. Sunday, looking into the mist-covered valley.  Occasionally the mists would part, revealing the glory of the Southern Alps.

On top of Edoras (Mt. Sunday)

We took lunch on the sight of where the Golden Hall of Meduseld stood.  All that remained were a few scratches on the rocks from where the buildings were bolted to keep them from flying away in the wind.  Of course, when we were there, no wind.  Very pleasant.

Edoras (Mt. Sunday)

As we hiked down, the mists parted to reveal Edoras in all its glory.  Note the Southern Alps beginning to show through the lifting mists.  It was magical!  Now it's time to re-ford those 3 cold streams!

Mt. Potts Station (Southern Alps)

Coming back from Edoras, the mists had magically disappeared, allowing us to see the wild rivers.  Look closely in the middle of the blue river.  There are two black swans swimming.

Leaving Edoras (Mt. Sunday)

You can see the scale of Mt. Sunday (in the center) versus the height of the Southern Alps surrounding it.  Spectacular sight!  This was the highlight of my trip.

The Hermitage, Mt. Cook

This is the view from our room at The Hermitage Hotel on Mt. Cook, which is New Zealand's highest mountain.  That's it in the center right.  Wow!

Mt. Cook

This was taken from the restaurant at The Hermitage.  The sun was shinning on the mountain top, turning it rose, just like the shots of the mountains in the beginning of "The Two Towers."