Isthmus Peak is a bit of a tough one to say, but the hike is really awesome and makes learning how to pronounce its name worth it. This was the first hike that we did in the Wanaka area and it is wedged in between Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea so you get great views of both lakes from the summit.

I’m not sure what the mountain in the photo is acutually called, but it is on the north end of Lake Hawea and my eye kept being pulled back to its dramatic face during the entire hike. At times, the mountains in the area around Wanaka can seem a bit bleak and colourless, but when you look at them more closely, you see how complex and intricate the terrain really is.

I always find that photos of the faces of mountains never look as great as you think that they will, but something about the scars and details in the face of this one bring the photo alive, and every time that I look at it I find myself scouring the ridges and valleys and thinking of how cool it would be to explore.