A tale of adventure and misadventure: my 4-day solo hike into the headwaters of the Wilkin River

Back in early February (2026) I set out on a 4-day solo trip to explore Lakes Lucidus and Castalia, two alpine gems located in the north branch of the Wilkin River, Mt Aspiring National Park, New Zealand. The trip had it all: stunning mountain scenery, beautiful weather (well, for 3 of the 4 days), and barely a soul to be seen. Among the many highlights, I witnessed a huge chunk of glacier fall into Lucidus Lake. And, although there weren’t many lowlights, losing my Osmo Pocket camera to the wilderness – along with over an hour of video footage from this trip (and another hike) – was a bit of a downer. Thankfully, I was able to rescue a record of this hike through the footage captured with my other cameras. I hope you enjoy the video. As always, I appreciate any feedback in the comments and please fire away with any questions. 0:00 Introduction, maps and jet boat ride 2:47 Day 1 (to Top Forks) 6:39 Day 2 (Lucidus Lake) 9:14 Day 3 (Lake Castalia) 15:22 Day 4 (to Kerin Forks) #newzealand #photography #adventure