A certain thrill comes with completing a trip you’ve eyed up for decades. For me, this was the Ball Pass Crossing. The Ball Pass Crossing guided trek from Alpine Recreation – a three-day, two-night traverse of the Mount Cook Range in Aoraki National Park – is one of their flagship offerings. We were six in total – four clients and two guides. But why go guided when Aotearoa’s vast conservation estate is free to roam, at will? There are numerous reasons, which I will explore in this piece. Fundamentally, this trip provided the assurance I needed for my first foray…