Mid Year at Arthur's Pass
by Eric Duggan
Saturday July 9 at about 8.30 pm the bus dropped my group of June, Ben, Peter, and Richard off at the bridge over the Waimakariri River just past the Bealey Pub. It was a bit of a slog in the dark up the track next to the Waimakariri and we got into Anti-Crow Hut around 10.30 pm in time for a late dinner. There were a couple of hunter's staying at the hut but they didn't mind us keeping them awake with our meal.
The next morning was fine and cold but not too bad considering it was July. Past the Anti-Crow River we descended to the Waimakariri for the first of many cold crossings. Once we reached the sun in the upper valley we stopped for a break and to admire the scenery. The Southern Alps are very impressive at the head of the Waimakariri although all the early season snow had gone and it looked more like a spring coating. It meant no problems for our planned route over to the West Coast, back over Harman Pass and then up to Barker Hut for some climbing.
We left Richie at Carrington and headed up the Waimakariri, with the plan to meet him on Wednesday and go too Barker Hut. The Upper Waimakariri is quite different from the river lower down as here it is a small alpine stream. The scenery is stunning with great view up onto the slopes of Rolleston. Travel further up would be difficult in heavy snow but all we had to worry about was slippery iced up boulders. We didn't encounter any snow until some patches just below Waimakariri Falls Hut, the continuous snow started just above the hut.
Waimak Falls Hut is in a stunning location, a definite 9 out of 10 score. There are great views down valley and across to Mt Murchison, up valley too Waimak Col, and the Main Divide on one side of the valley and Rolleston on the other. That night was Pete's 21st so Ben cooked up a superb meal followed by a great dessert and cake. It was also good to get on the mountain radio and have a talk to the other groups.
Monday was overcast and gray as we headed up from the hut towards Waimak Col. The Waimak River descends through a small gorge above the hut and here we put on crampons and climbed the slopes above it to avoid this obstacle. Above here Ben had some problems with the club crampons but luckily June had a repair kit with her.
We didn't actually climb to the col but sidled round to the side of it, the same route you follow down to the Rolleston River. From here we headed west and climbed up snow slopes towards Mt Armstrong. The cloud was quite thick here and the visibility wasn't too good. But once we got onto the Main Divide it was clear and we could look over into the head of Hunts Creek on the West Coast, our destination for the night.
After a quick recce onto Armstrong we descended a steep couloir down towards Hunts Creek. We went one at a time and because of heavy packs down climbed it by front pointing inwards. This took a bit of time going one at a time and we had some fun with rock fall knocking over June and also nearly taking out my pack. Luckily no one was hurt although June was a bit shaken, better than when she's stirred though.
We stopped for lunch in a snow basin at the head of Hunts Creek, a lovely scenic spot. It was a straightforward descent down into Hunts Creek and travel along the bottom of this was made easier up the top of it by large patches of snow. We had good views of the Kelly Range, which was all but bare of snow after a covering of a meter a month ago (according to the Arthur's Pass Mountaineering website).
We stopped for the night about ¼ of the way down the valley and used our tents for the first and only time. We had a great night sitting in the valley floor eating our meal and going to bed once it got dark. It was great to be away from work and camping in a West Coast Valley on a Monday night.
We woke the next morning to steady drizzle and a steep Climb up onto Hunts Ridge. We were a bit confused about where we were up on the ridge but soon found the route down into Dry Creek. This turned out to be very rough with lots of boulders and fallen logs. At one point we could see the Taipo River just below us but it was another hour before we got down to it and stopped for lunch.
It was a walk of about an hour and a half up to Julia Hut where we stayed for the night. Peter, Ben and I followed the route down to the river and the natural hot springs next to the Taipo River. They were quite warm and we tried in vain to bail in cold water from the river. They were very relaxing to soak in though.
It was raining steadily on Wednesday morning as we headed up Mary Creek towards Harman Pass. We had been on the radio with Richie the night before and planned to meet him at the Clough Cableway on the White River. He was going to wait several hours and return to Carrington Hut if we didn't turn up in time.
It was very overcast and misty but travel was easier up the lower reaches of Mary Creek. However near the top at a fork in the creek we followed some poles, which were on a terrace above the creek. We continued past these and onto a steep slope into the mist, which we assumed led to the pass. However at the top of this on one side was a sheer drop and we were forced to climb up through crumbly loose scree slopes, which threatened to give way. At one stage you had to lay back on a boulder, which was about to come loose and then kick steps into loose clay as you held on to tussock above you. We did all this one at a time and it was quite late by the time we got to the top.
It turned out we were northeast of the pass and had to traverse back to it, where we stopped for lunch just below it in the head of the Taipoiti River. We were meant to be with Richie already but raced down the river catching him just after 3pm as he was about to head back to Carrington. He has his full pack with him so we decided to charge onto Barker Hut although it would mean arriving well after dark.
The lower White River was easy travel but it was a bit of a scramble further up climbing up loose terraces onto the remains of a track. Barker Hut sits on top of a big rock outcrop at the head of the river. The track takes you down into a little gorge and then up and under the outcrop. We hit patches of snow here, which luckily weren't frozen. Just before the hut we reached the continuous snow. It was a bit of grunt the last bit as we were struggling to arrive in time for the radio sked, which we just made.
Barker Hut is another excellent location, in a real alpine setting and a very warm and comfortable abode. The forecast was for good weather the next couple of days so we looked forward to Mt Murchison the next day.
Semi-frozen boots the next morning weren't too nice as we headed up behind the hut for Murchison. It didn't take long to hit the sun and it was soon hot work slogging up the White Glacier. Kahutea Col was a bit exposed and very cold in the wind so we ducked round the back and up a steep slope onto the flanks of Murchison. A horrible sastrugi encrusted ridge cut off the summit, so we flagged it away.
It was back down to the col for pictures and to enjoy the views south too Mt Cook and north over Arthur's Pass. Mt Harper, the destination for the next day looked especially appealing. We raced back down the White Glacier and were back on the hut balcony before lunch. This meant we were able to dry our boots and socks in the sun and also the wet tents. Since we had nothing else to do we decided to have a cooked lunch and spend the afternoon playing 500.
That night was drama on the radio as we heard about Kathryn's ankle and all the behind the scenes action from the Mountain Radio men.
We were up again early next morning and headed directly across from the hut and up the couloir to White Col, nowhere near as steep as it looked. Ben had decided to stay behind and do the dishes as he wasn't too keen on the look of Harper. Dry boots certainly made a big difference from the day before. From the col we climbed a little rock step and sidled round into the shade and onto some very icy slopes. This didn't look too good so we decided to traverse the bump next to White Col instead and we were back at the hut for another cooked lunch. This consisted of everything Richie had left for dinner and set like glue in our stomachs.
As we played 500 again that afternoon and June read her book I kept on heading outside and having a look at Harper. It was such a nice afternoon that in the end Richie, Ben, and I had to go for it leaving at about 3.15 pm. It was only 15 minutes to White Col and then up the rock step. From here we went straight up the ridge, which had one small section of steep two-tool front pointing before flattening out into a walk again.
From the ridge we headed round into a basin and then up steep snow slopes towards the top. Ben decided to stop here while Richie and I continued round the ridge to the summit. However the ridge was all ice encrusted like on Murchison so we traversed under it on steep and thin snow cover before getting onto the ridge again and onto the summit just after 5 pm. Not before Richie's club crampons decided to try and detach themselves half way across the traverse though. There were great views down into the Waimak River with the setting sun above it. In the couple of minutes the sun had been off the slope the snow had hardened up a lot. Once safely off the top we literally ran down to just above White Col, descending 400m in 15 minutes. Further crampons problems held us up and we down climbed the steep part just as it got dark. It was a bit longer back to the hut as once again Richie's crampons kept on slipping off. We were back just in time for the sked so missed out on June and Peter telling everyone what heroes we were still being out climbing in the dark.
We got up the earliest all trip on Saturday with Ben dragging us down the valley for the rugby, no doubt ?? Strangely enough it seemed warmer in the White Valley early in the morning than down at the Waimak for lunch. This time we stuck to the middle of the riverbed and made good time on the big slog back to the main road. We passed under the bridge rather than risk traffic on the road and emerged up at the pub at about 3pm.
Adrian's group was already at the pub so we settled in for pool and beer drinking while we waited for the rugby at 10 pm. We were the only one's there besides a few random's but soon Caroline and Dave's group arrived including a hobbling Kathryn much to the delight of Ben. Hannah, Tess, and Anna arrived a bit later after deciding to walk down from Arthur's Pass. Only Chris' group didn't make it.
It turned out to be a classic night with Pete and I ruling the pool table for a long time. The black singlet turned out to be handy in jumping the queue at the bar. I had a good conversation with some snow boarders and some hunters. Then there was the crazy Reinhold Messner look alike American at the bar, fresh from his solo ascent of Avalanche Peak. He wanted to know if we had skied Harper or not. "Hey man, did you guys ski Harper" he said, "I hear Camp Spur is good". We had to let him down but Richie enthused him with talk of the good skiing up in Khandallah and Wadestown in Wellington. It was also a good win for the All Blacks.
The next morning we all had a big cook up at the Pub after camping down outside their chalets. I think Ben might have had a bit too drink as he wasn't looking too good.
It's a good place Arthur's Pass and in a real winter our trip would have been a real mission.
|