Other formats

    Adobe Portable Document Format file (facsimile images)   TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

Heels 1963

An Account of Christmas Wanderings

page break

An Account of Christmas Wanderings

During the 2nd week of this year Geoff Norris, Steve Reid and I (Peter Barry) sped southwards through Central Otago (for the "fruit") past Lake Wakatipu to arrive at the N.Z.A.C. Hut at Homer, just 12 miles short of Milford, on the 11th of January. Geoff and Steve had just spent 2 weeks tramping in the Spensers. Our journey south in Geoff's venerable old Wolseley was heralded by a cold southerly depositing snow on the hills just above us. However we arrived at Homer to enjoy a week's absolutely glorious fine weather.(For once it didn't rain in New Zealand's wettest clime.) We intended to do some climbing and tramping in the Darran. Mountains which are immediately to the north and east of Milford Sound. The area (including the Hollyford) is noted for its steepness, glaciation, and extremely good rock for climbing on (firm, hard, rough diorite). The things that impress one are the fantastic bluffs and the steep, inaccessible - looking peaks. The grandeur of the place is certainly not subtle.

The next morning we walked the 11 miles to the Tutoko River (as Geoff's car's lights wouldn't go when we were in the Homer Tunnel.) The tourists were in no way helpful: - only "the sights I see when I haven't got a camera!" The trip up the Tutoko valley in the cool of the late afternoon was very pleasant indeed. It is a botanist's paradise, as the deer have not yet infiltrated. However the climb up the steep slopes to Turner's Bivvy rock in the heat of the following day was anything but pleasant. But to watch the sun set over the Tasman sea behind Mt. Grave and to admire the mighty Mt. Tutoko, the "Monarch of Fiordland", towering above was indeed compensation.

The following morning we left, unashamedly, at 11.00 for Mt. Madeline, the summit of which was reached at 4.00 p.m. after an enjoyable climb. We ate lunch while admiring the jumble of peaks visible in almost all directions, from Aspiring to Mitre Peak, with Tutoko dominating the view to the north.

Mt. Syme, a lesser peak, was climbed the next day and another lazy day was spent admiring the view. This Time it was the almost unvisited Lake Turner and its outlet of a 1200ft waterfall.

Time, food, and energy now running short we took off for the main Tutoko valley, spending an hour crossing the high glacial stream, Leader "Creek". From here we shot back to Homer, making a 2-mile detour to Milford for a beer.

By this time the rest of the party had arrived early on the morning of the 17th (2a.m. in fact). Janice de Lisle, Linda Redmond, Ann Walls and Fraser Walls (poor fella) had arrived after an eventful trip in Fraser's even more venerable Dodge. The seven of us spent a few days climbing (to get fit) and then toddled off for 5 week's tramping in the Olivine area.

Among the preliminaries we climbed Talbot and Macpherson (a traverse), two impressive though easy peaks in the upper Hollyford. Two days later we took full packs up on to a sub-sidiary peak, Barrier Knob, from which five of us climbed Barrier and Marian while Linda and Fraser went off down the Gifford Crack to the head of Lake Adelaide. (This is tramping of a high order.)

page break

The balance of the party returned and set off to follow, but due to the lateness of the hour and the rising wetness of the air we were forced to spend "the most miserable night I have ever spent" on an exposed ledge above the lake with no tent. Two inches of snow fell about us making the Gifford Crack impossible to descend. Hence we painfully dragged ourselves over Barrier Knob and so back to Homer. Fraser and Linda had spent the night in a comfortable bivvy rock, (isn't it amazing how people always get waylaid in pairs?) They arrived back via Moraine Creek and the Hollyford road that evening and the now reunited party celebrated with a bottle of cherry wine. The snow had put the peaks out of condition so the next two days were spent packing, sorting food and washing (for girls). So it was on the, 23rd of January that we left for the Olivines under a glowering black sky; weather which was to stay with us for most of the time.

And so farewell to one of the finest climbing areas in New Zealand.

P.J.B.