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Heels 1981

Gardens, Gardens of Delight

Gardens, Gardens of Delight

Summertime,February,we were happily Humbering down the West Coast. Highway Six,Harihari,we're going to the Gardens! Remote ice plateaus of the Southern Alps, the Gardens of Allah and Eden;hidden peaks and rough river valleys. Geoff Spearpoint,Jane Forsyth,Kelvin Berryman and I started this 10-day trip in the Wanganui River north of Harihari,then spent a horrible day in steep wet bush,and another on tussock,snow and rocky tops before starting our sidle onto the Lambert neve.

We sidled Mt Lambert,saw the mighty Lord River,and crossed a small col onto the neve in the evening. Whiteout. It cleared,so we slept out,memories of moonlight on eerie crevasses.

Next day was our climbing day,sparkling snow,and so much space! Newton Peak, mountains and valleys spread below. Blue,white and black. The ice of Eden,the shingle of Canterbury,the jungle of Westland. We scampered down the Garden of Allah,with rope and iceaxe in a spooky evening light of grey. Past towering rock and splintered ice we went to camp on Adams Col. An idle day in camp,no other life on the snow and rock,only the expanse of smooth white and icey sky. No colour.

We wandered along the Garden of Eden,a shelf of sweeping curves,ice falling to the Perth. A visit to Little Unknown and Vertabrae Col,and we camp above Adverse Creek,Geoff climbing Great Unknown.

A misty descent of Adverse Creek - ice-worn rock,blue torrents,the scent of flowers. We cross the Perth and it's very low - travel not bad. River boulders,Scone Creek,grass flats,cattle track,the Whataroa,the road. Memories of the Gardens -distant peaks warm and orange,the Perth and south electric blue. Sneaking through the mountains with some friends.