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Aspirations

- Simon Davis & Bruce (the pen is mightier than the iceaxe) Wilson

A last minute decision -"Let's go to Aspiring".

Slightly hysterical planning and packing,torn from the arms of comfort on Christmas Day to swelter in a cheap hotel above the Square,wave goodbye to Brian, Phil and party en route to Arthur's Pass,a couple of buses driving us deeper into nasty weather,to Wanaka,sombre and Boxing-Day empty. The taxi dumps us at 6.30 in a torrential downpour and lightning storm several miles short of the end of the Matukituki valley road - streams are already running over it. Plod to Cascade Hut with 70lb packs,link-up to cross ditches,collapse and wait for dinner to cook,9.30.

Finer next day,and easy up the flats to Shovel Flat and the climb up French Ridge - an embarassingly steep,slabby and grunty track. Progress is slow and painful ;the 2 huts a pleasant,early surprise. 14 sweaty,slothful bods in the new hut,so we stay by ourselves in the old one. Up into the snow next morning in clearing cloud,footprints up to the Quarterdeck - magnificent,breath-catching view of Aspiring across the enormous Bonar Glacier;black,speckled south face, graceful south- and north-west ridges,long and jagged Coxcomb. We fluff around roping up for glacier travel,totally unnecessary,but we're a bit overcome by the occasion. Find a site for the snowcave on the steep face of Mt French,and dig,dig, dig. Late evening;two Southlanders from Cascade Hut arrive tired and sunburnt and dig-in alongside in a snowplough flurry;a procession of Aspiring conquistadors files back to the hut and we exchange greetings. Golden sunset.

Next day perfect - orientation time. Rope up and stolidly plod across the Bonar,45 minutes to the other side. Up easy slopes toward Pope's Nose,8830'. We get vertigo looking 3000' straight down into the Kitchener River,a branch of the East Matukituki. The other two return,bad weather coming. Cloud creeping across the glacier,so we follow suit.

Weather grotty again next morning - cold wind and cloud. The cloud does its fickle act,but the wind stays. Four Christchurchers pop in to say hello and share salami and bikkies with us. One of them dies a few days later on Earnslaw. The cave is comfy,pits warm,and much thick cocoa drunk.

Next morning more crud - light snow is falling and the two Southlanders (one of whom is Chris Hardiman's cousin!!)decide to leave. Discretion is the better part of valour,so we decide to follow them before tracks get covered. It's finer down at the hut,and a Mountain Recreation Course says a high is coming. We ponder,decide - have dinner,leave lots of gear,and race back to the cave to bivvy. Only 1½ hours instead of 3 this time.

New Year's Eve - cold as a witches tits and definitely no celebration with no pit and only hot cocoa to keep the brass monkey at bay. Fine at 2.30,all set to go by 5,psyched up for a New Year's Day climb,but no!! Hughey does a dirty, and it's all wind and clag again. Time's up - back to the hut. Three Japanese page 19are met marching up in the crud,and can't be persuaded that it's really not very nice up there. For something different we sidle into the head of the West Matukituki from French Ridge - easy and lovely. Flowers and herbs galore,misty cliffs and waterfalls, Simon's brand-new Falkners have to be tightly bound to keep the sole on,which stuffs his foot. Track easy,sandfly sandwiches at Pearl Flat, to Cascade Hut for dinner with fruitcake and Irish Mist as consolation. A ride to Wanaka in bright sun and home a day early - nothing climbed,not even Mt French, but a great experience.