Bealey Spur/Jordon Stream 14th September 2003

Uncle Roddus Tramping diary:Tramp No.24

Bealey Spur/Jordon Stream 14th September 2003

This was another trip I did with the CTC and below is the report I wrote that was posted on their web page.

And so it was that your humble scribe decided it was again time to get off my behind and venture out into the wilderness with those nice people from the CTC. After having to pull out of the trip to Tarn Hut the weekend before, I figured that a nice moderate day trip up Bealey spur with Bernard would be a good way to start getting back in shape for the summers tramping. Now because this scribe is not always the most motivated tramper, it had been some months since my last outing, and due to my complete abhorrence to any form of regular exercise outside of tramping I figured that a moderate trip would about be my limit. A quick glance at my topo map on the computer at the area to be tackled and I was sure that it would be no problem.
9:00 am Sunday and I met our party of 5 blokes and no women (!!) at Springfield as I usually do. Weather was slightly overcast, not too windy, with patchy rain on the way up, as it was to stay for most of the day. The usual confused car shuffle occurred at Bealey huts resulting in Bernard leaving his car at the Waimak bridge and myself taking us back to Bealey huts and a game of catch up to the others who were now 10-15 minutes ahead of us. With great gusto we set off up Bealey Spur, with myself setting a brisk pace (by my standards) in hot pursuit of the rest of our party.
We caught up with the rest of the crew at a lookout point with great views of Bruce Stream. It was at this point that we picked up our hitchhiker. When Bernard and I arrived, the guys were chatting with a young Japanese woman whose name sounded something like Ume. She was well equipped with cameras and was staying at Arthurs Pass. After a few photos of my own, and the donning of our precipitation protection apparatus, we set of for the Bealey hut, with Ume accompanying.
Considering that I was wearing a watch, I am not sure what time we arrived at the hut, but I was definitely lagging behind at this stage. At the hut we found the easy trip crew had beaten us to all the comfortable places inside the hut and so we were relegated to standing round outside, eating and having photos taken with Ume.
A quick lunch and Bernard is ready to go as he knows better than most of us that there is a way yet to go and the intention is to be out by 5:00pm. I am especially keen on this plan as I have a party to go to that night and wish to get away as soon as possible. Ume decides that she is going to continue along the spur with us, although she probably had no idea of where we were actually heading to. (Of course it turns out that I had no idea of where we were actually heading to either).
Now it is from this point on that we hit the snow, and it is with great gratitude and relief from this unfit scribe to our leader and Mike for making our lives so much easier that day (of course they were in front because no one else could keep up with them).
At about 2:30pm, with Ume still with us and merrily snapping away with all her cameras, Bernard stopped on a snowy peak looking down on Little Jordon stream and announced that we would have to adopt "Plan B".
"What's Plan B?" I asked.
"To start our descent from here." He replied.
"So what was Plan A.?" I inquired.
"To continue along this snow covered ridge to that high point along there and then travel down that long spur there, to that stream way down there." He pointed.
"Oh" I exclaimed, "Plan B sounds much better to me, are you sure that is a moderate trip?"

We walked back along the ridge a way, and then Bernard made his next announcement.

"We could just go straight back along this ridge the way we came or we could drop down along here somewhere and bushbash our way down to the river flat. I'm gonna bushbash, if you want we could split up and those who want to can travel back along the track. You can follow me, but I take no responsibility for where we are heading."

One thing I'll say for CTC members, they don't shy away from adventure, and so it was that a bushbashing we did go, in time honoured CTC fashion, with Ume still game enough (or mad enough) to stay with us no matter where we went.
A plunging we did go into the bush. A stumbling and a slipping. A crunching and a cursing. With an oching and a snagging, with cries of "rock" echoing across the river flat. Until just when I thought this descent would never end, a voice called out from the River flat:

"They must be CTC members to be mad enough to come down there!"

As we tumbled out of the bush, we were met by Keith Johnston and Pam, walking their dog and trying to find where we were going to come out.
Your unfit scribe was rather knackered by this time and struggled complainingly over the last small hill towards the car, unsure whether he would be able to still stand at the end, let alone go to this party that night. We took Ume back to her car and gave her a copy of the CTC newsletter. So maybe our hitchhiker may turn up on another CTC tramp sometime soon.
As for me, not only did I get to the party but I even danced half the night away. There's hope for me yet.

me, on Bealey Spur

Bealy hut, Lunch.

Power Stream

A nice bit of snow to keep us on our toes. It was soft though, didn't need crampons thank god, didn't bring any.

Power Stream again.

looking down the waimack river

The Bush bash

Ryde Falls 31st August 2003

Uncle Roddus Tramping diary:Tramp No.23

Ryde Falls 31st August 2003

Another trip to the falls, my third visit this calender year. A nice day and went with some friends. See below for photos of the Falls.

Hamilton Peak 22nd June 2003

Uncle Roddus Tramping diary:Tramp No. 22

Hamilton Peak 22nd June 2003

This was a trip I did with the Christchurch Tramping club and below is the trip report I wrote at the time which was posted on their web site.

It was a reasonably clear and dry Sunday morning as I met my fellow explorers at Springfield, lead by Captain Warwick, his advisor, First Officer Frank, and their crew of seven.
After the usual relief stop, pies and map consultation, we set off for Craigieburn Forest Parkland; our destination, Hamilton Peak.
We parked our horseless carriages at the Broken River ski field car park and climbed the access road through the luxurious resorts of the Broken River ski club. We then ploughed our way up the slopes of the ski field with first officer Frank doing a sterling job of making the rest of our lives easier in the snow. A stop at the top afforded awesome views of the snow capped Grey and Black Ranges. Jackets were donned to keep out the wind as we traveled along the ridge via Nervous Knob and onto Hamilton Peak.
After a very quick lunch, we descended down the spur towards Camp Saddle. Here we were introduced to the new Olympic sport of bum sliding, by Honora. And so several grown and mature adults(!!!) spent the good part of the next 45 minutes sliding down the slope in various contorted ways.
Captain Warwick trying the "Head first on stomach" method, Joanna trying the "Wanting to see where I've been" method and Frank and Honora going for the "Flat-out" method. I knew snow had a purpose. Much fun was had and it was with some reluctance that we left the snowy slopes and entered the bush track back to the car park.

Some of the vista from atop Hamilton peak

A quick stop to refuel

Looking along the Craigiburn Range

this is one of my favorite photos from this period.

I think this is looking down to Hamilton hut on the Cass saddle track.

I was there too.

A Photo

Some people Bum Sliding

Ryde Falls 25th May 2003

Uncle Roddus Tramping Diary:tramp No.21

Ryde Falls 25th May 2003

Didn't get out tramping again for several months for what ever reasons and this trip was a revisit to part of my

last trip(see below). A CTC trip this time with a leisurely jaunt back to Ryde Falls. See below for pictures of the falls.

Wharfedale Hut 1st-2nd febuary 2003

Uncle Roddus Tramping diary:Tramp No20

Wharfedale Hut 1st-2nd febuary 2003

The Wharfedale hut is located on the Wharfedale track, in the Oxford Forest, which is right on my backdoor step, so to speak.. A local friend and myself  did this nice easy trip on a fine and warm weekend way back when. It was originally our intention to head up to Black Hill hut. We left Coopers Creek fairly late, around 11am and headed in to the Ryde Falls for lunch, then linked onto the Wharfedale track about 2:30pm, obviously not travelling at too fast a pace, it was 5pm when we got to the Black hill track junction. We were both low on water and it being so hot we decided to go on to the Wharfedale  Hut instead of the steep climb up Black Hill.

A hot and sleepless night was spent at the hut with a lazy start on the Sunday with us leaving again around 11am.

 This time we climbed the track by the hut which took us onto Mt Oxford, where we had a pleasant lunch on the summit, without wind for a change. Dropped down the east ridge of the mountain back to Coopers Creek , arriving at the cars by 5pm.

Ryde Falls

Another shot of the falls, this lovley spot is only 2 hours walk from the Coopers Creek car park.

I may have been a bit overdressed for the heat that day.

Wharfedale Shelter interrior

Steve reading at the end of a 24km walk

The junction on the western ridge of Mt Oxford.

A beautiful day on the top.

A good specimen of a Totora tree. not many of them around here, mostly Beech trees.

Torless Traverse 25th January 2003

Uncle Roddus Tramping diary: Tramp No.19

Torlesse traverse 25th January 2003

 The tramping club had advertised this trip as far back as the Winterslow trip last December and I was keen or mad enough to give it a crack. Mt Torless and the torless range pretty much dominate the skyline to the west of my home and the idea of traversing the range appealed to me. We split into two parties, with the fittest three travelling northeast from porters pass and the rest of us driving up the long Caigiburn rd to climb the 800 odd meters up Bold hill and then travel southwest along the tops. We left the car at 9AM and climbed to the top of Bold Hill, has a quick breather before setting off along the ridge in the low clouds and snow drifts from the southerly that had blown through the day before. The leader commenting several times on the fact that there should never be any snow at all on the tops in late January. from Bold hill we still had another 700m of climbing to get to the top peaks, not to mention the ups and downs through red peak, the gap and foggy peak. All this climbing proved all too much for me as time was becoming a factor and as we has passed the others and swapped keys before we got to Back peak, it was decided we weren't gonna make it in  time so decided to bag Mt Torless Instead and head down the ridge to the kowhai hut and out along the river. i am sure that ridge coming off Torless is the longest ridge in the world. it sure felt like it. After finally getting to the bottom of  ridge it started to rain and I then discovered I had left my brand new rain coat in the car. 

One of the brief views we got of the Canterbury Plains

Looking west along some of the rest of the way still to go.

looking down the worlds longest ridge to the kowhai River.

Mt Gargarus 18th January 2003

Uncle Roddus Tramping diary: Tramp No.18

Mt Gargarus 18th January 2003

A good size group of 13 of us partook the long drive past Lake Coleridge  to Glenthorn station, where we parked the cars before making our assent of the 1655m  Mt Gargarus. Another stand alone mountain  which is a regular on the CTC itinerary. A fine mostly clear day promised us some great vistas after a 1000m slog up the hill from the saddle and we wernt disappointed. From memory we dropped back down through the Creeks on the Nor-west side and back to the cars. An enjoyable day.

A break at the saddle before the slog up the hill and believe me it was harder than it looked.

One of our party almost to the top proving that I wasn't last.

The views were very nice.

Lunchtime entertainment.

My old tramping getup before I got into all this fandangled Marino stuff. lake Coleridge in the Background.

Some more of those views.

Lake Colridge again with out the ugly bugger  blocking the view.

Purple Hill 11th January 2003

Uncle Roddus Tramping diary: Tramp No.17

Purple Hill 11th January 2003

 

This first tramp of 2003 was another club trip to purple Hill, which  is the lonely peak straddling the eastern shore of lake Pearson, on the way to Arthur's Pass. Six of us set off from the cars left by the lake at the end of the four wheel drive track in overcast but warm conditions. We traveled around the lake and up onto the saddle before the steep ascent. Took 2 & 1/2 hours to get onto the tops at which time we lunched before heading up to the summit. by this time we were in fog and light rain, so our stay was brief. we dropped straight down from the summit, down a good scree into the gut on the western side of the hill. then a bit of bush bashing and scrub bashing got us down to the lake where we basically waded around the bottom of the hill to avoid the Matogari. The last part of the trip was in steady rain back to the cars.

Scenes from part way up the hill before the clouds fell.

Another last look down

In the clag at the summit

 Wading round the lake before the rain came.

Mt Benmore 21st December 2002

Uncle Roddus Tramping diary: Tramp No. 16

Mt Benmore (again) 21st December 2002

My second attempt at this tramp in the past few months looked much more promising than the last attempt , with ten of us from The CTC leaving the cars at about 10am on a fine day. We crossed the flat and started up the hill following a farm track, a different way from last time but My memory fails to pinpoint exactly where we ascended. Had lunch at the mast station and then continued along the ridge, dropping down the spur at the other end. A pleasant but uneventful walk apart from the fuss made crossing a creek near the cars at the end of  the walk as every one still had dry feet and so all sorts of manoeuvres were concocted to try to keep feet dry, I just waded through no worries. No photos  for this one either.

Mt Winterslow 15th December 2002

Uncle Roddus Tramping diary: Tramp No.15

Mt Winterslow 15th December 2002

A group of about 10 of us from the CTC  headed off along Woolshed track for this epic trip way back in the summer of 02'. Left the cars around 10:40am on another glorious day to amble up through scrubby bush, pausing to check out the old coal mining site, before continuing on to the Woolshed Creek hut. All very open terrain with low scrub and tussock and a well formed track made for good travel. Had a break at the Woolshed Hut, which was an old musterers hut and has now been replaced with a large new DOC hut, complete with Warden and renamed the Mt Sommers Hut. A few minutes up stream was an old wooden structure which was used as a sauna. This now has been removed by DOC. My Guess is from the hut we crosses the stream and headed up the ridge on the true left of Woolshed Creek reaching the top just east of Peach Saddle. Along the tops we went finally reaching Winterslow point at 1700m and had a quick stop before heading back down the way we came untill we dropped off the tops at a scree slope, possibly from point 1625. This was my first Scree and I loved it. I believe we then linked up with Morgan stream and followed it back down to Woolshed hut arriving there around 6pm. The last part of this trip was back out along Woolshed track the same way we came in and we arrived back at the cars at 7:40 PM. I was exhausted, the longest day I had yet done. Around 25KM with a height gain of about 1200m. And finally I have photos.

 The entrance to the old mine site

 Looking down on Woolshed Hut

 A small gorge

 The Old Musters hut, now gone.

 The Sauna, also gone

 looking across to Mt Sommers

 Some Nice Views

 Me in my early tramping regalia

The wide open tops

Warfdale Track 23 November 2002

Uncle Roddus Tramping diary: Tramp No.14

Warfdale track 23 November 2002 

Still Sticking with the local tramping for this one, my first trip with my tramping buddy, Bryce, who had recently moved down from the North Island. Our Intention was to go up to Black Hill hut, but after talking with another fellow on the track it appeared to much to go there and back in  one day. Left View Hill around 9:40am on another perfect day and after a pleasant walk along the Warfdale, got to the Black hill junction about 12:30. After consulting the map we decided to head on to the Warfdale Shelter and have lunch. Left the shelter around 1:45pm and headed straight up the hill opposite the shelter which linked us back onto the track I had been on just the month before in the moss covered trees. The track was very steep and not too well formed in places so had to stay alert. got to the Mt Oxford junction and headed straight back down to the Warfdale and View hill, arriving at the car around 5PM. A good days walk.Apparently the Warfdale track follows a route that the old farmers use to use to drive cattle to and from Lees valley. A lot of this area is regenerating native forest.