Benmore 29th September 2002

Uncle Roddus Tramping diary : Tramp No.12

Benmore 29th September 2002

Another club trip this time to Mt Benmore behind lake Lyndon  in the range which carries it's name. Benmore is pretty much open travel with no bush, just light scrub and tussock. The earlier brilliant spring weather had gone to be replaced with cool wind and light rain. We headed up the northern ridge heading east  along the top after a good grunt up.Had lunch at a rock outcrop and as the weather closed in most of the party turned back. Four of us continued on up to the summit for another hours travel in the rain and then headed straight back down the way we came. Fortunately the wind stayed light so it may have been a bit wet but wasn't too cold.

Mt Richardson 21st September 2002

Uncle Roddus Tramping diary: tramp No. 11

Mt Richardson(Again) 21st September 2002

This time it was a club trip and we were suppose to do the Warfdale track, which is very near here and I hadn't yet walked it. The change of plan came about because the nor'wester was very strong and the rain band looked like it was dumping on the Warfdale, so the leader decided to do Richardson. 

Not much to say about this except that when we got to the top a couple of the group wanted to do the loop and the rest of us didn't with the wind the way it was and it was pretty cold, I also had got a head cold so didn't feel so good and just went back down the way we had come.

Mt Grey 15th September 2002

Uncle Roddus Tramping diary: Tramp No.10

Mt Grey 15th September 2002

Yet another of the local foot hills on yet another perfect spring day, for the last of my solo trips bagging the 4 near tops. Left the Grey picnic area on Okuku rd around 10AM and headed up the Red Beech track following the Grey River untill crossing it by the Scott's Rd track junction before heading up the ridge to take me the back route onto Mt Grey. A nice track with some excellent views of the area behind Grey nearer the top. reached the summit in 2 & 3/4 hours and had lunch in the perfect conditions  with great views of the Canterbury plains. I had mucked around on Mt Gray a few times in my younger days, mainly coming up from lake Janet, so I had never done the loop. The last time I had been up there was after the big snow of 92' when the snow was waste deep and it was hard going and we didn't make it to the top. After lunch I headed down the Grey track, a very winding track through lovely forest and reached the car in 1 hour 20 minutes. My diary states it was an inspiring walk.

Mt Thomas 8th September 2002

Uncle Roddus Tramping diary: Tramp no. 9

Mt Thomas 8th September 2002

We were having such a great spring that year as another fine warm day greeted me on another of the local mountains hereabouts and a revisit to the mt Thomas area, the scene of Tramp No.1 nearly two years ago.

This was my first trip actually up onto Mt Thomas itself as I headed again up the Wooded gully track to make the junction of No's 1 & 2 tracks. This time I headed east up onto Mt Thomas and made the summit in 2 hours.

Came back down the No.1 track through the pine forest, the lower half of which had recently been logged, so was difficult to know where the track was and not a pretty sight either. This track was pretty steep. Made the car from the summit in just over 1 hour so a relatively short walk and again a solo effort.

Mt Richardson 1st September 2002

Uncle Roddus Tramping diary: Tramp No. 8

Mt Richardson 1st September 2002

Third weekend in a row out tramping, unheard of. This is the second tramp in the local area, with Richardson being a low peak overlooking Glentiu and lees Valley. Starts from the Glentiu Picnic area and passes a small waterfall before a steep climb up through the beech forest. Left the Picnic area around 12PM and got to the top in 1 and 1/2 hours. Admired the views but the nor'west was becoming quite strong. Headed east along the Blowhard track through open tussock and old burnt tree stumps trying not get blown off the hill. Dropped down the bypass track to complete the loop back to the car. The wind was getting dangerously strong and I had to stay very alert for falling branches or trees. Arrived back at the car at 3:20pm.