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.