Black Hill Hut-Salmon Creek - 26-28th December 2003

Uncle Roddus Tramping Diary: Tramp No.36

Black Hill Hut-Salmon Creek - 26-28th December 2003

A solo tramp I did with the original intention of  spending two nights at Black Hill Hut and spending the middle day heading along the tops to Chest peak and back.

  Left View hill on a warm and windy Boxing day and marched up to Black Hill Hut in 5.5 hours. Set up in the hut and was joined by another party of 4 about an hour later, including one 13 year old lad who didn't shut up the whole time they were there, for both nights. headed up onto Black Hill to enjoy the views and watch the sunset, wind was quite strong.

  A very windy night was had in the hut and it was still blowing strong in the morning, which prompted the decision to abandon any ideas of travelling along those exposed ridges in that wind and instead to drop down into Salmon Creek as Frank and Honora had recently re cut the track down. Dropped down to the Salmon Creek Biv in 1.5 hours and discovered the original hut book from 1984 had mention of Alan J, who had helped move it there at the time. I know Alan through his brother. From the Biv I travelled up stream, bolder hopping up a lovely creek with some nice pools and was sheltered nicely from the strong winds. I traveled up to where the old upper biv use to be, DOC having removed it a couple of years earlier, and tried to find the old track back up onto the ridge. I didn't find the track but the bush bash was fairly easy and one through that the route was easy to follow, I don't recall any poles along the ridge as marked on the map. The wind along the ridge heading back to Black Hill was rather strong and not that pleasant and had to be careful not to get blown over. Got back to the hut around 5:30pm and had to endure another night of endless chatter from the young bloke. Another very windy night was spent thinking the hut was going to blow off the hill.

 Got away about 9:30am the next day for the walk back to View Hill, which I managed in 4 hours.

Unfortunatly I can't find any photos from this trip.

Mt Somers - 20th December 2003

Uncle Roddus Tramping Diary: Tramp No 35

 Mt Somers - 20th December 2003

My first time up Mt Somers, on this popular local trip, with My friend Ulrich. We left the Sharplin Falls car park around 9:30am and headed up the usual way onto Staverly Hill via Hookys Knob. A moderately easy climb, we achieved the summit in just under three hours and enjoyed the views before it clouded in and got a bit colder.

We decided to try a loop trip and dropped off the Eastern side of the mountain, negotiating our way down through the rocky bluffs and connecting with the track about 1KM West of Pinnicles hut. Headed back out to the car park with a short detour to Sharplin Falls. Walked about 14KM in 7.5 hours and climbed about 1200M.

Following the poled route to the summit

This looks more spectacular than it actually was.

On the tops

looking down on the Planes.

Checking out the tops.

Some interesting Rocks.

Uncle Roddus on the top.

idiots in the mountains Part 3.

The big country out the back.

Near Staverly Hill.

On the Track from Pinnacles Hut

Sharplin Falls

Another picture out of sequence.

Broken River Hut - 13/14 December 2003

Uncle Roddus Tramping Diary: Tramp No.34

 Broken River Hut - 13/14 December 2003

This was a sort of impromptu trip with the Christchurch Tramping Club, as the original destination wasn't feasible due to weather conditions, but this little trip has stuck in my memory as a delightful weekend not just for the tramping but for the company I enjoyed. Frank and Honora were leading this trip and I had convinced My friend Bryce to come along as he had recently moved down from the North Island, Kerry I had tramped with on several occasions and Laure was the only member of this party I didn't know.

  We stayed at the Club Hut in Arthurs Pass on Friday night with the intention of going to Phiffer Biv on Saturday. Unfortunately, the forecast was for heavy rain about the divide with strong Nor west winds, a common scenario in this area. On Saturday Morning the picture wasn't too inviting and after a pow-wow, at Franks suggestion, we headed back East and up Cragiburn Road to Avoca to go to Broken River hut.

  This involved heading from the old Avoca hut along the old tramway to the old boiler, then a scramble down the old cable way to the river where we wombled pleasantly up stream, stopping for a quick swim in a nice pool, before heading to the Hut. We got to the hut by 3PM where we set up camp and then proceeded to relax in the lovely warm conditions and also relaxed in the river to cool down.

  The hut its self wasn't much to write home about and from memory was a bit dingy and with only four bunks, Bryce and myself slept in our tent. A very pleasant evening was enjoyed just hanging out and chatting.

  On Sunday it was back out down stream, but the expected winds had picked up and we got a bit blasted with grit and water before we reached the old Station woolsheds and house, near the Railway viaduct. Had lunch here and explored the old buildings before crossing the river and using the 4 wheel drive track to take us back to the cars. Arriving about 2PM. A pretty easy weekend but as I said, very enjoyable.

The old Avoca hut

Cragiburn Road

A breather in the heat just before Honora stripped naked and dived into the pool beside us, just so she wouldn't feel too self conscious(as if she would) Uncle Roddus followed suit soon after.

Relaxin' buy the hut.

The old boiler.

Avalanche Peak - 6-7th December 2003

Uncle Roddus Tramping diary:Tramp No 33

Avalanche Peak - 6-7th December 2003

A Classic Arthurs Pass trip, this was run by the Christchurch Tramping Club on which 11 of us spent Friday night at the Club hut before a late start on Saturday, waiting for the weather to clear. Left the hut late morning and started heading up Scotts track about 11am, catching up with some others of our group who left earlier. Had lunch before continuing on to Avalanche Peak, followed by a Kea. The day had cleared beautifully by the time we got to the summit, where we enjoyed the views, although it wasn't that warm up there, so our stay was short. Headed off along the ridge towards Mt Rolleston until we found the drop off point down to the Crow river from which we plunged down about 700M of  god awful scree leading us into the Crow river, then its just a short womble down stream to the new Crow hut.

Sunday was another fine day and we left the hut about 9am for a pleasant walk down the Crow valley before the last womble down the Waimak river to Klondyke Corner, in about 4 hours. Great trip and relatively easy.

View of Otira Highway from Scotts track

Getting up into the rocky stuff.

Our friendly Kea

Two Kea eyeing up Uncle Roddus's pack

On Avalanche Peak

About to head off to find the way down to the Crow Hut.

A rather had scree.

But I was last on and nearly first off.

View up th e Crow river to Mt Rolleston

Relaxin' at Crow Hut.

Another shot looking up steam of the Crow river.

A lovely day.

Mt Enys - 30th November 2003

Uncle Roddus Tramping Diary: Tramp No 32

Mt Enys - 30th November 2003

The black route marked on this map is NOT the route we took that day, that was a later and much harder trip.

Uncle Roddus's first long climb up this 2194M peak in the Cragiburn range with an accumulated height gain of around 1500M, this was on the harder end of the spectrum for me. Ten hardy CTC trampers left from the Memorial on the Olympic Skifield access road on a warm and blue sky day for the first slog up to the Knuckles, where we had out first scrog stop. Continuing up the ridge via points 1284 and 1461, we then had lunch at point 1714 before the last slog to the top, which we achieved about 3PM, with Uncle Roddus being the last one there. Of course being the last one up, entailed a very quick rest and feed before we were off again for the descent. Heading north along the ridge to about point 1964, we dropped down a good and long scree where we undid 5 hours climbing in about 20 minutes or less before hitting the road again for a 4 KM wombled back to the cars. Uncle Roddus appears to have forgotten his camera again for this trip but did get sent some photos from one of the other trampers.

Wait a minute... there is Uncle Roddus taking a photo in the background. I think this must have been one of the trips where I couldn't access the photos on the storage card and had to reformat the card to use it again, thus loosing all the pictures, happened a couple of times, my latest camera doesn't do this fortunately.

First scrog stop at the Knuckles, Mt Enys in the background.

Idiots in the mountains.

The Gap - 23 November 2003

Uncle Roddus Tramping Diary:Tramp No 31

The Gap 23 November 2003

Out with the CTC for a second day in a row and back in the same area for this trip along the Torlesse Range to the Gap. This time it was a stunning day as 8 of us headed up from Porters pass at about 9:30am, first climbing up to Foggy Peak and then onto Castle Hill, with a height gain of about 1056M. Had lunch at Castle Hill Peak, before heading down to the gap where we played on the snow that was still there and enjoyed the views. A nice slope with enough snow for some bum sliding made for a quick and fun descent down into the top of the Kowai River. It was a pleasant and picturesque walk back out to the hut before the final leg back to the highway on the path we had walked the day before.

Looking back along the tops of the Torlesse Range

Looking down to Castle Hill Station.

More Hills.

Lunch near Castle Hill peak

Skylarking at the Gap

Continuing down the snow after our bum slide.

Looking back up to the Gap as we descend into the Kowai.

Looking up the scenic Kowai with the Gap in the background.

Bobs Knob - 22 November 2003

Uncle Roddus Tramping Diary:Tramp No.30

Bobs Knob 22 November 2003

A common easy trip for the Christchurch Tramping Club, four of us left the car at the large pine by the highway and did the easy march up the Kowai river to the Memorial Hut, where we refueled before heading up the hill beside the hut to point 1211. The weather was cloudy and drizzly and the visibility on the tops was marginal and as we headed southwest along the tops, we realised just past point 1261 that we were heading off in the wrong direction towards lake Rubicon. After course correcting and with very little visibility, we thought we had arrived at Bobs Knob at point 1230, and dropped off the hill on a scree before encountering bush as we reached the river below. We then realised, as we walked back to the cars, that we had dropped off too early. No photos were taken on this trip.

Rough Creek - Christobel Hut - Nina Valley 14-16 November 2003

Uncle Roddus Tramping diary:Tramp No 29

Rough Creek - Christabel Hut - Nina Valley 14-16 November 2003

After 3 years with the Christchurch Tramping Club, I finally decided I had learnt enough to get out on some weekend trips. The first one being this three day expedition where we headed up from Rough creek, near Maruia Springs, over to the Christabel hut for the first night and then over the saddle into the Nina Valley for the second night and then out the Nina on the third day.

Being Show Weekend in Canterbury, it was a Friday, about 10:45am as we left the highway at Rough Creek and headed up through the Beech Forest on a warm cloudy day. We made the bush line in about 2 hours, rested and refueled before heading off across the tussock to the saddle, while enjoying the views of Lake Christabel and Valley. We dropped off the Saddle in some leftover snow before negotiating the challenging track that took us to The Christabel Hut. We arrived at the hut around 6:30PM where, after giving me a bit of stick about carrying too much water, Alan Ross, revealed the 1KG block of chocolate he was carrying as well as the fact that he was also travelling with PJ's, a teddy bear and a fake plastic lower leg and foot with a fake flesh wound, which was used later in the trip as a practical joke.

Leaving the Christabel hut at 8:30am on an overcast and drizzly morning, we headed off along the track which heads to the Robinson Valley. The track was difficult to follow as we got further up valley but finally got to the top of the poled route by mid afternoon. From here, we sidled slowly, through very wet and slippery scrub and snow to the saddle at around Point 1452, before bolder hopping and then bushbashing our way to the Nina biv, arriving around 7:00PM. As the Biv could only sleep 2 persons, and after consulting the map and seeing that the Nina hut was only about 4KM down river on what was believed to be a fairly good track, 4 of the party decided that we had enough daylight time to get to the hut with bunks etc and not have to sleep the night in a tent. The other two would stay at the Biv and meet us at the hut the next morning.

After nearly three more hours of travel on what seemed to be an Ok track, but maybe due to tiredness slowing us down, we still hadn't found the Nina Hut. Darkness had come and we hadn't yet had any dinner, when about 10:30PM we decided to stop and camp on the track. It was then discovered that half the tent was back at the Biv with the other two and so three of the party slept under a jerry rigged setup with half a tent and Uncle Roddus volunteered to sleep out in his big orange emergency bag on his first overnight trip out. Lucky the rain had gone, but it was not a very comfortable night and I managed to slide halfway down a small slope by morning.

The others arrived at our camp about 11am the next day and we carried on the 15 minutes to the Hut, which we found was no longer there, just a concrete slab where it use to be. At this point someone mentioned that they remembered that the hut had been removed and a new one was built across the river, there were no sign posts to indicate this. We headed back to the highway, passing the new bridge and sign directing people to the new Nina hut, a couple of hours down the track and we arrived at the NZDA Hut at about 3:30PM.

Clearing the bush line on the way up

Fairly fresh snow in November

The view of lake Christabel

The Track to the hut

It was slow going.

Christabel Hut

Aland chocolate

Didn't take any photos on Saturday as it was quite wet and the camera stayed wrapped up in the pack all day, but here is Uncle Roddus sleeping place.

Where the hell is the Nina Hut