Ball Pass - 24-25th January 2004

Uncle Roddus Tramping Diary: Tramp No. 38

Ball Pass - 24-25th January 2004

This trip I did with the Christchurch Tramping club is one of the most fantastic trips I have done and ranks up there with Mt Owen for the stunning scenery. A compulsory trip for any serious tramper.

I had invited my friend Bryce to come along, as he has suggested doing the 5 passes trip in Mt Aspiring national park, which is a 5 day trip and I wasn't quite sure, but doing this trip convinced me to go on that expedition, which is the next trip in my diary.

 The group were leaving Christchurch early on Friday evening, but both Bryce and myself weren't able to get away quite so early, and so we drove down later, arriving at Aoraki village about 10:45PM and found our group asleep in the shelter. Awoke to a warm but overcast day at around 6AM and after breakfast, drove up the Tasman valley as far as we dared take the car. After leaving the vehicle, we set off up the valley, on the track along the Moraine wall, our next stop, Ball Shelter. By this time the sky's had cleared and we were presented with a stunning day for the remainder. After a rest stop at Ball Shelter, we headed off up the ridge, with stops for photo opportunities and enjoyment of the scenery, before a visit to Caroline hut. Then it was off to the Pass itself, which had very little snow and was reached somewhere around 5PM. heading off along the Hooker side of Ball Pass, we had to crampon across a small patch of snow as we travelled along under Mounts Rosa and Mabel before finally reaching an area called the playing fields, around 8PM, where we camped. after a 12 hour day we were rewarded with a stunning sunset on Mt Cook.

The next day was overcast with light drizzle, but we made quick time out, as we had done most of the work the previous day, and made it back to our destination by lunchtime, giving us plenty of time for the long drive home.

These photos are in a bit of a random order and some of them are Bryces, that he sent me. They loaded in this order and Blogger is a bit of a pig when it comes to editing them, so enjoy this random sampling.

Sunset on Aoraki.

Sleeping out in bivvie bags.

Heading down into the Hooker.

Uncle Roddus with the Tasman Galcier in the background.

Another Glacier.

Continuing up the ridge.

Aoraki.

Further up the ridge on day one

Sidling across the snow coming off the pass.

Our leader.

Caroline face of Aoraki

Mt Sefton in the distance.

Closer shot of Sefton.

That Sunset.

Uncle Roddus early on Saturday.

Heading along the morain wall in the Tasman Valley.

Resting at Ball shelter.

Mt Faust - 11th January 2004

Uncle Roddus Tramping Diary Tramp No. 37

Mt Faust - 11th January 2004

This trip with the Christchurch Tramping club onto Faust, which is the hill on the southern end of The Libertto Range, overlooking the Lewis Pass Highway, is a common trip in this area. According to my tramping diary, 15 of us left the St James Walkway car park at around 9:30am, on what looked to be a fairly fine day. My memory is a bit vague, but apparently we crossed the Boyle river on the main road and headed up a good track on the south-western ridge of Faust, travelling through lovely open beech forest. We stopped for eats at the first large tarn, before heading on to Faust itself. Here the group split, with several of us carrying on to a point, of which I am not quite sure of now, further on, while the rest stopped at Faust. After Lunch, as the wind was getting up, we returned to the rest of the group. According to my diary, we descended down the eastern side of the mount following a possible loop track, which we lost half way down and so dropped down a shingle slide into a creek bed and followed that out to the St James Walkway.

Regrouping in the forest.

That Tarn I mentioned.

Some of the views.

A lovely day across the tops.

More Views.

The libretto Range.

And more views.

Uncle Roddus on the rocks.

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.