Mt Wall-Tick

Got back out to Cheeseman yesterday just in time to catch a ride up the Main T-Bar right at 4pm. I then skinned to the top of Cockayne. The sun was still high in the sky and and knew that I would have lots of time still to make it to one of my main objectives of the winter- Mt Wall.

Mt Wall's S-SW face jumps out at you when you look north while standing on the deck of the Cheeseman day lodge and has an assortment of steep, rock lined lines coming off its west and southeast ridges, with a few lines leading directly off its summit. During the winter there were many options off the summit, but now with spring setting in and the snow getting thin there's really only one option to ski south from the summit, the big, main couloir.

From the top of Cockayne it was a mixture of skiing, scree running and skating to the base of this main south face couloir.

Above: Mt Wall's main S facing line

I had a pretty good view of Mt Rolleston's Crow face and some other lines I hope to ski one day. I put skis on my back, crampons on my feet and had the MCX 820 axe in hand for the boot up the line. I was worried that the sun may have been on the line for too long, but it was still in great condition. The skiers right side was shaded and still pretty firm and the other side nice and soft. It took about 20 mins to boot to the summit and I was there at about 5:10pm. I took in the view, snapped a few photos and started heading down. I couldn't actually ski right off the summit due to a lack of snow and started my descent about 1m below the summit. As I dropped into the main south couloir I knew it was gonna be good, the snow was soft and the line not as steep as it looks from Cheeseman, making it a really fun run. The biggest hazard was from fallen rocks that were melted into the snow like little land mines I had to keep avoiding.

Yippee-Me on top of Mt Wall

The view as I dropped in

I skied as far down as I could and then started walking. This was almost more interesting than being up high as I got to see all the destruction of the huge avalanches that rumbled off Mt Wall and the surrounding basins during the winter. It was pretty impressive to see trees snapped and there was even avalanche debris still around at 1000m elevation.

Avalanche debris and broken trees- a sign of the big avalanche cycles we had during the winter

It was a bit of a trek out and I got to the Cheeseman base area just on dark. Pretty happy to have skied that line as it's one I (and many others I think) have had my eye on for a while now.

MCX 820 Axe- Worked great! Probably could have gotten away with a less burly axe (maybe even just whipit poles), but it was good to get out and use it. The extra length to what I'm used to made it much easier and I played around a little cutting steps and self arresting. Nothing mind blowing, no "wow!", just what you'd expect from an axe of this quality.

Simond 820 MXC Axe

A bit like Xmas today with a Simond ice axe arriving in the post from Glenn at iclimb. I'm pretty lucky to say the least with Glenn sending me a Metallic 820 MXC axe to play with this spring. I'm pretty excited, we have a big snow pack, the snow should be around for a while and I hope to get some fun skiing in this spring. As with any job, you have to have the right tools for the job and the 820 MXC will definitely be the tool for some of the steeper, more technical lines I hope to ski this spring. Simond has been around since 1860 and being from Chamonix my guess is they know a thing or 2 on how to make a good axe. Taken from iclimb- "Simond's premier mountaineering axe with a one piece hot forged stainless steel head and pick","entire axe is bomber, T-rated", "it is sooo beautifully crafted". My experience with "real mountaineering" is limited, almost all the climbing I have done has been with ski's on my back and with a shorter, lighter axe in hand than the 820MXC, so the weight (still light for this type of axe at 550gr) and 60cm length will take some getting use to. Best be getting of my PC and in to the hill so I can give you a real review!

Mt Temple Ski Descent

Been playing around with a video editing/ movie making programme I downloaded and put this short video of Jane skiing the main SW couloir off Mt Temple (1913m, in APNP) in July 2007. Last winter was a bit of a shocker and as a result we had plenty of free time up at Temple Basin to ski on what little snow there was. Jane, Damien and I climbed and skied Temple Peak in less than ideal conditions, what little snow there was, was of good quality but it lacked any real base and was variable. We would break through on all most every turn and once we got under Temple Buttress we even walked down in spots cause there was so little snow. Still, can't complain, its the first and only time I've skied Temple Peak and it was a fun little outing. This editing program is a free demo and as a result has the "water mark" in the center. I'm gonna play around a little more and might spend some money on it. Enjoy!

Ah, spring time............

Its been a terrible few days in the Craigieburns with 100km/h + winds and the freezing level jumping up and down between 1400m to 0ver 3000m. There's also been a little precipitation thrown in the mix. After a few closed days (running T-bar lifts don't work so well in gale force winds) up at Cheeseman the cabin fever started to set in and Jane and I got out for a skin to the top of the Ridge T, about 300m vertical. The ski down was pretty average, but fun all the same. The snow had set up very icy and hard (which we really needed) and about 3-5cm of new snow had blown in to the hollows. I call the following short vid "A windy icy ski". You might want to turn your volume down a little.

Mt Cook Trip Spring 2006

The first and only time I have been into Mt Cook National Park was in the spring of 2006, with 3 friends from the US, Andrew, Steve and Chris. Chris has been on a heap of trips with Teton Gravity Research as a still photographer, with Andrew and Steve being very accomplished ski mountaineers, both in racing and steep ski mountaineering. All 3 have skied the Grand Teton in Wyoming and Chris and Andrew have skied Denali in Alaska. Then there was me, a guy from Southland who had been skiing since 2003.................

I think I managed to squirm my way onto this trip because I had a car, and it was a pretty sweet ride, a 1987 Subaru Leone, 4wd and red, so they knew it was fast. Also I think they needed a translator to help them with words and phrases such as "sweet as", "chilly bin" and "fine with gales about the tops".

"I think I see Mt Cook in the distance", "nice doggy" Andrew and Steve trying to fit in at Lake Tekapo

The trip started off well, we stopped in Temuka at my Granny's for a cup of tea and some scones and then checked out the sights in Tekapo. We then got to spend a magical week in Mt Cook village, that included getting a reality check and waiting out the weather. Our little reality check came in the form of a nasty little wet slide while attempting a line on Mt Wakefield which took both Steve and Chris for a wee ride.

"have you seen my pole?!" Steve and Andrew assist Chris looking for his pole

Walking up the Tasman towards Ball shelter.

There was talk of the Caroline Face, and the Bowie Couloir on Mt Cook but in the end we headed to the Tasman Saddle hut where we felt we would have more options with the fickle spring weather and snow conditions. I guess in the end the weather and funky snow conditions got the better of us. If the snow wasn't wind blown, ice hard corrugated iron, it was 50cm of new wet snow sliding on the corrugated iron.........

Andrew and Steve ski a line close to Kelman Hut, while Chris snaps a few shots (while I do the "over the shoulder shot").

We got to see some big, big avalanches, enjoyed some sun downers on the Tasman Saddle hut deck looking out on Mt Cook, read a few books and even made a few turns.

Steve not only made some turns in NZ, he also did this sweet jump on the avalanche shaped half pipe on the Tasman glacier

Andrew getting ready to drop a little coulior just off the Tasman Glacier

Looking unlikely this spring, but I can't wait to get back down to Mt Cook National Park.