As much as I hate over hyped ski videos I have to admit this one made me laugh.

News Flash - Summer Finally Arrives

I just saw this stunning photo come back from one of our trips.  Photo of the Upper Young Valley with Mount Awful in the back ground.  New Zealand backcountry as it should be!

Cunning Keas

David Attenborough special on Keas. 

They set up a series of puzzles for the Keas to solve. Keas are a common feature on our trips and we have to be constantly on guard not to leave items laying around, they have been know to haul off anything up to the size of a boot. I have always wondered just how smart these aerial pirates are so it is pretty entertaining to watch as they tested. Turns out they are more cunning than used car salesmen.

So you think you can climb??

Hmmm....check out the elite! 

Electricity, Glaciers and Starfish

Lightning in the NZ Sourthern Alps

In North America and the European Alps lightning is regular hazard and while accidents are rare, there is some comfort in the fact that at least it is the beast that you know.  Here in New Zealand lightning in the mountains is much more rare, a fact that was little comfort to our group on the Plateau Glacier last week.  

Graupel is a type of snow that comes down as little round balls, like beads of styrofoam falling from the sky.  It is often associated with electrical storms and sure enough, just as we were getting ready to set up an anchor, the graupel storm started to intensify and we started to get the tell-tale symptoms.  First is a prickly feeling like you are being bombarded with sharp hail on your scalp, then there is a loud buzzing and tingling feeling like you are being subjected to a low wattage Tasering.  The natural response is to get as low as possible, so the group ended up laying spread eagled on the glacier with much nervous laughter..... very nervous laughter!  The buzzing would stop as long as we were star fished  flat on the snow. Kneeling was met with a crackling sound in my head and standing felt like I was slowly inserting a key in light socket.  I resumed the starfish.  After a few minutes we tentatively raised up and not feeling any zapping we scurried back to the safety of the nicely earthed Plateau Hut.

Mount Cook - Before and After

 The New Years storm of 2013 brought over two meters of snow to Mnt. Cook.  With Mountain Skills Course #4 at Plateau Hut the participants had a seat on one of natures wildest rides. This season will go down as one of the best for climbing access with routes such as the Linda Glacier still in good condition at least a month longer than usual!

East face of Mnt. Cook,  Dec. 30, 2012

East face of Mnt. Cook,  Jan 3 , 2013