What a great country!

With Mount Aspiring being one of the most popular big peaks in the country, it could be a concern about overcrowding at Colin Todd Hut over the Christmas period.  Guide Aritza Monesterio and his client Deian flew in December 23rd to join the festivities at Colin Todd Hut.  What they found was an empty hut and the whole mountain to themselves.  With a Christmas Eve summit success on Aspiring, they sat out two days of bad weather and then walked out over French Ridge staying at French Ridge Hut before returning to Wanaka on day 5.  They did not see another person for the entire trip.  We had to reassure them on their return that no there had not been a nuclear holocaust or some other disaster, it's just New Zealand!

Humans vs Nature; Score One All

Nature struck first with a cruel blow when it sent an avalanche into the newly constructed bridge in the Upper West Matukituki Valley.  After having been in place for a decade the bridge was destroyed in 2011 in a once in a hundred year event.  In another once in a hundred year event this winter the bridge was again decimated.  Nature 1 : Humans 0

However in a cunning reply this week a tramper managed to light an out of control fire in the East Matukituki Valley that burned over 100ha of sub-alpine plant life.  This is no easy feat in a rain forest and the first fire in over 30 years of tramping in this area which we previously regarded as unburnable.  Nature 1: Humans 1

We are nervously awaiting nature's next move.

Interesting climbing at Mt Darby 2531m

It's not all about Aspiring & Cook!

Tim Steward, NZMGA Climbing Guide is our master at finding out of the way and interesting places to climb.  Mt Darby which is climbed from Barron Saddle Hut is an interesting mixed route on snow and rock.  Far enough east of the main divide, it can get quite different weather patterns than those peaks further west.  Getting out is a traverse of the Sladden & Metelille glaciers and then the Annette Plateau & Sealy Range back to Mueller Hut for a sweet glissade off the tops down to Mt Cook Village.   

Enjoy the photos from the trip.

 

What all the best dressed mountaineers are wearing this summer!

It's hot on the ice!

It's easy to be fooled into thinking that it's going to be cold if you're walking around on a glacier.  Often the reverse is true.  In fact, as Whit our chief guide likes to say...there's only 2 temperatures on a glacier, boiling and freezing.   And at this time of  the year if you add UV radiation off the scale and you have all the ingredients to be boiled like a lobster.  So what do all the best dressed mountaineers wear to combat this?

Take a look at our very attractive model for our Summer 2013/14 collection to see for yourself!

Stylish!  We call it the Bedouin Look!