Announcement:  Aspiring Guides and NZ Snow Tours in 2012.


For most of us, time is short!  So having someone else organise all transport, lift passes, accommodation, gear hire and all the other stuff that goes along with a ski holiday in NZ can certainly make life a breeze.    For the last 8 years, this is what Simon & Ange from NZ Snow Tours have been doing ....and they've been receiving rave reviews!  Check out what the they offer at http://www.aspiringguides.com/nz_snow_tours.html.


NEW for 2012, Aspiring Guides has added 3 backcountry ski options to the packages they offer.  From 1 day Backcountry Touring at Treble Cone, to 3 day touring option on the Pisa Range near Wanaka and from Aspiring Guides private hut at Black Peak.... we've got your next ski holiday organised from the moment you step off the plane!

Celebrating a Summit

Everyone has their own unique way of celebrating when they get to the top!   Liz certainly showed her own style after a successful summit of Mt Aspiring 3033m this week with Felix Landman.     For those of you who may be concerned, unseasonably warm Easter weather meant there was a low risk of frostbite !  

Hmmm ..winter's on its way?

It was fine and sunny at lake level yesterday, but not quite the same in the Remarkables above Queenstown as Richard and his guide Xavier Fournier discovered.   One of our first early dumps of snow.  Certainly made the climbing a little more interesting...that's for sure.

South Island Alpine Rock

Dave and Steve did an accidental tour of South Island rock when the weather slowly pushed the trip from Fiordland to Mnt. Aspiring.   With bad weather battering the island they were able to avoid the rain and take advantage of great climbing conditions. Going with the theory that "it must be good weather somewhere" the duo along with guides Xavier Founier and Whitney Thurlow spent 7 days beginning with the classic Talbot - McPhereson Traverse deep in Fiordland, moving to the Remarkables and doing 6 rope stretching 60m pitches on the East Face followed with the summit traverse and then a 2100m climb to the summit of Mnt. Avalanche in Mnt. Aspiring Park.  With bad weather all around the four managed to stay on dry rock the entire time, a great trick when it works!

Homer Saddle and Moirs mate rising out of the clouds

Climbing "Talbots Ladder" which was the the original way that land access to Milford Sound was gained before the tunnel was installed

Pitch 3 Remarkables  grade 17

Spot the climber on the exposed Remarkables summit traverse

Climbing above the Bonar Glacier on the way to Avalanche Peak.  David comfortable with his masculinity wearing a scarf like that!

Summit Cracks on Avalanche Peak

Ron and Murray at Pioneer Hut

 There are not many places these two have not visited but Fox Glacier has been on the list for a while.  Ron was an early hut warden at homer hut in Fiordland in the early 60's and is still going hard.

Murray on Lendenfeld summit with Tasman in the background

Father & Son Week - Jan 2012

         

Andrew & Jackson Shaw on Mt Top Heavy - Mt Brewster Region
with IFMGA Guide : Xavier Fournier


and


Michael & Jim Genn at Kelman Hut and Tasman Glacier on a 10day Private Instruction Course
with NZMGA Guide: Andy Cole

  

Beautiful Flowers and Killer Birds

You lookin at ME!

Even though I am in the mountains here all the time sometimes something happens where even a jaded old guide has to admit, this place is unique. I recently returned from a trip to Waterfall Flat on one of our Upper Wilkin Trips.  About this time every year the Mount Cook Lilies are in bloom and the whole valley is lit up with white flowers.  I am not sure why but this season the plants are particularly amazing.  As we climbed through the narrow opening to the valley the flowers grew thicker until it looked like something from a Disney movie on the Dali Lama, we were wading through a sea of huge white flowers.  Slowly I became aware of  the intermittent warning screech of a Karearea (New Zealand Falcon).  I had been warned that a pair of birds had settled in the area but foolishly I didn’t pay them much attention until at one point I bent down to tie my boot lace and when I looked up there was a Falcon leveling out on a track directly at my head.  It was about 20m away and the startling thing was it was looking directly at me, totally focused.  The idea that humans are to be feared clearly had not been communicated to this bird.  With obvious intent it came at me exactly at head height and only flared and avoided a collision when I put my arms up to shield myself from the inevitable collision with my face.  Just as I began to relax another feathered missile just missed my head.  Unlike the first one this bird came from behind  and at a speed I could not really conceive, it was simply a dark flash, a vaguely bullet like sound and then it was gone.  Despite my best attempts to keep an eye on both birds they had an uncanny knack of attacking when I let my guard down.  This tag team attack continued with one bird drawing my attention and the other one coming in for the “kill” until I was crawling on all fours and had scuttled out of their area.  While neither bird ever actually hit me the message was clear, “we are in charge here and if we wanted, we could have you, now get out of here”.  For more information on these amazing birds see http://www.wingspan.co.nz/falcon_facts.html.  For more info on the Mount Cook Lilly see http://www.doc.govt.nz/conservation/native-plants/mount-cook-lily/.