Post by glideboy on Jan 11, 2010 19:41:05 GMT 12
Club member Pete and myself took the Janus out for a spin from Omarama, in initially tricky conditions. The airmass was dry so there was little or no indicator cloud, but we managed to utilise thermal, ridge lift and wave to get ourselves to Mt Cook via the Ahuriri, Barrier Range, Huxley, Neumann Range, and the Ben Ohau's. This brought back many memories good and bad of my mountaineering days. Here are the details and photos. The GPS trace:
The Ahuriri valley from the Barrier Range Mt Bath the highest peak on the the opposite side.
Road end
We ran into weak wave part way up the Barrier Range, time for oxygen. Overhead the Huxley. The major peaks from the left are Sefton, La Perouse and Cook
Overhead the Ben Ohau's with the big mountains in our sights.
The Hooker and Tasman Glaciers
East Face of Sefton. It was around here that I think we received a faint radio call from 'sqwark2k' (another forum member). He was obviously monitoring our frequency from his tin coated egg beater somewhere up north!
Copland
Approaching Cook (South Face)
West Face
Looking South over the low peak. Lake Pukaki in the distance.
Silberhorn and Tasman
Onto the west of the main divide, Fox and Franz Joseph Glaciers
Keeping that Nomad in sight
Looking back to the east side down the Tasman Glacier from around Da la Beche. The wing tip points towards Malte Brun, Aiguilles Rouges south of this with Chudleigh prominent further south still.
Looking south at the big peaks
Lendenfeld and Tasman from the west
Fox Glacier. The smudge on the left hand smooth area is a tourist helicopter sitting on the ice.
The Able Jansen Face of Tasman. Initially climbed by Merv English in the 70's. (Brother of another English in politics)
The peak in the foreground is Dampier (the third highest mountain in NZ) with Cook towering in the back ground. The Linda Icefall is obvious on Cook with the summit rocks to the left of the Linda.
The North Face of Hicks. This was regulary guided back in the 19th century (called St Davids Dome then), until part of the west ridge fell away. It is now probably the hardest mountain (most technical) to climb in NZ.
La Perouse. The scene of a dramatic rescue before we had the use of helicopters. Ed Hillary was involved in the rescue.
We get company at the head of the Hooker Glacier.
Homeward with height to spare.
The Ahuriri valley from the Barrier Range Mt Bath the highest peak on the the opposite side.
Road end
We ran into weak wave part way up the Barrier Range, time for oxygen. Overhead the Huxley. The major peaks from the left are Sefton, La Perouse and Cook
Overhead the Ben Ohau's with the big mountains in our sights.
The Hooker and Tasman Glaciers
East Face of Sefton. It was around here that I think we received a faint radio call from 'sqwark2k' (another forum member). He was obviously monitoring our frequency from his tin coated egg beater somewhere up north!
Copland
Approaching Cook (South Face)
West Face
Looking South over the low peak. Lake Pukaki in the distance.
Silberhorn and Tasman
Onto the west of the main divide, Fox and Franz Joseph Glaciers
Keeping that Nomad in sight
Looking back to the east side down the Tasman Glacier from around Da la Beche. The wing tip points towards Malte Brun, Aiguilles Rouges south of this with Chudleigh prominent further south still.
Looking south at the big peaks
Lendenfeld and Tasman from the west
Fox Glacier. The smudge on the left hand smooth area is a tourist helicopter sitting on the ice.
The Able Jansen Face of Tasman. Initially climbed by Merv English in the 70's. (Brother of another English in politics)
The peak in the foreground is Dampier (the third highest mountain in NZ) with Cook towering in the back ground. The Linda Icefall is obvious on Cook with the summit rocks to the left of the Linda.
The North Face of Hicks. This was regulary guided back in the 19th century (called St Davids Dome then), until part of the west ridge fell away. It is now probably the hardest mountain (most technical) to climb in NZ.
La Perouse. The scene of a dramatic rescue before we had the use of helicopters. Ed Hillary was involved in the rescue.
We get company at the head of the Hooker Glacier.
Homeward with height to spare.
