I spent two weeks climbing in Mt Cook National Park.The complete lack of other climbers in the area during our stay confirmed we had chosen the worst time to vist. We still managed to climb several peaks, and stay for five days at Mueller Hut. It was great to have the mountains to ourselves, but the lack of good views really put a dampener to the entire trip. If you like walking for 14 hours in 100kmh winds, rain and bad avalanches - head to New Zealand in spring!
The Alps encirle Lake Tekapo on New Zealands South Island.
Jono, Jaquie and Ana walking up the Hooker valley. Behind them lies Mt Sebastopol and Mt Cook Village.
Packing food in the hostel before venturing out into the mountains.
Mt Cook (3754m) risies above the Hooker Valley.
Jaqui ascends the tricky rock pitch just below the summit of Mt Sebastopol.
Neil and Jono on the ridge just below the summit of Mt Sebastopol.
Neil, Jaqui and Jono on the summit of Sebastopol (1468m). Jono raises the trusty shovel in celebration of snow it's digging ability.
Jono at 1300m on the Sebastopol Ridge on an attempt of Mt Annette during horrid rain and wind.
Jono wading through deep snow on Sebastopol Ridge.
Neil, practicing the 'duck and cover' technique during 100kph winds on Sebastopol Ridge. Mt Sebastopol is visable in the background.
Jono bravely stands up in the eye of the storm at 1600m on Sebastopol Ridge. We were living in fear of being blown off the ridge.
Neil, shivering and drenched, in the lunch time snow cave at 2000m. It was decided that retreat would be a safer option, so down we went.
Jono and a Kea fight it out on the track up too Mueller Hut.
Our proud snowman on the snow slopes below Mueller Hut.
Jaquie slogs along the trail leading to Mueller Hut. Mt Cook looms in the background.
Jaqui battles steep, deep snow just below Mueller Hut. The moraine lake of the Mueller Glacier is visable far below.
Neil summits Mueller Hut (1800m) as a storm starts creeping over the mountains.
Inside Mueller Hut, the temperature rarely got above 4'C so we rugged up at all times.
Neil persists in climbing in the pouring rain - snow - hail. Somwhere near Mt Annette at 2300m.
Neil and Jono on the not so spectuaclur summit of Mt Annette (2235m). The winds were about 70kph.
Finally a clear day! The view south from Mueller Hut towards the Mueller Glacier. Mt Sealy (2627m) is the pointy mountain on the left of the photo.
Jono walks across the enourmous Annette Plateu on the way to climbing Mt Sealy.
Neil climbing up the Metelille Glacier on the way to climbing the north face of Mt Sealy (in the clouds).
Jono belays from an icy cave at 2500m on Mt Sealy's north face. The camera ran out of film here so sadly no summit photos.
The river flowing down from the Hooker Valley
The Tasman Glacier's terminus.
The perfect limestone boulders of Castle Hill. Jono cranks along, bare foot.
Jono climbs this excellent chimney tube problem at Castle Hill.
The entrance to the 400m long underground Cave Stream, near Castle Hill. It took us about 45minutes to walk up in the freezing cold.
 |
 |