Mt Somers - Canterbury NZ

The 'weather gods' determined that the two days before last Xmas were the best for our trip into Mt Somers so we packed quickly and set off. We took it slowly and made it to the Woolshed Creek Hut in plenty of time to cook tea. Warren, Kristin, Tasman and Hannah together with Grannie and Granddad had stopped for lunch at the old coal mining remains and travelled through tussock and spaniard speargrass to get away from the maddening Xmas crowds. At the new hut (very good) I was somewhat saddened to find that the old hut I'd stopped briefly at several years ago was now gone.  It was quite an historical hut, so much so I'd even dedicated a poem to it.

Musterers’ Hut (for Woolshed Creek Hut)

Angled and beyond

reconstructive surgery

with bottomless eyes

sunk into recesses

of an empty hut

where memories

Aciphilla (Speargrass)

escape from under

corrugations of skin

a thin grey matter

one sheet only

just hanging on

clattering now and then

with another sheet

its single nail

shrieking in the wind

at night

the only welcome

dry wood

in the antrum

asking.

We met Richard and his family and extras and shared an enjoyable night in the hut.  Granddad had trouble getting Warren's burner to go! The next day in slightly threatening weather we returned to the car in good time and after stocking up on goodies (as many as tough grannie and mum would allow) we returned to Sumner and the parcels under the pine tree!

Warren and Dad (Photo: Tasman S)

Wives and Grandchildren

Warren, Tasman, Kristin

Arrowsmith Range (Days of Youth)

Woolshed Creek and new hut.

Early Climbing Days - Four

The summer of 1956/7 was my first major ambitious climbing expedition.  Jim Wilson, Dave Elphick, Mike White and I teamed up and set off up the Rakaia from Lake Heron with grand plans to tackle several unclimbed routes in the Arrowsmiths and from Erewhon Col again.  We came out down the Whanganui River to Harihari.  Our first destination was the Jagged Stream and from our high camp, while Dave and Mike climbed North Peak, Jim and I managed to do first ascents of some of the Spires and Steeple above the Reischek Glacier.  The Spires Steeple traverse was  accomplished in mist and the rock was steep and dreadfully rotten.  In retrospect we should never have been there but we were pleased to have finished the climb of our first virgin peaks.  After a day of rest and sunburn we took off for another unclimbed route (soon after midnight) getting to the top of Jagged Peak at 7 am.  From here the unclimbed ridge to Couloir Peak lay ahead.  We didn't quite make it.  Late in the afternoon I slipped and Mike burned his hands badly holding me on the rope - on the Twins just short of Couloir.  Further climbing was out so we dropped into the Lawrence Valley where we had a cold hungry night out.  Luckily the weather was OK.  The next day witnessed an exhausting day of climbing to get back over to the Cameron Valley and then more climbing over Peg Col to our tents and FOOD.

Jim Wilson on Jagged - Twins Traverse

Dave Elphick traversing Evans to Red Lion

And so on up the Rakaia to Erewhon Col.  Here we had our sights on one of the remaining prizes of the Southern Alps, the unclimbed NE ridge of Mt Evans.  This climb was magnificent, embracing all the things climbers dream about, pristine morning weather, climbing virgin territory, Spectre of the Brocken in mist high on our ridge, sunset descent and moonlight return to our snow cave abode.  Very satisfying - maybe the next post.

We did some more climbing on Red Lion Peak and Mt Whitcombe before returning to civilisation and compulsory military training - if that is not some sort of oxymoron!  And also to start university!