Five Passes

Memory is an odd thing: at times detailed and accurate, at others a blank wall of no recollection about a given place or event, and occasionally it is even a complete liar. 
Ten years ago my family did the classic Five Passes route as my first multi-day tramp, which I absolutely loved. Ever since, I have had a hankering to retrace our steps. Returning this summer with three friends, I found my seemingly cohesive memory of the trip to instead be a patchwork of well-remembered portions interspersed with mere snapshots and blank spaces.

Wandering up the Dart River
Photo: Dan Roberts

With the weather forecast looking marginal I debated about pulling the pin but we decided to have a crack anyway, prepared to bail if necessary. Setting off from the Lake Sylvan car park at 4pm it was a pleasant wander along the track to the Rock Burn, from where we alternated between following the Dart River flats and trap lines. The evening was still and clear and we were all excited to be underway. The Beans Burn was cold and cloudy but after casting around we found a crossing place at the top end of the flat on the true left. For the other three it was their first time linking up for a river crossing, and it was my first time being in charge of one. It was 8pm by the time we edged into chilly water, thankful for Brendan holding the line at the top end. It was not quite waist deep but we were glad to quickly put on dry clothes and set up camp at the jet boat landing area. In what was to become a nightly ritual, Brendan and Dan soon had a cosy campfire blazing away.

The Beans Burn
Photo: Dan Roberts

Waking the next morning to cloud down around the tops we packed up reasonably quickly, encouraged by the sandflies, and were soon heading up the Beans Burn. This was one section where my memory played me false; of the 15 kilometres and 6 hours I remembered almost nothing, and some things I thought I remembered weren't so at all. Only one area of maze-like crown fern was as I recollected. Spotting a whio was the highlight of the plod through the bush, with a shadow-like bow hunter and 142m waterfall providing other points of interest. Although the river has now changed course, Split Rock Biv was still the same. With mixed opinions on sleeping in the biv versus camping out it wasn't until after dark that we all finally settled on sleeping in the main cavern - Dan rather reluctantly and only because it's not every day that you get to sleep (or lie awake all night) in a cave. Brendan's pack is like Mary Poppins' carpet bag - you never know what he is going to pull out, but it's always just what you want. This time he proudly produced two candles to ensconce in the rock wall.

Contemplating the Beans Burn

Dreading what bad weather the day might bring, I popped my head outside at dawn and was greeted by a relatively clear sky. Time to get going. The plan now was to make the most of the good weather and push all the way over Fohn Saddle, Fiery Col and Cow Saddle to Hidden Falls Creek instead of camping high by Fohn Lakes or on the Olivine Ledge. An hour of tussock and scrub-bashing brought us to the base of the first climb. There is no easing into it: the ascent starts off steeply and gets steeper. Clouds were beginning to scud across the peaks as we gained the first of our five passes. Thankfully there was no cloud sitting in the Olivine Valley and visibility was clear. Dropping down beside the gorge draining Fohn Lake was merely hazy snapshots of memory for me but the route was easy to follow. We spotted a large red deer across the other side of the canyon. A brief moment of panic when Dan realised he'd lost his phone and ran back to where we'd stopped for morning tea 10 minutes prior, triumphantly rejoining us a little while later. We spread out along the Olivine Ledge, each picking our own way. Lucy was extremely proud when she found a significantly easier line and got well ahead of the boys.

Approaching Fiery Col (left)
Photo: Dan Roberts

While eating lunch at Fiery Creek a pair of rock wren came to investigate us and kept us enthralled for quite while. Lucy provided a moment of merriment when, with extraordinary relief, it suddenly dawned on her exactly how close Fiery Col was - she had thought it was on the distant range across the other side of the Olivine Valley! Refueled, we made steady progress up to Fiery Col, the highest point on our journey. This was one of the sections I could clearly (and correctly) recollect from last time. Looking down to Cow Saddle I could pick the route we had taken previously, but instead opted to follow the cairns down the true right of the gully which ended up popping us out at the very head of the Olivine. Cow Saddle was an easy third pass with no elevation to gain. The first pool we came across in Hidden Falls Creek beckoned invitingly and we all took a refreshing plunge. I remembered sidling along the base of the shingle slide but this time it seemed to go on for a lot longer. Bodies were getting weary by now and I had to dangle the promise of an excellent campsite ahead like a carrot on a stick. I only hoped my memory was correct. It was. We were soon contentedly setting up camp and getting the fire going. Not a moment too soon as the first light drops of rain began to fall. Deja vu.

Pass #4 - Park Pass

After a lazy start we eventually set off toward Park Pass. It was still lightly drizzling but we soon stripped down tshirt and shorts when we hit the climb. This was good fun; clambering up tree roots and gaining altitude very fast. Dan was soon out of sight way ahead. Donning raincoats at the bush line, we emerged onto the tussock of Park Pass. With mist obscuring the view and a bit of moisture in the air it was just like last time. No tarrying on pass number four as we blazed on toward the rock bivvy for lunch. It was luxury to have a hot lunch while sitting somewhere dry out of the rain, gazing down the Rock Burn valley. Fond memories of a night spent here snuggled into a cosy sleeping bag. Eventually we decided it was time to carry on and so we blundered our way down the Rock Burn. Scrambling up Point 908 provided an excellent view. Not long afterward Lucy rolled her ankle and fell head first down a steep bank. Luckily a tree stopped her and no damage was done except a sprained ankle. Lucy bravely soldiered on down the rough track to Theatre Flat where we decided to stop for the night. I couldn't remember exactly where the main camp spot was here so Dan and Brendan went to investigate while Lucy and I fossicked for firewood. Of course, we weren't going to leave this plunder behind when the boys returned successfully from their scouting mission. We must have looked like a company of Ents as we made our way to the big rock overhang halfway down the flat. The fire sure was roaring that night! It was a spectacular spot, with majestic mountains all around and countless waterfalls cascading down the cliffs. A kea popped in to case out the joint and left us warily on edge for the night but no mischief was done.

Theatre Flat campsite
Photo: Brendan Jenke

Keeaaaa! A harsh cry woke us in the morning and we were greeted by a kea jauntily peering down at us from the top of the rock. None of us were particular eager to get moving; the sooner we left the sooner this fabulous trip would be over. A few more kilometres down the valley led to a steady climb up to Sugarloaf Pass. We ate lunch here on top of our final pass, devouring an assortment of leftover food. Reluctantly we charged down to the Routeburn Track and civilisation. The wilderness was now behind us. Nothing left but to stroll back to the car. What a glorious way to spend five days!

Gillespie Pass

Frosty camp in Young Basin,

Milky Way glistening brilliantly above.

Elevation quickly gained then lost;

Enchanting scenery from Gillespie Pass.

Relaxing afternoon enjoying Siberia Valley

Beneath Mt Dreadful's towering face.

Lunchtime siesta at Crucible Lake;

Refreshing dip at Kerin Forks.

Evening chats with fellow campers;

Meteors sprinkle the darkening sky.

Hot morning with abundant sandflies,

Relieved by deep river crossings.

Throb and thrill of jetboat

Planing down the braided river.

Mt Aspiring

The brave man is not he who feels no fear,
For that were stupid and irrational;
But he, whose noble soul its fear subdues,
And bravely dares the danger nature shrinks from.
~ Joanna Baillie

 

Often referred to as New Zealand's Matterhorn, Mt Aspiring has a distinctively aesthetic profile. At 3,033m it stands as one of NZ's 25 highest mountains and is also one of the more achievable 3,000m peaks. Ever since another climbing / tramping expedition 2 years ago, where we camped in sight of Mt Aspiring, I have harboured the desire to reach the summit. 

 

It was getting a bit late in the season but we pencilled in late-February for the climb. A close eye was kept on the weather forecast so when Metvuw showed a few days of settled weather arrangements were hastily made. Dad and I soon found ourselves in Wanaka ready to head into the mountains.

 

With a limited weather window and work constraints we opted to helicopter in to Bevan Col in order to save two days of arduous tramping. From the col it took 2 hours to cross the Bonar Glacier - another new experience for me. I took the time to peer down into a few crevasses but most were fairly small and easily stepped across. Colin Todd Hut stood out like a beacon up on Shipowner Ridge. The hut windows look straight out at the summit of Mt Aspiring and the Northwest Ridge, so we were able to get a good look at our planned route.

 

4am. Time to get up. With clear skies and a full moon it was quite light outside and the mountain stood out clearly. Geared up and out the door before 5am, it was half an hour up the rocky path to the snow slope above the Iso Glacier. Crampons on for a nice plod up to the NW Ridge. Dawn broke and the red moon set as we abandoned crampons for the rock on the main ridge. Immediately there was an airy ledge to traverse so the rope came out (and stayed out until this spot on our return). Dad short-roped me for most of the climb; simulclimbing in a few places and belaying on the sketchier bits.

 

I was really noticing the exposure on the ridge and was not too happy with having nothing on either side for a couple of hundred metres below! Inching across a ledge with your heels hanging over mid air and fingers clinging to small pockets in the rock it a little terrifying. Halfway along the ridge I got pretty petrified on a traverse and almost decided to turn back. Only the thought of everything we had poured into this trip, and the desire not to fail, kept my moving forward. A few moments on solid ground clinging to a rock to regain composure and I resolved to carry on. I was here to climb the mountain - I had to trust Dad and his judgement. With perfect weather conditions we had to give it our best shot.

 

I wore my tramping shoes along the rock ridge for better grip and manoeuvrability but it meant that my pack was heavy - carrying boots as well as crampons and iceaxes. It also meant that we had to avoid the small snow pockets on the ledges. Switching back to boots and crampons for the summit snow cap I was much happier to have solid snow beneath my feet. There were still several hundred metres to climb, including plenty of mixed snow and rock which meant whipping crampons on and off as well as walking on rocks with crampons. The final steep slope up to the summit was hard but steady work.

 

Finally, after 8:35 hours we reached the top. My first 3,000m peak! The weather was so clear and calm that we spent 20 minutes taking photos and resting, picking out other mountains such as Earnslaw, Tutoko, Sefton, and Mt Cook in the distance.

 

We still had a long way to go. Coming down the snow was relatively quick, and once back on the rock of the NW Ridge we took a slightly different route in places to what we came up. I kept my boots on instead of switching to shoes in order to make use of the ledges with snow on, however this meant that I was even less confident on the rock slabs. A true climber would have been horrified at my technique - plenty of knees and bum shuffling - but it got the job done (albeit slowly).

 

 

We did one abseil off the buttress, which I actually enjoyed after the first few metres of learning to trust the rope. It was now getting late and I was tired but focused on getting off the mountain safely. I was hoping to get off the rock section while it was still light and it was a huge relief to finally reach the snow just as darkness fell and the cloud swirled in. With footprints to follow it was an easy plod back to the hut but it took a lot of concentration to stay awake and not make any stupid stumbles.

 

At last the hut appeared. 17 1/4 hours after setting out we had returned victorious!

 

 

The 'walk' out via Bevan Col the next day was itself an adventure, with steep exposed rock slabs and 4 abseils!

 

Two questions which I have encountered frequently since the climb are:

1. Was it fun?
   In short, no. I am glad I took on the challenge but I can't really say I enjoyed it. Definitely type 2 - 2.5 fun (definition).
2. What is next?
   At this stage I don't have any other big expeditions in the pipeline.

 

Rees - Dart (a variation)

Two weeks of climbing and tramping in the Wakatipu region - not a bad way to end the summer holidays.

I caught the first flight down to Queenstown on Wednesday morning and rendezvoused with Dad, Denis, & John. Spent a few hours planning and organising gear before heading out to Glenorchy to start our adventure. The plan was to firstly climb Mt. Earnslaw (2830m) after which Denis & John would head out, taking some of our climbing gear with them, while Dad & I would carry on up the Rees valley for another week of tramping and climbing.

Day 1: It was a hot slog up the Rees Valley from the car to the turn off to Kea Basin and Earnslaw Hut, and then a 500m climb up to the rustic bivvy. Laden with climbing gear, camping gear, and 12 days of food, my pack was the heaviest I had ever carried (estimated 16-17kg) although it was still lighter than the rest! Earnslaw Hut is a 4-bunk bivvy constructed from corrugated iron and beech poles. The top bunks were good old-fashioned sacking slung between poles. We hung some of our food from the rafters to be collected on our way back down - we didn't want to haul to much unnecessary weight up 1200m to the next hut.

Day 2: A leisurely breakfast saw us depart around 9am. We had just joined the track up to Kea Basin when a party of 3 came up behind us. "That wouldn't be Jim Davidson would it?" Turned out that one of the party was one of Dad's old adventure racing team mates! It's a small world. Low cloud hung around the tops in the morning but around 10:30am everything suddenly cleared and we could see our objective: Mt. Earnslaw. Our destination for the night was Esquilant Biv, perched near Wright Col on the shoulder of Earnslaw at 2200m. That meant 1200m of steep track to climb, and Denis & John struggled a little. Crampons were donned to ascend the snow slope of the Birley Glacier to Wright Col, and we reached the hut around 6 hours after setting out. It was a glorious day with no clouds and little wind so we sat outside the bivvy to soak in the grand view and eye up the imposing face of Mt Earnslaw. We squeezed 7 people into the 6 bunks - enough room for sleeping but not much room to maneuver in the cooking / storage area. Water had to be fetched from melting snow 5 minutes away.

Day 3: Up at 6:30am after waiting for Ross's party to leave. Took an hour to have breakfast and get kitted out before heading up the scree slope from Wright Col. From the Col to the summit is a climb of 600m. Denis was in a bad way from the beginning, suffering from nausea and a headache. John (a doctor) was quite worried about the symptoms but Denis insisted on carrying on. From the top of the scree we scrambled along rock ledges following the cairned route. The crux was a boulder called the 'keyhole' where you could either wriggle up a couple of metres through a narrow gap between the boulder and the cliff, or climb around the outside above a very long drop. Denis & I wormed through the gap while Dad & John took the easier but more exposed outside route. From there we popped out onto scree which led up to the summit. 3:15 hours from hut to peak.

The Keyhole

Ross's party had taken a different route and reached the top at the same time as us. Spent a long time on top before heading down together. Used the rope to descend the keyhole (mainly for confidence). Reached the col in 2:15 hours.
 Relaxed with hot soup at Esquilant Biv before packing up and heading back down to Kea Basin. Denis was still struggling but bravely soldiered on. It was a long descent and my legs were very tired and a little shaky before the end (roughly 3 hours down from Esquilant). We had planned to spend the night in one of the rock bivvys in Kea Basin but when we arrived we couldn't find any clean water nearby so we carried on another 15 minutes to Earnslaw Hut. Some very weary bodies that night!

Dad & I on top of Earnslaw

Day 4: Woke up with extremely tight legs thanks to the 1800m of descent on the previous day, much of it with a heavy pack. Headed down to the Rees Valley where Dad & I loaded Denis & John up with the gear we no longer required such as rope, helmets, and harnesses. Those two slowly made their way back down valley to the car while Dad and I headed further up the valley to Shelter Rock Hut. My quads were

screaming blue murder at me so my pace was pretty slow. On top of that I was quite weary from poor sleep and not eating enough over the last couple of days. As is usual at the start of a long trip we were trying to ration our food, but a couple of big days really required more. It took us 1 hour down to the Rees and a further 5 hours to the hut. Had lunch by the river at Slip Flat and had a splash to cool down. Another cloudless day meant hot work. Quickly settled into the flash hut (complete with flush toilets!) and had a proper wash of both bodies and clothes. Other trampers gradually trickled in and the hut was soon full. There were several tents pitched out the front while a few people slept on the floor inside.

Rees Saddle

Day 5: Low cloud in the morning so we took our time to pack up hoping it would clear. No such luck so we headed off just after 7:30am. A gentle climb up to Rees Saddle then along a tussock bench above the dramatic Snowy Creek to Dart Hut, in cloud the whole time although we could see down to the gorges of Snowy Creek. 4 hours to Dart Hut. Had lunch in the hut, where a party doing their Duke of Ed. gave us a sandwich to complement our cheese and crackers. We headed off with satisfied stomachs and the weather soon cleared to bluebird skies. The Dart glacier was reached after 3 hours, then it was a long hot climb up to Cascade Saddle. By this time we were pretty footsore and weary. From the saddle it was still another 50 minutes along (and up) to the campsite at Cascade Stream below the pylon (at 1560m). Just before reaching camp I had a falcon land right in front of me which was a neat experience. It wasn't worried about me at all despite being less
than 10 metres away. That made my day! I was shattered so left Dad to set up camp. Mt Aspiring could be seen clearly from our campsite, as well as Mt Tyndall and Mt Ansted which we hoped to climb the next day. 10 hour day, including a 1 hour lunch break.

Day 6: Alarm went off at 5:30am but it took a few minutes before we actually crawled out of our sleeping bags. Breakfast under a clear sky with the mountains visible in the pre-dawn light. We packed up all our gear, including the tent, and stashed everything in the DoC toilet to keep it safe from raiding keas. Our climb started with a 200m climb straight up the track to the pylon, where we left the track and followed the ridge. Undulating to begin with, the ridge soon deteriorated into steep, loose rock and we reached snow after an hour of walking. Crampons on to ascend the easy snow slopes of the Isobel Glacier towards the summit of Mt Tyndall (2496m). A slight mountain zephyr (enough to warrrant my putting on a coat) but otherwise the weather was perfect. Upon reaching a shingle slide near the top we kept our crampons on as this gave a more secure footing on the small, loose rocks. Even when we reached the summit rocks we kept crampons on, as they bit into the

Mt Tyndall

crumbly weetbix-like rock as if it were firm snow. Only the final few metres up a solid corner required the removal of crampons (and a few careful moves). 3:10 hours after leaving camp we had Tyndall in the bag. Fantastic views - the Shotover & Matukituki valleys underneath, mountains all around with Aspiring, Earnslaw, Tutuko, and even Mt Cook in sight. Descending the weetbix rock was rather sketchy and I was glad to reach the snow again.Strolled along the Isobel Glacier to Mt. Ansted (2.5 hours) but didn't quite reach the top. The final 50m or so was steep, slabby choss, and although it was probably climbable we would have wanted a rope & protection (which we didn't have) due to the long drop below. We settled for lunch on the edge of the snow before trudging back along the Isobel Glacier. It was pretty warm by now and Dad was plugging steps in the soft snow. Returned to camp after 9.5 hours. An absolutely magnificent day!

Heading back along the Isobel Glacier
From Mt Ansted. (Tyndall top right)

Day 7: Woke to cloud around the peaks which gradually lowered and threatened to rain. Headed down to Dart Hut for lunch (4 hours). Had planned to carry on another couple of hours to the rock bivvy at Cattle Flat but it started to rain while we were eating so as we were rather weary we allowed ourselves the luxury of staying at the hut. The weather gradually cleared and by late afternoon the sun was shining and Mt. Ansted was in clear view up the valley.

Day 8: Low cloud and very light drizzle slowly cleared. The track down the Dart valley was nicely benched through beech forest down to Cattle Flat. Here we shared our lunch with the sandflies before popping up to have a look at the bivvy. Quite a large overhang with a rock wall built in front. Plenty of room to pitch a tent underneath if desired. Daleys Flat was reached in 6 hours, and we pitched the tent at the top end between the river and the track. Hordes of sandflies!  All I really wanted to do was sit still & relax but the sandflies were too persistent. We retreated to the tent and later the bush to escape their clutches. Retired to bed early, and although we entered the tent quickly we then spent over half an hour exterminating the sandflies which had managed to enter with us.

Day 9: Cooked breakfast in the bush above the river to avoid the worst of the sandflies, although they still found us. Popped our noses into Daleys Flat Hut before starting through the beech forest. The track around the new lake at Dredge Flat is quite rough in places although there has been enough foot traffic for the route to be easily followed. The massive slip which caused the lake is quite impressive and the outlet/river now flows through the trees on the true left. I started to run low on energy after Sandy Bluff (end of the lake). We hoped to cross the Dart River to head down the true right to the Lake Sylvan track, but the river didn't come to the party. Dad attempted to cross by the Beans Burn but the water was too swift. He tried again below Chinamans Bluff and got most of the way across but was stopped by the final, narrow channel. While Dad was thus engaged I was entertained by a friendly robin feasting on the sandflies which swarmed around our packs. When I sat still it even pecked the insects directly off me! Thwarted by the river, we carried on out to the carpark at Chinamans Bluff where we managed to get a ride out to Glenorchy with a couple of DoC workers. 6 hours including lunch and an hour spent attempting to cross the Dart.

Our trip turned out to be a little shorter than planned - 9 days instead of 12, but we had a marvellous time. After a couple of days recuperation in Queenstown we headed up to the Remarkables to do a Grand Traverse of Double Cone & Single Cone.

Esquilant Biv

Shelter Rock Hut

Our campsite above Cascade Saddle
Mt Aspiring in the background

On top of Mt Tyndall
(Earnslaw back right)

The new Dredge Lake

Climbing Double Cone

On top of Single Cone