TWITCHIN’ & TRAMPIN’

Twitching {verb}: going to to great lengths to view a rare bird species.
Tramping {verb}: known elsewhere as backpacking, rambling, hill walking or bushwalking. A popular activity in New Zealand.

My last tramp around Mount Aspiring National Park’s Gillespie Pass circuit in January 2006.
It snowed then. A lot….
So, to walk the circuit again this January in idyllic summer conditions was a real treat.

But, the real treat of this tramp was the abundance of native birdlife in the Young Valley, which is clearly thriving thanks to the ongoing predator control work in the valley by the Department of Conservation and a small army of dedicated volunteers.

So it got me thinking.
When does tramping become twitching?….

MARCHING THROUGH MEADOWS. Tramping through the river flats and meadows of the lower Young Valley.

SLIP N’ SCRAMBLE. Negotiating a large slip in the Young Valley as the track starts to head upwards…

CREEK CROSS. Rock hopping across multiple forest creeks, cascades and waterfalls.

KAKARIKI COMEBACK. One of several curious kakariki (yellow crowned parakeet) spotted on our traverse through the Young Valley. The native birdlife in the valley was noticeably more abundant than in other parts of the National Park – testament to the predator control work by DOC and other volunteer groups. Kia kaha kakariki! 

VALLEY VIEW. The spectacular view back down the Young Valley.

PROUD PARENT. One of a pair of whio | blue duck keeps a watchful eye on its clutch of six healthy juvenile birds. Bringing up six chicks to young adulthood is another great sign that predator control efforts and working!

BUSH BREAKOUT. Breaking out above the bushline to majestic alpine views in the Young Basin.

BIVVY N’ BEVVY. Enjoying a nip of single malt at our campsite after the long tramp up the Young Valley.

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL. The Young Basin glacial cirque on a stunning summer’s morning.

AWFUL FLORA. Ranunculus lyallii… The Mount Cook lily (which is really a buttercup), with Mount Awful in the background.

VERTICALLY CHALLENGED. Feeling small on the steep climb up Gillespie Pass.

SIDE SADDLE. The track sidles more gently towards the high point of Gillespie Pass (1,574m).

FROSTY FLASHBACK. Tramping over Gillespie Pass back in January 2006. Cool stuff…

PICNIC ON THE PASS. A leisurely lunch with a million dollar view down the Gillespie Stream to the Siberia Valley below.

KING OF THE HILL. A mature kea surveys its domain.

AN AWFUL VIEW. The Gillespie Pass Track meanders through snow grass & tussock in the shadow of Mount Awful (2,192m).

GILLESPIE PASS. Mount Awful and the Gillespie Basin, Mount Aspiring National Park.

DON’T LOOK DOWN! A long drop down to the Gillespie Basin.

LOSING ALTITUDE. Tramping down towards the bushline and a welcome swim in the Gillespie Stream.

ON TRACK…

SIBERIAN SUNSET. The evening view from our tent (photographed through the mesh inner and well out of reach of the sandflies)!!

SIBERIAN SUNRISE. An early morning start after being chased out of our tents by vicious sandflies!

SIBERIAN SYMMETRY. Morning reflections of Mount Dreadful in the Siberia Stream.

STUNNING SIBERIA. The crystal clear glacial waters of the Siberia Stream.

NOT LOST…

AORAKI | RAW

The 2019 New Zealand Alpine Club winter photography workshop at Aoraki | Mount Cook lived up to it’s billing with dramatic winter weather delivering sublime photography conditions…

There’s a first time for everything.

The NZAC winter photography workshop was the first time I’ve had any professional photography tuition; the first time I have shot images in RAW; and the first time I have processed my images using Adobe Lightroom.

With Mother Nature providing sublime winter weather conditions (heavy snowfalls and misty, moody clouds), with expert guidance from tutor Rob Brown, and a trusty Ridgeline Adventures Land Rover ploughing through the deep snow to get us to the best locations, I think that the results of the workshop – below – speak for themselves.

REFLECTION PERFECTION. Icebergs carved from the terminus of the Tasman Glacier reflected in the evening calm of the Tasman Glacier Lake.

ICE BLUE. Evening light over a glassy calm Tasman Glacier Lake.

SUNRISE & SNOW. Waking up to a winter wonderland. 30-40cm of light, fresh snow. 

FROZEN HIGHWAY. Treacherous road conditions in Mt Cook National Park after a winter storm. By mid-morning the road was littered with vehicles that had spun into snow drifts or become stuck. We rescued one Chinese tour bus which had ignored road closure signs and ventured into the National Park through deep snow – without chains!

FLYPAST. Canadian Geese make a timely early morning appearance over the summit of Aoraki | Mount Cook.

THE CLOUD PIERCER. Early morning cloud and mist clear to reveal Aoraki | Mount Cook. This image won the NZAC 2019 Landscape Photograph of the Year Award.

AORAKI. At 3,724m she’s New Zealand’s highest peak.

TASMAN RIVER FLATS. Fresh snow and a misty, moody sunrise.

TASMAN TRANQUILITY. The Tasman River meanders through the frozen winter landscape of Mount Cook National Park.

WINTER WIDE ANGLE. Panoramic views across the Tasman River flats towards Aoraki | Mount Cook (centre of frame).

TASMAN TRIPODS. Intense focus on the spectacular winter landscape.

ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT. An umbrella is now an integral part of my camera kit. 

SNOW & ICE. Freshly frosted icebergs drift in the Tasman Lake during a blizzard.

SOUTHERN EXPOSURE. A slow shutter shot during a winter snowfall over Tasman Lake.

SNOWMAN. Mark hiking through 30-40cm of fresh snow to reach the Tasman Lake.

FROZEN. The Tasman Glacier Lake shivers under a blanket of thick new snow.

FIRST LIGHT. The rising sun illuminates drifting icebergs on the Tasman Glacier Lake.

VANISHING LAND. Sunrise over the Tasman Lake with the terminus of the Tasman Glacier retreating into the horizon (back left).

BERG-LAND. Icebergs drift in the frozen waters of the Tasman Glacier Lake.

PHOTOGENIC. Aoraki | Mount Cook wearing a her white winter coat. An idyllic setting for a winter photography workshop!

VOYAGES IN VALHALLA

VALHALLA (/vælˈhælə, vɑːlˈhɑːlə/; from Old Norse Valhöll “hall of the slain”) the mythical Norse realm of the Gods… 

Northern Norway, high above the Arctic Circle, was to be our Valhalla. The playground of Gods. 

With the right to roam freely across this vast Arctic wilderness, with fishermen’s cottages available to rent, an endless supply of cod, and a comprehensive network of public ferries to transport you from one fjord to another, Northern Norway in early spring is a ski-tourers dream.

But the fickle Norwegian weather had the potential to turn our dreams into nightmares as the tempestuous elements raged for two weeks throwing everything at us, save only the thunderbolts from mighty Thor himself…

FROZEN FJORD. Broken sea ice in Altafjorden as a convoluted day of ferry-hopping to Bergsfjord begins in Alta, Northern Norway.

WHITE WALKER… After bad weather curtails our pick up by fishing boat from Øksfjord, we decide to hike through town and head into the hills for our first ski…. Winter was definitely coming….

WEATHER WINDOW. Pressing on towards a small summit in a fleeting window of fine weather.

WEATHER WITH YOU. “Walking round the lake singing stormy weather”... ski touring in circles as we lose all sense of direction on a frozen lake during a white out.

RUSH HOUR. Skinning back through the snow covered streets of Øksfjord to rendezvous with the night ferry to Bergsfjord.

THE MORNING AFTER. Following a late night arrival in Bergsfjord (which required a bit of door-knocking to finally find our accommodation), we woke up the next morning to find that Bergsfjord was pleasantly easy on the eye…. albeit when the almost constant driving snow and ice allowed us to open them!

VIKING [NOT SO] LONGSHIP. Ideal transport for ski raiding parties in the Norwegian fjords.

RAIDING PARTY. Preparing for a full frontal assault on the snowy slopes of Sør-Tverrfjord.

EARNING THE TURNS. Hiking above Sør-Tverrfjord and into some great snow…but with some heavy Norse weather on the horizon.

BLIZZARD OF BERGSFJORD. Boat accessed ski touring in the fjords of Northern Norway, where you can literally ski right onto the boat!

BOATS OF BERGSFJORD. Fishing boats in the sheltered Bergsfjord harbour. The constantly changing weather lurched from driving gale force winds, to straight-down snow with occasional small pockets of blue sky.

REFRESHINGLY NORWEGIAN… and reassuringly expensive… Hydration is a crucial part of Arctic survival. Oh, and fish. The local fishermen were extremely generous and gifted us huge Arctic cod and halibut, which were skilfully filleted by us (or rather butchered) with a blunt bread knife!

BLUE ICE. The cascading blue ice of an Arctic glacier flowing down to about 200m above sea level.

LONELY LANGFJORDHAMN. The picturesque and completely deserted fishing village of Langfjordhamn. Finding the door unlocked to the small Post Office (located on the wharf) proved a welcome refuge from another bitter Arctic storm. Sitting amongst mail bags with parcels waiting to be picked up whilst sipping hot tea was a surreal experience in what seemed to be a ghost town.

BERGSFJORD BOREALIS. The Northern Lights over Bergsfjord made an appearance on our one and only clear night!

BIFROST. The rainbow bridge connecting Asgard, the realm of the ancient Norse Gods, with Midgard – the world of humanity.

NIFLHEIM. The mythical Norse realm of primordial ice and cold…. a.k.a. another day of Norwegian ski touring.

THE BLUE BOTHY. 5 x ski-tourers weathering the storm in a bothy bag designed for 4… Strictly a no-fart zone!

RAGNAROK | HIGHWAY TO HUSOY. Following a rough and stormy overnight ferry trip from Øksfjord to Finnsnes (subtitled ‘In Which We Lost Our Whisky’), we spent a futile morning chasing snow-ploughs hoping for the road to our next base at Husoy to open. On the verge of mutiny (2 x ‘hangry’ Valkyries will do that), we thankfully found the only place serving breakfast within a radius of ~100km² 

SHELTER FROM THE STORM. Hiking up through the relative shelter of the trees during more gale force wind gusts.

HEAD DOWN INTO A HEAD WIND. Some hard yards in some challenging weather.

NORSEMEN. On the march.

HUSOY HILL. It took a fleet of Norse Heavy Metal (think Thor’s hammer) to clear the road to Husoy, but by late afternoon the steep, slippery descent to the island village was open… Only now, getting our gutless van back up the hill was the worry…

ARCTIC ISLAND. The isolated island of Husoy, quite a challenge to reach in the Arctic winter.

ICE ISLAND. Husoy sheltered amongst towering peaks of the Northern fjords.

SPECTACULAR SEGLA. Rising from the icy depths, Segla dominates the fjord landscape. It was our objective for the next day’s skiing.

SCALING SEGLA. Climbing up from Fjordgård and dominated by the towering summit of Segla.

POLAR PANORAMA. Segla Peak and Fjordgård below left.

SKIING SEGLA. Sublime skiing, sublime views.

WINTER WANDERINGS…

FREE THE HEEL TO FREE THE MIND…. Or fix the heel to fix the problem?…

TELE-MARKER IN THE TREES.

WHAT GOES UP…. Must come down. Skiing down to a picnic lunch on the beach!

BEACHED AS, BRO. The novelty of skiing to the ocean never got old.

KICKING STEPS. Carrying our skis for a rare steeper section of hard, windblown snow.

LAST HURRAH. Blue skies and dry, boot deep powder for our last day.

HIKING VIKINGS. Climbing up through the trees near Mefjordbotn.

RIDE OF THE VALKYRIES. Worth the wait. Charging through waist deep powder down to sea level in the fjords of Northern Norway.

FINDING VALHALLA. Winter playground of the Gods.

POLAR POWDER DAY. Hiking up for another lap in superb conditions.

FROM SEA TO SUMMIT. And back again…

UNFENCED LAND. The right to roam applies most shores, forests and mountains in Norway making it a skiers dream.

PARTING SHOT. The fjords of Northern Noway.

PA GJENSYN NORWAY! Departing Tromso and the Arctic winter.

DUMB BELL TRAINING

To help keep fit for an upcoming ski-touring trip to Norway, we’ve been seeking out some new multi-day hikes in the mountains. So, when I spotted Dumb Bell Lake on the map it seemed like a serendipitous opportunity for some big mountain training!

With a weather window of about 36-hours before a strong North West storm was due to blow in across the South Island, we were confident that we could squeeze in the overnight tramp to Dumb Bell Lake.

Beginning at Lake Ohau, our hike started by following a well formed track up through the native beech forest alongside Freehold Creek. From above the bushline it was case of route-finding as the track petered out to become a lightly marked route that traversed golden tussocks (scattered with vicious, spiky Spaniard bushes) and then into boulder-strewn scree slopes at around 1,500m once we reached the alpine zone….

FREEHOLD. Freehold Creek cascades down through native beech forest at the beginning of our long climb upwards…

MOSS GROWS FAT ON A ROLLING STONE. Hiking up through native beech forest in the lower valley of Freehold Creek.

TUSSOCK TRAMPING. Climbing up through the tussock and slippery snow grass above the bushline.

THE GREAT SOUTHERN SPONGE. Alpine wetlands, including tarns like this, are the water table for the South Island’s waterways – acting like a giant sponge to store water and feed the alpine creeks year-round.

TUSSOCKS & TARNS. Following the occasional rock cairn on the lightly marked route through the tussock.

SCREE TOP. After 45 minutes of taking two steps forward and one step back as we climbed the steep scree slopes, we finally topped out on the saddle at the head of Freehold Creek (1,800m).

180° SCREE VIEW. Panoramic view from the saddle at 1,800m looking over Lake Ohau towards the Ben Ohau Range (left) and Benmore Range (right, horizon).

BLOWN AWAY. Literally & figuratively. We had to batten down the hatches against gale force winds on the ridgeline, but the view of Lake Ohau blew us away too!

ROCKY ROAD. Huge boulders litter the route across the saddle towards Dumb Bell Lake.

EMERALD. An tarn glistens in the barren alpine landscape as we sidle around rough, boulder-strewn slopes.

A TARN FINE VIEW. An alpine tarn amongst rugged scree slopes. Barrier Range in the background.

RED ROCKS. More rock-hopping on the descent to Dumb Bell Lake

THE BEAR CLIMBED UP THE MOUNTAIN…. and all that he could see was the other side of the mountain! In this case, Mt Stafford (2,208m) and the Barrier Range

FIRST GLIMPSE. Our first view of Lake Dumb-Bell (1,557m) with Mt Sutton beyond.

DUMB BELL LAKE. The rewarding view after 6 hours of tussock-bashing, scree running and boulder hopping….

TENT WITH A VIEW. Idyllic campsite next to a handful of small alpine tarns with epic views of Dumb Bell Lake and Mt Sutton (2,007m). Ohau ski field is on the other side of the mountain.

DUMB BELL AT DUSK. A Nor’ West Arch over Lake Dumb Bell heralds a change in the weather

THE GREAT ESCAPE. Day 2 and a 6am start to keep ahead of a weather warning bringing severe gale force winds and rain to the Main Divide.

RACE PACE. Quickening the pace as storm clouds gather…

THE CHASE. Being chased out of the Ohau Range by an incoming storm front!

SCREE RUNNER. Honing our rock-hopping skills as the skies darken and the wind builds…

BEAM ME UP, SCOTTY! Sun beams pierce the gathering storm clouds to light up Lake Ohau. The downhill run back to the car was in the lee of the wind and sheltered, and the beech forest provided cover from the few passing showers. We were then back at the car, drinking coffee and scoffing carrot cake in Omarama before the storm really started to blow…

 

 

THE LAKE WITH NO NAME

High in the Huxley Range of New Zealand’s Southern Alps lies a spectacular unnamed lake which has been on our radar for a while….

With a favourable forecast and a good few kilometres in our legs from a handful of hikes over the Christmas holidays the timing felt right to try and hike up the lake which we’d only seen on the topo map.

After negotiating a rough 4WD track – where some of the time only 3 wheels were actually in contact with the road (its now known as a “3WD track”) – we set up camp in the valley floor, fuelled up for a big day and assessed the topo map for the best route up to the lake.

What followed was one of the most spectacular and varied day walks which we’ve ever experienced. The hike traversed gentle river flats, native beech forest, countless waterfalls, high alpine meadows bursting with wild flowers plus the gin-clear lake itself flanked, fortress-like, by rocky moraine walls and scree slopes.

BASE CAMP. Whilst this looks idyllic, what you can’t see are the vast swarms of sandflies which drove us into our tents by about 8:30pm!

REFLECTION PERFECTION. Evening reflections of Mt St. Mary and the Barrier Range.

HEAVY SKIES. Low cloud envelops the mountain peaks but provides some welcome shade from the summer sun as we start hiking up the valley.

MISTY MOUNTAINS. Clouds clear to reveal the summit of Mt Heim (2,205m). The unnamed alpine lake which was our objective is nestled in the glacial cirque just below the summit.

JURASSIC PARK. Mt Barth (2,456m) dominates the skyline with thundering waterfalls slicing through the landscape below.

CANYON CREEK. At the base of Canyon Creek’s cascading waterfalls and the beginning a long hot climb.

CHASING WATERFALLS. Criss-crossing a myriad of waterfalls and cascades as we make our way ever upwards and towards the head of the valley.

TRAMP. The last of the morning cloud burns off just as the hike takes on a steeper gradient…

ALPINE ZONE. Climbing steadily higher towards the alpine zone.

FREEDOM. The marked track begins to peter out making for some fun route finding of our own through steep, exposed and quite rough country.

ALPINE MEADOW. Onwards and upwards through carpets of alpine flowers.

DAISIES FOR DAYS. Acres of alpine flowers soaking up the summer sun.

THE HILARY STEP. Well, kinda sorta….

TWO’S COMPANY, SCREE’S A CROWD. Traversing the rugged moraine walls of the Huxley Range.

BOULDER HOPPING. Crossing the scree covered moraine walls as we approach the alpine lake.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. The spectacular blue waters of a glacial lake (1,650m) surrounded by the boulder-strewn scree of moraine walls.

BERGLAND. Icebergs drift freely in the alpine lake… and are much harder for a hiker to balance on than they look!

GLACIAL. A rocky moraine wall is all that’s left of the long-since retreated glacier that carved out the cirque where the lake now lies.

FLOATER. The last remnants of winter snow drift gently in the breeze.

THE ALPINE CAFE. Not a bad lunchtime view.

FRAMED. Reflecting on a great morning of hiking in the Southern Alps.

ALPINE OASIS.

POLAR PLUNGE. A momentary lapse of reason… Yes, it was cold!

MISSION CONTROL. Scoping lines for future missions.

NO NAME. A spectacular lake such as this really deserves a name

ROCKY ROAD. Descending back towards the valley, which looks a long way down!

WIDE ANGLE. Taking in the expansive view of Canyon Creek and on to the Ahuriri Valley beyond.

VALLEY VIEW. Looking back up Canyon Creek on the return to camp.

SUNSET ROCKS. Enjoying the last of the evening sun and rehydrating with a couple of cold beers after an 11hour day of spectacular tramping.

NEXT MORNING. A Nor’ West front blows into the Ahuriri and chases us out of the valley

PARTING SHOT. Escaping the advancing wall of weather.

SPACE CAMP

SPACE (noun) 1. the unlimited three-dimensional expanse in which all objects exist, 2. a blank portion or area, 3. the region beyond the earth’s atmosphere containing other planets, stars, and galaxies; the universe.

A visit to Adventure Consultants‘ new alpine heli camp high in the mountains of Wanaka’s Southern Alps will give you the opportunity to experience space in every definition of the word.

The futuristic geodesic domes – which resemble an igloo and/or spaceman’s helmet – seem to defy space like Dr Who’s TARDIS*, and at an altitude of 1600m provide a superb base for ski-touring in the vast expanse of the McKerrow Range.

Joining a visiting Australian journalist, I was privileged to get a first taste of the new ski-touring experience, oh, and those all important First Tracks.

Thanks again Guy & Suze!

* Time and Relative Dimension in Space.

ROTOR WASH. An icy blast as the helicopter peels away after dropping us in the heart of a pristine alpine wilderness.

THE McKERROW MARCH. Hiking up into the wilds of the McKerrow Range with our home for the night, the igloo-esque geodesic dome, to the right of frame.

SUNSET BOULEVARD. The Southern Alps cast long shadows as we hike towards the mountain tops.

SUNBURST. Spectacular back-country ski-touring conditions with great views of Lake Wanaka and Mount Aspiring.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT. The last of the evening sun lights up the dome at the camp below (bottom left of the frame).

SUNSET LAPS. Skiing at sunset in the shadow of Mount Aspiring.

GOLDEN GLOW. Scoping fresh lines for the next morning as the sun drops behind the Southern Alps and Mt Aspiring.

HOME SWEET DOME. The geodesic dome under the glow of the setting sun.

CHEERS! Toasting the first group of visitors to stay at the dome. The domes are equipped with a full kitchen range (inc. extractor fan), solar powered LED lighting, log burner, tables, chairs, comfy bean bags and bunk beds with plush mattresses (no plastic coated DOC style mattresses here)! 

SPACE CAMP. To infinity and beyond!!….

400 BILLION. That’s the estimated number of stars in the Milky Way, with a mere 100 billion (ish) planets. I wonder who’s out there taking photos of us?…..

OLD FASHIONED STORY TELLING. Tall tales over a glass or two of pinot and single malt by the fireplace. Despite the down jackets and hats, once the log burner got cranking it was warm & cosy with the quilted double skin of the dome providimg great insulation. 

PASTEL PANORAMA. Sunrise over the Southern Alps.

IN THE PINK. Yet even on such a stunning morning, I was the only person outside taking photos at 6:30am…

FROSTY FOOTPRINTS. Solitude at sunrise… Everyone else was still in their sleeping bags!

SUN KISSED. The summit of Mt Aspiring (3,033m) catches the morning’s first ray of sunlight.

MORNING GLORY. Mount Aspiring and the Southern Alps at sunrise.

FIRST TRACKS….BUT FIRST BREAKFAST. Steaming hot coffee, bacon & eggs.

LOADING ZONE. Loaded up with coffee, bacon & eggs, we load up for a day of ski-touring.

LINED UP & READY TO DROP. First run of the day on a pristine blank canvas.

FIRST TRACKS. Catchy name for a new ski-touring business perhaps?…

VALLEY VIEW. Ripping down the valleys of the McKerrow Range.

SPACE | THE FINAL FRONTIER. And freshies for days!…..

EARNING TURNS. Climbing upward for another lap.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. The dome blends in with the snow and is quite hard to see…although I bet the local population of kea have spotted it! 

UPSIDE DOWN POWDER. Punching through a thin frost crust to the light, dry powder snow below.

POWWWWW!

BASE CAMP. Back at camp at the end of a sublime day of skiing in the back-country.

HOME RUN. The short helicopter flight back to the cars with more stunning views over Lake Wanaka and Mt Aspiring.

REFLECTION PERFECTION. Lake Hawea at it’s mirror-like best on the return drive to Wanaka.

DOUBLE VISION. Perfect reflections of Corner Peak in a glassy calm Lake Hawea.

FIRST TRACKS, AGAIN…

2018 is going down as the ski season that just keeps on giving. Another weekend, another day of ski touring in perfect snow conditions.

A classic Treble Cone storm of a moisture laden NW’er followed by a cold southerly delivered 20cm of consistent, dry snow across the entire mountain with a low avalanche risk. A classic Treble Cone powder day was on the cards.

With no need to race everyone else in the classic “TC Chinese Downhill” for the first chairlift and first tracks of the day inbounds, we fuelled up on coffee and cheese scones before traversing out of bounds and into the backcountry.

We were then alone.

Just four of us with a blank canvas of untracked powder all to ourselves – and that’s the way it stayed for pretty much most of the day!….

ANTICIPATION. With sublime snow conditions, the top can’t come soon enough.

OLD SCHOOL. Perfect ‘powder 8s’ in perfect conditions.

POWDER DAY PERFECTION! Treble Cone backcountry at its best.

POWDER DAY PLAY TIME.

TRANQUIL TOURING. Hiking up for another lap.

ROOSTER TAIL. Charging through the fresh snow.

THE WIGGLES. Freshies all day!

GOING WITH THE FLOW. Last run of the day.

FINALE. The final pitch of the day to the valley floor and the end to an epic TC powder day.

POWDER DAY PANO. Black Peak (centre) and the Southern Alps.

POOR MAN’S HELI

Step outside Treble Cone’s backdoor and on the right day you’ll find a wilderness of untracked powder…

Fresh snow!
Blue skies!
High avalanche risk.

That’s usually the way things go when there’s fresh powder in the backcountry, making ski-touring way too risky. But, on a handful of exquisite days each season the planets align allowing those of us without helicopters to access acres of deep, untracked pow!

Last Sunday was one of those days…

CHARGING. Dropping into ‘Backdoor’ off the summit of Treble Cone and charging through some crusty, variable snow at the top.

POWDERY PILLOWS. Finding some nice lines lower down.

FREE HEELS | FRESH LINES

FRESHIES. Boot deep and dry.

PARALLEL LINES. Traversing into more powdery goodness.

OUTBACK. A lone figure is dwarfed by the Southern Alps.

WHAT GOES DOWN…. Must go back up!

EVERY DAY IS A WINDING ROAD…. As Sheryl Crowe once sang.

SCOPING LINES. Three heads are better than one….

SOLO. Earning the turns.

MAJESTIC. The Matukituki Valley.

RACING SHADOWS. Floating through a perfect powder day.

TELE-TURNS.

FREE THE HEEL | FREE THE MIND. G in his happy place.

TIPS UP. And she’s not even sponsored by K2!

POW WOW.

TEMPTATION VALLEY. So tempting to ski to the valley floor in such epic conditions… just a long climb back up!

THE UPSIDE DOWN. Fresh tracks, but going up, not down!

VALLEY VISTA. Hiking out with views for miles.

HOME STRETCH. Closing in on the summit.

SUMMIT SENTINEL.

COVER SHOT. The last run home.

REFLECTION. Back in the car park and reflecting on an epic day with cold beers and high 5’s… and that view. Mou Tapu Island reflected in the inky waters of Lake Wanaka.

FULL MOON | FUN DO | SNOW FARM NZ.

The full moon fondu at Snow Farm, followed by a midnight ski into a backcountry hut is a must do…. We might have bypassed the fondu, but it was nonetheless a very fun do!

Take some skis.
A blizzard.
A rare blood moon.
A solar eclipse.
A backcountry hut full of whisky.
Good company.
Cards Against Humanity.
A hangover.
Bacon sandwiches.
A camera.
….and you’ll have a rather splendid weekend at Bob Lee Hut high on the Pisa Range, Snow Farm NZ.

WHITE WALKERS…. and winter is most definitely coming! Heads down into a blizzard through the Roaring Meg Valley.

RIDERS ON THE STORM. Headlong into the blizzard.

IN THE GROOVE. Classic style in classic weather…

WEATHERED. Andrew & Sue arrive at Bob Lee Hut having weathered the storm.

SHELTER FROM THE STORM. The warm and welcoming dome of Bob Lee Hut.

MOONLIT. The full moon shrouded in clouds as the storm clears over Bob Lee Hut.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT. The full moon illuminates the the landscape.

MOON SHADOW.

STARBURST. Chris unleashes an impromptu and exclusive fireworks display.

GLITTER & GOLD. Fresh snow glistens in the moonlight.

SNOW CIRCLE. Chris proudly displays his circular frame for viewing the imminent solar eclipse…

WINNERS CIRCLE. The 2018 winner of the Snow Farm Open Gurning Championship….

BLOOD RED.Too cloudy to view the blood moon & eclipse, but a blood red sunrise was not a bad consolation.

MORNING GLORY. Shafts of sunlight pierce the inky morning skies over Bob Lee Hut.

EARLY BIRD. A keen ski instructor joins us for the dramatic dawn display.

BASE CAMP. Flags flutter outside the hut.

PASTEL PALETTE. Pink hues over the Southern Alps at sunrise.

THE TIGER TANGO….

COLOURFUL CLOUDSCAPE.

WINDOW ON WANAKA. Reflections of sunrise, Bob Lee Hut.

BOB LEE BREAKIE. Medicinal bacon sandwiches to treat a few hungover heads…

GOLDEN GLOW. A recently eclipsed sun lights up the Pisa Range.

LAYERS. Fresh snow and freshly groomed trails at Snow Farm.

GROOVY, BABY. Manicured morning trails.

CONTRASTS. White on black.

RAY. A drop of golden sun…. Far, a long, long way to ski…

PILLOWS. A fresh white coat for the Pisa Range.

MUG SHOT. All our cups in a row.

CHORES. Andrew deals to the dishes.

BLANK CANVAS. A snow mobile cuts fresh tracks across the landscape.

A MOTLEY CREW.

WHITE LINES. Skiing out from Bob Lee Hut across the Pisa Range.

VALLEY VIEW. Early morning views across the tranquil Pisa Range, the Roaring Meg and Meadow Hut.

SOLITUDE.

UNTRACKED. Traversing an untracked landscape of fresh snow.

LONG SHADOWS. The early morning sun casts long shadows across fresh pillows of snow.

ROLLING IN THE DEEP.

Volcanic Vacation

During late May and June, Wanaka frequently shivers under a frigid blanket of low inversion cloud so its a good time to migrate to the warmer climes of the Pacific Islands… at least until the ski areas open.

Our islands of choice this year were Maui and Kauai (Hawaii) for two weeks of hiking through volcanic landscapes, snorkelling with turtles, a little bit of surfing and a whole lot of kicking back with with a cold beer or G&T watching the sunset….

INVERSION. Wanaka’s down there somewhere shivering under the low inversion cloud. Hawaii sunshine here we come!

ALOHA MAUI! Windsurfing at Ho’okipa Beach Park, Maui – just a stone’s throw from the airport.

MEETING THE NEIGHBOURS. A Hawaiian green sea turtle pops up for a breath of air right outside our beach-side apartment.

Snorkelling with Hawaiian green turtles, Maui.

Snorkelling with Hawaiian green turtles, Maui.

Snorkelling with Hawaiian green turtles, Maui.

Snorkelling with Hawaiian green turtles, Maui.

Snorkelling with Hawaiian green turtles, Maui.

Snorkelling with Hawaiian green turtles, Maui.

MAUI MAGIC. The setting sun over the island of Moloka’i.

HALEAKALA HIKE. Hiking through the craters and cones of Maui’s Mt Haleakala at over 3,000m / 10,000ft in altitude.

CRATER CAM. A dormant volcanic cone in the Haleakala Crater, Maui.

TREBLE CONE. But not as we know it… although you could probably ski down the flanks of these cones too! The “Big Island” of Hawaii is visible on the horizon, but luckily we were not disrupted by any of the volcanic eruptions or lava flows causing havoc here.

CONICAL CRATER. We stopped for lunch just on the rim of this large volcanic cone. (Looked just like the mighty Sarlaac Pit from Return of the Jedi)! 

MARTIAN LANDING. The Haleakala Crater exactly as I imagine the surface of Mars might look.

RAINBOW VALLEY. The multi-coloured volcanic hues of the Haleakala.

CLOUD SEA. At over 10,000ft in altitude the Haleakala Crater is well above the clouds.

OROGRAPHIC. The trade winds blow moist air against the windward slopes of the huge Haleakala volcano to form orographic clouds and localised rainfall on the NE coast of the island resulting in lush, green rain-forest.

MAUI MEANDERINGS. Hiking tracks criss-cross the Martian landscape of the volcano.

LAYERS. Hiking through Haleakala.

VAST VOLCANIC VIEWS. Panorama looking across the Haleakala Crater with the “Big Island” of Hawaii visible in the distance.

WINE’D DOWN. Happiness is…. a moody Maui sunset and a good bottle of red.

CLIMBING IN KAUAI. The aptly named Waimea Ditch, drains the Waimea Canyon on its way to the Pacific Ocean.

RED RIVER. A small waterfall cascades through the red volcanic soils of the Waimea Canyon on Kauai.

CAPTIVATING CANYON. Spectacular views across Waimea Canyon and Waipo’o Falls. Central Kauai.

WAIMEA | WIDE ANGLE.

PLUNGE. Waipo’o Falls plunge 800ft into the Waimea Canyon below.

A VERY GRAND CANYON. But not THE Grand Canyon… Waimea Canyon, Kauai.

KAUAI CLIFFS. Low cloud rolls over the Napali Coast. A hard hitting hurricane in April caused significant flood damage to the Northern areas of Kauai with road access to some areas, like Napali, still closed months later.

COASTAL CLIFFS. The dramatic volcanic cliffs of the Napali Coast.

OCEAN OUTLOOK. Kauai’s Napali cliffs fall into the North Pacific Ocean.

WEATHERED. The rugged volcanic cliffs on the South Kauai coast

BLUE TUBE. A body-boarder catches a sweet ride on Kauai.

LET’S BOOGIE…. body boarding, Kauai.

WAVE RIDER. Surfing at sundown, Poipu Beach.

GOLDEN GLOW. The sun sets over the palms of Poipu Beach.

LAST LIGHT. The last rays of sun burst over Poipu Beach, Kauai.