Mountain
Tech - Assessment
Multi pitching at Temple Basin
Date: 23.9.11
Location: Temple Basin
Type: Multi pitching and avalanche rescue assessment
Level: Poled route
Snow Conditions: Powder
Days: 1
Hours: 8
No. of People: 12
Weather Conditions: Fine
Extra Comments: Multi-pitched at Temple Basin as well as transceiver searching. It was a beautiful day at Temple – blue skies and good warm temperatures. Spring is here and Summer is coming!!!
Location: Temple Basin
Type: Multi pitching and avalanche rescue assessment
Level: Poled route
Snow Conditions: Powder
Days: 1
Hours: 8
No. of People: 12
Weather Conditions: Fine
Extra Comments: Multi-pitched at Temple Basin as well as transceiver searching. It was a beautiful day at Temple – blue skies and good warm temperatures. Spring is here and Summer is coming!!!
Arthurs Pass
3/4 of the way up Avalanche Peak
Date: 20.9.11
Location: Arthurs Pass, New Zealand
Type: Day hike
Level: easy, poled route
Snow Conditions: wet and soft
Days: 1
Hours: 8
No. of People: 17
Weather Conditions: Fine
Extra Comments: Completed a day mission with Tech up Avalanche Peak. Snow conditions varied from wet and soft to hard crust with soft underlay. Saw several point release avalanche tracks and generally had a fantastic day out. Fell over a lot, mostly in holes between the grass tussocks under a metre of snow! Wrecked the butt of my waterproof pants sliding down one of the slopes but the fun far outweighs the pain of having to buy another pair :)
Location: Arthurs Pass, New Zealand
Type: Day hike
Level: easy, poled route
Snow Conditions: wet and soft
Days: 1
Hours: 8
No. of People: 17
Weather Conditions: Fine
Extra Comments: Completed a day mission with Tech up Avalanche Peak. Snow conditions varied from wet and soft to hard crust with soft underlay. Saw several point release avalanche tracks and generally had a fantastic day out. Fell over a lot, mostly in holes between the grass tussocks under a metre of snow! Wrecked the butt of my waterproof pants sliding down one of the slopes but the fun far outweighs the pain of having to buy another pair :)
Temple Basin
Dates: 9 - 12 August, 2011
Location: Temple Basin, New Zealand
Type: 3 day tramp and snow caving
Level: Easy, poled route
Snow Conditions: Powder
Days: 4
Hours: 24
No. of People: 17
Accommodation: Bunk house, snow cave
Weather Conditions: Fine to overcast
Extra Comments: This week was one of the more incredible experiences I have had. Not having had much to do with snow before it was a week of learning. Various snow anchors, multi pitching, self arresting etc was all a neat experience but what really topped it was snow caving. I think sleeping in a snow cave is the single thing I have been most looking forward to all year. It completely matched my expectations, a very memorable week with amazing views. I really like how it only takes a few hours of tramping in the snow and I can be totally removed from the rest of the world. I love the quietness of the mountains in the winter. Excepting the Kia’s, there isn’t much around at all. Speaking of Kia’s...they carried off Sara’s snow goggles, nudged Chris’s helmet down a slope that took a day and a half to track down, and hacked into my pack. Beautiful birds but very destructive!
Location: Temple Basin, New Zealand
Type: 3 day tramp and snow caving
Level: Easy, poled route
Snow Conditions: Powder
Days: 4
Hours: 24
No. of People: 17
Accommodation: Bunk house, snow cave
Weather Conditions: Fine to overcast
Extra Comments: This week was one of the more incredible experiences I have had. Not having had much to do with snow before it was a week of learning. Various snow anchors, multi pitching, self arresting etc was all a neat experience but what really topped it was snow caving. I think sleeping in a snow cave is the single thing I have been most looking forward to all year. It completely matched my expectations, a very memorable week with amazing views. I really like how it only takes a few hours of tramping in the snow and I can be totally removed from the rest of the world. I love the quietness of the mountains in the winter. Excepting the Kia’s, there isn’t much around at all. Speaking of Kia’s...they carried off Sara’s snow goggles, nudged Chris’s helmet down a slope that took a day and a half to track down, and hacked into my pack. Beautiful birds but very destructive!
Franz Joseph Glacier
Date: 1-3 June, 2011
Location: Franz Joseph Glacier, New Zealand
Type: Ice Climbing
Level: Easy
Snow Conditions: Ice
Days: 3
Hours: 14
No. of People: 14
Weather Conditions: Fine
Accommodation: Bunk Houses
Extra Comments: This was my first experience with crampons, ice axes and ice climbing. Loved it! Am definitely wanting to do more. Enjoyed learning about ice screws and V threads. Also learnt about the value of a down jacket, a windproof jacket, a fleece, a balaclava, thermals, gloves, more thermals, sunglasses, a thermos.... Aussie's in the snow get cold!!!
Location: Franz Joseph Glacier, New Zealand
Type: Ice Climbing
Level: Easy
Snow Conditions: Ice
Days: 3
Hours: 14
No. of People: 14
Weather Conditions: Fine
Accommodation: Bunk Houses
Extra Comments: This was my first experience with crampons, ice axes and ice climbing. Loved it! Am definitely wanting to do more. Enjoyed learning about ice screws and V threads. Also learnt about the value of a down jacket, a windproof jacket, a fleece, a balaclava, thermals, gloves, more thermals, sunglasses, a thermos.... Aussie's in the snow get cold!!!