Mount Barff is a beautiful peak situated in the Mutukituki valley with the Liverpool hut at its base. My friend Ben arrived in New Zealand for a two week trip of ski touring and exploring. We went over different ideas of places to go once he landed at the Queenstown airport. We decided to drive North to Wanaka and after picking up some groceries head to Mount Aspiring National Park. Once there we would climb up to and stay at the Liverpool Hut and do a ski tour around Mount Barff.
Heading into Mount Aspiring National Park
Within three hours of Ben arriving in New Zealand we threw his bags in the car and were driving up the Matukituki Valley. I had rented a Prius car and it was filled to the brim with ski gear and other random stuff. From our view in the valley we could see a healthy snowpack in the alpine making our way into Mount Aspiring National Park.
Hiking up the Matukituki Valley
Once the car was parked we threw four days of gear in our packs and started our trip.
Making our way up the trail we had to cross numerous small creeks. We were using hiking shoes so with each crossing we would do anything we could to keep our feet dry. Ben was going with a lack of sleep and carrying a heavy pack for hours on end.
As we turned the bend in the Matukituki valley we had our first view of Mount Barff. The snowpack looked good and we were preparing for the long hike in to the Liverpool hut on the edge of the treeline.
The next few hours were a race against the light. By the time we made it to the Liverpool Hut climbing trail the sun had set and it was dark. The trail itself is technical and steep as we made our way up holding onto roots every meter. By the time we made it to the shelter it was pitch dark.
Ski Touring from the Liverpool Hut
The next morning we woke up and went outside for the sunrise. The high summits of the Matukituki were basking in alpenglow and it was Bens first time in that zone.
From the 10 bunk hut we were across the valley from Mount Aspiring. It’s a relatively new building and the scenery is hard to beat.
We weren’t exactly sure on the best route to Mount Barff so we decided to follow the main ridge. It was our hope that we could do a small technical climb once on the ridge which would give us access to the main face.
Looking back down at the Liverpool hut we had a stunning view of the Mount Aspiring area. You could see the Bonar glacier off in the distance and the top of Mount Aspiring barely sticking out.
Once we made it to the top of the ridge we realized the route was a no go. It was far too technical and exposed to keep going. Instead we would have to go back down and attempt another route to make it to the summit.
Our run was smooth corn that had been heated by the sun. From our vantage we could see to the bend of the Matukituki valley. We had traveled quite the distance the day before.
While the route didn’t go we were happy to make some turns since we carried the boards up anyways.
Round 2 Climbing up Mount Barff
Making it back to the hut we looked over topo maps and decided to attempt another route.
We climbed down into a stream before heading up the next gully that lead into the main zone. The area was steep as we cramponed a meter at a time making a decent pace. We kept pushing up as we saw the clouds moving in making it just below the summit.
Worrying that the weather was coming in and the day was getting late we decided to turn back. While we didn’t make it to the peak itself we were going to ride the main face and we were happy with that.
Snowboarding down from the Shoulder of Mount Barff
Dropping in we found great snow conditions. It was wind packed powder as we rode down the upper face enjoying every turn.
The shadows were getting longer and we were racing against the daylight.
We took a small break once we got lower on the face to check out our turns. It was a fun ride and we were looking forward to heading back to the Liverpool Hut for a comfortable night.
And the Epic Starts
Riding down we started traversing back to our gully and got a little too excited. We were a little bit off track as we descended a gully that was holding good snow.
Soon we were at avalanche debris and racing against the daylight. We knew we had rode down a different line but were under the impression that it would bring us back to the Liverpool Hut.
After an hour of walking down the debris we made it to the creek. We were sure that we could just walk down a few hundred meters and be where we wanted to be. As we started walking down the creek bed we ran into a problem, it was a waterfall we wouldn’t be able to make it down.
It was going to be dark in 30 minutes and it would take an hour or two just to get back up. We searched around for a fast route to get back to the hut but couldn’t find a way to skirt around. We had to make a plan and we had to do it fast.
A Shiver Bivy and Long Night Under a Rock
We decided that the best call was to find a wind protected spot and stay the night there. The forecast was calling for a clear night so we would push off again at first light.
We found a rock that would block the wind and knew this was the best spot. It would be a long night but it was far from freezing. We weren’t in a dire situation but we were definitely in an uncomfortable situation.
The night was long and cold as I bundled up in a ball. I kept thinking to myself that it was summer weather compared to Finnish Lapland. Every hour or so we would boil some water and keep our cores warm. We kept laughing as we thought about all our gear sitting at the Liverpool Hut.
Once it started getting light we were moving back up the gully. We made our way over to the proper gully and a few hours later we were back at the hut.
At the hut we made a huge meal before taking a much needed nap. Once awake it was already starting to get dark. We had considered leaving but decided against it as we were both still tired and Ben was still Jet lagged.
Another Unplanned Night at the Liverpool Hut
We woke up the next day and it was raining hard. Our route down from the Liverpool hut was on a some exposed and slick rocks. It was definitely not safe conditions to make our way down so we would have to wait for the storm to stop before moving.
For the rest of the day we started getting into our food stash. We knew we were at least stuck for the day so we made the most out of it. That night we went to bed hoping conditions would get better the next day.
We woke up to see that the snow level had dropped and instead of rain on the trail it was snow.
Looking out the window and towards the trail we could see that the snow level was below the crux. It was still early in the morning so we stuck around hoping it would melt off so we could get out.
I sent a message to my wife on my Delorme Inreach asking about the forecast. Her reply was that a huge front was coming in the next day. We were low on food and fuel so we had to make a call.
While the snow hadn’t melted off we decided the right call was to push down the mountain. We were in a race against time as even driving out in the car was going to be an issue. The road had one small creek to cross and if the water was raging our Toyota Prius wouldn’t be able to do it.
If we wanted out soon we would have to go now.
Exiting the Liverpool Hut
Making it over to the Liverpool Hut trail we came up with a plan. We made our way down the snow covered section with our crampons on. We took our time with every step before making our way down to snowline. Once there we took the crampons off and down climbed to the Matukituki valley.
Once in the Matukituki valley there was a sigh of relief. We were back on flat land and just had one final push to the car. Things had gone smoothly all things considered and we had survived our trip out from Mount Barff.
From there on we put our heads down for the 13 kilometers back to the car park. The weather was coming in and out but we were happy it wasn’t raining.
Soon we were back at the car a few hours before sunset. We threw our gear into the car and rallied back towards Wanaka. The creek crossing had risen a little bit but nothing the Prius couldn’t handle. We had made it out just in time running out of food earlier in the morning.
Leaving the Matukituki Valley
Back in Wanaka we finally had internet service. After looking at the forecast we knew we had made the right call as the snow level was gong to be low. We could have been stuck up there for days but instead we dealt with conditions and got out.
It was time to join the crowds taking photos of the Wanaka trees.
While in Wanaka we chatted with our friends Julia and Louie and came up with the plan to head up to Mount Cook Village. We would take a helicopter up to the Tasman glacier. If conditions held we would ride the area in powder conditions.
In Conclusion
It was a wild trip and mistakes were made. We really started rushing when we should have taken our time on decision. We knew we were going down the wrong route but we never checked the map, that was a huge mistake. Once in the situation though we played it smart knowing it wasn’t going to be a wet night. Looking back we could have climbed in the dark to Liverpool hut but the route was a little bit sketchy.
Also we could have pushed out the day we got back to the hut but we were tired and that’s where mistakes get made. Though the trip wasn’t what we planned it was a great opportunity for Ben to get caught up on his sleep. While we didn’t make it to the summit of Mount Barff it was a wild trip non the less.
Thank you for reading
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