18 Day Symphony on Skis Traverse in Mt. Cook National Park

With a resupply of food in Twizel and a night in Mt. Cook Village Shannon and I met up with Chloe and Dan from Christchurch and my friends Christina and Peter from home in the states. We played our cards right and were able to get take a ski plane up the Tasman Valley. Thought it wasn’t the plan in the end it would turn out to be an 18 day symphony on skis.

Day 1 Heading to the Murchison Hut

And past the Caroline Face of Mount Cook.

And then we found ourselves at The Murchison Glacier.

For the rest of the day we put in a bootpack up to the Murchison Hut and dug it out as we were going to be there for a week. It wasn’t until the second day that we started looking around our backyard.

Day 2 Climbing Mount Sydney King

We made our way over to the summit of a peak called Sydney King and noticed another group of two up there. We chatted and quickly found out it was Eben and his friend Jaimie from Seattle/AK this would be the only random group I ran into all season. We joined forces and made a loop heading down to the Classen glacier and up and back over to the Murchison.

Day 3 The Murchison Headwall

The next day we decided to head up and check out the Tasman Saddle.

And get a view of the Main Divide.

Then we found excellent corn on riding back down the headwall.

Shannon, Dan and Chloe rode around on the glacier while Peter, Christina and i decided to make a detour and check out the Mannering Glacier.

For our final run we went back up to Starvation Saddle then summit a side peak and in the end making a huge descent back to the valley floor.

Day 4 Ski Touring around the Murchison Glacier

The next day we decided to head towards the Divide and attempt to ride Mt. Mannering.

But the weather clung to the Divide and we didn’t feel like navigating through a White out.

So we rode back down to the Murchison and came up with another plan.

We decided to head to the summit of Mount Cooper.

And make a descent down the Eastern Faces.

That afternoon we watched the weather changing and relived we were going to be in the hut for a few days.

Day 5 The storm arriving

The next morning there was a small weather window and Dan, Chloe and Shannon decided to get a heli out. I originally planned on leaving with them but figured out a way to stretch my 7 days of food out and stay as on the glaciers as long as the skiing was still good. We decided to attempt the Symphony on skis.

Day 6 Hiding around the Murchison Hut

The next two days we would get a small weather window but they were just teases as the clouds would come back in as we made it into the high country.

Day 7 and 8 Getting stir Crazy

The next two days the storm raged but what started as rain turned to snow in the end.

Day 9 Heading to the Kelman Hut and Tasman Glacier

We were getting stir crazy so decided to move base up to the Kelman hut after heading back for a lap on the Mannering.

Then up and over the Tasman Saddle and on to the Tasman Glacier for the week.

That afternoon we waited for the Sunset Alpenglow before doing our final descent of the day.

and watched the darkness arrive knowing we were going to be hutbound for the next few days at the Kelman Hut.

Day 10 and 11 Hiding in the Kelman Hut

The next two days we were stormed in and hanging out on the Fridge on the Ridge.

Luckily it once again came down as snow so we decided that when the weather did clear we needed to start riding as soon as possible because the sun was going to destroy all the new.

Day 12 Ski touring on the Tasman Glacier

The next clear morning I woke up early and watched the alpenglow.

We got our gear together and made sure to ride the Tasman before the sun hit it.

It turned out to be awesome conditions.

Once we got to Darwins corner we changed direction and started heading towards The Hochstetter Dome.

From the summit we were looking directly down towards the West Coast and a true Tiger Country.

and we dropped the Hochstetter in awesome powder conditions.

Day 13 Heading up the Darwin Glacier

The next day we decided to head up the Darwin Glacier and see what that area had to offer.

And checked out the views around Hamilton Peak

We found the skiing to be in perfect corn conditions.

Before taking a nice rest on the Tasman Glacier.

I’ve skinned in some amazing zones but I think the Tasman may take the cake.

That afternoon we took one final lap off the Darwin Shoulder.

Than took in our final sunset from the Kelman hut.

Day 14 Heading over to the West Coast

The next day we woke up super early and rode down the Tasman and started heading up and over the Rudolph Saddle towards the West Coast.

Then we had to get up and around the Ice cliffs which was by far the crux of the trip traversing bulletproof steep slopes where falling isn’t an option. This was the crux of the Symphony on Skis.

And then we were up on the West Coast looking towards the Tasman Sea and heading to the Centennial Hut.

Day 15 Touring on the West Coast Glaciers

The weather was calling to be miserable for the next few days but the next morning we were able to get out and stretch our legs.

Day 16 and 17 Being stormed in before moving to the Chancellor hut

The next two days we were stormed in but once the weather cleared we got up early in the morning and made our way up and over to the Fox Glacier.

We wanted to stay at the Pioneer hut and explore the Fox glacier for multiple days but the storm was once again coming in and Christina and Peter had a plane to catch so we explored the glacier for the rest of the day before heading down to the Chancellor hut.

That afternoon it was time to descend off down the Fox glacier and make our way onto solid ground.

We were able to make it down to a spot where we climbed back onto solid ground. The thing that really surprised me was the happiness to see green, smell the vegetation and watch the Kea. That night we stayed in the Chancellor Hut and waited for a early morning back heli flight down to the town of Fox.

Day 18 The exit and finishing the Symphony on skis

In the end the trip was 18 days traversing through two National Parks and up and over the Divide. I had no intention of doing the traverse but in the end was very happy that I came along. While Peter and Christina took a plane back to the U.S. I was on a plane to experience the Volcanoes of the North Island.