The plan was to do a ski tour on the Tasman Glacier after a wild trip up to the Liverpool Hut. Soon we were driving toward Mount Cook Village for a 4 day ski tour based out of the Kelman Hut. Our plan was to spend our time snowboarding around in hopes that the snow would be great. This would be my forth time touring around the area so by know I was quite familiar with the area.
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.
It was an honor to be invited on a 2 week hut mission base camping at the Lyall hut. We would have access to numerous options of potential mountains to snowboard. We had loosely set our eyes on climbing The Warrior which is a distinct peak in the Armoury Range. It’s one of the more isolated regions in a massive range that’s known for isolation. so it’s out there. Ryan and his friend Yossi took a helicopter to the hut while I decided to hike in the 20kms.
After finishing an 18 day traverse in Mount Cook National Park I had an itching to ride some sweet volcano corn. I decided late spring was the time to head to the North Island and do some ski touring on Mount Ruapehu. After a few much needed days of R and R staying with my friend Ryan in Christchurch I was on a plane heading to Wellington.
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.
After getting a ride to Christchurch with Chris I took a bus to Geraldine and met up with Shannon. We grabbed some food at the local Four Square and got our 4wd on up the Macaulay River. Our plan was to spend a few days ski touring in the Macaulay Valley
When I got back to New Zealand from Australia we were still amidst a high pressure system. By now we were looking to find North facing slopes and good corn. It was decided that the Muller Hut outside of Mount Cook National Park was the place to go.
Damian was kind enough to drop me off at the airport after our trip in Mount Cook National Park. While in Christchurch I waited for John Blankenstein to arrive from Australia before meeting up with Chris Rayner and Wiggles. We stocked up for a overnight trip attempting the Cragieburn traverse. It would be around 30kms and 10,000 vert going past 4 ski fields with an overnight stay at Mt. Olympus.
We arrived to Temple Basin ski area while the rain washed away most of the snow. A group of 50 other skiers and snowboarders waited in the hut for the weather to clear. On Sunday it finally happened so it was time to go Splitboarding at the Splitboard festival. Ryan Nicols and I decided to go on a quick mission to summit Temple Peak.
My last ski mountaineering trip was heading up the Matukituki valley with eyes on Mt. Aspiring. I had spent quite a lot of time in the valley throughout the season and I decided to go check it out. I wasn’t sure if or what I would ski but I thought it doesn’t hurt to see how the terrain was up there.