Heading into the Raglans.

Old timers will complain that winter’s aren’t what they used to be. Certainly the last three years have been placid weather wise and the winters benign - last winter so much so I cannot recall anything worth calling a storm. Well, this year they can relax - a traditional old style miserable wet and stormy winter is back. In between the wet and windy we have some great frosts and some good snow.

I’m back apple pruning again this year and I’ve taken to wearing mountaineering boots out on the orchard whilst pruning to keep my feet in better condition and it really works. Real winters mean much better quality snow conditions and that has been noticeable after last years thin crust and icy shell. Soft and dry powder - awesome!!

Unfortunately my current work conditions have meant far less time to get out but fortunately conditions up the hill - on our local mountain Arthur have been good since mid may giving some easy access fun. Below some winter photos.

Above and video - The Raglans provide easy access and largely unvisited ground to play on - Hoar frost late in day shows how cold it gets although young Charlie feels no cold in shorts and t - shirt.

Leo - kids fun.

On of the locals looking rather good on white.

Heading up with some young guys to film snowboarding on slopes of Mt Arthur

So far a quick overnight trip in the Raglans has been the only more serious mountain trip - was good fun and seriously exhausting for me.

Mt Arthur has provided plenty of snow trips already this winter.

View over the mountains of the upper south in early winter conditions.

It’s been a settled but rather cool summer with some fairly mellow trips out and about to keep fit and motivated. Motivation and morale are key at the moment along with fitness as plans for travel back to the mountains of Asia remain on hold for probably another year at least. Fortunately for all there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel regards the current world situation. In the mean time the odd dusting of snow locally reminds us that winter has almost arrived and hopefully some more serious trips in New Zealand in the near future. Below are pictures and videos of times out and about over the last 5 months whether at work , play or with the family. (Thanks also to those not mentioned but shared these trips with me).

Kahurangi national park from Ghost Lake at dusk.

West coast waves crashing onto the beach along the Heaphy track.

Sunset at Ghost lake Hut - in the distance mountain mass of Nelson Lakes national park is evident with Mt Hopeless, Cupola, and Travers standing out clearly above the clouds.

Wild West Coast beach’s.

It was Isabelle’s plan, a family trip to stay at the rock shelters - an east summer night out.

Isabelle on a swing bridge.

Carl and Leo

Looking for berries.

Mt Owen with the spectacular Karst country below.

Natural stone arches amongst the broken rock!

What has become an annual outing - The Twins traverse on the Arthur range.

Another annual is Chittenden - the first snow showers of autumn swirl on the summit ridge.

Mountain Tarn’s provide a great campsite in the Spenser mountain’s.

Sweeping panorama of Spenser’s from high up on the ridge.

Summer flowers bloom below Glacier Gully in the Spenser Mountain’s.

Autumn color’s under Mount Angelus with the lake of the same name in the foreground. Mt Angelus is another regular all times of the year with easy access.

Perfect Rainbow to end the photo story.

There’s no where like exploring in the mountains to make one realize that following another’s footsteps is only a fraction as hard as finding the way for the first time. Sometime ago I read in the guidebook to the Inland Kaikoura range which have some of the highest mountains in New Zealand -

“On a clear winter's day the snowclad peaks of the Inland Kaikoura Range are a dramatic feature, easily visible from the Marlborough plains and from many vantage points to the west and south.
No information has been found for the remote 2000-2400m peaks on the Inland range south of those described below. Access to these presents few challenges from the Clarence Valley, apart from remoteness and long ridges.”

Well - here was a challenge which in a small country like ours where every nook and cranny seems to have been repeatedly trodden over (one thinks anyway) - Traverse the Inland Kaikoura range and cross those remote peaks south of Alarm (about midway through the range) that have drawn a blank information wise. About the best info available was seeing some photos the peaks as viewed from the vast sheep stations situated far below.

December saw me doing small exploratory trip in the Inland Kaikoura's over 5 days with Ben and Jake. Originally we wanted to traverse the whole range but with limited time decided on a loop instead encompassing the highest peaks and an exploration of possibilities to do the full traverse at a later date. Heading south of Mt Alarm, Mt Mitre and Muzzel saddle made the trip worth while in the exploratory sense and a bit of peak bagging on way climbing the four highest peaks on the range and bivvying high was fun. Unfortunately we missed 2 main objectives - the very remote Mount Symonds - which was indeed remote and 2578m a hairy looking peak south of Alarm. Ben excelled soloing a couple of Spires/Pinnacles himself South of Mitre and another East of Alarm. More unclimbed possibilities opened up - the full South Ridge line of Pinnacles to Mitre , a Southern route up Alarm by its couloir and the magnificent South face/wall of Alarm (not for me though). We came out bashing our way through Matagori (a tough spiky Tree/Bush) into the Shin river via the Tongue spur giving us all new respect for Sir Ed who soloed the whole route to the top of Tapuaenuku and back midwinter in 1944 (definitely a long way to go ) and ended up at parking lot without having crossed our own trail once.

The Expedition is half complete and the remaining Southerly portion of the Inland Kaikoura ridgeline now remains to be traversed but having viewed it now from closer up I am hoping the near future will bring a conclusion to our traverse and our cup will be filled!

Jake, Ben and Nathan