Tuesday, 12 February 2013

Mount Halcombe

Our first mountain for the trip is denoted as Mount Halcombe.  This route is fairly straightforward, accept for one crux that involves rock climbing skills. After a nice private night with just our group, we headed off.  As some would say, climbing is just _.  It's best done between two consenting adults in the dark.  Yes, I'm referring to video games.  
For me, the first climb is always a little nerve-racking.  I am always concerned that I forgot something vital. Do I still know how to tie a clove hitch? The other tricky thing is determining what clothing to wear.  It's cold in the dark, but can get bloody hot when the sun shines on the snow/glacier. 


I'm always amazed at how beautiful the mountains are.  One of the spectacular aspects of New Zealand is that the Southern Alps are so close to the Tasman Sea, which you can see in this picture, looking down the Fox Glacier.  I suppose this has the best of both worlds between those who like the beach and those who like the mountains... or at least in my opinion. 


Our first major obstacle on the route was a crevasse.  We just jump in one by one.  Just kidding.  We actually moved to the side of this crevasse to get up to  some exposed rock.  The real challenge was knowing that I had just developed a blister on the first day because we walked sideways up a mountain for a long way, but since when have I ever gone mountaineering without developing a blister? 

1 comment:

  1. Breathtaking pictures! Wears me out just looking at you three.

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