Mt Aspiring National Park - Stage I Trip

Xmas Trip 2010
Sunday 27 December 2009 to Saturday 9 January 2010 (14 days)

‘Who’s got the lentils?’ Mike Heilbron’s Xmas trip

Mike’s careful management of the group’s expected calorie output was matched with precise weight-based meals to ensure not a gram extra was carried for the group’s shared food.
Big Blue’s delayed arrival at Queenstown meant it was 7.30pm before there was any movement from the Makarora carpark towards the river, where the crossing was to offer a cool start to the trip and the prospect of a chilly night.

 Wilkin Valley We’d seen Rob’s party off in their pre-booked jet boat - our plan was to camp after crossing the river, make an early start the next day up the Wilkin Valley and take five days to do the circuit.
En route to the river a farmer, who’d just crossed the Makarora in his ute, stopped. A swift chat saw nine ATC trampers, nine packs and a new puppy all negotiating the river on the back of the ute. Mike, the farmer of Mt Albert Station, then offered the use of his vacant shearers’ quarters for the night (complete with rose garden).
 Unexpected Transportation Mike’s final surprise when we went to thank him the following morning was to pack us all back on board the ute for a drive some distance along the valley to prevent us pushing his sheep back up the valley.

I could get used to this sort of ATC tramping, I thought!!
I found the first day a slog, even with the spectacular river scenery. The weather was hot and humid and the pack felt heavier with each step. Geoff and Kay seized the first opportunity to leap into a cool pool. (Dipping in pools and washing holes was one of Kay’s favourite pastimes.)
We made good progress climbing through beech forest above Siberia Valley
 Siberia Valley before descending to camp outside Siberia Hut. A rain forecast saw a reshuffle of tents away from the bog. Here we were to find our first waterfall to freshen up in. We enjoyed our first night camping outside the full hut.

We shifted the camp further down the valley before making the side trip to Lake Crucible after a steep climb through the bush. An icy blast off the frozen lake greeted anyone climbing over the lip to view the scene. We took the obligatory photos before finding a sheltered spot for lunch. Rob’s group had ‘knocked the bastard off’ before powering off down the valley. On our return to camp we found Sue Webb patiently waiting. She’d planned to do the side trip with us and was surprised by our rapid progress (wasn’t Mike’s the slow group?). We were to meet her later in Wanaka where she hosted us for lunch at her place which has stunning views of Treble Cone ski field.
It was here, before we set off for Gillespie Pass, that we said goodbye to Mike from Hamilton whose knees let him down. He secured a seat on a scenic flight from Siberia to get him out. It was to be the end of his tramping trip.
 Gillespie Pass The weather gods shined on us as we climbed to the pass with stunning views of mountains and down the valley. A final 50 metres’ climb through the snow to the summit revealed a majestic landscape, a spot for a team photo on the snow (see p 16) and a sheltered picnic spot to enjoy the views.

The steep descent to the Young River was a test on the knees. We made use of the new Young Hut while Geoff found a superb camping spot by the river. It was New Year’s Eve but no one stayed up after enjoying the wine Anton had carried for us. The sun greeted the 2010 New Year and Kay’s birthday where we did our best at the birthday rendition and all signed birthday messages on her map. We set off to enjoy the undulating path along the Young River before I threw myself off the track after catching my toe in a tree root. Kay was to plot the 4-metre descent and Mike missed a photo opportunity in his quest to check out the casualty. Brian’s later attempt to recreate the photo’s scene just didn’t crack it!
The team rallied - with a gear reshuffle among the group and some good first aid using the cold river water, the party hobbled off. No long-term injury; just a few bruises and a stiff leg which the two days off later allowed time to heal ready for further tramps.
We reached the Makarora and assessed the crossing options. Once we had linked, the waiting sandflies seized their opportunity and attached in force. Did they have fun! The crossing had the potential to look like a highland dance rather than the steady crossing we managed.
The tourists who’d picked up Brian when he hitched to collect Big Blue were heading to Wanaka with the wallet he’d left in their van, so Big Blue set off in pursuit. No luck finding them after a tour of the campsites so we settled for what was to be the first of many nights at Wanaka’s Top 10 Holiday Park.

Discussions about food were getting tense (should we or should we not break out the lentils?) when Jackie and Jeremy saved the evening with quick thinking when free pizzas were offered from a cancelled order. The evening success was complete when local police returned the errant wallet at 11.30pm.
The extra day we’d gained was spent assessing casualties and recouping in a sunny Wanaka. Brian was to pull out here with a deep heel-blister preventing him from using his boots again this trip.
Rain greeted us the next morning so Mt Brewster Hut was put on hold after a look at the swollen rivers. We did some short walks before retiring at Makarora campsite.
Mike declined to join the group heading to Brewster Hut the next morning, instead keeping Brian company. Rivers were down again and after an uneventful crossing we climbed above the bush line as the rain eased. What a site for a hut! We were rewarded by stunning views of Mt Brewster, the glacier and Mt Armstrong. Then more cloud lifted and we could see the West Coast. 2.30am saw three climbers head out to climb Mt Brewster via the glacier. A later start for us that morning, so we scrambled some way up Mt Armstrong before descending via the Fantail Falls so Kay could check out a chilly swimming hole she’d read about.

After collecting Rob’s group at Makarora we were back at the Wanaka Top 10 Park overnight before both groups headed to the Matukituki Valley. Rain was forecast. Hence the surprised looks of the other trampers rapidly heading out as we trudged against the head wind and increasing rain towards Aspiring Hut, each enquiring if we had seen the forecast! Trip 3’s plan had been to attempt to camp on Shotover Saddle but that was quickly revised (I’m sure in one of Mike’s team meetings) to a stay at the historic Alpine Club’s stone Aspiring Hut.
Little enthusiasm amongst the group the following morning (apart from Kay who would walk in any conditions as she can’t sit still) to head out in the rain to tackle the very steep ascent to Liverpool Hut, the next planned destination further along the valley. The forecast was for snow below 1000m that night which was well below the hut’s elevation. Sun tempted us out after lunch and we set off. The rain soon re-started but didn’t dampen our enjoyment of being out walking again.
I decided the steep climb was not for me and left the others to reach Liverpool Hut while I retraced my steps to Aspiring Hut.
Looking out the next morning revealed a snow-covered Liverpool Hut and I knew they would not be returning any time soon. A stunning day, so I used it for a day hike to Rob Roy Glacier. I think it’s one of the best one-day NZ walks you could find (so do most of Wanaka it seems, as the return walk was pretty crowded). The walk was worth it through beech forest beside the river gorge before the glaciers were revealed in their magnificence. We even had a few cheeky keas to entertain us.
When I reached Aspiring Hut later that afternoon the rest had returned too.
Our last campsite was in the woods close to Cascade Hut on the way back towards Raspberry Flat carpark. The boys excelled themselves in camp-fire making and we enjoyed one of our last meals (lentil meal still conspicuous by its absence) by the fire’s warmth.
Slightly disturbing was a headlight flashing around the campsite, zig-zagging everywhere about 1.30am. Having been frightened to death by this possible intruder it transpired the next morning it was Geoff who had got lost finding his way back to his tent after a pee!

We decided to leave the packs in Big Blue at Raspberry Flat being so close to the start of the Rob Roy Glacier walk. It was quieter when the rest of the group set off. The reason, we found when alerted by the local policeman who’d run to the carpark, was a slip that had closed the road between Cameron Flats and Mt Aspiring Station with no diversion possible. He indicated a potential overnight stay. The slip was cleared by 2.00pm and we were able to leave unhindered for Wanaka around 3.00pm.
Carol excelled herself with her mastery of the barbecue, which, washed down with some fine wine, was enjoyed by most of the group at our Top 10 campsite. ‘And the lentils?’, you ask. Well, they were found squirrelled at the bottom of Geoff’s pack and eagerly consumed on the last night by Kay and Geoff not wanting to waste one of Mike’s culinary highlights.

Thanks to all who made the trip such fun and to Mike for his extraordinary food preparation. There were eyebrows raised at Mike’s team-members’ attrition rate on this trip. Does anyone in the club keep these statistics?!

We were: Mike Heilbron, Kay Willcocks, Geoff Fischer, Jeremy Wilson, Mike Webb, Anton Kalocsai, Aidan McLean, Brian Alexander, Keith Robbins, Jackie Hillman (scribe & photographer)