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Mountain climbing in Nelson Lakes, 26'"-29' August 2005 “> An excellent long weekend in Nelson Lakes. Caught the ferry to Picton on Friday lunchtime and drove from there to St Arnaud. Camped in the day shelter. High winds from the south during the nights and the next morning. The boat journey up Lake Rotoiti was consequently rather bumpy but it got us to ColdWater Hut and we were on our way. Lunch at John Tait Hut in the Travers Valley and a climb to Cuploa Basin Hut for the night. On Sunday we traversed around the snowy Cupola Basin to the bottom of a wide snow filled couloir - our route to the top of Mt Hopeless. The snow was good and we climed higher and higher. By midday we had gained the ridge just below the summit and drank in the fantastic view. David led a rope up to the summit which everyone else then used to climb the last 10 metres. The top (2278m)!
(Photo — Rowan and Sharron approaching the summit on the fixed rope.)
We had lunch back on the sunny ridge and then David and Tony set up a snow anchor to use for the first of three abseils back down the steep couloir. Then it was downclimbing and, when the gradient eased, walking back into the basin. We got to John Tait Hut 13 hours after we had set off. What a day! Walked out on Monday.
People: Alison Stevenson, Paul Grimwood, David Jewell, Sharron Came, John Marney, Rowan Payne, Tony Gazley (Photo ~ Alison in the couloir, Cupola Basin below)