This text was read by OCR from a scanned newsletter and has not been proofread yet, so expect odd characters and mistakes.
by Tony Gazley
Well, that's not completely true — actually there were quite a few problems with our weekend but they were all little ones.
Problem number one was before the trip started and that was the weather forecast for Arthurs Pass at Labour Weekend was not too good and we would probably get wet. That was easily solved when Laurayne switched the trip to the Seaward Kaikouras where the weather would likely be better. And Snowflake, the peak that had already repulsed two club trips, would be the objective.
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We left Christchurch on Saturday morning with Nigel and Warren and drove to Kaikoura for a late breakfast and lattes. It was here we decided that all future tramping trips would begin this way. Late in the morning we set off up the Kowhai River and then turned up Snowflake Stream. So far no more problems.
But before long the first of three waterfalls appeared, and the way past was not immediately obvious. However, after some awkward scrambling around in steep scrub high above the river we were over and on our way again. Problem number two sorted.
The next two waterfalls were only a wee bit tricky and we soon arrived at our planned campsite in a sunny and sheltered grassy area among the manuka scrub on a terrace at the steam junction. We found plenty of wood for a good fire, cooked tea, and later spent a comfortable night in the tents.
Next morning we were woken by a wonderful bellbird chorus. Breakfast, pack for the day, and then we were faced with the immediate problem of climbing the densely bush covered hillside to reach the open ridge above. But with lots of bashing, quite a bit of cursing, and many scratches later we were through and on our way along the crest. There was plenty of new snow after a recent storm which made the steep snowgrass very slippery and which required much care. In the distance above us we could see what we guessed to be our peak. But arriving at the top some time later we could see the true summit about 200 metres further on and. separated from us by a ridge that appeared in places to be both narrow and tottery. Sure enough about 50 metres short of the summit there was a step in the ridge that normally would not be difficult but now that it was covered in loose new snow it appeared rather dodgy. Another problem. But after some thought and a lot of slithering we were past and standing together on the summit. The weather was fine, the views great — no worries.
Lunch, photos, a last look around and then back to camp for another evening around the fire. It rained early next morning but was clearing again by the time we had packed. The first waterfall was bypassed easily but the second, now that the rock was wet and slippery, looked particularly uninviting. A slip at the top would have ended in a nasty narrow channel of fast moving water before dropping over the falls. Now this really was a quite unexpected problem. We considered all the options, including deliberately sliding down the smooth rock into the pool at the bottom of the falls, before deciding on a short steep traverse across the cliff before climbing back down to river level.
Then around the final waterfall and an easy walk out to the car and into Kaikoura for lunch and lattes. It was here we decided that all future tramping trips would end this way.
Snowflake? No sweat.