Travers Valley

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TRAVERS VALLEY. Members of trip: - Barry O'Donnell (leader), Dennis Allison, Hazel Jorcan, George Horword, LLoyd Wilkin, Jack Whitsett, Gordon Medahey, Jim Quinlan, Bill Rice, Graeme Hall, Rod Milne, Marie Marshall, Phil Phillijs, Mr. and Mrs. Winlaw and Ian Winlaw. The "Tam" finally managed to wrench itself away from the wharf - after midnight as usual but not as advertised. Also as usual we had no berths - though I remedied that for myself. It was very wet and stormy. The Tararua party under Bob Wilson also bound for the Travers gave us greeting as also did numerous Hutt Valley members. The boat was distinctly crowded and thus compulscrily social. Picton rresented its usual ayrearance to bleary-cyod visitors but breakfast improved it somewhat. While we waited for the bus to arrive we visited the children's play area for balancimg practice, not childish fun and games as one might imagine! We left finally in company with the Tararua bus which we managed to leave behind temporarily at Blenheim. After the fertile plains of the wide lower Wairau Valley we passed inte it'sarid upper reaches. The Leatham and Wash were left behind and so, via beech forest and tall dead burnt bush to Rotciti. The beech is very thick and it seems a pity to have cut and attempted to burn it since it now lies so thick on the ground that practical farming must be impossible. The highest part of the road was under mist and the dead burnt trees locked so forlorn standing gauntly against the secthing grey. It was still raining at Rotoiti and we tossed with the Tararuas to see who would take the launch first. They won and therefore we repaired to the Motor Camp cook shed to have lunch.

Large, fat sandflies soon jriied us but we managed to eat. By the time we had b117 hand or two of five handed 500 the boat was back and We Sut ff for the jetty. Phil and the Winlaws had decided to stay st the camp and therefore we set off ten of us since Barry and Denis had 30ne ahead with the Tararuas. The water of the lake is very dead and smocth. Our wake rolled out like waves of heavy jade gre-n treacle. The beech stretches down to the water's edge and has reflected in still, yellow green. Long shingle slides yoke inquisitive fingers amongst the bush bringing the desclation of the tops down to the lake. We disembarked at the south end of the lake and found most of the Tararuas in occupatin of the hut. It was still raining heavily but we decided to go on. The stream south of the hut has a bridge but it soes only half way so our feet were soon cold and wet. From there we crossed wide river flats Sylotched with matagouri, forded the Travers and by way of flats on the other side to the camy-site just apove Hopeless Creck. We woke late: next morning - it was still raining. Jim Cruse and party finally started cn a reconnaissance of Hoyeless and we, minus Bill anu Rod, set off for Camel (6170) on the St. Arnaud Range. We crossed the river at the camp-site and went via beech forest to the bush edge. The sides of the vallcy are steep and it tonk a matter of hours to reach the top. Out on the snowgrass the bright green, short, slippery varioty - we had lunch and put on all availaole clothing. Slest soon turned to snow and it was/very chastuned and wet party that climbed the hundred or so feet of shingle slide on to the main ricse. From there it was no trouble on to Cmel itself along the ridge, sidling or romping over piles of rotten rock. The last part on to the summit is very like Mitre in the Northern Tararuas and certainly no more difficult. We had only intermittent views. Hopeless was undor cloud and unfortunately for us we placed it too far west. Travers and Cupola showed oriefly. After a pheto or two we beat a swift retreat down shingle slides almost to the camp and so home. There was a light fall cf snow on Saturday night and so of course Sunday was fine. The party veted to attempt Hopeless or at least the Main Divide. All of these valleys are glaciated - truncated spurs, hanging valleys, smo th ice worn rocks being characteristic. Hopeless Creek Valiey must at scme time have had a huge glacier in it which spilled out once in an ice-fall where the present gorge is. Behind the gorge where the creek has beaten a way threugh the hard rock is a wide flat floor - perhaps once the bed of a lake. We climbed into the third hanging valley on the south side of the Creek = very easy going. At the head where shattered rocks and debris give more evidence of glacier action, were huge piles of iron stone. Above this geologic cometery was a ring of rotten peaks : none of them was Hopoless. That was in the hanging valley east of ours. Barry docided the climbing was beyond many of the party but gave Bill, Rod, uriome and mepormission to charge on to the Main Divide. le diseussed several hazardous routes, even investigated one and fin lly tork the obvicus and easy central spur. Just before the ridge was a wide rock basin - the old neve. There is S mething tragic and fascinating about these clc dear valleys. Thc rocks are pilod like desecrated tombs into peaks and innacles and all around lies evidance of past sl:ry and grandeur. It was cnly a small bump we were on = about 6,400 ft. We cruld lo k over Camel into the valleys beyond 1 more heavily snowed than ours - but all the high peaks were under cloud. The peak just East of us - about 7,000 ft. is rotten but climbable. We could not see the Sabine nor Rotoroa and even Hopeless was only momentarily glimpsed. and So back to camp. Jim Cruse and party hac climbed Hopeless that day and were on trp about the sanetime we were on cur bump. Next day in gloricusly fine weather we reluctantly left in biting cold frost for the lake and home. The Travers is certainly W orth another trip. Mario Marshall. 1 ii