Waitaha - Rakaia - Perth

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WAITAHA RAKAIA PERTH PAUL GAZLEY "Gentlemen! We are all aware that the weather has it was the right valley. Then, with the aid of two ropes, one been anything but kind. At this stage, even after missing lowering packs and the other lowering we what people, out we have, we are still behind schedule. You are surmounted the problem of descent. In biting, misty rain we also aware that our major air drop is several miles away hastily slid down the snow into the moraine-covered valley over a high, snow-covered col. I'm going to reduce the At the junction with the McKenzie River we found a rock rations. but if the weather continues as it is then bivvy. and decided to stay the night. The bivvy was quite The dissertation from Brian continued. The eight bodies, dry and comfortable, but Kevin, who was sleeping in his huddled up in the two storm lashed tents. took a very own "private room" was the only one to get wet. nonchalant view of the whole situation. Kevin had already Next morning in the same depressing conditions. we left devoured his ration of chocolate and sweets. The hoarders, for Wilkinson Hut The huge wet boulders in the Wilkinson Peter and Laurie, were still munching happily on the many of house size made travel very tiring. Many supplies of the previous days. The other four, lan, Paul, times we were forced to crash through the scrub because Graham, and Ishowed more interest in reading or just plain the boulders were utterly impassable. Finally we made the sleeping. Whitcombe River. Do we now cross the Whitcombe and use Right from the time we departed the dilapidated farm the track, or do we continue down the true left? We house in the Waitaha (which only the night before had been decided on the latter, and after a long and oppresive bush the scene of the most outlandish mannequin parade ever). crash we reached the little welcoming hut the weather had become increasingly threatening. Then Here was the site of our first airdrop. In the knowledge came the rain. We plunged into the icy water of the of sumptuous extras, we found our provisions on the river Waitaha to by-pass a large bluft; and that did nothing to flats. The whooping savages. hacked through the sack, the aid our comfort Soaked to the skin now, we tramped up box, the tin to the food inside. Almost all had dropped the valley. This alternated between the wet slimy boulders undamaged. That evening was celebrated with a gourmet's of the river and the slippery. splashing surface of the bush Chinese meal The drinks (fruit only) were believe it or track. Despite the conditions and the exertion, all were in not served by a steward in immaculate white shirt and agreeable frame of mind when Kiwi Flats was reached and bow tie. So sated were we that sorting and packing of soon the hut where we had our first trip lunch. Then out supplies had to await the next morning. into the unceasing deluge once more. The sodden, arduous Despite our freshly filled packs we made good time up track left the less fit members far behind. An eternity later, the Whitcombe River to Whitcombe Pass. In breaks in the all together now. we crossed the bridge over Moonbeam cloud, the massive hulk of Mt Evans revealed itself as did Torrent, and climbed the steep valley side to a forestry hut. the steep-sided Katzenbach Ridge which we had hoped to Later that afternoon the sun shone, allowing us to dry some climb to the Bracken Snowfield. With the indifferent of our sodden gear. The first day was over wearying weather, however, we were content with our present route. but enjoyable. After lunch, and a brew on the pass, we bombed it down A pallid sun was trying to break through a sheet of the Louper to the Rakaia. Here we collapsed in a heap, cloud when we set off next morning. However, the track feeling much the worse for wear. Our leader had to resort remained wet and slippery. and the going slow and to bribery to get us moving again. We. each with an extra onerous. A dizzy crossing of a forestry bridge took us to the sweet, plodded up river to the Ramsay. This was a swirling, true right of the river, and the well-cut track continued to turbid mass of freezing water straight from the Ramsay yoyo up and down the steep valley side. We slowly plodded Glacier. Our first attempt to cross was abortive. The water our way up the track until to our horror it ended abruptly. was just too fierce. Further upstream where the torrent was Confronting us was a seemingly impenetrable wali of less swift we managed to cross, but the icy waters numbed Westland bush. The track cutters announced their our legs to the bone. No rest vet. We still had to find. and retirement by an axe and a slasher stuck deep in a stump. to cross. the bridge over the Lyell Aching legs and backs We were forced to thrash our way down the side of the accomplished that, and at last we were on the true right of spur, and out into the cascading waters of Chainmans the Lyell, just below Mein's Knob. The thought of crossing Creek. A quick stop for lunch and we were away We Mein's Knob was just too much so we pitched camp climbed up the rough, boulder- -strewn valley of the Waitaha. Further, it was decided that the next day would be a rest Much later that afternoon, in various states of exhaustion, day whatever the weather. we staggered into Waitaha Hut. Well above the bushline That was a wise decision for it was the patter of rain on now. we settled down for a comfortable night stomachs the tents which woke us next morning. It was not until replete. after midday that some ventured out into the wet misty A brilliant morning augured well for our crossing of world. Brian, Laurie. and I crossed Mein's Knob to Lyell Hut Seddon Col Apart from the problem of two members to collect the airdrop. This also was in good condition. and, marooned on the wrong side of the river, good progress after warming ourselves by the burning straw, we packed was made to just below the col. From the Ivory Glacier Hut up. crossed the Lyell, and returned to camp. we surveyed the correct route, but at close quarters the Bad weather was our lot the following day: and we right approach seemed difficult. Accordingly. two of us stayed put. reading. playing cards or just idling away the recced up à different route which appeared easier. However, time. Lurid comments flowed freely between the tents. and by the time we could see over the other side the remainder the PP from P kept us amused with his clever asides and were almost up with us. There was a horrified gasp. and comments. In the late afternoon, there was a stir to sudden some choice phrases from Brian as he looked over the top. vigorous activity when a tremendous gust of wind There was a sheer 100 drop over loose boulders: and our threatened to blow us all the way down the Rakaia. In a leader th ought we had missed the col completely and were flash we were hanging on to the madly flapping tents and heading for the wrong valley. Things were desperate. To flies until the wind abated. Not wishing to have a add to our precarious situation the weather was now recurrence during the night. we took one segment out of closing down with ominous cloud We convinced ourselves the tent poles and lashed the tents with climbing ropes. FRONT COVER; Victoria Creek, upper Joe River.

Itv was at this time that our leader began considering the clung tenaciously to the precipitious walls. Frequently future of the trip as mentioned earlier. We needed a break the peace of the valley was shattered by a resounding in the weather to cross McCoy Col to our air-drop on the crack, followed by a thunderous roar as tons of ice other side. Failing that crossing there would be a long and plummeted down from the icefalls above. Chamois abound 'uninteresting slog over river boulders down the Rakaia, in the valley. Three of these fell victim to Kevin's rifle. with no transport at the end. We chanced the weather. Amongst the huge boulders we pitched camp in one of the With the appearance of the sun next morning our morale most awe-inspiring valleys we had ever seen. rose immeasurably. We leapt out of our tents. dried our Above the icefalls on the true right, was the Garden of gear, and revelled in the sunshine. Our cheerfulness was Eden, a huge snow plateau where we had hoped to camp. short lived. by the time we set off, it was raining again. Our plans. albeit, had been thwarted by the caprisious Thankfully it was not too heavy: and after pushing our way weather. Laurie & I did not want to miss out on at least through the wet scrub, we reached the top of Mein's Knob, seeing the Garden. So, the following day. we climbed a some 1500 ft above the river. All the time and effort to grassy spur at the side of the Able Icefall and trudged up this peak were caused by sheer bluffs preventing travel up the snow towards the Plateau. When almost there the the true right from the bridge. From the top. a slight weather closed in. We were compelled to turn, and we slid clearance in the weather gave us a reasonable view of the back down the snow. Then the weather cleared, so we intended route over the Coi. Not too difficult was our went back up. In the breaks in the cloud we caught fleeting thought. We slid down the wet grass back to the river: then glimpses of the Garden, Adams Col, (where we had hoped up a short distance to Lyell Hut, which offered a dark but to camp) and several of the peaks surrounding us. A truly comfortable refuge. impressive place. Doubtful weather greeted us next morning but we were Because of the uncertainties of the Perth, we were away determined to attempt the Col. The initial part of the early in the morning. Our first mistake was to cross the journey past the glacial lake was very pleasant. Further up river and head down the true right. This wasted a the Lyell Glacier, the weather turned sour and the great considerable amount of time and it was some distance heaps of moraine were not made for easy travel. At the before we could cross back to the true left. The weather bottom of the snowslope leading up to the Col we donned was fine, and the travel now was relatively easy. In places, full storm gear to plod slowly upwards through the soft huge boulders forced us either to take to the bush or to the wet snow. Despite the conditions. we were enjoying the icy waters of the Perth. In the good conditions we moved trek At last, the Col: and ahead the McCoy Glacier leading quickly. and by midday we were more than half way down down to the Clyde concealed in the mist far below. In the to Scone Creek At the river junction with Teichelmann's cold, the wet, and the wind it was no place to loiter not Creek we stopped for a leisurely lunch. By late afternoon even for the extra pieces of chocolate we had been we were basking in the sun at Scone Creek Hut. The only promised. The party members ran down the glacier, and left real excitement in the last part of the journey was two only the leader to record the activity on film. The glacier members losing their ice axes in the river. One axe was dropped steeply, and we were soon sliding down the last retrieved, but the other remained with the comment, "Oh heaps of moraine to the river. Sheltered from the biting well, it wasn't mine anyway wind and rain by a large rock we had a quick lunch, Our trip had taken only 9 hrs. A previous party. only a removed our storm then bombed on down io McCoy few day ahead of us. had taken four days. Such are the Hut. and of course focer I piles of it. All our food sacks whims of the river. We were lucky. were quickly ripped open and he comments of the previous The major part of the journey was now completed. Only T& M party greatly appreciated. Here, amongst the piles of the lower Perth and the Whataroa remained. All were food we settled down for the night. It had been an extremely relieved because, at times. the prospect of enjoyable day but we were all thankful that one more completing the trip seemed very doubtful. That evening the obstacle was behind us. cooks turned on a delightful meal, and no less delightful Agnes Bivvy. a small avalanche battered shelter, was was Brian's freshly baked bread for supper. our next stopping place. We took only two hours to reach it We enjoyed two days at Scone Creek Hut. On the first but it was pointless going any further. Less than a mile up day. the energetic ones investigated the surrounding the valley the North West rain was just pouring down. We valleys. Brian took the rifle and wandered up Scone Creek pitched our tents in the grass above the bivvy. built a huge in search of game. The only animals he saw were Laurie fire and made ourselves comfortable. To fill in the afternoon and me staggering up to Sealy Pass. The following day, we some took it easy. others went climbing on the rocks all spread ourselves out in the sun, and some even swam in behind the bivvy. and Brian went shooting. I'm quite sure the Perth. you must have heard about the Thar he shot. If you haven't Our journey down the lorver Perth and the Whataroa it was like this was delightful. The weather was fine and the travel easy. Perth Col was our last high crossing. We left Agnes There were two large bluffs to climb over, one in the bivvy early for the long plod up the moraine of the Wee middle of the journey and one near the end of the Perth McGregor Glacier, then up the steep snow to the Col. It was These were no obstacle; and, after crossing the high bridge a tiring journey, and. with our heavy packs. the last part spanning the Whataroa, we wandered down to the road was back breaking. However, we arrived at the Col in high end. There, in the long grass not far from the river, we spirits. Some members made a small diversion to collect pitched our last camp. No sooner had we erected our tents some gear left by a previous party: then, in intermittent than down came the rain. The cooks were left. to combat sunshine. we settled down for a hearty lunch right on the the conditions. The: rest climbed into their pits and relished main divide. Below us, and stretching far to the South tea served in bed. West, was the Perth river. A river with a real reputation. In In the morning. two of the party raced out early. Our fine weather it offers reasonabiy easy travel. However, in leader went to learn more about the area for future trips: bad conditions the journey can turn into a nightmare taking. and the other, for reasons known only to himself. raced out several days. Out turn was yet to come. to a telephone. The remainder slowly packed up and The route off Perth Col was easy. A few slots to jump. a wandered down the road to Whataroa. big long glissade and we were down. Initially, the valley We did not accomplish all we had planned. However, was narrow. and filled with moraine; but further down it when we learned the disappointments of other parties, we spread out into wide, peaceful, grassy flats. On the sides of telt we had concluded a very satisfying and rewarding the valley, huge icefalls - the Eve, Cain, Able, and Serpent venture.

Untill Tomoriro W Green leaves and scarlet blooms Are far below. But wheels of death and concrete towers Form part of The distant haze, And glow When evening falls. Rushing water and rustling grass Are the choirs Of time. But the wheels keep turning, And the city is screaming, The same As yesterday When the wind stops. Tiny smiling flowers and laughing skylarks To flirt with you. Your castle and your gold Are far away. You promise To leave them ever, And do, At least until tomorrow. PAT LISS