Boys Aspiring (School Holidays Trip)

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BOYS ASPIRING (or 'School Holidays are for School senseless and reminding us once again, Boys'-so if you can, use them) how valuable crash hats can be-it helps "A delicate ice-spire from the south- to wear it of course. west, and a soaring rock tower from the 4.00 a.m. as a hell of a time to be north, Mt. Aspiring (9,957 ft) is the gallivanting around on Shipowner Ridge, most beautifully compelling mountain in but no. moon, a sore head and a lack New Zealand - none of its ridges of local knowledge left us high and or faces may be tackled with impunity." on a hairy great bluff. Back-tracking any -Paul Powell, 'Men Aspiring'. weaving our way through a few slots, A mind-blowing clatter from a semi- an almost fresh start was made. Along rustic alarm clock, sent the 'one armed the Bonar, up through some mildly crepaperhanger' and his apprentice scurry- vassed country, and we donned some ing towards a zapped up brew of- paraphernalia in contemplation of the "Super Stew.' A nervous tenseness sent climb of the West Face of Aspiring us floundering out the undersized door- ahead. way of Colin Todd Hut, it rendering us A quick recce of our 10 cent postcard, established our rough location, and we Todd led to a patch of restful sunbathgot stuck into the bottom shroud wall. ing. Quick work was made of this and the rhythmic joy of front pointing in unre- Next morning that bloody chatter box, hearsed unison, sent us flying up in a fit threw other epileptic fit. It' almost shook of exhilaration. The crunch of toe spikes the marrow from our bones-but fortubiting into clean hard snow was too nately it wasn't for us. Four other resimuch! It was the only sound (aside the dents, apparently inspired by our climb Pentax shutter) to shatter the eerie of the previous day (not to be out done silence that seems to becalm a mountain, by mere 'whipper snappers') were off as it blazes with the first rays of dawn, to attempt it. Sleeping in, we were away calf muscles screaming, short work was to the whistle of a light southerly at made of the previous 2,000 ft. 8 a.m. Ominous marestails soon disappeared and an enjoyable morning was "Acting-zer fooling 'round vill now spent traversing. ziese." Rolling Pin and Main Royal, being Joining the southwest ridge at its stopped from continuing just short of crux, The Couloie', we found 10-15 ft skyscraper and stargazer. of near vertical water ice and asastrugi. A foot free The paperhanger swung into action with sixty abseil onto a ledge, -"A newly forged, Tawamoly, Mildri- turned one nasty step in the ridge, and cated, super B.B.-Gruntamobile" (??). continuing alone, we found ourselves in The paperhanger smashed the crux (in for another-of 30 feet this time. Lacking his typically uncultured style) as he was rope and time, we turned it in. Skyin great form. scraper and Stargazer were close at hand, but could wait for another day. We were now treated to 300 ft of 60° In quickly deteriorating weather, we mind-blowing climbing. The summit dropped off, down onto the Dipso being attained at 9 a.m., we rejoiced, Glacier. A trudge in the softening snow, changed films, ate, drank and-contem- a corner of the Iso Glacier then back plated. We felt on top of the world. To to the hut and a meal. the icing on the cake (so to speak) That evening the sky turned INE views were incredible. From the wind freshened. A black and Madeline and Tutoro to Cook, and be- in. Plans for the nor'wester rolled low to the Waitoto and Waipara into the crud. Next following day in went white by valleys. morning, a out, we retraced our steps back over The thought of looking between our Bevan Col. The slabs were very greasy legs and seeing nothing-(well almost and quite hairy. But the West Matuki nothing) didn't really appeal to us, sO was down. soon reached-it was good to be we decided to descend, the then, unknown to us North West Ridge-dubbed You may, still be wondering who The "The Trampers' Route." One Armed Paperhanger' and Apprentice' is. You might try Barry and Scrambling down a large sloping shelf Warrick Attewell as a start-but Biggs watch of snow, we then dropped off the ridge it-who's who? of the Bonar side, following tracks of two Auckland blokes who we had seen N.B. As the Paper Hanger found out, floundering round there. The previous Grunta Mobiles' tend to get droopyday. We also floundered. Being out- if excesive frustration used on them, is smarted (by our own smartness) think- not controlled. ing we knew where they went wrong, we were shortly bluffed-for a second time-sucked horribly! 'Never fear, the paperhanger's here', was the cry, and we were soon back KEA! KEA! on course, before seeing too much extra countryside. But shortly after, a broken A screech in the dark, a shredded sock, crampon strap forced the paperhanger The forlorn legend has made its mark. into action again. A round of step cut- Why should it be, since the Pakeha have ting, a nasty glissade (it helps to stop, roamed, before hitting the rocks below) and one blushing, bruised 'climber' cautiously That this bird has been persecuted from made his way down onto the Bonarits home. closely followed by one hystericaly unenvious school boy. Lunch back at Colin -B. J. BIGGS