The Murchison Again

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The Murchison Again Tony Gazley This was a skiing trip that nearly but we knew the sun would soon spoil didn't get off the ground because we the powder so we wasted no time in all waited for someone else to do the heading down. The snow was great. organising, but nobody did. Only at A long run down in deep powder made the last minute did we decide to go us forget the previous hut-bound days. at all, and it was already very late In the afternoon we discussed the in the season for such a venture. Murchison headwall which we had to climb to cross Tasman Saddle. We We drove to Mt Cook at night and found knew it was an avalanche risk and we it very difficult to stay awake, so dug a pit to look at the snow layers before we drove off the road we stopped and grain types. under some trees on the shores of Lake Tekapo for a few hours sleep. We decided to give it a go, so we left very early next morning. It was still Next day we arrived at Mt Cook early. dark and I accidently dropped a ski It was fine but also windy and we which glided silently down the slope couldn't fly into the Murchison and vanished over a cliff to the glacier Glacier. This seemed to us like a below. That's the last I'll see of repeat of some previous times spent that I said to myself, but I put my here as we resigned ourselves to a crampons on and climbed down for a look long wait. around anyway. By good luck the ski had stuck in some rocks and I event- But on Monday the weather was great ually recovered it. and we crammed ourselves into the plane and tried to convince the pilot At the bottom of the headwall Bill and that it would still fly with so much I tied on our avalanche chords while junk aboard. It did, and he soon Rudi and Monika waited out from the landed us on the lower neve from where slope with our snow shovel. We decidwe had a short climb to the hut. We ed the slope would either not avalanche all agreed it was great to be back at all, or else the slab would be so and in no time had planned what we'd deep and such a whopper that we would do in the next week. In the afternoon not have had the chance to worry anyway. we skinned up towards Classen Saddle But I was still worried. Then after but it was late and the snow very soft. much plugging we finally scrambled We decided that sunbathing on the through the rocks at the top and waited warm rocks was better. for the others to follow. Next day we were away early and soon A bit later and all together again we gathered on top of Mt Sidney King at headed for Tasman Saddle hut. In the the same time as the cloud. We didn't afternoon we ascended Aylmer and Hochsee any views, but the ski run down the stetter Dome and this time got superb Aida is one of the best around and views. we enjoyed the long run on the easy slopes. It was a good way to start On Monday we had to leave, but we all the trip. got the best run down the Tasman that any of us has ever had. The snow was However by afternoon the weather was perfect - granular, smooth and fast. bad and we arranged a roster system We skied almost to Haast Ridge and it for digging out the wee house before was a great way to end the trip. We it disappeared under the drifting also said that next year we'd have to snow. The amount of snow which fell come again. Just so long as someone surprised us all and we soon gave up can be bothered to do the organising. and settled into a routine derived Those who skied: - Monika Comenisch, from much practise of sleeping, read- Bill Drake, Tony Gazley and Rudi Katz. ing and eating. And we even learnt a new card game from Rudi. 19 - 28 November 1977 It was three days before the weather cleared, but during one evening the wind dropped and it was fine so we put on our gear and skied the new powder in the moonlight. Also, we noticed the wee house had disappeared - over a metre of new snow must have fallen. The following morning we skinned slowly up to Starvation Saddle in the deep new snow. The weather was now perfect,