Darrans Diary

Machine-read text (unproofread)

Read from the scans by software, so it contains mistakes. Typing it up properly would help blind readers: use Suggest an edit.

Darrans Diary Lesley Marshall Saturday I'arrive at Homer Hut in torrential Fiord- My God! It's as bad as they say, with a land rain. Waterfalls leap down rock heavy pack. Musn't think what a slip faces from mist-shrouded mountain heights, would mean. Just take one move at a time. everywhere. The creek outside the hut Phew! that's over. And yes à - it was is knee-high and swift. We stagger worth it. Of that there is no doubt. across with our fortnight-full packs and Was there ever a more beautiful place? are greeted by the remnants of an Advanced a real mountain sanctuary surrounded by Rock Course. The course was a washout. rock battlements growing out of alpine They've been waiting weeks for a real pastures which drop away to tranquil Lake break in the weather. Hearts sink. Well, Adelaide. you were warned what Darrans weather was like. The local kea population and a rock wren (very rare) welcome us as we settle into Sunday our commodious home of the next few days Snow on the tops and more rain. No point - Gill's Bivy Rock. My eyes keep turnin letting it get to you. Relax into ing to the warm evening light on those laid-back Homer routine. Talk. Mountain- Darran mountainsides. Enchantment! talk. Talk of climbers, climbs, gear. We are all in the same groove. No Wednesday strangers here. Mid-afternoon we go Fine again. After a leisurely start we bouldering, in between showers up by the spend the day on the Great White Slabs on Tunnel. Play on Alp Sports slabs with Barrier Knob behind the biv - the only the man himself (Brian Fish). Wander Yosemite-like slabs in New Zealand. I back to cook dinner. More talk. climb Braustin Ooks with Neil and Kev (ours is the third ascent) while Brian Monday and Chris are putting up Flutterby, a Hey, it's fine! But lots of fresh snow. new route. The climbing is pure friction So much for dreams of dancing up warm (of 18 - 19) and good fun. Mind-blowing friendly rock. Have to do something with for the leader though with 40 foot runthe day. Might be wet again tomorrow. outs! We abseil down and wander back to John and Mike are taking a look at Maclie in the late afternoon sun and just Pherson. I'll go too. What a cool, enjoy being here. Inner peace! clear, mountain-beautiful day it is! This is what I came for. To feel so Thursday alive among soaring rock faces, to peek Yet another fine day! Neil and Kev are over steep-sided saddles into deep glacier off to do the classic north buttress of carved valleys, to tiptoe along ridges Sabre. Brian and Chris are going back with 2000 feet of space below, to reach to the Great White Slabs. I decide to the day's objective and oh that view; do my own thing and climb the Sentinel rock peaks with their decorative snow by it's east ridge. Some wet avo danger covering bush-green valleys far below adds spice. Neat view from the top. running into deep blue sounds. Wonder how The Boys are getting on over there? Time for some sunbathing on the We descend slowly to Homer Saddle. A way down. It's rather a special experislip on the snow covered slabs of Jacobs ence having a mountain to yourself. Ladder would mean either a 2000 foot fall into the Cleddau, or a 1500 foot fall into the Gertrude Valley. The remains Friday of an old cable remind us that before the Who said it always rains in the Darrans? Homer Tunnel, the messengers' route from Today is (of course) fine again. Neil and Milford was over Macpherson! from Grave- Kev are off to do a line on the S.w. face Talbot Pass. Less than an hour's quiet of Sentinel. Brian and Chris are going contemplative wandering takes us back to back to the G.W.S. again. Think I'll join the hut. Happy talk. Pit. them. It's very hot on the white rock and my Tuesday boots aren't sticking as well as the other Another fine day. Let's go over to Gill's day which makes life interesting. Chris Biv. Wonder how the infamous Gifford's takes two lead peels of about 60 feet Crack will go with heavy packs - 500 feet which decides me against having a go at of vertical snowgrass and a chossy gully leading! Abseil down then time to do but the easiest route to the inaccessible some washing. More sunbathing follows. Adelaide cirque. Hope there's no snow I love these mountains. Don't ever want in the crack. Lunch on top of Barrier to leave Knob after a long plod up the snowfield. First view of Lake Adelaide far below. Saturday Slow descent to Adelaide Saddle. Really . but Chris has to catch tomorrow's feeling the weight of this pack and my bus, so leave this magical place we must. R.D's don't like these unstable rocks. We return to Homer via a similar route. Start psyching up for the Crack. Going up Gifford Crack with light packs

Sentinel from above Adelaide Saddle Cleddau Valley from above Adelaide Saddle proves much less horrendous. Also the Llke to enter one day. Lunch, sunbathe, earlier fresh snow has all gone so we've then hoppity-skippity back to the hut. plenty of time for long stops to soak up Wonder how Paul and Mark are enjoying the sun and our surroundings. their night suspended in hammocks on the Mate's Little Brother - still haven't We arrive at the hut where there are some finished that line. new arrivals. We sit around outside and get acquainted. We hear that Paul Aubrey Tuesday and Mark Moorhead are out doing an aid Another fine day (yawn). Better go climb line on Moirs Mate's Little Brother. If something. I seem to be the only one they complete it, it'll be a first ascent. around with a steady job and limited holidays which I have to make the most of. They arrive back at dusk. Haven't finish- So I end up doing my solo act. Only this ed the line yet and are running out of time it's a bit of a horror show! The krabs. I offer my 4 but Paul has 10 or stage is Mt Crosscut which proves to be 20 in mind! It's good to see Paul again. a real choss heap. In the First Act I We hear about his Cook climbs and future have to navigate my way through bluffs up plans. More climbing talk. These guys steep snowgrass and rubbishy gullies. are ultra laid-back yet they're some of Then I pick my way up 'fields' of unstable the best rock climbers in Australasia. blocks. The finale is several hundred Mind you they don't seem to do much else! feet of very steep weetbix your usual (in between laying back). New Zealand rock as opposed to what one expects of the Darrans. When I finally Sunday arrive back at the hut, after losing the The Boys are unmotivated (though it's route several times on the way down, I another beautiful day). So I decide to have to throw away my sandshoes - they're have a look at Moir via Homer Saddle. so stuffed! And so am I. I traipse along the airy north ridge then start following the ledge system under Wednesday the Mate and his Little Brother. Stop At last the weather looks like it's going and say hello to Paul and Mark, the whack to crap out. Sticking around would just and dangle boys, suspended in slings a be an anti-climax. Besides my fingers hundred feet directly above me. Between are raw from their close association with my feet I'm looking at the loopie buses Darrans rock. Let's shoot through for crawling up the Milford road, a sheer a few days crag climbing at Christchurch. drop of 2000 feet below. What d'you reckon, kid? Forward or back? Well I Paul and friends are off to Gill's to take feel relatively happy so far. I'll a look at the Great White Slabs. Then carry on 'til I don't. Ok? Ok. they'll be back to crack that route on I say goodbye to the boys (who don't the Mate's Little Brother (pardon the pun). seem to be going anywhere very fast) and Brian asks me if I'm interested in helping continue picking my way along the ledges. him put up a new route on the G.W.S., Mist comes and goes above and below. i.e. be his portable belayer. But I think Gives the place an eerie feel, heightenit's better to leave with my memories ed by the ghostly echoes of the buses. intact = of blue skies and warm rock Scramble now up to the west ridge, then That doesn't stop me feeling more than a along this to the top still some distance little sad to be going as we cross the dry away. One or two spots have me thinking creekbed (dry since that first day I was - thinking what the hell am I doing way it really over a week ago?) and walk up up here by myself! Back down the ridge to the road. and the feeling of elation gives me a clue. I've got time to scramble along An unforgettable holiday. to Gulliver's Peak. I'm really enjoying myself now. Back along the exposed P.S. Paul and Mark completed their route ridges. The Boys are making slow proa few days later. It involved 3 aid (A3) gress still. I keep them company for and 3 free (19) leads total. They called awhile then continue slowly Homer-ward. it "Second Coming". I'm stuffed but content. G Monday Could do with a rest day so naturally the R weather is glorious once more. Boring! I persuade some of the lads to join me on Barrier. Would like to go up the face but the lads reckon it looks too chossy to bother with. So we prance up past Blue Lakes to Gertrude Saddle. Then up to the snowfield which proves interesteol ing to cross in sandshoes: Then along the ridge via big blocks to the top. They say it's the best view of the area. I'll vouch for that. To the north we look over to the Lake Adelaide sanctuary whose hospitality we have recently enjoyed. To the east we look straight down to Marian Lakes - another sanctuary I'd