Mount Cook to Fox - Xmas '80

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Mount Cook to Fox - Xmas '80 Nick Miller 'There's got to be a better way to the avalanches made even the keenest spend Xmas' I thought to myself when of us re-think our plans - to tell the Ken and Ron roused us out of the pit truth I never intended to do it anyway. in Blenheim at 2 a.m. I thought it I'll leave it to the thar. again after a few hours in the back of a Datsun Coupe en route to Mt Cook. We got tired of hanging around after Not made for normal mortals these two nights and went back down to inscrutable Oriental vehicles. Harpers. Swam the Douglas Lake, got I thought it a few more times as Jan cold, had a night at Horace Walker hut and I battled to overcome the combined and did the high sidle onto Conical effects of an especially virulent Hill saddle and so out to Fox. The kind of flu, Christmas revelry and flight back to Cook made up for our valley lassitude - and lugged heavy disappointment at not completing the Xmas packs up to Mueller hut. Nothing route. like a massive grunt first thing in the morning to set you up I always All in all a very enjoyable trip - reckon - it made us feel so good we well within the reach of the average spent the rest of the day there enjoyhigh altitude tramper with basic ice ing it (some would say recovering). axe, crampons and rope. Confirms the view that you don't have to go to Mt Next day was another enjoyable stroll I Cook to climb the big ones. down onto the Mueller Glacier - up to the head, onto the pass at the head Points to note: of the Dobson, a quick look at the new 1. Don't be tempted to do the more Three Johns hut going up, sidle around obvious Fyfe Pass route from to the head of the Spence, down the Mueller to Spence unless you're rock slabs on the other side - around keen - the rock slabs on the Fyfe the lake and down the Roaring Torrent side are steep, smooth and exposed. to the beautiful Landsborough flats. Never did they look so good as after 2. Karangarua Pass well and truly out. this 14 hour toddle under blazing (Traverse Gladiator and Howitt blue skies. Talk about tired, Trev. from Douglas Pass). Another half day to recover then over 3. Douglas Lake must be swum - at Douglas Pass to Harpers Biv. Weather present it's not too bad - 15 depreciating rapidly. Next day we metres or so. Only the first planned to go up onto the neve and sucker really needs to get very camp on Welcome Pass. Clag and cold and wet (guess who?). unsteady nerves got the better of us 4. High sidle definitely the to however and two nights were spent in way a snowcave just under Thompson. Had get out of the Douglas - even in a look over the Main Divide at the cloud it is relatively straight- Frind route back down onto the Mueller. forward. This was to have been our escape route. Those present - Ken Sullivan, Ron Muir, A look at the height, the angle and Rod Gilman, Jan Simmons, Nick Miller. Mt Cook Lilies /Jack, McConchie