Heartbreak Ridge

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HEARTBREAK RIDGE Joe Fraser Earlier this year while on a climbing trip toMtArrowsmithlmer Ross Aimer. The trip endedliker most others, sittingin the bar on the ferry talking mountains and techniques and having a few laughs. ix months later, Mt D'Archiac was onmymind. Withoner monthtogo, we were sitting around talking about transport when I commented on how farc away! MtD'Archiaci is andwhat apity its seemedtogo allt that wayforj just three days. Wes sat looking at each other, and Ross said he would like to climb Mt Tasman. Talk aboutspur ofther moment decisions; in five minutes Mt D'Archiac was wiped offt the list andl Iwas on aten day trip to Mt Cook National Park. At Easter we flew to Christchurch and caught the bus to Mt Cook. Bodies feeling restless, the bus came to a halt and we unloaded ourpacks, takingi gina breath of clean mountain air. Most of theafternoonwass spentcollecting: gear, Mt Cook Joe Fraser logging in, and finding out that the landing strip for Plateau Hut had been taken out by an ice avalanche there avalanche. Ross got pounded with glacier travel we headed off, popping goes Plan One. rocks; it was no good, hel had no choice legsinhidden crevasses. Aswer neared butto climbto therope. Atthetopofthe the top, our hearts fell; in front of US Plan Two; we unloaded all our heavy wall Ross was: suffering from: shockand loomed a huge crevasse, 10 metres food and stayed the night in the NZAC bruising So we rested before heading across and 30 metres deep, running Lodge with the intention of climbing to up Haast Ridge. across the whole ridge. After spending Plateau Hut via Haast Ridge the next the entire day trying to reach Plateau day. As we were cooking up a huge The guidebook recommended staying Hut we had no choice but to turn back. feed, thedoorswungopenandinwalked hard to the ridge. One hour up, it was Dreading downclimbing Haast Ridge, Ken, aclimber from the Mt Arrowsmith getting dark, the ridge was becoming we set off in what remained of the trip. Spending most ofthe nighttalking, gnarly, andwefoundourselvesclimbin daylightandfoundabitofatrackonthe Ken got conned into taking US halfway rock faces with full packs on. The ridge side of the ridge, making things much toBall Shelter int his car. Lunch timewas seemed to go on forever. By 8.30pm easier, nothing like the climb up. spent munching on goodies as we sat the temperature had dropped and it Travelling up the Tasman Glacier to atBalls Shelter, peeringat theugly, rocky, wast timetostartlookingforabivvy. This Beetham Hut, we were looking forward steep Haast Ridge, our naked eyes turnedouttobei impossible asther ridge to ahot meal. At 8pmlcouldn't see the catching a glimpse of an orange speck wasreallygnarly. A19.30pmweopened hut, but as breathed in I smelt kero. on top of the ridge which turned out to the hut door, threw our packs to the beHaastHut. SettingoffuptheTasman floor, and sat down with a sigh of relief Afterahotdrinkandameal we pondered Glacier, we: scrambledoverr rubblefrom Within ten minutes snow began to fall climbingMt. Aiguilles Rouges. From the the Mt Cook avalanche, and reached perfect timing. topof Mt Aiguilles Rougest the next day, the base of Haast Ridge at 4pm. we got a good look at Mt Tasman and According to the guidebook, all huts in Mt Cook. On the walk back to Ball Slowly we climbed the moraine wall the area are fully serviced with cookers Shelter we took in the scenery and which was 75m high. Everything we and lamps BULLSHIT not Haast Hut. grasped the vast area of Mount Cook steppedonorgrabbedpeeledoff Ross No cookers; no hot toddy to sleep on. National Park. With one day still up our reachedapointe tofnoreturnsor atthet top sleeves, we topped the trip off by lunloaded my rope and set up al belay. Morning came and the snow was still heading up Ball Pass. Throwing the rope to Ross, it ended up falling, time to stay in our pits and rest. 10feet away andaslpulled the rope up Atl lpm the cloudsbrokeandwed decided Back at the NZAC Lodge, we got stuck for a second try, it set off a small rock to head for Plateau Hut. Roping up for into a chocolate sponge pud. TRAMPING & MOUNTAINEERING