Twice to the Top of Tappy

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Twice to the Top of Tappy Harry Smith Dawn, Saturday 16th October. A group of trampers scramble out of their bivy site in the haybarn by the Hodder River bridge in the Awatere Valley at the start of a 3-day trip to climb Mt Tapuae-o-Uenuku, the highest point in the Inland Kaikouras, otherwise known as Tappy. There are six Tongue and Meats: Lisa Lee- Johnson, Andrew McLellan, Andrew Chisholm, Harriette Carr, Rob Hosking, and myself, plus a friend of Lisa 's from Christchurch, Bevan Campbell. "her morning starts with a debate about whether to time. Relax, man take it easy, enjoy the sun. We're have a brew. I don't understand how there can here to have a good time, not rush madly to our destipossibly be any debate on the subject we don't nation as fast as we can when there's no point. There's have a long day ahead of us SO we've got plenty of time, a time and place for going all out, but there's also a time and we've also got plenty of fuel. But Mr Minimalist and place for taking it easy. But the others pack up and McLellan wins out and we go without a cup of tea. head off, and SO reluctantly I follow them. We head up the farm track on the terrace above the More gorges and river crossings, but the river has river, with a pack of chained sheep dogs yelping furi- dropped and most of the crossings are relatively easy ously as we pass. Below, the river looks more swollen now. Then we come to the point where we climb out of than have ever seen it before on three previous trips to the river to avoid a large waterfall. We sidle around the Tappy. But my mind is temporarily occupied by other hillside, past a sidestream, and back into the main river matters. My boots, which have been sitting getting rock- just above the falls. hard in the corner of my back porch for the last month, A little later we have the last little steep climb up to are rubbing. They'll be right until we get into the river, the Hodder huts, perched on a tussocky terrace above tell myself a bad mistake, because when we do hit the river. There is nobody else there. We choose the the river it is too late and l've got bad blisters, the first larger of the two huts and settle in. time it's happened to me in years. Next morning, we're up early and away. We cross the After a mile or two on the farm track the time comes large scree slopes up from the hut and boulder-hop to drop down to the river. This is normally only ankle across the Hodder, managing to keep our feet dry. Then deep at this point, but now iti is swollen and up to our therei is the climb up into Staircase Stream and thel long thighs a bad sight, because we will be in the river for plod up to the head. There is more snow here than we the rest of the day and there are something like 80 river expected. At the top ofStaircase Stream we turn left, up crossings ahead of us. Wel link up and struggle across to the steep frozen snow slopes towards the wide couloir the other bank. One down, 79 to go! on the ridgeline above. There follows a long, slow progress up the lower At the top of the couloir we emerge onto a little pla- Hodder, picking our way carefully backwards and for- teau, then head up the final ridge to the summit. There wards across the swollen river. Occasionally we are able are strong wind gusts and the ridge is icy, sO care is to avoid two dangerous crossings by following a cun- needed. Ilose a screw in my crampon and have to stop ning sidling route in the river up beside the bottom of for repairs fortunately have some spares. the cliff, but generally wel have to tackle the crossings as At the top the wind is buffeting us. The others are best we can. My feet begin to go. numb from the cold of heading down, to go over and have a look at Mt Alarm. the river, feeling likel lumps ofl lead. The continuous cross- But have climbed Alarm twice before and don't care if ings become an ordeal, because I feel like I have no Idon't climb it again. Instead look northwards to other control over my legs from the knees down. Bevan is bumps on the range which I haven't climbed Pinnawearing Tevas on the trip in, carrying his plastic climb- cle and Crows Nest. And I'd quite like to have a go at a ing boots. His feet must be completely frozen! direct descent down from the ranget top opposite Hodder Eventually we reach the wide flats in the middle sec- Hut I know some people climb up that way. I'll see tion of the river and progress is easier. The river has you back at the hut, I tell Lisa, and set off northwards been dropping slowly throughout the morning. We stop along the ridge. for lunch at the stream junction just beyond the top of Acouple of hundred feet down from the summit I get the flats before the river gorges in again the lowest out of the wind, in the shelter of the mountain. Ten down we have ever stopped on any of my trips in there. metres to my left wind gusts are whipping over the ridge, But our lunch stop is short; Andrew is keen to get but herei iti is dead calm and the sun is pleasantly warm. going. Again I don'tunderstand. Why hurry? What's the To hell with it - decide; it's only 11 o'clock buti it's time rush? We've got all day and we're only going to thel hut. for lunch. I spend an hour sitting in the sun, looking at Nobody plans to do anything after reaching the hut. It the views. Below me the big bend of the Clarence is won't get dark until 8 pm, and we'll be there long be- spread out like a map, andi in the far distance the North fore then. And the river will be dropping further all the Island is visible across Cook Strait. Tramping and Mountaineering 1998

Mt. Alarm from near the summit of Mt Tapuae-o-Uenuku Harry: Smith An hour later I continue on my way. The ridge nar- time. It's a long, exhausting trudge back up through the rows, with steep drops off either side. Then I come to a first basin in soft snow. And now it's decision time steep saddle. It's hard to see how to get down into it, do I cross over the crest of the range and try and deand the climb out the other side onto Pinnacle, looks scend directlyt to Hodder Hut? Butldon'tknow ther route, nasty. And I can't see any obvious route down off the and it's hard to pick a way down a steep mountainside range towards Hodder Hut either I wonder which from above. And while it's sheltered where I am, the way people come up. On top of that the wind gusts are wind over that side of the range will be strong. Most av worry-Ife feel unsafe on the narrow ridge. Sol decide importantly, l'm on own if anything goes wrong. upon a change of plan. Instead of trying to follow the Better to play it safe and go back the way I've come, I ridgel I'll drop down into the snow basins on the eastern decide. It's a long way round and it will be a big grunt side of the range and head out to Crows Nest. back up to the top of Tappy but I know the way andit's A short backtrack and a long descent down a steep a safe route all the way. snow slope and am down in the first basin. Down here I drop down into the other basin and begin the long itis calm and the sun is hot. The place is magic spar- slow snow plod back up the other side. l'm still a thoukling snow and ice, with the high peaks of the range to sand feet below the top of Tappy. The hillside is steep my left and a view out down the valley to the Clarence and the snow is deep and soft, and I stop often. Eventuon my right. I crampon up the other side of the basin, ally arrive back on the crest of the range and collapse and after a nasty little traverse across a steep ice slope exhausted in the snow. After a long resti it's another long where the crampons won'tbite properly I emerge onto slow plod up the ridge towards the top of Tappy, pausthe top of the spur over into the next basin. I follow ing for breath every few minutes. Finally - hallelujah! down through this basin in deep soft snow and sidle out I'ml back on top. It's 5 o'clock - it's taken me two hours onto the ridge leading over to Crows Nest. A scramble up from the basin below. down into the saddle and up the other side and I am on But that's the last of the climb for the day and now top of Crows Nest. the route is downhill all the way back down the sum- This is a great spot it's the most northerly of the mit ridge, back across the little plateau, back down into high peaks and from here the terrain drops off steeply the top of the couloir. Here the surface has softened up all around. Butl Ican'tmuck around I it's after 2 o'clock in the sun but it is still icy just underneath. My cramand I should be heading back. pons begin to ball up, and suddenly, before I realise Back in the saddle and looking up towards Tappy I what's happening, I find myself beginning to slide off realise just how much height I have lost since lunch- down the slope. Tramping and Mountaineering 1998

Mt Tapuae-o-Uenuku and Pinnacle from Crows Nest Harry Smith I plunge my ice axe into the snow before I gain too down from the summit. The others are beginning to much speed and bring myself to a stop. It's a useful wonder where I've got to - they gave, up on Alarm due lesson - it may be an easy route but l'm not down yet to the soft snow conditions and have been back at the andl I still need to be careful. I'm tired and mistakes are hut for hours. easy to make. I take the next few hundred feet slowly, And that's the end of a great day in the mountains. planting my crampons with care. Then the slope eases Next morning we pack up and head out down the valoff a bit and the snow becomes softer. I am able to relax ley, with the weather clouding over. But before we go and continue down in large plunging steps. we leave a cheery message in the log book: "Good luck Eventually I arrive at the bottom of the slope and get to all you suckers who will be crowded in here like saroff the snow. And hallelujah again there's running dines come Labour Weekend!" At Labour Weekend last water a stream! I'm completely dehydrated - 1 fin- year there were apparently something like 70 people in ished off the last of the water in my drink bottle ages the valley! Taking a day off and going in at some other ago, and man has it been hot! I throw my pack to the weekend is definitely the way to go! ground, sit down, and scoop up a drink. Nothing ever Many river crossings later we arrive back at the tasted so good! And now Isit back and relax. l'm home roadend. Shortly afterwards it begins to rain heavily. No and hosed and I can afford to sit back and enjoy the doubt the river will soon rise again, but we are out, scenery for 10 minutes. having completed a very enjoyable trip. In front of me is the large basin of Staircase Stream, and all around are the high snow-covered peaks of the Postscript: While waiting in the barn for the van to arrive range. Up to the left the sharp point of Mt Alarm rises we draw up some hay bales to sit on for a game of cards. into the air. I look up to see whether there are footprints Rob and 1, who are sharing a hay bale, are doing well in on the ridge leading to the top but can't make anything the game while all the others are doing badly. "I'm sure out at this distance. Iwonder if the others made it to the it's got something to do with sitting on that hay bale, I top? says Harriette. "I want to sit where you are. Now, Finally it is time to go. There is the long pleasant throughout the trip we have endured a steady stream of ramble back down Staircase Stream in the evening light, appalling puns from Harriette, dreamed up from who the steep drop down through the Spaniards into the knows where. Well, nowit'smy turn. "You're just clutch- Hodder, and the meandering track back across the scree ing at straws, "Iproclaim with relish. Ta-dah! Revenge is slopes. I arrive back at the hut at 7 o'clock, two hours sweet! Tramping and Mountaineering 1998