Date: June 8, 2024
Location: Moke Lake, Twenty Five Mile Range, Whakaari Conservation Area, Queenstown, Otago, New Zealand
Total Trip Distance: 12 mi / 19.3 km
Total Elevation Gain: 5,750 ft / 1,750 m
Trip Duration: 8 hours
Team: Solo
Field Notes: An excellent route to a remote peak in the Queenstown area without a soul in sight. Follow the 4wd track until crossing Moke Creek and veering left to climb the obvious scrub free spur. Unbeknownst to myself, this route is called "Moke Spur" and is marked by a few orange poles. The route ends at roughly 820 meters. Continue up the obvious ridge until it tops out near Point 1495. Head north to Point 1599 until dropping into a basin where there is fresh water. Climb up and sidle northwest past Point 1799 to gain the summit ridge.
Rating: Hiking / tramping, off trail
I had my eye on Ben More ever since I climbed Mount Hanley a few months back. That day was relatively uninspiring, but Ben More really caught my eye. A theme one would notice with this blog is that I enjoy climbing mountains that seem obscure or out of the way. From my research, I couldn't find any information about Ben More which made it all the more appealing. With a perfect weather forecast I headed out to Moke Lake. Although there isn't much snow at the moment, it sure feels like winter. The temperatures briefly touched freezing overnight and I was glad to have paid an electrician to install a diesel heater in the van. There was a blanket of low cloud at camp and it looked to be a day above the clouds.
Around eight in the morning I left the campground and followed the 4wd track up Moke Creek. After trying to unsuccessfully hop across the creek I soaked my boots and socks and somehow found the courage to soldier on. Jokes aside, it is depressing to get your feet completely wet in the first fifteen minutes.
As I climbed the spur I noticed something orange sticking out of the ground - a pole! I looked uphill and spotted another one. This caught me by surprise because I didn't think there was any route up here. I followed the poles upward in the same way that I had planned the route. Abruptly, the route ended at 820 meters. I continued on, following the obvious ridge to Point 1495.
At the top of the ridge I had my first view of Ben More. My heart sank a bit. I left the spikes in the car not thinking I would need them. Mainly, I didn't want to carry the extra weight. As I looked towards the peak, there seemed to be some snow and potentially icy sections. There was only one way to find out. I followed the broad ridge and soaked in the perfect views of the Twenty Five Mile Range. The morning was absolutely perfect. Blue skies, no wind, and totally above the clouds. The scenery was brilliant.
Once I reached Point 1599 I still wasn't optimistic. I couldn't tell if there was ice build up along the slopes toward the peak. It's so funny how the mind wants the easy option and to pack it in. No chance and laughed at the thought. From my vantage point, the easiest option to gain the summit ridge was to drop into the basin below, climb out, and sidle past Point 1799. This would add another three hundred odd meters to my day, which I looked at as extra training for the bigger days.
I dropped into the basin below, drank some fresh mountain water, and headed upwards. This was a day I could've gone for hours and hours. I thanked my body for continuing to stick with me all of these years. It still blows me away just how far I've come from being virtually disabled for so many years and how much more room I have for growth.
Once out of the basin I realized that conditions were totally fine. In hindsight, I still should've had a pair of light spikes, but I was relieved that this was going to turn into a new summit. It's always funny how the perspective from which one views terrain is so critically important. At certain angles, the mountain looks casual. From other vantage points, it looks impossible to climb!
To this point, I remember back in November when I climbed Mount Barth. From the bivy rocks, I thought the face looked pretty casual. When I got there, I measured what I thought was the steepest part of the face. It turned out to be fifty degrees! Pretty steep without a rope.
Gaining the summit ridge of a mountain in perfect weather above the clouds is a feeling that will never, ever get old. The Richardson Mountains exploded skyward while the East Peak of Mount Earnslaw poked out in the distance. The view from the summit was spectacular. Without a breath of wind, I basked in the glory atop the perfect peak.
To the east lay Bowen Peak and Ben Lomond, which on a day like today, most likely saw at least one hundred trampers. Who can blame them? To the north lay the chain of the Richardson Mountains, one of my favorite mountain ranges. Minor Peak, Major Peak, Stone Peak, Larkins, and Butement. In the far back, Centaur Peaks.
I love tramping as much as I love backcountry skiing and as much as I love mountaineering. Each of these buckets provides there own sense of adventure and a different way to explore the mountains. Climbing Ben More, although not a major mission by any means, is just as fulfilling as the bigger, more committing climbs.
Forty five minutes later I decided it was time to head down. I retraced my steps, smashed down the spur, and arrived back at the van to a very cold late afternoon. The day ended with a hot shower back in Queenstown. Happy days...
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