THE APOGEE

Date:  August 26 - 27, 2024 Location: Lake Manapouri, Fiordland National Park, Southland, New Zealand Total Trip Distance:  Paddling - 7.65 mi / 12.31 km | Hiking - 10 mi / 16 km Total Elevation Gain : 2,390 ft / 728 m Trip Duration: 2 days Team:  Solo Field Notes: A straightforward trip on Lake Manapouri, although I would be cautious to paddle it in anything other than light winds. The Monument makes a worthy side trip. There are excellent camp spots near Hope Arm Hut. Rating : Flat water paddling. Hiking. Download GPX Track Google Maps Location I had been dreaming about packrafting for over a decade. The first time I ever saw someone using one was Alastair Humphreys - one of my favorite adventurers. Al is someone who has inspired me to pursue a life outdoors. It also helps that he's a genuine dude and a complete badass (although he wouldn't admit that). Earlier this winter my friend Chris and I decided to do the Kepler Track over a nice weather window. We were stoked on the idea to do the walk without much people on the trail - probably our only chance really! On the trip the idea of using a packraft to explore Fiordland was brought up. I told Chris I had been dreaming of getting one for way too long and never pulled the trigger. Fast forward eight weeks and I got an email from Huw at Packrafting Queenstown letting me know that the rafts have officially arrived from the USA. A few days later I saw a break in the weather... calm winds and sunny skies for two days in Fiordland. I jumped in the van (I was already in my van) and drove south. I arrived at Frazers Beach to clearing weather. The cloud was lifting off the ranges and the lake was as still as an attic. I blew up the raft, swatted a few sandflies and pushed off into the lake. There was a moment of absolute silence. I was loaded up with two days of food while sitting in an inflatable raft. I actually laughed out loud I was that stoked. For the next hour and a half I paddled along the shores of Manapouri observing birds and the different variety of trees. It was so still. As I headed to the George Bay Portage the cloud was lifting off the snow covered Kepler Range. It felt like I was taking out my phone for a photo every two minutes. I found the classic New Zealand orange triangle trail marker on a tree, deflated my boat and loaded everything in my pack. I think it took seven minutes and I wasn't trying to go fast. A short fifteen minute walk through a swamped trail led me to the beautiful and sandfly infested George Bay. I quickly inflated my boat (much faster than the previous seven minutes) and paddled West into Rawin' Bay. Fiordland is not a real place. Towering snow capped peaks. Lush rain forest. Waterfalls that fall from the heavens. Spiritual bird calls. The lake was glass - which way was up or down? Around the corner stood the Monument at 466 meters tall. I pulled onto the shore and walked up the peak where I was treated to spectacular views of the Hunter and Kepler Mountains. By late afternoon I had disembarked from my vessel and arrived at Hope Arm Hut. Not a soul in sight. Unfortunately the hut was trashed and smelled like shit. Smashed beer bottles outside the hut, dirt all over the floor, trash left in the hut, used cigarettes left by the fire place. Disappointing. I spent two hours cleaning, wiping, sweeping, and chopping firewood. By sunset I had a fire roaring while steam lifted from my wet clothing. I looked out the window and was summoned to the lake to observe the remaining days light. I made my way to the edge of lake and exhaled deeply. The end of the day. Sunset complete. Last light. Twilight. The first star flickers above me through a wisp of cloud. Two birds call out into the unlit forest. Ripples of energy make their way across the water and dissipate at the pebbled shore beneath my feet. Deadwood is scattered across the beach. The shadows of the mountains creates a contrast which turns half of the lake jet black. Suddenly I feel everything, hear everything, see everything, am everything. As soon as I am conscious of this it's gone. Like a candle you are enjoying so immensely for the light it provides until, without warning, the wick burns out. Truly, all things pass. That night I had possibly the best sleep I've ever had in the mountains. I had parked myself next to the wood burning stove hearing only the crackling of dried wood and the distant bird call. In the morning I was greeted to light rain falling on the metal roof. Without delay I packed my gear and followed the trail into the bush, enjoying this section of the trip. I decided to climb over Point 477 and gain one final view of the mountains before returning back to my van. Along the way, my mind was brewing with so many new trip ideas and places to access. The packraft is an incredible adventure tool that opens the door to new ways to move in the mountains. Happy days...

Date:  June 26 - 27, 2024 Location: Motatapu / Soho Station, Crown Range, Wanaka, Otago, New Zealand Total Trip Distance: 17.77 mi / 28.59 km Total Elevation Gain : 6,956 ft / 2120 m Trip Duration: 2 days Team:  Solo Field Notes: Fern Burn makes for a pleasant overnight destination on this route, otherwise it's a big day. To climb Middle Peak, take the obvious leading ridge directly behind the hut and follow it south towards Pt 1792. Head east over Pt 1810 and summit Middle Peak. Continue along the ridge over Pt 1752 and ending at Pt 1650. Take the ridge down to the stream, eventually climbing in a northerly direction out of the stream to avoid scrub. Drop back to the stream at any convenient location, fight some scrub and end at the hut. Rating:  Hiking / tramping, off trail Download GPX File Google Maps Location Happy days...

Date:  July 15, 2024 Location: The Remarkables, Queenstown, Otago, New Zealand Total Trip Distance: 7.56 mi / 12.16 km Total Elevation Gain: 2,750 ft / 838 m Trip Duration: 10 hr 36 min Team:  Henry Frakes Field Notes: The Grand Traverse is considered "one of the finest alpine days in the country" and it lived up to expectations. We encountered challenging conditions and used the rope to pitch the crux sections of Double Cone until we finally stood on the summit. For the climb we carried a 60 meter rope, a set of cams and nuts. Rating:  II, 2+ Download GPX File Google Maps Location As winter dragged on in the Southern Alps without much snow to work with, Henry and I tossed around a few ideas. I still hadn’t done the Grand Traverse and was very keen to do so. Henry had done it a few times already so I was pumped when he said yes to the idea. It was a brutally cold morning. I was up at 4 am, brewing coffee, peering out at the stars from my van and preparing for the climb. We met at the base of Remarks and drove up a quarter of the way when Henry said, “oh shit, I forgot my helmet.” Figuring he might need that we turned around. We started the climb at 8am and post holed up to the helipad. The snow was pretty terrible and it was hard not to be negative to see a ski field with so little snow. I am very happy I decided not to buy a season pass. From the helipad the actual climbing began. The temperature decided to turn from very cold to very nice. The sun was out and the sky a blue-ish hue. We traversed slightly below the ridge for awhile and then busted out the rope. The climbing was easy, however, sections of easy scrambling were now covered by small amounts of snow on rock. Henry, being the stronger climber, lead the crux sections. The climbing was fun and the scenery spectacular. We were just two small figures moving alone on an alpine ridge. As the hours passed by, clouds formed and wind rose as we neared the north summit of Double Cone. On top, we rapped down to the col between the Double Cone summits. Here came the crux. From the guidebook description, the route seems to sidle the ridge. With the snow cover, that wasn’t an option so we climbed directly up the ridge. I was surprised at some of the moves and how sustained the climbing was. When I got up to Henry at the top of the pitch, I questioned whether this was actually a “2+.” He felt like it was probably harder given it was winter and how poor the snow conditions were. It was getting late in the day and the wind had decided to blow - I was cold. We hadn’t done a proper job with hydration and eating. It was one of those keep moving type of days. At the top of the southern summit of Double Cone we looked across at the traverse to Single Cone. I was stoked to actually use my ice axe. The ridge looked airy and fun. The sun was making its colorful descent as we popped up to the top of Single Cone. We snapped a few photos and began the series of rappels off the peak. Like many epic days in the hills, we arrived back at the car with headlamps on. The whole climb had taken us a few ticks over ten and a half hours. Unfortunately, I left my ice axe somewhere after the rappels off Single Cone (if anyone finds it let me know), but it didn’t dampen my mood in the slightest. The Grand Traverse was something I had wanted to do for quite awhile, especially in winter, and it did not disappoint in the slightest. Happy days...

Date:  August 10-11, 2024 Location: Takitimu Mountains, Southland, New Zealand Total Trip Distance:  12.21 mi / 19.65 km Total Elevation Gain : 2,598 ft / 792 m Trip Duration: 2 days Team:  Alessia Bertan Field Notes: Another relaxing trip, this time into the Takitimu Mountains. Park at Dunrobin Valley Road and walk the easy hour and a half trip to Aparima Huts. Take the 4wd track into Waterloo Burn and climb the northwesterly spur, avoiding scrub, to the summit. Permission must be sought from Waterloo Burn Station to climb South Braxton. Rating:  Hiking to hut / basic tramping off trail for South Braxton Download GPX File Google Maps Location After our relaxing hut-bagging trip in the Eyre Mountains, Alessia and I spent a few days by the ocean in Riverton. The forecast was calling for weather to move in by Sunday night, so we decided to take advantage of one final spell of good weather and drive north to the Takitimus. The Takitimu Mountains are named after the ancient Maori migration waka (canoe) Takitimu. Neither Alessia or I had been here before and being mid-winter combined with the fact that we were seeking easier trips, we decided to hike in to Aparima Huts. When we pulled into the parking lot my intuition proved right - we would not be having this hut to ourselves like the previous trip. It was Saturday with a decent forecast. A party of three adults and two children shouldered large packs in the parking lot. That could mean one of two things. Either they were going deep into the bush (highly unlikely) or they were going to really enjoy themselves (likely). We weren't fussed either way and headed off to the huts with significantly smaller packs. Ninety minutes after leaving the car park we arrived at Aparima Huts. I was surprised to see the state of the main hut. The door was left open, flies buzzed inside, trash was on the floor, someone had left their shit covered toilet paper on the inside of the wood burner and the sleeping mats had traces of mold on them. It felt more like a basic bivy than a "standard hut." Alessia and I had a bite to eat, ditched our gear, then headed up the Waterloo Burn 4wd track. Footwear came off as we crossed the Burn and soon enough we were heading up the northwesterly spur of South Braxton. I feared scrub but was happily proved wrong. Travel was easy up the spur and we were treated to a unique view of the Takitimus. As we climbed higher so did the speed of the wind. On the summit ridge we hid on the easterly side of the mountain and enjoyed a moment of relaxation. The wind was blowing about the tops and our minds drifted to a warm fire in the hut. I posed the question: "do you think we will have the hut to ourselves tonight?" Alessia said no and I optimistically said yes. Travel was quick down the spur and before long we were back at the 4wd track taking off boots and socks to cross the Burn. Wow that water was cold. At the crossing we watched as one truck tried to un-glue another from the mud. I didn't think there was a chance that truck was getting out. That mud was quicksand Indiana Jones deep. I felt I had to ask the hunters... do you need our help? One of them laughed at my question as I sheepishly knew the answer before I asked it. When we arrived back at Aparima Huts we found them both fully occupied with fires roaring. The group from the parking lot decided to shack up with us while three teenage boys took the old one. I went over to the old hut to have a chat with the boys and hear about their trip. They opened the door and with wide eyes and full hearts told me about their three day adventure. Crossing rivers, trudging through snow, hopping on slippery boulders, sleeping in weathered huts, howling at the moon. You could see, feel , just how impactful this trip was for them. The type of trip that leaves an imprint on the soul and is resistant to the elements. Like a passport stamp that leaves its ink behind for a lifetime. The folks we met in the hut were a kind bunch. They had brought plenty of wood, plenty of booze, and plenty of sugar for the youngsters. The adults were fascinated in Alessia's Italian roots and shared their positive experiences in her home country. As night fell, the kids tucked away and we adults scooted outside. A fire was started and the sparks climbed towards the stars. With the amount of time I spend in the backcountry, I am always surprised at how little I get to have a fire. This was a real treat. This trip was quite different to our time in the Eyre's but still an excellent time away in the hills. We had explored two mountain ranges that neither of us had ever been before. Back at the van, we enjoyed a delicious breakfast and a cold plunge in the Aparima River. That afternoon we headed north back to Queenstown to end a memorable one week road trip. Happy days...

Date:  August 5 - 7, 2024 Location: Eyre Mountains / Taka Rā Haka Conservation Park, Southland, New Zealand Total Trip Distance:  15.04 mi / 24.2 km Total Elevation Gain : 2,957 ft / 901 m Trip Duration: 3 days Team:  Alessia Bertan Field Notes: A super relaxing three day hut bagging trip in complete solitude. We walked in at sunset to Mansion Hut on day 1. The next morning we bush bashed up a spur to gain Mount Bee ridge and then headed to the Bunkrooms for an incredible day of relaxation. The next morning we walked back to the car feeling totally recharged. Rating:  Hiking / tramping, off trail Download GPX File Google Maps Location The Eyre Mountains have a bit of mystique about them. They are isolated, remote, and access can be tough. As one drives south past Kingston and enters the rural surroundings of Southland, the Eyre Mountains climb skyward from farm country. This was not the trip to go on a deep exploration, but rather to explore the foothills and bag a few huts along the way. Alessia is flying back to Italy at the end of August, so we decided to plan a road trip and explore some new areas before she leaves. With an awesome weather forecast in the South it was the perfect opportunity to explore new corners of the map. We arrived at the trailhead on Mulholland Road and set out with the sun making a rapid descent. Our plan was to walk a few short hours and spend the night at Mansion Hut - a two bunk bivy with an open fireplace. The walk up Irthing Stream was better than I thought with the track not being too hard to follow and only one stream crossing. There are many fantastic feelings in the mountains. Arriving to an empty hut after dark with headlamps beaming is one of them. I jumped straight in to getting the fire going with Alessia on emotional support. Mansion Hut is exactly what I thought huts would be like in the Eyre Mountains. Old, small, open fireplace, a bit of rubbish left on the floor, names scribbled on the bed posts, the door handle broken but somehow functional. In a word: character. Irthing Stream gurgled outside and the beech forest whispered in the wind. The stars that night burned so brightly I wondered if they were trying to communicate a deeper message. In the morning we woke to chirping birds and blue sky. What a perfect day to bush bash (Alessia's "first time"). Coffee was consumed and we started up the spur behind the hut towards Pt. 742. Although steep, this was the best part of the climb. After gaining Pt. 742 the long ridge up to Mount Bee ridge was slow and arduous. It felt like forever. Eventually we topped out, treated to fantastic views of the Eyre Mountains covered in a blanket of white with high-powered wind blasting the ridge tops. We had intentions to head north along the ridge but decided to head to the Mount Bee Bunkrooms instead. An amazing decision, because, we had the hut to ourselves and it was fully stocked with firewood. Thank you firewood God. We spent the rest of the day in a meditative state that would be difficult to put into words. Hot soup, crackling fire, warm hut, sun streaming through the windows, wind pounding the roof, minimal words spoken. The sunset put on a display that we felt we should've paid for and the stars had us wanting to leave behind a tip. It was one of the best days I've ever spent in a hut. That night we slept like pigs. The following morning we walked the 4wd track back down to the van, celebrating an incredibly relaxing trip with coconut water and a cold plunge in Irthing Stream. That afternoon we headed south towards Riverton in search of waves. Happy days...

Date:  August 2-3, 2024 Location: Tapuae-o-Uenuku / Hector Mountains, Lake Wakatipu, Otago, New Zealand Total Trip Distance:  13 mi / 20.92 km Total Elevation Gain : 5,000 ft / 1,524 m Trip Duration: 2 days Team:  Solo Field Notes: Park at the pullout just past Devil's Staircase Creek and follow 4wd tracks that lead up the mountain. There are nice camp spots on the ridge, although likely bare of water without snow to melt. Rating:  Hiking / Tramping Download GPX File Google Maps Location With winter in full swing and a fresh drop of new snow, I wanted to test out my new Jetboil MicroMo and see how good it was at melting snow. I was keen to sleep in my tent as well. With so many multi-day trips in New Zealand involving a hut for the nights accommodation, I feel like I don't really get to use my tent that much. If I'm camping and snow isn't involved, I'll almost always look for a bivy rock or bring one of my all-time favorite pieces of gear: The MLD Trailstar. I purchased this tarp tent 14 years ago and it will be a piece of gear that will last a lifetime . Maybe I'll write more on this piece of gear later. I arrived at Devil's Staircase Creek under a bright blue sky. There was not a breath of wind. My pack was strapped to my back and I set off up the 4wd track. To find the track, cross the bridge just next to the parking lot (heading towards Kingston) where there is a locked fence. Hop the fence and follow a rough 4wd track up in a northerly direction before it crosses farmland and becomes more defined. Note: I am always wary of trespassing on a farmer's land. This route is described in the new Moir's Guide. Think for yourself and take responsibility for your own actions. The walk up was largely uneventful. A few sheep not keen to get to know each other, the smell of farm country, the buzzing of helicopters. It felt like spring. I wore shorts and a t-shirt and admired the breathless bluebird sky. Sunset came rather quickly and I decided to set up camp at Pt. 1469. I dug out a platform for my tent and set up camp. I got right to work melting snow and was super impressed with the MicroMo's efficiency. As we enter climbing season where speed and efficiency is of the utmost importance, there is nothing worse than a stove not up to the task of melting snow. Money well spent. The sunset was phenomenal and it was absolutely cold. Not a breath of wind and the stars hyper charged. I wondered if I should howl into the night like a wild animal. We are animals after-all. I went against this impulse, too scared to disturb the night. When I say it was quiet, it was like being in a sensory deprivation tank. The type of quiet that sends a chill up the spine. I spent that night in a hypnotic mountain trance. Melting snow, drinking hot soup, eating chocolate - but not too loudly! All on repeat until I curled into my warm sleeping bag and slept like a hog. In the morning I quickly warmed some water, strapped on boots and climbed higher up the ridge. I had intentions to climb James Peak but was extremely unmotivated after post holing, sometimes up to my waist, to reach Pt. 1668. Should've brought skis. The sun was already baking me like a chicken left too long in the oven. Already content with the trip, I headed back down to the tent for some coffee and a nap. Late morning, relaxed as I was, I decided to pack up and head back down to the van. It was great to spend a more relaxing trip up high without the backbreaking work of a big climb. Happy days...

Date:  January 1 - 4, 2024 Location: Barrier Range, Dart Valley, Mount Aspiring National Park, Otago, New Zealand Total Trip Distance:  35.52 mi / 57.16 km Total Elevation Gain : 9,240 ft / 2,816 m Trip Duration: 4 days Team:  Solo Field Notes: The Barrier Range is one of the most stunning ranges I have ever laid eyes on. Two days of travel is typically required to reach the alpine with very strong navigation skills. The crux of the trip is route finding once across the wire bridge at Daley's Flat. There is a natural rock bridge 80 meters above the Dart that allows easy travel across the Margaret Burn (location on map). Finding this rock bridge is critical. From here, a 500 meter bushwhack gives way to an open ridge line. Tarns and spectacular camp spots are at 1,540 meters. To summit Johansen, climb the SW face and then sidle east to bypass the summit ridge to avoid false summits. Scramble up exposed rock on the SE ridge to reach the true summit. Rating:  II, 1+ Download GPX File Google Maps Location Just two days after climbing Mount Aurum I found myself heading up the Dart Valley. The weather forecast was giving me three very solid days of high pressure and I knew that this was realistically my only chance to visit the Barrier Range over the next year. Sometimes when opportunity strikes you find yourself surprised by how quickly it comes. This is the beauty of riding the wave of life. The Dart Valley is a huge contrast to the Rees side. The Dart River is massive, fed by the huge glaciers of the Whitbourn, Hesse, and Dart. The Rees River you can drive, bike, or walk through. When I went to climb Mount Clarke I loved biking up the wide open valley. In contrast, as I made my way up the Dart it was a series of ups and downs, spending much time in the forests. It was about 17.5 km's to reach my first destination of the trip, Daley's Flat Hut. My pack was the heaviest it had been in a very long time. Two ice axes, crampons, helmet, mountaineering boots, shelter, and four days of food. There was no way to go lightweight on this one. I broke up the approach into a series of one to one and a half hour stops so that I didn't burn myself out as days two and three would be much bigger. After five hours on the dot I arrived at Daley's Flat Hut and was surprised to only see a few folks there, being New Years on the popular Rees-Dart track. The people that were there, however, were a real treat to be around. For most trips I do, I almost always have the hut to myself and I love the solitude. But it was great to share a hut with some new folks. One person I really enjoyed speaking to was Ryan from Florida. We both shared a passion for maps, adventures, health, and life. It was a pleasure to meet him. I had a leisurely morning before I began the climb to reach the Barrier Range. I figured it would be another five hour day and saw no point rushing out. I shared a nice morning with Ryan and his wife, excited to hear about their additional travel plans in New Zealand. They made their way out of the hut around ten and I followed soon after, butterflies in my stomach. To be honest, the scariest part of the trip was crossing the wire bridge above the Dart! God bless the people who put that in. As soon as I crossed the wire bridge there is nothing but forest. I had spent months of research on this route and it was time to make it happen. I headed in a northerly direction and looked for a deer trail that would lead me to the natural rock bridge. I didn't find much of a deer trail but made my way through the bush for about thirty minutes and landed directly on the rock bridge. Stoked! I will make a note here: finding this rock bridge is critical as I'm not sure how one would be able to get across the Margaret Burn without it. Feeling more confident, I found a very solid deer trail that took me directly up through the forest for about three hundred meters. This was not bad at all! Then reality struck as it always does in the hills. The deer trail ended and I met some pretty heinous scrub and terrain. I'm not sure how to describe this, but there were huge holes and chasms in the mountain side that would lead to dead ends. My parents would be so disappointed to hear the words that were coming out of my mouth! Finally, I broke out of the scrub and reached tussock slopes at the 1,100 meter mark. I continued to make my way upwards, feeling drained and dehydrated. The terrain was much easier now and I was waiting for my first view of the Barrier Range that I have dreamed about for so long. Tussock gave way to rock and at 1500 meters I was in another planet. What lay in front of me was arguably the most spectacular group of mountains I have ever laid eyes on. The peaks of the Barrier Range combined with the gnarly Margaret Glacier looked formidable. Two days of hard work and I felt very much rewarded. I set up a camp out of the wind and took a spectacular swim in the nearby alpine tarn. This was a campsite of dreams. I hung out in my sleeping bag, drinking tea and admiring the view when I heard voices in the distance. No way I thought... people? Sure enough, three women came bounding up over the ridge and right into camp. I was barefoot just laying in my sleeping bag and they literally thought I came up here like that as my tent was out of sight! Hilarious. That night I went to bed early as my plan was to be up for sunrise. My alarm rang at five and I quickly gathered my things, made a coffee, and set out for the climb. The morning was of the Gods. Perfection. Calm. Alpenglow baked the peaks. I'll allow the photos to speak for themselves. My goal was to climb Johansen first, than head down to Seal Col, then bag Stefansson and Watkins. I gained the snowfields below Johansen and worked my up the southwest face. The snow was perfect and the morning stunning. I was pinching myself. At the top of the southwest face I followed the broad ridge up to the summit plateau. From here it seemed an easy walk to the summit. A few final steps and I shouted out in excitement as I thought I reached the top, however, when I reached the peak I realized it was a false summit! I looked further along the ridge and there was a point that was definitely higher, with some very exposed climbing to reach it. In that very moment I thought about just accepting where I was but something inside of me urged to keep exploring. I down climbed the ridge and then sidled along to the east. I had a look at the true summit and the climbing seemed exposed, again my mind convinced me this was good enough . I knew I would regret this if I did not keep pushing, there was absolutely no reason to turn around. I sidled under the summit and began to climb the southeast ridge. Scree gave way to steep ledges but the rock was surprisingly very solid and enjoyable to climb. Once above the ledges, I gained a narrow and exposed ridge that took me directly to the summit. From here I let out of a shout of joy - I couldn't believe it. I had dreamed of climbing in the Barrier Range ever since I came across photos of this place so many years ago. Here I was, in perfect weather, in complete solitude, on a lofty summit. Dreams are the seedlings of reality. - Napoleon Hill After hanging out on the summit for thirty minutes or so, I decided to keep moving. I down climbed the ridge and put crampons back on. It was nine in the morning and the snow was completely isothermic. Being that I was on a southeast aspect and to climb Steffanson required me to climb steep southeast facing slopes, I decided to call it a day. Personally, I didn't really care. I was stoked to bag Johansen and knew that anything besides that was a bonus. In an hour I was back at camp, beaming. The girls congratulated me on the successful summit and it was nice to share our successful journeys with each other. It was dope to see three badass chicks getting after it in the peaks. They were on one hell of a mission. It was also good they ran into me because I was able to give them the beta on how to find the rock bridge on their GPS (even though they would have found it anyways). I went back to camp, had breakfast, packed up and left. A storm was coming in and there was no point lingering. That night I slept in a fully packed Daleys Hut. The following morning I put one foot in front of the other for five hours and reached the end of the trip, exhausted and excited to pay a visit to Miss Woollys. Happy days...

Date:  January 21, 2024 Location: West Matukituki, Mount Aspiring National Park, New Zealand Total Trip Distance:  8.9 mi / 14.3 km Total Elevation Gain : 5,619 ft / 1,712 m Trip Duration: 6 hours 30 min Team:  Solo Field Notes: This is a fantastic climb straight out of the parking lot with stunning views from the summit. The approach follows the central spur leading directly to the col between Sharks Tooth and Craigroyston. The summit is gained by climbing the south west ridge. The final thirty meters has quite a bit of exposure and is no fall terrain. I would bring a rope in winter / early spring. Rating:  I, 2 Download GPX File Google Maps Location Back in 2014 my friend Sam and I attempted to climb Sharks Tooth Peak. We had very little mountain experience at the time and it felt like a big undertaking. To be fair, there has been a big increase in climbing beta over the last ten years in the Southern Alps, increasing the odds of a successful ascent. That day, we chose the wrong ridge in the dark and found ourselves in some very steep terrain. We pretty much just gave up because we were scared. I still don't know how we successfully climb Mount Barff that season. A grade 2 miracle! Those days were filled with adventure. On this day, it was one of the most straightforward ascents of my life. I drove into Gods land - the West Matukituki. Funny enough, at the final stream crossing I ran into my friend Lisa and gave her a ride to the trailhead. We caught up for a bit while I packed my things, covered my face in zinc, and eventually set off to climb the peak. Sharks Tooth is simply stunning from the parking lot. I crossed over farm land and took the obvious spur leading up to the col between Sharks Tooth and Craigroyston. Travel was fast and easy with a light pack and a light wind to keep the heat at bay. As a climbed higher I ran into an obvious trail that took me straight up the mountain. I ran into two climbers heading down the peak but didn't stop to chat for long as I was in total flow. The views were simply incredible and Rob Roy, which I am convinced is a God, dominated the scene. This is my favorite mountain in the West Matukituki and I am very keen to climb the West Face in spring. Once at the col the wind jacked up and I threw on my Patagonia Houdini. I continued to follow the solid climbers trail to the base of Sharks Tooth. It looked quite steep! I ditched my poles and threw on my helmet, working my way up the obvious ridge on the climbers right. The climbing was low angle at first until the final fifty meters or so. From here, the climbing was easy but with tons of exposure. A fall would be disastrous. About twenty meters from the top, I decided to sidle around to the southerly side of the mountain where I found a very exposed ledge system that would lead me to the summit. The exposure had my heart in my mouth but again, the climbing was straightforward. I crossed the ledge and found easy rock that took me to the top of the peak. Happy days. The views from the summit were incredible. Better yet, three Kea's swooped in and shared the summit with me - the first Kea I had seen since I returned to New Zealand in October. I took a long thirty minute break and soaked in the West Matukituki and everything it had to offer. In front of my eyes lay Rob Roy, Fog Peak, Craigroyston, Liverpool, Barff, Dragonfly, and even the peaks of the Upper Volta Glacier. Magic land. As with every summit one eventually does have to tear themselves away. Care was taken off the peak and soon enough I was collecting my poles at the base of the climb and the helmet came off. A few hours later I was back at the car where an Indian curry awaited me in Wanaka - but not before the ritual cold plunge. Happy days...

Date:  April 9, 2024 Location: Mount Roland Regional Reserve, Sheffield, Tasmania, Australia Total Trip Distance:  10.84 mi / 17.45 km Total Elevation Gain : 3,201 ft / 975 m Trip Duration: 5 hours 30 min Team:  Solo Field Notes: Mount Roland is a fantastic walk through stunning Tasmanian forest and a 360 degree summit with views of mountains and the ocean. Rating: Hiking, trail Download GPX File Google Maps Location Happy days...

Date:  June 3, 2024 Location: Crown Range, Arrow Junction, Otago, New Zealand Total Trip Distance: 9.30 mi / 15 km Total Elevation Gain : 2,961 ft / 903 m Trip Duration: 4 hr 52 min Team:  Flora Yu Field Notes: If you have two cars, start from the top of the Crown Range and follow the obvious ridge to Crown Peak. Follow the 4wd track down to the other vehicle at Glencoe Road. Beautiful views of the Richardson Mountains. Rating:  Hiking / trail Download GPX File Google Maps Location The other day I stopped into Small Planet to buy my backcountry ski set up for the season. The guy fitting my boots was an avid mountaineer. I asked him, "how have you found getting partners to go into the mountains with?" His response: "terrible." You'll notice on the overwhelming majority of my trips in New Zealand are solo. I've found it extremely difficult to make partners here. I think the majority of people who participate in mountaineering and backcountry skiing here is very, very small. However, one day I received an email from someone apart of the New Zealand Alpine Club, Flora Yu. I couldn't believe it. Flora is an aspiring climber and had also climbed Mount Liverpool. While we are in a transition season here in New Zealand, hiking still remains a fantastic proposition and an opportunity to continue to build fitness. We chose an easy objective for the day to stretch our legs and get some sun. Flora and I met at the bottom of the Crown Range at seven in the morning. The stars were still glittering at this point as we drove up the Crown Range. By eight we were climbing up the slopes of Mount Scott. There was a light breeze blowing but enough to know that it was indeed a cold wind. As we reached the the top of Mount Scott it was absolutely cold. The wind was coming right out of the south - from Antarctica. The highlight was that the sunrise hitting the golden tussock slopes of the ridge was a stunning sight. As we continued along the easy ridge our conversations slowly faded. This was not because we didn't want to speak to each other. It was because the wind picked up speed and it got bloody cold! At the summit of Crown Peak the views were stunning. We could see Major Peak, Minor Peak, Mount Larkins, Centaur Peaks, and Aspiring. We looked along the ridge towards Mount Sale and decided we were unmotivated to continue to get blasted by the wind, so we headed down. Thirty minutes later we were basking in the glory of a beautiful, sunny winters day. Near the bottom of the mountain we laid in the grass and enjoyed some snacks (mainly Flora's snacks). Although I love going solo, it was great to be in the mountains with someone else. Flora was great company with and I look forward to many more trips with her. For now we need snow! Happy days...

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 Download GPX File Google Maps Location 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...

Date:  July 23, 2024 Location: Humboldt Mountains, Mount Aspiring National Park, Otago, New Zealand Total Trip Distance: 14.1 mi / 22.7 km Total Elevation Gain: 6,561 ft / 2,000 m Trip Duration: 11 hours Team:  Henry Frakes Field Notes: Bold Peak is a beautiful pyramid shaped peak that sits just southeast of the powerful Mount Bonpland. Climb the Glacier Burn trail until popping out of the trees at 800 meters. Head up the Glacier Burn until angling south, climbing a massive 800 meter gut filled with very loose rock to Point 1731. Climb across a broad shelf (with excellent camp spots) until snow slopes lead to a col south of Point 1973. Sidle around the back of the ridge and scramble up loose rock until gaining the north ridge. Scramble to the summit. Care should be taken on the descent in the gut. Rating:  I, 1+ Download GPX File Google Maps Location Almost ten years ago my friend Sam and I had stood at the col south of Point 1973, roughly two hundred meters from the summit of Bold Peak. It was at this point we decided to turn around mainly because of two reasons. First, because Sam had to be back in time for a job interview (where he got hired and then didn't take it). Second, because we were scared. That wasn't the first time we spooked ourselves on a climb. Later that year we attempted Sharks Tooth Peak, a straight forward grade 2 climb (more like a 1 / 1+) straight out of the parking lot. We chose the wrong ridge on the ascent and found ourselves on steep bluffs. All we had to do was down climb and get on the appropriate ridge to continue the climb, but we got scared. Those early days of mountaineering were so memorable because we didn't have a clue what we were doing, so the fear was there out of ignorance. Every mission felt huge. Flash forward ten years and Henry and I stood at the same exact spot at the col south of Point 1973, debating whether to continue. There was no fear present, rather, an awareness of the conditions and ourselves. The climb had taken longer than expected due to the fact that the snow was simply terrible. We made good time up the horrendous terrain of the gut, however, once we donned crampons it was a miserable post hole. Almost every step sunk through to our knees on an unsupportive surface layer. It didn't help we were climbing two thousand meters in a day either. "We are late," said Henry. He was right. It was completely bluebird, the sun beaming. The snow had warmed and it was almost noon. Our main concern was retreating back across where we came. Old avalanche debris from the east facing slopes of Bonpland reminded us of what could happen. One thing I love about climbing with Henry is the openness in conversation. He is calm, collected, and realistic in the mountains. He speaks from experience rather than fear or ignorance. He is very fit so I know he is not completely exhausted and subconsciously wants to turn around. We bounced the conversation back and forth. Ultimately, we continued on and we felt right about it. The main slope we were concerned about was actually in the shade, staying cool for the descent. What we did do, was set a turn around time. If we weren't on the summit by 12:30 we would head back. From the col, we leapfrogged each other setting steps to the summit. The views from the north ridge of Bold Peak were fucking epic. Mount Bonpland towered above like the God of the Humboldt Range. We plugged steps up to the summit ridge, scrambled on loose rock, and walked to the top of the peak. Wow, that felt good. Legs burning, heart pounding, and fist bumping with Henry. Life in the alpine can be a mystical experience. We snapped a few photos, had a quick bite to eat, and left. We stood on the summit for about five minutes. It was relatively quick work to get back to the top of the gut and we decided to give ourselves a genuine break. We had barely stopped for almost seven hours. My appetite was low, but I forced myself to eat and drink, knowing the consequences of a poor recovery. With reluctance we headed down the gut, excited for our feet to touch the beautifully sculpted Glacier Burn trail. Arguably the most dangerous part of the day, I dodged a few rocks and took a spill that sliced my finger open when a pile of rock collapsed beneath me. Care has to be taken here! We arrived back at our vans eleven hours later, treated to an incredible sunset over the Richardson Mountains across the lake. Grateful, stoked, and ready to consume a generous portion of food. Happy days...

Date:  May 14 - 15 , 2024 Location: Lake Hāwea,   Hāwea Conservation Park, Otago, New Zealand Total Trip Distance:  19.68 / 31.67 km Total Elevation Gain : 8,745 ft / 2,665 m Trip Duration: 2 Days Team:  Solo Field Notes: This is a fantastic route over two peaks with a stay at a remote hut stocked with firewood. Travel up Lower Timaru River Track until one reaches Junction Hut. From here, take the obvious scrub free spur and join the ridge at 780 meters. Travel north along this ridge over Points 1073, 1317, and 1414 until eventually dropping roughly 400 meters to Moonlight and Roses Hut. From the hut, climb tussock slopes in a northwesterly direction until crossing over the ridge at 1600 meters. Climb to a saddle between Dingle Peak and Point 1739, then climb the easy northeasterly ridge. For Corner Peak, follow the entire west ridge down to the saddle between the two peaks and follow the simple tussock slopes up to the summit. Take the Corner Peak route back to the car. There is no water beyond the hut. Rating:  Hiking / tramping, mainly off track Download GPX File Google Maps Location When I had climbed Ben Lomond the other week with my friend Liam under a spell of beautiful weather, I swore it would be the last trip for a month. I'm following my nose lately with surfing as this is prime season for it. The mountains, on the other hand, are going through a transition season. With all of this said, I saw a beautiful forecast line up in Wanaka and the town webcam showed me that the mountains around Hawea were still snow free. So I packed my bags... I was indecisive about whether I should take the Timaru High route or Lower route. I settled on the river route and guessed that I’d be able to dry my boots at the hut. Plus, it would save me significant elevation gain. I’ve never been fond of river travel and this didn’t change my mind. I feel like it’s difficult to get into a flow. It didn’t help that I tried to avoid getting my boots wet the first twenty minutes until I eventually caved and trudged through the crossings. This is easily the simplest way. Just go. I reached Junction Hut and decided it was time for a snack before I began my climbing for the day. Then, as if I was transported back to the times of Moses, sand flies descended upon me in ravenous fashion. It actually reminded me of being deep in the West Coast. I decided it actually wasn’t time for a snack and marched straight uphill. Once I gained the ridge towards Point 1414 I did indeed stop for a snack - a delicious sandwich with sourdough bread. It was deathly quiet. I hadn’t seen a soul. No cars in the parking lot either. The air was light, cold, and crisp. I marched onward towards Point 1414, sticking true to the ridge the entire time. There was a bit of light bush bashing to navigate, but by sticking directly on the ridge I was able to follow deer trails. I broke out of the trees and got a magnificent view of the ridge ahead and Dingle Peak. For a few hours I bobbed and weaved along the ridge, steadily gaining elevation. In the late afternoon a breeze picked up and layers were added to the body. Winter is on its way. By this point I had enough of climbing and decided to sidle east of Point 1414 and dropped quickly to Moonlight and Roses Hut. How happy I was to see it. There was no way anyone would be here. I opened the door and immediately came to the conclusion I was dead wrong. Gear was strewn everywhere and it looked as if all four bunks were taken. I sat down on a chair and thought about how miserable my night was going to be on the floor without a sleeping pad. I decided to get the fire roaring and eat before the hunters got back. As the sun set, darkness settled in and I wondered if the hunters would return. Around six-thirty, two headlamps approached the hut. I opened the door and met the father and son combo - Greg and Charlie. To my relief it was just the two of them, which meant I was able to have a bunk. Happy days! They apologized for the mess, which didn’t actually bother me. I was concerned about getting a mattress! They didn’t think anyone would be here and neither did I. Assumptions are the death of truth. One of the highlights of staying in huts are the people you meet. Greg and Charlie were two fantastic blokes. From the North Island raised in a rural environment. Charlie currently drives tractors and Greg a veterinarian. They have a deep respect for animals and you could tell how humble they both were. That night I slept like a barnyard animal. Morning wasn’t too cold but I stoked the fire anyways. Coffee went down the pipe along with some hot oatmeal. At seven-thirty I launched into the alpine. Up I went. Light slowly entered the atmosphere, perspiration gathered at the brow and stars receded. Within an hour I had climbed five hundred meters and sidled into the basin below Dingle Peak at 1,600 meters. From the southeasterly perspective, Dingle Peak looks formidable. I reached the saddle between Dingle and Point 1739 and began climbing the east ridge. Two hours since leaving the hut I stood atop the peak and the views were phenomenal. What caught my eye was Maungatika - a peak I imagine is rarely climbed. The views out toward the upper Makarora and the Aspiring Region were just insane. Sometimes I wish I still had my nice Sony camera… After a long break atop the summit I headed West towards Corner Peak. It took one hour to reach the saddle between the two mountains and from there maybe forty-five minutes to stand atop my second summit for the day. This summit is also spectacular. There was also a terrific view of Sentinel Peak as well. There wasn’t a breath of wind on the summit so I decided to get out the stove and brew a cup of coffee. There was a three hour descent coming my way and wanted to add as much fuel to the tank as possible. I slugged the coffee and began my march back to the car park. Day two turned out to be an eight and a half hour day. This trip actually surprised me with how physically challenging it was. For example, you climb significantly more elevation doing this trip than the towering Brewster out in the distance. New Zealand doesn’t really have any “easy” mountains to climb after all. Happy days…

Date:  January 30, 2024 Location: Richardson Mountains, Queenstown / Glenorchy Road, Otago, New Zealand Total Trip Distance:  9.73 mi / 15.6 km Total Elevation Gain : 5,873 ft / 1,790 m Trip Duration: 7 hours Team:  Solo Field Notes: A fun scramble with fantastic access directly off the Glenorchy Queenstown road. Park at Lake Creek Creek Falls trailhead and follow the orange poled route directly up the ridge. Continue up the ridge beyond the fence line. Sidle into the Basin at roughly 1,620 meters. Climb the diagonal ledge across the face that leads to a moderate rock scramble to reach the summit. Rating:  1, I Download GPX File Google Maps Location The last two weeks in Queenstown have been wet, cold, and windy. I was pleased to see a good spell of weather line up and decided on climbing Major Peak off the Queenstown Glenorchy road. The access for this climb is great. I parked at Lake Face Creek trailhead and headed directly up the spur on the true right of the creek. To my surprise there was a solid trail and poled route that led up the ridgeline. There was virtually no scrub and travel was fast. With a super light pack I made fast time and enjoyed the feeling of being light on my feet. I started very early in the morning and the stillness and soft light of early morning is always a gift. After climbing non-stop for 1,000 meters I decided I'd take a quick break and eat my first meal of the day. The views across Lake Whakatipu to the Humboldt, Ailsa, and Thomson mountain ranges was amazing. It's mind blowing just how many mountains there are in New Zealand. I kept moving and at 1,620 meters sidled into the Basin, five hundred meters below the summit. From here the route seemed obvious. I would take the diagonal leading ledge across the face and scramble to the top. I popped on my helmet and began to work up the face. The climb was never that steep until the final thirty meters or so were I encountered moderately steep but easy rock. I arrived on the summit exactly three and a half hours since leaving the car. The views from the summit were spectacular. I particularly enjoyed the view north towards Wire Saddle, Stone Peak, and Mount Larkins. I relaxed on the summit for about thirty minutes, eventually tearing myself away. Care had to be taken off the summit as there was a bit of loose rock. Larger parties may want a helmet as I did kick off a rock or two. It was relatively quick work back down to the car and I finished the day with a lovely cold soak in Lake Face Creek. Happy days...

Date:  July 3 - 5, 2024 Location: Te Anau, Kepler Mountains, Fiordland National Park, Southland, New Zealand Total Trip Distance: 34.21 mi / 55 km Total Elevation Gain : 6,607 ft / 2,014 m Trip Duration: 3 days Team:  Chris Churcher Field Notes: There is much written already about the Kepler Track as it is one of the most popular walks in New Zealand. Chris and I decided to jump at the opportunity of walking the track in winter with a perfect weather forecast. For three days we enjoyed solitude, empty huts, an inversion layer, and cold, calm weather. A great experience for my first ever trip in Fiordland. Rating:  Hiking Download GPX File Google Maps Location Happy days...

Date: May 30, 2024 Location: Lake Hāwea, Lake Wanaka, Grandview Mountain Range, Otago, New Zealand Total Trip Distance: 11.17 mi / 18 km Total Elevation Gain: 3,349 ft / 1,021 m Trip Duration: 4 hr 51 min Team: Solo Field Notes: A beautiful walk in a quieter park of the Wanaka Region. Amazing views over Aspiring and the Grandview Range. Rating: Hiking / trail Download GPX File Google Maps Location Happy days...

Date: May 27, 2024 Location: Lake Hāwea, Lake Wanaka, Matatiaho Conservation Area, Otago, New Zealand Total Trip Distance: 10.23 mi / 16.5 km Total Elevation Gain: 4,012 ft / 1,222 m Trip Duration: 5 hours Team: Solo Field Notes: A poled route from the parking lot leads to a simple 4wd track up the mountain. Incredible views over Aspiring, the Makarora, and Hāwea Conservation Park. Expect to see a lot of people. Rating: Hiking / trail Download GPX File Google Maps Location Happy days...

Date: February 4, 2024 Location: Richardson Mountains, Queenstown, Otago, New Zealand Total Trip Distance: 11.55 mi / 18.59 km Total Elevation Gain: 5,900 ft / 1,798 meters Trip Duration: 5 hours 57 min Team: Solo Field Notes: Although this is not a place to go if one is looking for solitude, the views are spectacular. Bowen Peak offers a chance to escape some of the crowds with an easy walk from Ben Lomond Saddle. I did, however, share the summit with a helicopter dropping off some bikers! Rating: Hiking, trail Download GPX File Google Maps Location Happy days...

Date: January 18, 2024 Location: Remarkables Conservation Area, Hector Mountains, Kingston, Otago, New Zealand Total Trip Distance: 7.35 mi / 11.82 km Total Elevation Gain: 4,084 ft / 1,244 m Trip Duration: 4 hours Team: Solo Field Notes: A perfect training hike and / or if you're looking to find solitude. The trail is accessed via Glen Nevis Station Road which is suitable for all vehicles. There is parking at the DOC sign and the trail follows a 4wd track until the 1,150 meter contour. From here, follow the fence line directly the summit. The views over the Hector Mountains, Lake Wakatipu, and the Eyre Mountains are fantastic. Rating: Hiking, trail, basic off trail Download GPX File Google Maps Location Happy days...

Date: December 19 - 23, 2023 Location: Canterbury Westland Alps, Hokitika, West Coast, New Zealand Total Trip Distance: 31.5 mi / 50 km Total Elevation Gain: 10,417 ft / 3,175 m Trip Duration: 5 days Team: Solo Field Notes: A stunning trip into the rugged and remote mountains of the West Coast. Trails here are rough and I moved significantly slower than I normally do. Expect constant ups and downs if following riverbeds and be extremely careful in heavy rain. Travel to gain the ridge-lines is borderline bushwhacking - and the forests here are thick. I saw three people in 5 days and had only 1 day of rain! One of the most magical trips of my life. Rating: Hiking / tramping, off trail Download GPX File Google Maps Location “Why’d you come out?” I sat around a $100,000+ RV set up with a mug I bought at a second hand store decorated with cats, filled with sleepy time tea. I stumbled with my answer…”I don’t know…” I pulled into the free camping spot when two legendary Kiwi’s, Buck and Adam, showed up with their family entourage. Adam probably felt bad for me that I was sitting in my soaking wet tent so he invited me over. I was introduced to everyone, however Buck stood out. He was Kiwi, well traveled, loved women, hunting, drinking beer, and teaching his son to get up when he got knocked down in rugby. A man in every sense of the word. Fucking legend. I was trying to explain my trip across the Toaroha Range when he asked me point blank - “why did you come out?” I honestly have no clue. Even as I write this I'm sitting next to a roaring fire above a babbling brook in Mount Aurum. Tomorrow I walk out. Why am I going out when I want to go IN? This is the duality of life. One naturally creates the other. On day one I walked in to Cedar Flat hut. There were only a few cars in the lot and I had a feeling I wasn’t going to see many folks on this one. I’d dreamed about the West Coast for years. Rough mountains and foul weather. It seemed only by the grace of God that one got sunshine here. Lo and behold a perfect forecast struck the West Coast and I drove the six hours to Hokitika. I knew I was going to be in for a good one when I arrived at Cedar Flat hut under the cover of darkness and stumbled into a kiwi brushing his teeth. His accent was thick - no doubt a country boy. He showed me around the hut only to tell me he’s got a rifle on the top bunk and that I shouldn’t be spooked. No worries I told him, fire away. Are you hunting? No, he told me. Are you training? No, he told me. Beats me I thought to myself and went outside to cook dinner under the stars. That night I slept very deeply. On day two I took my damn time. It was a glorious morning. Absolutely bluebird without a cloud. A Polish couple were the only other people in the hut and they told me the hot springs nearby were some of the best they’ve ever been to - and hot springs are their life passion. What are the odds? I hiked the fifteen minutes to the hot springs and I can confirm that it was a borderline religious experience. The hot springs sat on the edge of a freezing cold mountain river. And the hot springs were HOT. I spent about an hour doing multiple rounds of hot cold therapy, all alone, on a perfect bluebird morning on the west coast. Holy shit. At eleven I pulled myself from the hut and figured I should start moving. As I worked up the Toaroha River I realized travel in this neck of the woods was going to be very, very slow. The trails out here are the roughest I’ve ever seen. My original goal was to get to Toaroha Saddle but after three hours of non-stop up and down along a riverbed, I decided to change my plans and I am so glad that I did. First off, it was going to take me a solid seven hours of very hard travel to get to the saddle. This would mean days three and four would be very big days, and I didn't want to be up on the ridge in poor conditions in an area I don't know. I knew rain was coming, and I wanted to get on the tops and experience the ridges in good weather. I decided to take a left and head up to Crystal Biv. This decision was the turning point in the trip. After a borderline bushwhack for an hour and a half I broke treeline and reached the Biv. The views were absolutely stunning. The Diedrechs Range behind me and the Toaroha Range looming above. The Biv was nestled into the shrub like a baby tucked into a cradle. It felt wild to be up here. I wandered down to the tarn and took an amazing skinny dip. The forecast for tomorrow was calling for perfection and I couldn’t wait to get to the tops. That night I slept like a log. Nine hours later I woke to the sound of chirping birds. I looked out the window and my eyes locked on blue sky. I ripped open the door to perfect conditions. I was like a kid on Christmas and made no delay - it was time to get going! I climbed up through snow grass and into the cloud layer that had blanketed the ridgeline while I was getting ready. This was just an inversion layer and waited patiently to break through. At 1400 meters I finally climbed above the cloud layer and got my first few of the Toaroha Range - wow. Golden light covered the deep green ridglines and baked the clouds. It was a magical sight. I continued to climb higher, sidling gendarmes along the ridge by negotiating steep scrub. Travel continued to be slow and challenging , and I finally reached my first high point at Point 1694. The sun was screaming hot and I was melting. After a thirty minute break I sank back into the clouds and finally reached Zit Saddle, roughly 4 hours into the day. I had a very long way to go and kept moving. I found a tarn below Mount Reeves, refilled my water, broke above the clouds again, and stood atop the high point of my trip. Mountains surrounded me in all directions and I was all alone. The feeling was special. I took another long break before descending to the col below Point 1618. It got quite steep along the ridge that required a down climb to the climbers right to bypass. Travel from here to Genoa Peak was arguably the most stunning of the whole day. I was entirely above the clouds, watching the inversion layer pour over the mountains into the Toaroha Valley. To the right, the snow capped peaks of Arthur’s Pass loomed on the skyline. In front of me, Genoa Peak and The Pinnacle looked wild and rugged. In what felt like Arabian desert heat I continued on. I debated skipping Genoa Peak but remembered the conversation I had with myself earlier… “you will want to skip this peak but you will regret it!” So I began my final ascent of the day. I was feeling quite shitty from the heat when I crested a hill and ran into a beautiful alpine tarn. “OH MY GOD!” I stripped off all my clothes and dove right in. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud - what a mystery life is! Totally recharged I sprinted to the top of the peak and with misty eyes rejoiced at the magic of life. I felt so grateful to be up here. I could see Pinnacle Biv in the valley below, my home for the night. It took me about an hour or so of frustrating terrain to reach the hut. Because Crinkle Top (I can’t believe this is even considered a mountain) lay just fifty meters from the hut I dropped my pack and ran to the top. Finally, nine hours later, I arrived at the Biv. And what a place it was - above a sea of clouds staring at the mountains of Arthur’s Pass. This day will remain as one of the top days I’ve ever had in the hills. On day four I decided to have a casual day and wander down to Boo Boo Hut. It was a rainy day and the hut had a wood burner, so why not spend an extra day relaxing and enjoying the warmth of the fire? It took rough two hours to reach the hut. I spent the day chopping wood, cleaning up the hut, reading, and doing cold plunges in the natural pool nearby. It was dead silent besides the sounds of local birds, falling rain, and the occasional wind blowing about the trees. This time of stillness gave me a much needed break from the constant doings of life. The rain had lifted a bit on the morning of day five. I took a final cold plunge in the pool, packed my bag and made the walk out. I was filled with passion and fire for life. That feeling of completing a spectacular trip in the wild recharges the soul like nothing else! I walked non-stop for four hours to reach my vehicle, passing through spectacular forest and deep gorges. The West Coast of New Zealand is one of those places in the world that will forever live untamed, wild, raw, and spectacular. I feel very fortunate to be able to complete such a trip in good weather. Happy days... Note: for more detailed information on West Coast huts and routes, visit: https://www.remotehuts.co.nz/

Date: April 29, 2024 Location: Richardson Mountains, Queenstown / Glenorchy Road, Otago, New Zealand Total Trip Distance: 7.19 mi / 11.57 km Total Elevation Gain: 4,784 ft / 1,458 m Trip Duration: 5 hours Team: Solo Field Notes: An excellent walk with fantastic access directly off the Glenorchy Queenstown road. You can see the summit from the parking lot. Park at Lake Face Creek Falls trailhead, walk across the street, and head straight uphill doing your best to avoid the scrub between 700 and 950 meters. Take the northwest ridge to the summit. Rating: 1, I Download GPX File Google Maps Location With the new snow beginning to fall and winter approaching, I sought out a trip where I could still get up relatively high. Minor Peak seemed like a quick trip in comparison to others and it would also give me the opportunity to scout out the route for Stone Peak. I parked at Lake Face Creek trailhead and stared up the at the 1,768 meter summit which can be viewed directly from the road. It was a perfect autumn day. There was not a cloud in the sky and as I began climbing up the ridge I realized I wasn't wearing my sunglasses. Rather than walk three minutes back to the car I continued uphill. A few frightened sheep later and I hit the scrub at roughly 800 meters. This is totally avoidable by sidling south, however, there are ankle high thorn bushes to deal with and it's better to just pick a route through the scrub. Once through this short section of bush, travel is fast. I gained the summit ridge in just over two hours and the views of Stone Peak, Mount Larkins, and Major Peak are sensational. As I looked up at Major Peak I asked myself a very sincere question: is this skied from the summit? From my initial research I haven't found any information online (which is typical of New Zealand mountains). But I've climbed that face before and think it could make for a fantastic ski mountaineering mission. As I reached the final steps to the summit of Minor Peak I couldn't help but feel a pulse of excitement through my veins for the upcoming winter season. There is so much to do here in New Zealand we are beyond blessed. This will be my first ski mountaineering season here and am looking forward to exploring the mountains with planks attached to my feet. Happy days...

Date: February 16, 2024 Location: Hāwea Conservation Park, Otago, New Zealand Total Trip Distance: 10.4 mi / 16.7 km Total Elevation Gain: 5,673 ft / 1,729 m Trip Duration: 7 hours 37 min Team: Natalya Lucas Field Notes: Take the sawyer burn track until about 900 meters in elevation where a beautiful route up the south ridge leads to a basin directly below the summit of Sentinel Peak. A cairned scree gully gives easy access to the summit ridge. There is no water en route. Rating: Hiking / tramping, off trail Download GPX File Google Maps Location For the last few weeks I've been fortunate to spend time with a beautiful person I met in Wanaka after climbing in the Barrier Range. Since that moment, I've quit my job and moved into a van to pursue my thirst for adventure and take a significant amount of time away from work. Natalya and I planned a 3-day trip to test out of the van and I decided we should head up Sentinel Peak, just across the street from our campsite. Sentinel stands like a guardian over Lake Wanaka and Hāwea. We woke up to a beautiful sunrise, made coffee, did some yoga, and headed up the mountain. I was surprised to see Natalya getting off to a hot start as I told her we had a good 1,700 meter climb ahead of us. On the other hand, she is fit and I was carrying all of the gear so maybe I needed to pick up the slack! We climbed higher and higher and the views were simply stunning. We left the trail and began to head up the south ridge of Sentinel. At this point Natalya was feeling the grind of the relentless climb but she soldiered on. We moved along the ridge with the views becoming more expansive at every moment. At last we reached the basin below the summit. It was pretty obvious which gully to climb up and at the top we got our first views to the North. The views were absolutely sensational. The northern ranges of Hāwea are not the tallest, but they are beautiful and spark the desire to explore these lesser visited peaks. A short walk along the ridge and we stood atop the peak. I was super proud of Natalya as it was the biggest climb she has ever done. Not to mention, it only took us three and a half hours to reach the summit. It was a special moment to share a summit with someone I cared about in the romantic sense. That was a first for me. We relaxed on the summit for an hour enjoying the views and solitude. Eventually it was time to leave as we did have a two hour drive back to Queenstown. The walk down hammered us both and we were frothing to jump in cold Lake Hāwea. At the bottom our minds were finally at ease in the cold water. Natalya came up with the brilliant idea of pizza so we headed to Wanaka to fulfill that vision. This trip was one of my favorites of the year - stunning views, excellent company, and a beautiful route. Happy days...

Date: March 13, 2024 Location: Moke Lake, Twenty Five Mile Range, Queenstown, Otago, New Zealand Total Trip Distance: 9.59 mi / 15.43 km Total Elevation Gain: 4,512 ft / 1,375 m Trip Duration: 6 hours 15 min Team: Solo Field Notes: Take the track around Moke Lake until one reaches the southern end of the lake. Find a sheeps trail that climbs directly up a spur to reach the top of Williamsons Spur at roughly 1300 meters. From here, follow the spur until it joins the east ridge of Mount Hanley. Climb up and over Point 1572 and scramble up to the summit of Mount Hanley. There is some moderate exposure to reach the summit. Moke Lake Campsite is an incredible place to spend a night. Rating: Hiking / tramping, off trail Download GPX File Google Maps Location Happy days...

Date: April 5, 2024 Location: Walls of Jerusalem National Park, Tasmania, Australia Total Trip Distance: 13.37 mi / 21.51 km Total Elevation Gain: 3,673 ft / 1,119 m Trip Duration: 6 hours 55 min Team: Solo Field Notes: A nice walk through beautiful country. Most of the elevation is gained on the approach and the peaks hardly require any climbing. There are nice campsites in this area. Rating: Hiking, trail Download GPX File Google Maps Location Happy days...

Date: December 10-11, 2023 Location: Lake Hāwea, Hāwea Conservation Park, Otago, New Zealand Total Trip Distance: 13.4 mi / 21.56 km Total Elevation Gain: 5,908 ft / 1800 m Trip Duration: 2 days Team: Solo Field Notes: Pakituhi Hut is easily reached in about 2-3 hours from the road by way of a beautiful and steep ridgeline. Breast Hill and Breast Peak are easily climbed in about an hour or so from the hut. There is no water en route except for at the hut, which can apparently run dry in the heat of summer. The views from the summits are fantastic. Rating: Hiking, on trail Download GPX File Google Maps Location Spring weather has been in full effect in Otago. The last week has been wet and very windy. I monitor the weather daily as I had hopes of trying to climb the West Ridge of Fog Peak before the route goes out of condition for the season, but nature had other plans. On Sunday I finished work quite early and the weather was absolutely perfect. My original plan was to sleep in and do a day mission on Monday, but I couldn't pass up on a perfectly calm and clear afternoon. Do I go for Fog Peak...? I sat with the idea and decided against it as I had confliciting weather reports. I look at two major sites for weather in the national parks - Metservice and NIWA. I find the latter to be more accurate. Either way, I had wanted to spend a night in Pakituhi hut while I was in Hawea as it's only a five minute drive from my house! I quickly packed up my gear, fit it all into my 22-liter pack and got underway. The DOC sign for Pakituhi hut says four to five hours to reach the hut. That felt absurd for a mere 950 meter / 5 km climb. I was able to reach the hut in two hours flat and the two elderly women I met in the hut (probably in their 60's) took three hours. The climb is absolutely beautiful the whole way. The trail climbs up through switchbacks for the first 350 meters until it gains a spur. From here it climbs steeply up to meet the col between Breast Hill and Breast Peak. The views of the ridgelinges coming off of Breast Hill almost reminded me of something you'd see in Hawaii. When I arrived at the hut I poked my head in two greet the two Kiwi women. I saw both of the women were wearing toe socks and that obviously got me stoked as I love a good pair of toe socks! I was telling them how much I loved my toe spreaders - Yoga Toes. I'm actually wearing them right now as I write this. My little sister used to eat me alive for wearing toe socks, but I'll tell ya...it's a thing ;) As I unpacked I realized I forgot my stove. Classic. The one time I didn't check my gearlist. Thankfully the Kiwi women were more than happy to to let me use their Jetboil. I cooked dinner and talked with a Swiss/American woman who joined the hut soon after me. Spontaneously, I decided to go up Breast Peak for sunset. It was an absolutely perfect night and one I did not want to waste. I grabbed my puffy and made the dash up to the peak. An hour later I sat alone atop the mountain in the dead silence of evening. It was a sensational sunset and Tititea / Mount Aspiring towered above the landscape. What a mountain. The sun dipped below the horizon and I trotted back to the hut for a nights rest. I set my alarm for 5 am to hit Breast Hill for sunrise. By 5:15 I was out the door and following the track through golden tussock. The sun came up out of the east and the wind came up over the north. I continued to follow the ridgeline until I stood atop Breast Hill about an hour since leaving the hut. More stunning views over the Makarora and I could even spot Mount White from just a few days ago. To get out of the wind, I hid behind a big rock and snacked on some venison salami, goat cheese, and crackers before wandering back to the hut for breakfast. It had been a good trip and I was looking forward to getting back down to my car early so I could have the entire day to relax. I bid the women farewell and left Pakituhi Hut around 9 am. I made my way down the ridge in a stiff breeze, passing a hiker doing the Te Araroa heading for Stodys Hut. Less than ten minutes from my car I saw a hiker heading up through the switchbacks. "Heyyaa!" he called out from below. Although we weren't close yet, I could feel his energy. He was stoked on life. It immediately drew me in. As he got closer I stepped just off the track to allow him to pass by and have a chat. His name was Brin and he was doing the TA as well. It was nine o clock on a Monday morning and Brin was in the zone. I began to ask him about his experience on the Te Araroa trail which ultimately led to talking about thru-hiking. I shared my experience doing the John Muir Trail when I was around twenty and how it still is possibly the most transformative experience of my life. Brin spoke of things that stirred emotions in my soul - daily life on trail, simplicity, unbridled connection with nature, new relationships, and mainly - the openness, mentally and emotionally, that comes when one sheds that cloak they have been wearing for so long. It was obvious that Brin wasn't chasing anything. He wasn't on the trail to "find himself." He wasn't running from anything. Brin was here and now, open to whatever life presented to him, with no expectations or preferences, and enjoying it all along the way. That is freedom. That short conversation left quite an impact on me. What is crazy (but not crazy as this is how life goes), is that I was thinking about these things on my way down the ridge. Brin was the one to bring it full circle. I'm not even sure Brin was real... was I hallucinating? Over the last few years I have observed myself in a very particular routine. To be clear, I love my life. However, it is so easy to find oneself constantly optimizing for comfort. Comfort is very dangerous. Deep down, I have had a calling to go do certain things, to have a massive shakeup. I have delayed some of these decisions due to liimiting beliefs around money, work, and mainly my health. Comfort. This trip was special, but even more special was that encounter with Brin. Because of this, I have aleady set new plans on motion. Happy days...

Date: October 18-19, 2023 Location: Whakaari Conservation Area, Glenorchy, New Zealand Total Trip Distance: 16.4 mi / 26.39 km Total Elevation Gain: 7,520 ft / 2,292 m Trip Duration: 2 days Team: Solo Field Notes: One could complete this in a very long day but I opted to stay in the beautiful McIntosh Hut, perched 1,000 meters above the valley floor. From here, the hut gives easy access to the slopes of Black Peak. I ascended the easy wind scoured west ridge until it met the summit ridge. From here, it was an exposed scramble needing axe and crampons (early season). Rating: 1, I Download GPX File Google Maps Location A dream has finally materialized and I am back in New Zealand. So many years of patience, focus, determination and training has gotten me back to a point where I can climb these mountains again. I am home. In typical New Zealand fashion, the weather has been pretty awful my first week here. The avalanche rating was high and the idea of going after anything above 2,000 meters was a no in my decision making process. The storm dropped a meter of snow above 2,000 meters with strong winds so I opted for something "smaller." There really are no "small" mountains in New Zealand, but relative to the other peaks around. For my first trip back I decided on Black Peak in Glenorchy. I made the hypothesis that with the strong Westerly winds that came with the storm the ascent would be mainly snow free and avalanche hazard low. Secondly, there was a hut to spend the night in and if Black Peak was off, I would have a backup option to scramble up Mount McIntosh. Off I went under bluebird skies on a perfect Wednesday afternoon. I arrived at the trailhead, parked my car, and then walked down the road towards Glenorchy across the bridge. Once across the bridge, I picked up a track through the bush indicated by a piece of flagging tape. From here it was about a four hour slog to the hut following a farming fence line indicated by orange markers. I forgot how steep New Zealand farm country is. As I followed the track, the views immediately opened up of the Humboldt Range - Bold Peak and Mount Bonpland towered above. All of the peaks were coated in a fresh coat of white. I arrived at the hut just under four hours. I began my cool down ritual of stretching, hydration, a recovery drink, protein, and some breath work. Everything was still. No one was around. McIntosh Hut is an older miners hut and there are still remnants of those that lived here many years ago. As I lay in the top bunk, I drifted into a state of half awake half asleep. Almost hypnotic. I felt I could've slept for fourteen hours but instead it was just one. It was 7pm and time for dinner and sunset. I made dinner and sat outside in the fading sun. The light went golden and out came the camera. It felt great to be back in these hills. I woke up the next morning around 4:30. There is a distinct difference in sleep quality when in a hut vs a tent. Knowing I needed to burn a few hours before first light, I fired up the stove to have some coffee. I light the candles and enjoyed the pre-dawn solitude. At first light, I slipped into my mountaineering boots and plodded North to the slopes of Black Peak. It was easy going even though I post-holed a bit through crusty snow. The track follows an old miners road. Once at the base of Black Peak, I gained the mostly snow free west Ridge of the peak and plodded straight up to the false summit. At the top, the final 20 meters proved to be the crux and I'm very glad I brought crampons and an ice axe. The summit ridge was an exposed and airy corniced ridge. A fall to the left would be very bad, a fall to the right could potentially set off the cornice and an avalanche. I put on crampons, grabbed my axe, and chose to stick to the climbers left to avoid the cornice and the wind loaded easterly slopes. Two fun and exciting minutes later I stood alone on the summit of Black Peak. The views were fantastic. Mount Earnslaw and Mount Tutoko dominated the skyline. I spotted Mount Alaska, Mount Larkins, Temple Peak, Turret Head, Somnus, Momus...endless!!! I didn't stay too long as the summit was very cold and windy. I made my way back across the ridge to the false summit and took off my crampons. I kept my axe handy and made my way over the snow covered portions of the mountain. I chose to glissade down the peak and was at the bottom in about 10 minutes. Happy days! I made quick work back to the hut, refueled, packed my things, and made the three hour romp back to the car park. It was a stunning afternoon and a stunning end to a perfect trip. Thank you to everyone who helped me get back here. I was totally buzzing. The trip ended in typical fashion - a cold plunge in Lake Wakatipu and a delicious smoked pork sandwich (and banana bread) from Mrs Woolly's General Store. All I can say is...happy days...

Date: February 27 - 29, 2024 Location: West Matukituki, Mount Aspiring National Park, New Zealand Total Trip Distance (from Aspiring Hut): 21.09 miles / 33.94 km Total Elevation Gain (from Aspiring Hut): 9,466 ft / 2,885 m Trip Duration: 3 days Team: Solo Field Notes: Mount Liverpool makes a fantastic climb over a long weekend. Bike into Aspiring Hut and climb the steep track to Cascade Saddle which offers plenty of scenic camp spots along with water and a toilet. From Cascade Saddle, Liverpool is climbed (along with Plunket and Islington Dome) by following the broad ridge. The crux of this trip are the crevasses along the ridge. From the camp at Cascade Saddle, it took me 8 hours return, solo and without crevasse gear. Rating: II, 1 Download GPX File Google Maps Location Originally this trip was planned to go with the OSONZAC club. However, a perfect weather forecast and a desire to climb on snow saw me biking solo up the West Matukituki. I've written about it before, but I simply love this place. It is almost as God himself designed this valley for mountaineers. There are still so many great peaks I've yet to climb...Rob Roy, Avalanche, Aspiring, Fog, Tyndall, Popes Nose...this trip gave me this inspiration to potentially climb all the peaks of the West Matukituki. I'm not super keen on lists, so if it happens it happens by its own accord. I got way too late of a jump on the day and I left Aspiring Hut at six in the evening. Carrying three days of food, mountaineering equipment, and my bivy gear up a 1,450 meter climb was fun work. It took me exactly three hours to reach the saddle. Along the way, the views were incredible as normal. The sunset over Mount Aspiring was one of the best I've seen all season. I got into camp under headlight, quickly unpacked, ate dinner, and tried to get in as much sleep as possible. My original plan was to climb Tyndall on day two, but the more I thought about it I felt like I should go for Liverpool (and I'm glad I did). The weather forecast was calling for sun, clouds, and no precipitation. Being that there was virtually no risk of avalanches on the route, I slept in as much as possible. I was slow moving in the morning and was in a blanket of clouds all the way to a few hundred meters below Plunket Dome. When I broke the clouds and reached the snowline, I was surprised to see just how many crevasses were on the slope to Plunket Dome. I put on crampons, took out my ice axe, and moved cautiously up the slope. The feeling of sharp tools on hard snow is one of my favorites. The air was crisp, the sky blue, the views powerful. I quickly reached the summit of Plunket Dome and looked along Governor's Ridge to Liverpool. What I saw I couldn't believe - there were virtually no major crevasses to avoid! I was thrilled and kept moving. Once along the ridge the views of Mount Edward, Maoriri, Maruiwi, and Maori were stunning. From the Dart Glacier these are imposing climbs. Once above the last climb, I walked across a long snowfield before reaching the summit of Islington Dome. I scrambled up one of the pinnacles, unsure if I was actually on the highest one. To be honest, I didn't really care and am surprised this is even considered a summit. What lay before me was the final ridge to Liverpool and what a treat it was. A layer of cloud had swamped the the West Matukituki to the right while the Dart Glacier was clear on the left. The sun hit against the cloud and created an almost surreal scene. The summit ridge had a knife-like look to it, making the final steps an epic finish to the climb. I found a sheltered spot to have lunch and refuel. It was dead silent and I was alone in the alpine. Right before I left, the cloud cleared a bit and I was able to snap some summit shots. I retreated back to camp, took a seriously cold swim in the glacial fed stream, and crashed. The next morning I woke up to a brilliant sunrise and everything soaking wet with condensation. I hobbled out of my tent, fired up some coffee, and watched the sun hit the slopes of Tyndall and Ansted. I had the idea of climbing Tyndall but I lacked the motivation. By the time I reached the pylon, it was already way to hot. Down I go! Along the way I was able to chat with two young climbers who were stoked to have climbed Tyndall yesterday. It was cool to see them fired up on one of their first major climbs. We reached Aspiring Hut together and shared some snacks before I biked out and they walked. This was another classic New Zealand trip. Powerful scenes, a fun climb, solitude, great weather, and met some nice folks along the way. Happy days...

Date: April 20, 2024 Location: West Matukituki, Mount Aspiring National Park, New Zealand Total Trip Distance (from Aspiring Hut): 12.37 mi / 19.9 km Total Elevation Gain (from Aspiring Hut): 6,977 ft / 2,126 m Trip Duration (from Aspiring Hut): 8 hours 35 minutes Team: With Henry Frakes Field Notes: The north ridge of Tyndall is accessed by climbing the Cascade Saddle route from Aspiring Hut. There is water at 940 meters on the climb. From the Pylon, travel the easy ridge heading south towards the peak. There are excellent campsites with reliable water sources along the ridge. The peak is climbed by scrambling up the north ridge. Rating: II, 1 Download GPX File Google Maps Location It took until the end of the season to finally go on a mission with someone other than myself. I originally met Henry when I went to get a phone plan back in late spring. Oddly enough, I wanted a phone plan so I could make connections with other climbers and he was the person working there that day. Some things are too serendipitous. So we found ourselves meeting at the Raspberry Flat trailhead the night prior. Our plan was to start at 7 am and go light and fast - ticking off the summit in one day. I drove the gravel road to the trailhead, cooked dinner, packed and went to bed. I woke up in the middle of the night to loud music and a car spinning out in the parking lot. Five minutes later the truck returned and out popped a local Kiwi farmer looking guy, likely in his early twenties. It was two in the morning. He began knocking on cars, waking people up, and asking them where "Aspiring Hut was." After seeing him wake up the third group of people, I walked up to him and asked what he was doing. After a minute or two standoff in which I think he was surprised that a guy bigger than him with his shirt off was confronting him, he got back in the truck. They never returned. It was odd to have this experience out here, but I suppose anything can happen when alcohol is involved. A few cups of coffee later, Henry and I set off at quarter after seven. The morning was very cold, very crisp, and very beautiful. Because I've vowed never to walk the approach up the West Matukituki ever again, I biked. Henry, without a bike, ran. Somehow we arrived at Aspiring Hut at the same time. The bike was stashed, we drank some water, and began our climb. The route to the pylon at the top of Cascade Saddle climbs 1,370 meters in a very short distance. I think we were both feeling excellent this morning because we reached the top in two hours twenty. I could tell already that Henry was very fit. We refueled and kept our face towards Tyndall. Mount Tyndall is one of those peaks that never seems to get any closer. Then, as if we were propelled forward by some imaginary force, it felt right in front of us. We were about 250 meters from the summit. All we had to do was cross a short glacier, climb the ridge, and reach the summit. As we were walking across the glacier, suddenly, Henry broke through a crevasse up to his knee. Whoa. We both stopped and expressed our surprise. I think we were both totally locked into "crushing it" mode that we never stopped to evaluate that we were on a glacier that we've never been on without crevasse rescue gear. Not even five minutes later the snow gave away under my left foot and I broke through a crevasse, scraping my leg on the icy lip, blooding my leg. Now we were awake. I quickly bandaged my leg and we retraced our steps back to solid rock and decided to talk things over. The issue was not that there was a glacier or that the climb was dangerous. Tyndall, by mountaineering standards, is on the easy end of the spectrum. A scramble at best. The glacier is traversed typically without glacier gear. The issue was that there had been recent snowfall over the last week and it had covered the crevasses, making it extremely difficult to tell where they were. For perspective, I had climbed Mount Liverpool a month and a half ago solo, without glacier gear. The reason is because it was a dry glacier in late summer where all the crevasses were exposed and without any need to cross snow bridges. On that trip, the first peak one ascends is Plunket Dome. I remembered it being very crevassed. Today, it looked like a snow field. If one had never seen it before, you wouldn't think crevasses were ever there. It was obvious the climb was out of condition and Henry, being substantially more experienced than I in big mountain terrain, made the easy decision that we should turn around. We both knew it was the right decision. Then we heard the sound of a helicopter. In some sort of joke, the helicopter flew over the ridge and landed directly on the glacier. A group of tourists jumped out of the helicopter, walked around the glacier, jumped back in and left. We couldn't believe it. In that moment I doubted our decision out of insecurity, then came back to reality. It was time to have a laugh and go home. We made quick work of the descent and headed back towards our vehicles. Even though we didn't reach the summit on this particular trip, it was a fantastic day out. It was epic to finally have a partner to go on a mission with. Henry is a guy that I can learn a substantial amount from and hope to continue to go on trips with. Happy days...

Date: February 21-22, 2024 Location: Richardson Mountains, Whakaari Conservation Area, Glenorchy, Otago, New Zealand Total Trip Distance: 19.07 mi / 30.69 km Total Elevation Gain: 7,481 ft / 2,280 m Trip Duration: 2 days Team: Manuel Freudenmann Field Notes: Larkins is likely best climbed with a base camp from either Heather Jock Hut or Kelly's Hut. The route over Mount Alaska is stunning yet could prove difficult in navigating avalanche terrain in winter. Snow often lingers on Larkins until late summer. Rating: 1, I Download GPX File Google Maps Location I found myself climbing yet another peak in the Richardson Mountains. A short drive from Queenstown with easy access and low numbers of travelers has me question why this area is not more popular. I pulled into the trailhead quite late, packed my things, and headed up to stay at Heather Jock Hut. By the time I left my van it was past 7pm. The walk in was a gentle grade and I enjoyed watching the sun make its final dip below the Humboldt Mountains. The joy of this trip came in meeting Manuel Fredenmann. A well traveled, open-minded, and artistic traveler. He also had intentions to climb Larkins which would make this his highest peak ever climbed. We had a stimulating conversation in the hut and make intentions to be up early to climb Larkins together. Manuel shook me awake at 5:45 and I had coffee brewing in no time. By 6:15 we were out of the hut and making our way up Mount Alaska. The sun made its ritual climb from the east and the colors that greeted us were spectacular. Being that Manuel is a professional photographer and that I do love photography myself, we couldn't help but capture these fleeting moments. The summit of Alaska was arguably the highlight of the day with stunning colors in all directions. Manuel and I were completely stoked. The mountains provide magic moments and this was one of them. Tearing ourselves away we continued on to Larkins. The terrain felt slow moving as we climbed up and down along the ridge, sidling difficulties as they came. Eventually we reached Kelly's Hut which meant we only had 450 meters of climbing left. We grinded up scree, took a left at the summit plateau, and stood atop the 2,300 meter peak four hours since leaving the hut. The wind decided it would blow a rather stiff breeze so we ducked behind the summit for shelter and enjoyed a meal in the sun. At this point we decided it would be good if we knew each others names! From Larkins I could see both Black Peak and Major Peak, two excellent trips. After resting for thirty minutes and taking a few final photographs, we headed back down to the hut. We decided to find an alternate route back to the hut and were able to find an old mining route on the east side of Mount Alaska. Back at the hut I said goodbye to Manuel and took a snooze in the hut. In the late afternoon I strolled back down to the car for a burger in Glenorchy. Happy days...

Date: October 23, 2023 Location: Arrowtown, Otago, New Zealand Total Trip Distance: 11.19 mi / 18 km Total Elevation Gain: 4,179 ft / 1,274 m Trip Duration: 5 hours 20 min Team: Solo Field Notes: A stunning hike that climbs straight up through golden tussock and along a ridge line with spectacular views in all directions. Plenty of water en route except for the tops. I did this route going clockwise and would recommend the same. Happy days... Download GPX File Google Maps Location

Date: December 27 - 29, 2023 Location: Mount Aurum Recreation Reserve, Skippers Canyon, Queenstown, Otago, New Zealand Total Trip Distance: 22.19 mi / 35.7 km Total Elevation Gain: 6,778 ft / 2,066 m Trip Duration: 3 days Team: Solo Field Notes: The Mount Aurum Reserve is stunning and the view from the summit top notch. Archie's Hut is nestled right below Mount Aurum and Bullendale Hut has an open fire place. Once past both huts there is no track. Mount Aurum is a straightforward scramble when following the correct route. Prepare to have wet feet on the approach up Skippers Creek. Vehicle clearance is strongly advised to reach the trailhead. Rating: 1, I Download GPX File Google Maps Location Happy days...

Date: Nov. 30 - Dec. 1, 2023 Location: North Branch of the Routeburn, Humboldt Mountains, Glenorchy, Otago, New Zealand Total Trip Distance: 21.22 mi / 34.15 km Total Elevation Gain: 4,871 ft / 1,484 m Trip Duration: 2 Days Team: Solo Field Notes: Poor snow and route conditions turned me around 450 meters from the summit. The Somnus Couloir is best climbed in September to early November with stable snow conditions. I was a few weeks too late. The couloir is never that steep but has much objective hazard (described below). Easy access can be had by staying at Hobbs Bivy, a 3.5 hour walk from the Routeburn Shelter. Rating: I, 2 Download GPX File Google Maps Location It's crazy to think that less than a week ago I was climbing Mount Barth. It almost felt too quick to pack up the bags again for another mission, but when the weather is good here in New Zealand you have to go for it. My plan was to climb Somnus via the Somnus Couloir; an 800 meter chute in the heart of the North Routeburn. The day before leaving I got a text from a new potential climbing partner, Henry, about doing the southwest face of Brewster - another dream climb. I've been wanting to do a mission with Henry because he has a ton of experience (way more than me) and seems like a good dude. Unfortunately when I woke up the next morning he was unable to get work off, so I switched back to my original plan of climbing Somnus. I made the two and a half hour drive to Glenorchy, shouldered my pack and started down the trail. Within five minutes I ran into my old friend Tsukasa. I blurted out "oh my God! Tsukasa!" He looked like he saw a ghost. Only 48 hours ago we were sharing a beer together to catch up as we hadn't seen each other in nine years. Now twice in two days. A great start to the trip. The Routeburn track is quite famous and for obvious reasons, it is simply stunning. The forests are almost spiritual. Not even almost, they are spiritual. I arrived at Routeburn Flats not feeling entirely optimistic. It was really, really warm and when I looked up high I couldn't see any snow. At this moment I thought about diverting my plans to climb Xenicus but decided this was my only chance in the season to climb Somnus. I spoke to the hut warden to see if she knew anything about conditions and she told me that a party had successfully climbed the peak one week ago, but since then it had gotten really hot. She also said she climbed Xenicus today and that it looked like a bergschrund had opened up in the middle of couloir, but she couldn't be 100% sure. I sat at the creek and weighed my options. Ultimately, I had to take a look. When I reached Hobbs Bivy I was greeted by one thousand bugs. I was really glad I chose to wear long clothing! I collected some firewood and got a nice fire going - always a treat in the mountains. I went down to the river to soak my feet and have a look at the route. At first impression it didn't look great. I could see three different places where a bergschrund had opened up. Cloud had funneled into the couloir making it difficult to appropriately assess conditions. Ultimately, the only way to truly know something is to experience it. I headed back up to camp and went to sleep. I woke up at 2 am, packed my stuff, made a coffee, and got underway. It was warm. Another red flag. At this point I felt that the odds of the route being in condition were slim. I climbed up into the couloir and felt the snow. It was soaked. Isothermic. Damn. I kept climbed climbing because I wanted to see if the snow became firmer with elevation. I wasn't concerned about getting avalanched at this point, I was concerned about the icy walls that lay about the couloir. I made good time and kept climbing higher when I reached my first obstacle - a bergschrund lay in front of me that required a climbing move (except it was soft snow and not ice). It was a 4 foot vertical step and the crack below would likely be fatal if I fell into it. I felt fine, made the move and climbed on. Higher I reached a second schrund. This was actually sketchier because I had to trust a snow bridge that I had almost no trust in. This was a deep fucking hole. I worked my way across the snow bridge and climbed higher. At this point I stopped and had to have a conversation with myself. The first schrund was not too bad and the risk of falling into the hole was extremely, extremely low because of the way it was angled. The second shrund I relied on fate, luck, or chance. Without a partner and without a rope and with overly warm conditions it was an extremely risky move. I told myself that if I got to a third major obstacle I would turn around. Ten minutes later I reached the third and final schrund that I spied from the valley yesterday. It required crossing another snow bridge. It was a no brainer and I made a deal with myself already. The risk was too much at this point and I turned around. Intuitively, it never felt right anyways. I know that I could've crossed that third schrund, bagged the summit, and got back to the car in one piece...but at what cost? The thing is, when you start taking big risks in the mountains and you get away with it, it fucks you. It fucks you because if you do that enough you will think it's skill. When I looked into the shrund and saw a bottomless pit, I can not think of a worse way to die or get severely injured. No thanks! As I was near the bottom of the couloir I head a gunshot above me. I actually almost tripped at the sound it was so loud. I turned around and saw a massive ice fall smash into the couloir near where I was climbing just twenty minutes ago. Wow. It felt really nice to be in the valley again out of harms way. I was proud of myself for making the safe decision to turn around. Timing in the mountains is everything and this time the timing was not right. I was a bit gutted to see the summit of Somnus soaring above the clouds though...oh what a lofty summit it is! As I walked out of the North Routeburn an elderly lady came around the corner. "SOMNUS!!!" she squawked. She painted a huge smile on my face. I shared the story of my adventure, the bergschrunds, the shitty snow, and my philosophies on life and death. She said she had a camera and was trying to get a shot of me summiting the peak as the ranger told her I was out here. Oh what a world we live in! She had a captivating energy about her and listened with great interest. Come to find out, she had used to be the hut warden many moons ago in the Routeburn. "Oh well, it'll be here next time," she said. "Come on, go get your coffee in Glenorchy!" So I went and got a coffee in Glenorchy :) Happy days...

Date: December 7, 2023 Location: Hāwea Conservation Park, Haast Highway, Otago, New Zealand Total Trip Distance: 13.5 mi | 21.7 km Total Elevation Gain: 5,900 ft |1,800 m Trip Duration: 7 hours 30 min Team: Solo Field Notes: Parking can be found at a pullout at Boundary Creek. From here, follow the 4wd track until you reach an elevation of 850 meters. Take the obvious leading ridge up through tussock until the ridge continues north towards Mount White. For most of the way there is a deer trail and / or obvious makings of others who have taken this route. There is no water and the entire route is exposed to the sun. Rating: 1, I Download GPX File Google Maps Location Happy days...

Date: November 17 - 18, 2023 Location: Hector Mountains, Queenstown, Otago, New Zealand Total Trip Distance: 19.26 mi / 31 km Total Elevation Gain: 8,978 ft / 2,736 meters Trip Duration: 2 Days Team: Solo Field Notes: The track starts off on farmland which I'm not entirely sure is meant to be accessible to the public. The track ends at a gate at roughly 1,000 meters and there are cairns to mark the way towards the creek. Be sure not to gain too much elevation here. To reach the hut, osciliate between the ridges on the climbers right and the creek - there is no straightforward path. To summit Ben Nevis from the hut is roughly seven hours return with a lot of "up and down" and sidling. You're unlikely to see anyone on this trip. P.S. - bring wood as there is none at the hut! Rating: 1, I Download GPX File Google Maps Location With perfect weather all week in Queenstown, I was a bit jaded when I woke up on my day off to find unrelenting pouring rain. The forecast said it was supposed to ease by late morning, but at noon it was still a downpour. Nonetheless, I figured I would walk into the hut in the rain and have a fire to get warm - neither would actually happen. As I drove south of the Remarkables, the weather was changing. There was a southerly wind blowing the weather out of the region and the sun started to poke out. I always love the lighting when there is a mix of storm clouds, blue sky, and sun. I arrived at the trailhead only to realize that the track to a hut isn't really a track. I'm pretty sure this goes on farmers land even though I've found multiple trip reports of Kiwi's using this exact track. It was too late and I had no alternative besides doing something else, which I wasn't going to do, so I went ahead and took the "risk." The first 800 meters or so follows a 4wd track of sorts up a gradual, grassy slope. The views over Lake Wakatipu are just stunning and I'd love to explore the area by Bayonet Peak, Bay Peak, Walter Peak, etc. I'd imagine not many make the effort to get back there. Eventually the track ended at a gate and from here I loosely followed cairns that led to Two Mile Creek. As a note, the easiest travel is between the 1,300 meter and 1,350 meter contour lines. If you go too high, you will go up and down rather than a gradual increasing sidle. Once I sidled above Two Mile Creek, I dropped down to meet the water. There is no straightforward path here to the hut. I chose to stick to the creek for a bit until it narrowed and then climbed climbers right onto the grassy ridge until eventually dropping back down to the hut. Travel here was a bit frustrating as you can't see where to place your foot through the tussock and there were many holes that I stepped into. Three and a half hours later I laid my eyes upon Two Mile Hut. It is truly in a spectacular setting as the craggy Hector Mountains rose above with a fresh coat of snow. As I walked into the hut it is quite obvious not many make the trip out here, there was a strong sense of solitude. My only regret was not collecting firewood on the way to the hut! Big mistake! This hut is definitely BYOW - bring your own wood. One thing that will not lose its luster is sitting in a backcountry hut accompined only by the wind blowing over the tops and the stream rushing nearby. I laid in complete silence allowing my nervous system to tune itself to natures orchestra. After a solid sleep of around six to seven hours I opened the door to the hut and was greeted by crystal clear blue skies. I actually shouted "yes!" I made coffee, packed my bag, and set off for the summit of Ben Nevis. I thought it would be a quick jaunt to the peak, I was very wrong. There was so much sidling, ups and downs, and terrain changes that by the time I reached the summit and back I had gained close to 1,500 meters of elevation gain. From the hut I climbed to a saddle that looks into the North Branch of Wye Creek. From there I sidled northeast until I reached a spot on the ridge at 1,950 meters. I was surprised to see how much snow was still out here and was glad I brought my light ice axe and crampons. I dropped down a short snow slope and then climbed up another slope to reach a col at 2,000 meters on the west ridge of Ben Nevis. At this point I realized it was going to be a long day out. The scenary was spectacular though and the weather perfect. There was a light wind that would blow about the mountains, creating an almost eery silence. I kept moving as the sun was already very warm and I knew I would have to retrace my steps over those sun-baked snow slopes. At the col on the west ridge, I glissaded 200 meters down so that I could bypass steep, loose terrain. Again, I sidled to the west at the 1,800 meter countour level until I reached the rocky north face. From here it was straight up. The terrain was rocky boulders that had just been covered in a few inches of snow - yay! I continued my strong pace upwards and at nearly four hours I reached the summit. I couldn't help but let out a celebratory yell. Ben Nevis was more challenging than I expected. It was also very much worth the effort. I sat in the sun, eating a sandwhich made of venison salami, and enjoyed the views of the Hector Mountains. The silence was spectacular. Knowing I still had the majority of the day ahead of me, I parted ways with the peak. I retraced my steps - back down the north face, sidled to the east, climbed two hundred meters up to the col, dropped back down, traversed snowy slopes, climbed up another snow slope, and did the long sidle over loose rock back to the col above Wye Creek. I dropped down to the hut, climbed up and above the hut, dropped down into the creek, sidled and climbed up out of the creek, and finally dropped another 1,200 meters all the way back to the car. Woof. Ten hours later I was very happy to take a cold plunge in Lake Wakatipu and inhale some Indian food :) Happy days...

Date: November 24 - 25, 2023 Location: Ahuriri Valley, Ohau Landsborough, Huxley Range, New Zealand Total Trip Distance: 23 mi | 37 km Total Elevation Gain: 6,950 ft | 2,118 m Trip Duration: 2 Days Team: Solo Field Notes: An excellent grade 2 climb with easy access from the Ahuriri Valley. There are multiple bivy rocks in Canyon Creek so leave your tent at home. I climbed a variation of the south face to the east ridge where it maxs out at 48-49 degrees. An alternate (and potentially faster) descent route would be directly down the south face proper which would generally require a rappel over the berschrund. Seasonal conditions will dictate a lot on this climb. Rating: 2+, II Download GPX File Google Maps Location I've never slept well the night before an alpine climb. Why would this time be any different? The wind had finally died off and left me alone to face a God that has existed before my family's family had been here, and will be here well beyond whatever bloodline I leave behind. I decided to pull myself from the warmth of my sleeping bag, climb out of the bivy rock and take one last look at it. The moon was almost full and the sky clear, and the mountain was lit up perfectly. "Oh my god..." I muttered to myself. What a mountain. Mount Barth stands at 2,456 meters and completley dominates Canyon Creek. The access is releatively straightforward. On Friday I left Lake Hawea and drove over Lindis pass until taking a left towards Birchwood. I've never been up the Ahuriri Valley before. A sealed gravel road follows the valley north while huge mountains dot the skyline. After thirty minutes of driving, the 2wd road ends at Birchwood Station and becomes a 4wd road. If your car does not have clearence, you will for sure destroy it. And biking to the trailhead doesn't seem worth it unless you have an extra day. Makes sense to get a 4wd for this one. I reached the trailhead parking and didn't waste any time, I was ready to go. The weather was clearing as predicted and I felt very optimistic about this climb. Typically my intuition before a trip tells me a lot. Note: it's not a feeling of "positivity" or "excitement" (which is how I used to make decisions), but rather a feeling of alignment between myself (physically, mentally, emotionally, my skills) and the mountain (weather, snowpack, route conditions, etc.). One thing I am also constantly telling myself is that truly, the summit does not matter. I am an unchanged person regardless of wether I summit or not. For climbers, this is hard to accept. But when has a summit changed me? I have summited close to 150 peaks in my life and the glow, the thrill, the euphoria of every single summit has always worn off - leaving me to want another one. Just like a drug addict. Does this mean I should not climb because I'm an addict? No, because this is the nature of the mind. The mind is a drug addict. It craves. For me, it is simply the awareness of this. I will go on spending time in the mountains because it is something I love in its purity, but I will not be fooled into thinking a summit means more than it is. The track up Canyon Creek is a beauty, but not necessarily straightforward. There was quite a bit of blown down on the track and I had to oscilate between the river and the track. It took me four hours to reach the bivy rock and it did not dissapoint. It as completely flat and someone had laid down straw which keeps dirt off belongings and such. The views of Mount Barth were simply incredible. I soaked my feet in the nearby river and prepared dinner. My plan was to be up very early and beat the heat. The forecast for Saturday was meant to be very hot and I didn't want to be up on that mountain while it was heating up. My alarm woke me at 3 am. I think I slept for a total of one hour. The excitement of the climb was too much and no amount of box breathing could get my nervous system to totally relax. The wind had died off around midnight and it was cold. From camp the route looked to be in absolutely perfect condition and I had visualized it one hundred times. I couldn't wait to go climb it. I made a quick coffee and set off at 3:45. What a gift to walk towards the heavens under starry skies. I crossed the glacial fed creeks and picked my way up through the tussock on the climbers right hand side of the valley which provided easy access to the snow slopes above. I donned crampons and an axe and climbed towards the sharks fin looking rock which gave access to the glaicer. The snow was perfect. My confidence rose. At this point I had already climbed 650 meters in elevation and was moving well. I traversed across the glacier until I met my route up the south face. I wasted no time and zig zagged up the slope. As I neared the choke on my route, things steepened and I took out my second tool. When I got to the choke (which I thought was going to be the crux), I realized that just above it actually got slightly steeper. My pulse quickened and a flash of anxiety swept across me. I locked in on my tools and body movements. One, two, three, four... Above the choke the route traverses up and climbers left above a set of cliff bands, where a fall would be impossible to stop and death likely. I measured the slope at 48-49 degrees which is quite steep. Again, I brought my attention back to my tools and body movements. The sound of my tools and crampons making contact with the perfect snow sent me into a hypnotic state. I was fully emmersed in the moment, realizing my mortality but also in a state of calm clarity. A connection between body, mountain, and soul. As I topped out on the south face I stepped into the sun on the east ridge. I allowed myself a moment of pleasure and kept moving. The route follows the east ridge until a necessary traverse back across the south face to gain the summit. This was the second crux of the route. I laid into the face with my tools in the dagger position, focused obsessively on each individual movement. A quick look down reminded me that a fall would be quite bad. I kept traversing until I topped out above the couloir on the true south face route. The summit was right there! The wind had picked up significantly and it got very cold very fast. I angled up and to the left, taking my final steps to the top of the peak. Three hours and fourty minutes since leaving camp and I was on the summit of Mount Barth. I put on mittens with hand warmers on the inside, a buff, and my puffy jacket. The wind was absolutely ripping and there was not going to be a summit party. I knew my route back across the face was going to be just as precarious as on the way up and I didn't allow myself to turn off. I snapped a few photos, sat on the cold snow, and tried to soak in the moment. After fifteen cold minutes on the peak it was time to go. I took the same route back down, although I was very tempted to go straight down the south face. Before the climb I told myself this would happen. You would summit and want a quick exit off the peak. However, there was too much risk for me to cross that berschrund solo. Only a tired mind can trick you into going against your plan. I stuck to my guns and made my way safely off the peak. Back at the bivy rock I finally allowed for a short celebration. I still felt as if I was in a dream. Was it the fact I had only gotten one hour of sleep? I'm unsure, but I felt so calm. Not necessarily overjoyed or overly emotional like in years past, but rather that all is well. Everything about this trip had gone perfectly. I came to realize in that moment that this was just an experience, like all experiences, and it was neither good nor bad, but rather just another chapter of this mysterious thing called life. I enjoyed every drop of it, allowing it to wash over me without trying to preserve or hold onto it. That is freedom - for at one minute to hold it so deeply in the palm of your hand and the next to throw it to the wind. I found a pool of cold glacial fed water near camp, so I stripped naked and submerged myself. The cold breathed new life into me. It was shockingly cold. I sat on a patch of grass and allowed the sun to dry my naked body. It was time to go. I packed up my belongings, shouldered my pack and began the walk out. It took four hours to reach the car and I enjoyed meeting people on my hike out, hearing about the different destinations people would visit in the valley. I couldn't help but stop every few minutes to turn and look back. There it stood, like a lighthouse on a wild coast. Towering, majestic, perfect. Mount Barth. Happy days...

Date: October 28 - 29, 2023 Location: Rees Valley, Mount Aspiring National Park, Glenorchy, New Zealand Total Trip Distance: Bike - 15.31 mi / 24.63 km | Climb - 15 mi / 24 km Total Elevation Gain: Bike - 493 ft / 150 m | Climb - 6,300 ft / 1,920 m Trip Duration: 2 Days Team: Solo Field Notes: An absolutely brilliant trip up the Rees Valley with easy access via Clarke Slip. Biking up the valley on the 4wd track saves hours of walking, although beware of the river crossings after periods of heavy rain or high melt. There is a bivy rock just out of Clarke Slip at 1,300 meters with plenty of water but it will not provide adequate cover in rough weather. The ascent to the summit of Mount Clarke is straightforward with the south ridge as ones guide. Rating: 1, I Download GPX File Google Maps Location How does one describe the things that happen in the lofty places of the world? Truly, it is an impossible task. I've found my greatest pleasures in life to be in the high places. Yes, amazing women, delicious bread, and roasted meat is another story. But the hills are something totally beyond scope... "The non-climber will never understand it...but we who climb know what life really means...not till you have been to the edge of the abyss can you know how good life is and what a lovely place is the world." - Hermann Buhl The trip started with a bike up the stunning Rees valley. Massive snow capped peaks glistened above. I had about 14-15 km to get to Clarke slip and I could get most of them done by following the 4wd track that goes up the valley. At the first river crossing, I completely lost the 4wd track and spent the next two hours biking over untracked land (side note: I did find the correct track on the way back and the GPX file is correct!). After countless river crossings I came across the 4wd track for the final 15-minutes. At this point I stashed the bike in the woods and set off on foot. I walked through stunning beech forest and couldn't help myself from taking a ton of photos. New Zealand is other-worldly. From biking through an open valley with towering peaks, crystal clear blue waters of glacial runoff, to a pristine forest filled with greens of every shade. I refreshed myself with a cold drink from the mountain spring and continued onward. Eventually I ended up at Slip Flat where I was to ascend up the southeastern slopes of Mount Clarke. This is obvious, and I think the best ascent / descent route goes up towards the end of the slip. I followed this straight up with easy travel through the forest for a few hundred meters until it turned into a rock field. Travel was significantly easier on the way up than down. Towards the top of the slip I met bluffs straight overhead. From here, the route angles up and to the climbers right still following the rock gully. I climbed onto the ridge, bashed through some scrub on my way upwards, and once passed the bluffs, went to the climbers left and gained the south facing slopes of Mount Clarke. As far as off-route travel goes, this was not bad at all. My next objective was finding the bivy rock. I knew there was one up here but I had no beta on it. With a perfect forecast and zero rain for the next few days, I didn't bring a shelter but brought my winter mountaineering bag (which I did not regret). As I traveled upwards I found it! It was a nice little cutout and perfectly flat. There is room for two people and I would not recommend staying here in rough weather. For the next few hours I focused on hydration and refueling. As the sun dipped behind the mountains, I watched in awe as clouds danced around the summits of Mount Earnslaw. A truly stunning peak. As night fell, the moon replaced the job of the sun and cast its spotlight on the peaks. Every time I opened my eyes I said out loud "this isn't even real!" Mount Earnslaw was completely lit up by the moon and a few stars twinkled above. Magic. At 5 am I turned on the stove to brew some coffee. First light was at six and I wanted to be on the move at that time. I figured: three hours to the summit, thirty minutes of rest time, and an hour and a half down. Travel is straightforward to gain the snowfields. I followed the south facing slopes, always trending to be near the prominent ridge but never on it directly. At 1,500 - 1,600 meters it was time for crampons. After this brief transition I kept moving. Alpenglow made its appearance on the peaks above. Two hours of plodding along the sun finally broke above the south ridge - thank you. Mount Head and Moira Peak were absolutely stunning. From my perspective they looked virtually impossible to climb! I kept moving up the gentle slopes of Mount Clarke and traversed across the face and gained a col to the West. From here, I traveled up along the west facing ridge until I met the final few meters of the summit ridge. It was iced over and had a "knife edge" look to it. I drove my ice axe into the ridge and took the final steps to the top of the peak. What lay ahead of me was hard to take in. The views to the northeast had so many peaks of such incredible scale my head spun. The Snowdrift Range, the Peaks of the East Matukituki, and the Lord of the Bonar Glacier - Mount Aspiring - reached up towards the heavens. It seemed as if there were thousands of peaks in front of my eyes. The cold summit wind brought me back into the present and I backed off the summit and hid behind the ridge to refuel. I applied sunscreen, rehydrated and ate some trail mix. After snapping a dozen photos and videos I made my way off the peak. Getting back to the snow-free ridge was fast. It took me an hour to get back to the place where I had originally put my crampons on. Where the soft snow had slowed my approach up the peak, the soft snow made for very fast travel downwards. I couldn't help but keeping looking back at Mount Head and Moira Peak - wow. Back at the bivy I packed up camp. I knew I still had a fair few hours of travel until I could get back to my car. The route back was pretty uneventful but I will make a quick note: make sure to go slow and choose the best route back to top of Clarke Slip. I rushed it and kept bashing my way through steep bush which was totally unnecessary. I also ate shit and took a hard fall while descending the top of the slip. At the bottom of the slip I gained the main trail and headed south back to my bike. Walking through the shaded forest one final time was a treat. It had been eight hours on the move so far and I was glad to be at the bike. As I peddled back to my car I was fired up to be on the 4wd track the entire time and I took care to not lose it when doing river crossings. Being on the correct track saved me about thirty minutes. At the final river crossing I stripped off all of my clothing and went for my ritual cold plunge. I sat on the warm stones completely naked and let the sun warm my body while I took in my final views of Mount Clarke. What a trip this had been. I love these types of adventures that require multiple disciplines: biking, river crossings, route navigation, bushwhacking, bivying, and mountaineering. This was my type of trip. This is why I am back in New Zealand. This is why I may never leave. Happy days...

Date: October 4, 2023 Location: Adirondack State Park, New York, USA Total Trip Distance: 8.33 mi / 13.40 km Total Elevation Gain: 2,800 ft / 853 m Trip Duration: 4 hours 45 min Team: w/ John Kellogg Field Notes: Once above treeline, the mile and a half long ridge to the true summit of Jay Mountain has some of the most expansive views in all of the Adirondacks (which is typical of only getting views at the very top). There is no water en route. Rating: Class 1 Download GPX File Google Maps Location Fall in the Adirondacks might be here on paper but it sure as hell didn't feel like it. The forecast was calling for temperatures in the 80's and it was early October. After doing the Dix Range last week combined with John not being as avid a hiker as I, we opted to do a half day trip with Jay Mountain. I first came across Jay after doing a gravel ride around the entire mountain last fall which was spectacular. I made a note to come back and climb to the top of the peak. We arrived at the trailhead around 8:30 in the morning after John had consumed enough caffeine to stop the heart of a lion. It had the opposite effect and we set a quick pace to the summit. I also knew that his wife had made chocolate chip cookies and they were sitting in the back of the car for when we get got back. We reached the first viewpoint in a little over an hour and snapped a few photographs. From here the ridge really opens up and there are views of the entire Great Range. The mountains of New York are interesting. It seems as if 99% of the mountain is treed, except for the occasional lookout along the way, with the summits being bare (if the elevation is high enough). Such a contrast to other mountain ranges of the world where you get a ton of views on the way up. This is what makes this area unique and the summits more rewarding. However, Jay is different. It reminds me a lot of hiking Giant Mountain from Chapel Pond. Views almost the entire way. The fall colors were in effect and it seemed like we were more than halfway to peak foliage. The true summit of Jay was not as spectacular as sections of the ridge, but nonetheless it was nice to be on top with a good mate. John and I have been friends since 4 years old. He's my longest and closest friend...not many can say that and I am indeed fortunate. For the last few years we've made it a point (or I've convinced him) to get up to the 'Daks for a good hike. This one turned out to be a classic. Special moments...the views, the weather, fall foliage, uncrowded trails, sandwiches post hike, and a cold swim at Split Rock. As I sat in the cold water the golden sun streamed through the trees. The waterfall crashed down over the rocks. No one else was around. I got a little misty eyed and savored the moment because you wonder how many more of these moments exist in life... Happy days...

Date: September 27, 2023 Location: Adirondack State Park, High Peaks Region, New York, USA Total Trip Distance: 17.48 mi / 28 km Total Elevation Gain: 5,400 ft / 1,646 m Trip Duration: 10.5 hours Team: Solo Field Notes: The Dix Range is an Adirondack classic. 5 summits, rough terrain, and a long day out. There wasn't any water up on the ridge, but plenty in the valley below. I could see this being hellish in the spring and/or after a rainy period. I started with Macomb first. The parking at Elk Lake only has spots for 20 cars and apparently fills up by 4 am in summer. Rating: Class 1 Download GPX File Google Maps Location The Dix Range is a trip I've wanted to do for quite awhile. I grew up in Albany, New York and the Adirondacks have been fundamental in developing my passion for the outdoors. Most of my early years in the hills were spent hiking in the Daks. While I am home visiting family for a few weeks before I fly to New Zealand, my dad let me borrow his truck and I made my way north on a Tuesday. I had a solid weather forecast and fall was knocking on the door. I pulled into the trailhead at Elk Lake Lodge at 8 am and started up. I wasn't feeling 100%. For the last three days I was battling a runny nose and low energy. The four day trip in the Pasayten was just a week ago and in that time I've traveled all the way back from Canada, to Seattle, to New York. I figured I needed to get the blood pumping and this day would surely do the trick. I told myself I wanted to do this day in eight hours (haha) and set a strong all day pace. At just over two hours I was on top of Macomb and had knocked out a little over 2k of vert. I had a homemade breakfast burrito with bacon and eggs and kept moving towards South Dix. As I was going down to the col I remembered how heinous the terrain is in the Adirondacks. Here is my perspective on Adirondack terrain: I've traveled all over the world for the last 10 years. If you look at my interactive map of trips I've been in Idaho, Wyoming, Canada, New Zealand, California, Tasmania, etc. To be fair, this isn't "everywhere", nor is that a goal, but I've been to quite a few places. In my opinion, nowhere in the world has rougher trails than the Adirondacks. I'm not talking about scrambling or mountaineering, just purely trails. It's bloody rough out here. I quickly climbed up South Dix and kept moving towards Grace. There is a one mile stretch between the two peaks and in another twenty five minutes I stood on my third peak. At this point it had been three and a half hours and I had a realization...this was going to be a very long day! I did a quick downward dog and got back into flow, if you could call it that. After retracing my steps back to South Dix I cut right and began the ridge to Hough and Dix. This was my favorite part of the day as the views are unique and open up along the ridge. Just below Hough I met another hiker (only the second the entire day) where I found out the peak is pronounced "Huff." I was now enlightened and scrambled to the top of my fourth peak of the day. I enjoyed a quick snack and kept moving. Of course the trail dropped down another 400 feet and I began the final 1,000 foot climb to the top of Dix. I set a casual pace and went up. At the top of the Beck-horn the views were my favorite of the trip. I could see the entire Great Range, Giant, Rocky Peak Ridge, the Santanoni Range, the Southern Adirondacks, Whiteface, and many more. Holy cripe. And to have it all alone was a treat. At this point it was 6.5 hours on the move. I knew that the way out was going to be a complete slog, so I took a solid rest and refueled. Ahead of me lay a 2,600 foot descent to the valley floor, followed by another 4 miles. This was going to suck, no doubt about it. Fast forward and I was at the valley bottom. It sucked worse than I thought. I took another break as my legs were feeling pretty cooked at this point. I kept walking and ran into the beautiful Lillian Brook. Cold water! I got completely naked and submerged my legs and feet into the icy magic. Feeling recharged I walked the final 4-ish miles back to the car, ending the day just on the stroke of 10.5 hours. This was the longest day I've had in the mountains in a long time. The thing about the Adirondacks is that for many of the peaks, there can be quite a long approach. Definitely a contrast to many of the trips I did in Canada this summer. All in all, a classic day out in the Daks. Happy days...

Date: June 28, 2023 Location: Fernie, British Columbia, Canada Total Trip Distance: 7.5 mi / 12.07 km Total Elevation Gain: 2,069 ft / 631 m Trip Duration: 3 hr 15 min Team: Solo Field Notes: This trail felt like it was meant more for biking than hiking. A short and easy hike to a nice viewpoint above the town of Mount Fernie. Rating: Class 1 Download GPX File Google Maps Location Authors Note: While there are plenty of great hikes to do in Fernie, the trail up Castle Mountain felt like it was meant more for mountain biking than hiking. Most of the trail is on biking paths. The views from the summit are very nice with nice views of many great trips in the Fernie area: True Mount Fernie, Mount Fernie Ridge, Mount Proctor, Three Sisters, Mount Hosmer, Polar Peak, and more. If you're looking for a more detailed trip report of Castle Mountain, this blog has a nice write up.

Date: August 27, 2023 Location: Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta, Canada Total Trip Distance: 18.34 mi / 29.51 km Total Elevation Gain: 6,127 ft / 1,868 m Trip Duration: 2 days Team: With Alex Catalfamo Field Notes: The Alderson / Carthew Lakes area makes for great camping with a short approach. From there, the mountains above area easily accessible being no more than a simple hike. We carried almost no water as there is plenty of water the entire route. This area is quite unique and the views spectacular. Rating: Class 1 Download GPX File Google Maps Location Approach to Carthew Lakes With only two weekends left before Alex and I call it an end to an epic Canadian summer of peak-bagging, we decided to head down south one last time. Our objective was a set of peaks off of the well-known Carthew Alderson trail. We had been in this area before, having done Forum Peak and Akamina Ridge. However, there was a decent amount of smoke that weekend and we wondered what this zone would be like in clear weather. We arrived at the Cameron Falls trailhead on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. We knew the approach would be relatively quick so we got a late afternoon start. I was pretty surprised by the amount of visitors and tourists in the area. With that said, Waterton is beautiful and we were just another two digits adding to the crowd. As we traveled west towards our camp for the night, I couldn't help but think about how epic it would be to do the Great Divide Trail. A few of the trips we've done this summer have been on sections of the trail. The whole 1,123 kilometers seems to pass through jaw dropping sections of the Canadian Rockies. The trail slowly climbed in elevation and I'm glad we aren't allergic to pollen because it was virtually snowing. The wind was pretty strong and it blew the powdery grains everywhere. It made for a beautiful look as the sun shined down from the peaks above. We climbed higher and the trail weaved through poplar and coniferous forest. At every creek crossing I bent down and drank from natures faucet. It was a beautiful approach. Nearing two hours without a break, we stopped at the campsite for Alderson Lake and ate a snack. We were another 300 meters in elevation to camp. Forty-five windy minutes later and we found ourselves staring at the white capped Carthew Lakes. It was definitely a gem of an area. We made our way down towards the trees at the edge of the lake and found a relatively sheltered camp for the night. We relaxed as the sun warmed the tent, eventually losing height before dipping below the horizon. This in turn dialed down the wind a few notches and we enjoyed a perfect sunset. We slept without a rain fly and the tent door fully open. I gazed up at the stars until I fell asleep. Mount Alderson Alex and I haven't slept great this summer in the mountains. I woke up at 1am ready to rock and roll. We had a plan to be up on Alderson for sunrise. With six hours to go, I wrestled myself back to "sleep" - although I wouldn't actually call it that. At 4 am I asked Alex when was sunrise. He said about 6:45 and then I passed out deeply for the next two hours. At six I got up, made a coffee, and we were on our way. Alderson is a quick and easy climb from Carthew Lakes. We went to the western end of the first lake, took a left, and went straight up the face that meets the ridge. There is a trail the entire way. As we made our way up the peak, the sunrise was incredible. There wasn't a soul around and the sky was smoke free. The higher we climbed the better the views became. The early morning sun produced an incredible golden light that light up Buchanan Ridge. About an hour and a half later, we stood alone on Mount Alderson. My favorite view was looking east towards Bertha Lake. I hid behind the summit cairn to block the wind while Alex enjoyed the views. There was a layer between the clouds where the golden light of morning was breaking through. Behind us, the massive peaks of Glacier National Park in Montana towered in the distance. Twenty minutes later we turned our attention to the next objective of the day. Mount Carthew We left the summit and took the entire ridge back down to the col between Carthew and Alderson. From the col we made our way up Carthew. This views from here were spectacular. The ridge of Mount Alderson had a reddish color to it, the sky was a mixture of sunlight and dark clouds, and the lakes below added their own unique color to the scene. As the trail worked across the face it finally met the summit ridge. The wind was blowing hard from the West, so once we gained the ridge we got blasted again. A false summit or two later and we were on the top. I tapped the summit with my one remaining hiking pole (the other one had snapped earlier) and made my way a few meters back down the ridge to take shelter from the wind. I sat alone and ate some food while taking in the views to the east. Alex was off scouting out a potential route to Buchanan Ridge. This trip had blown me away. I knew the views would be good - but this was spectacular. There seemed to be so much variety in the mountains, the colors, the sub-alpine from the alpine. Being such a busy trail, we hadn't even seen anyone yet and we were close to four hours into the day. The views from Carthew were our favorite. Unfortunately, one can't live on a summit so we made our way back down to camp. Reversing our steps opened up even more incredible vantage points that we hadn't noticed on the way up. Within an hour or so we were back at camp. Going simple and light on this trip, it took us five minutes to pack up camp. The sun began to finally break through the clouds allowing us to strip down to our base layers. We turned our backs on Carthew Lakes and made the two hour non-stop hike back to the csar and ended a fantastic two day, two peak trip. Happy days...

Date: August 6, 2023 Location: Akamina-Kishinena Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada Total Trip Distance: 13.84 mi / 22.25 km Total Elevation Gain: 3,961 ft / 1,207 m Trip Duration: 6 hours 45 min Team: With Alex Catalfamo Field Notes: The trail is straightforward and easy to follow for the entire hike except when turning left to bag Forum Peak. No route finding required, just take the easiest path towards the peak on a broad ridge. There are two places for water: a stream before reaching Forum Lake on the approach, and the second stream before reaching Wall Lake on the way out. There is apparently a scramble up Forum Peak which we didn't know about until after our trip was complete. Rating: Class 1 Download GPX File Google Maps Location Approach Via Forum Lake It was a smokey drive as we made our way east towards Pincher Creek until eventually turning south towards the Waterton Lakes area. We'd never been in this area before and with plenty of smoke in the forecast we went with an option lower on our list of objectives. That being said, this trip didn't disappoint by any means. We started our hike at the Akamina Pass trailhead. The beginning was a gradual incline through some beautiful fireweed - a flower that grows after a wildfire. We passed by a group of bikers that were getting their ass kicked by the incline. It seemed like this was their once-a-year hangout as a friend group and someone had the bright idea of slogging uphill on a bike. We made a left near the Akamina Creek Campground and climbed higher as the trail went towards Forum Lake. We kept leapfrogging a couple who stopped every five minutes or so for a photo. It became irritating so I eventually just stopped for a long water break. A few minutes later we reached Forum Lake and made our way up the ridge towards Akamina Ridge. Forum Peak & Akamina Ridge I didn't realize until after the trip that there is a scramble up the northeast ridge of Forum Peak. So instead we climbed the ridge between Forum and Wall lake on a hiking trail. Then we turned left and made the short walk over to Forum Peak. It seems there are two summits separated by only a few minutes walk so we tagged both as their is a cairn on each. It was still pretty smokey but the views were still great. I would be pretty excited to see this place in clear weather (and we eventually did). From the summit of Forum Peak we had some awesome views towards Mount Custer in Montana. We decided to keep moving and retracted our steps back to Akamina Ridge. This was the best part of the day for us - high up on a ridge, all alone, with solid views in all directions. The color of the rock is pretty amazing as well. Patches of red, yellow, brown, orange and even shades of green create a unique color palette. We stopped at the summit of Akamina Ridge for a nice break. We kept imagining what it would be like to look straight into the heart of Glacier National Park in Montana. You can tell there are some big peaks out there. When we felt ready, we continued on. There was a final section of ridge that was just stunning. The trail dipped down to the skiers right before eventually meeting Wall Lake. We filled up our water at a creek, stripped down to our boxers, and went for a swim in Wall Lake. Magical. After a good ten minutes we put on our clothes and decided it was time to go home. It had been a much better day than expected. We were treated to an amazing final section of fireweed. The pictures don't do it justice. The contrast between the purple flower, green grass, and brown trees was mesmerizing. Back at the car there was one last objective. It was time for ice cream. Happy days...

Date: June 20 & July 5, 2023 Location: Fernie, British Columbia, Canada Total Trip Distance: 5.95 mi / 9.58 km Total Elevation Gain: 3,100 ft / 945 m Trip Duration: 3 hours 30 min Team: With Alex Catalfamo Field Notes: A short and steep hike to a viewpoint on the ridge of Mount Fernie. One could climb higher and explore further along the ridge which turns into a scramble. Makes for a great half-day training hike. Rating: Class 1 Download GPX File Google Maps Location Mount Fernie Ridge Hike Note: This trail is not to be confused with the true summit of Mount Fernie, where a detailed trip report can be found here. On the Fernie tourism website, they have a guide to hiking Mount Fernie where they describe the hike ending at the summit. Once we actually completed this hike, we realized this is indeed not the summit. Rather, the hike just ends at a viewpoint along the ridge. That hike is described below. However, if you are looking to reach the true summit of Mount Fernie (which is a fun scramble), click here. This trail makes for a great half-day training hike, so Alex and I decided to get this one in before we started work around noon. The trailhead is just a convenient two minute drive from our house. The trailhead parking is at the end of a col de sac and starts up a gravel road. We walked for a few minutes until turning left where a big sign indicates the start of the hike. The trail is very efficient and straight up. We've actually done this hike two different times, and the first time caught me by surprise...it's actually quite steep! Like I said, excellent training hike. The trail eventually pops out of the woods after about 2,000 feet and crosses some avalanche chutes before reaching the bench. The views are very nice if you climb either left or right once reaching the ridge. I'd recommend exploring farther along the Mount Fernie Ridge (heading in the direction of Island Lake Lodge) for excellent views of the true Mount Fernie, Mount Proctor, Three Sisters, and the Lizard Range. Happy days...

Date: August 12, 2023 Location: Fernie, British Columbia, Canada Total Trip Distance: 5.52 mi / 8.88 km Total Elevation Gain: 2,092 ft / 638 m Trip Duration: 2 hours 48 min Team: With Alex Catalfamo Field Notes: A straightforward loop from Island Lake Lodge with beautiful views of the Lizard Range and the northern Ranges. Makes for a great training hike or short day hike. Rating: Class 1 Download GPX File Google Maps Location Mount Baldy Loop Alex and I decided to take it easier on Saturday as we wanted to save Sunday for an ascent of the true Mount Fernie. Being that we had never been to Island Lake Lodge, we figured it was a good day to go check it out. We made the twenty or so minute drive from our house in Fernie to the end of the road where the lodge sits. Once at the parking lot, there are hiking trails in all directions. Our route started directly from the parking lot. It was another gorgeous day for hiking, weather in the mid seventies and some clouds to add context to the skies. We set a casual pace and were on the summit in about eighty minutes or so. I thought the views would be blocked by trees, but as you can see from the photos, the views were actually stunning. There are two view points on the trail. The first is when you reach the ridge there is a picnic table. You can see the actual summit from here, just another hundred feet higher. We walked up to the summit to check it out, but found the views better from the bench. Either way, not a major difference. I will admit, part of the reason I wanted to head up Baldy was to scope out our potential scramble route up True Mount Fernie for tomorrow... This was a super enjoyable day and the views were better than I had originally thought. Definitely a worthwhile short day hike or a good training day for some vert. Happy days...

Date: August 9, 2023 Location: Fernie, British Columbia, Canada Total Trip Distance: 10.16 mi / 16.35 km Total Elevation Gain: 3,725 ft / 1,135 m Trip Duration: 4 hours 40 min Team: Solo Field Notes: Parking is in the lot right at the base of Fernie Alpine Resort. There are many trails to reach the ridge walk - the simplest being via Summer Road as many of the trails are for mountain bikers. Rating: Class 1 GPX File Google Maps Location Approach Via Summer Road I was fired up on getting a mid-week hike in as I only did one trip the previous week. British Columbia has been raging with wildfires and experiencing a drought, so I was grateful to wake up to slightly clearer skies. I wanted to go for a solid hike and decided on Polar Peak at Fernie Alpine Resort. The hike is split into two sections. First, the approach via "Summer Road" follows a gravel road. I wish I had my gravel bike! Second, summer road connects with the Polar Peak Ridge Walk trail. This is actually a hiking trail that follows a ridge for close to 2 miles, eventually topping out at the summit. I made my way up Summer Road, occasionally veering off to go on some of the mountain bike trails. The day I was there I saw zero people. It was actually kind of eerie. Seriously - no one was there. I think I saw two staff the entire day. With that said, the mountain bike trails were downhill trails and they were actually very steep. In hindsight, I think it's better to just stay on Summer Road. If there were bikers I think it'd be quite annoying to stop for a hiker. The day was cooler than normal with rain in the forecast and a slight breeze, which made hiking very pleasant. Soon enough I had reached the end of Summer Road where it meets Lost Boys Cafe. I took the Lost Boys trail where it meets the Polar Peak Ridge Walk. Polar Peak Ridge Walk This is where the actual hiking started and the beauty caught me by surprise. I followed the ridge for nearly two miles with amazing views of the Lizard Range. Storm clouds rolled in, the wind picked up, and rain started coming down. I took a break under a tree, ate a cliff bar, and listened to the silence. The sound of wind coming through the trees is haunting. It's one of those sounds that taps into something very animal, almost spiritual. Something impossible to explain in words. I continued to follow the ridge. There isn't much of a trail, instead, rocks have been sprayed red to indicate the way forward. The ridge rolls up and down with the occasional rock hop. At one point, the ridge drops off where one needs to do some light scrambling. The resort actually has cables installed here. This seems overkill, but to each their own. As I reached the final 200 feet to the summit, the rain began to pick up. I hadn't stopped for more than 5 minutes the whole day and was looking forward to taking a break at the summit. However, when I reached the peak the rain really started coming down. I wasn't thrown off in the slightest. We needed rain so bad you could hear the plants just begging for it. I sat down for two minutes in the pouring rain and then decided to head down. I actually didn't bring my hardshell. I usually just take my Patagonia Houdini wind jacket unless there is definite precipitation in the forecast. Today actually had definite precipitation in the forecast, but I still didn't bring my hardshell. You can lead a horse to water but can't make it drink. Oh well. The skies started unloading as I made my way off the summit. Soon I was completely drenched. Either way it made no difference. In two hours time I would be soaking in a hot bath in a warm house. So I made the five mile walk out non-stop back to the car. As I write this the day after, the skies have cleared up dramatically. The rain was much needed. Happy days...

Date: July 30, 2023 Location: Fernie, British Columbia, Canada Total Trip Distance: 13.29 mi / 21.38 km Total Elevation Gain : 4,700 ft / 1,433 m Trip Duration: 7 hours 11 min Team: With Alex Catalfamo Field Notes: A straightforward hiking loop to one of Fernie's most popular summits. Recommended to go counterclockwise. No water on route until Fairy Creek Falls in valley bottom. Rating: Class 1 Download GPX File Google Map Location Mount Proctor Loop Trail After Alex and I did a 3-day trip in Yoho National Park the previous weekend, I wasn't feeling as inspired to do something big again. I took a rest day on Saturday while Alex scrambled up Crowsnest Mountain. We were both keen to do some hiking, rather than scrambling, so we decided on the Mount Proctor Loop - just a two minute drive from our house. We drove over to the trailhead at Fairy Creek Falls where there is an easy to follow and well maintained trail up Mount Proctor. There are two ways to go up Mount Proctor, either clockwise or counterclockwise. We decided on the later and I'm glad we did. The trail is straightforward. Follow the signs for Mount Proctor the entire way. In the beginning, there is a mix of mountain bike trails as you ascend, but we just simply followed the signs for Mount Proctor. The trail switchbacks up through the forest until eventually meeting a ridgeline with a bench. The trail was straight up the entire way, without much of a break. The trail is quite efficient - we climbed 4,500 feet in about 5 miles. Gratefully, it's not a punishing 4,500 feet. It's relatively gradual the entire way as the elevation is spread out over the 5 miles. Once we met the bench, we followed the trail along the ridgeline before it drops down into the forest one last time. From there, we met the summit ridge and climbed the final 1,000 feet to the summit. It took us exactly 3 hours and 9 minutes to reach the summit from the trailhead with only about 5-7 minutes or so of water breaks. There were solid views from the summit and we met two friendly Japanese women who were stoked to be up there. We had a quick PBJ and didn't hang around too long. There were flies everywhere. We snapped a few quick photos and began our descent. The trail loops and drops down into a basin under the looming Three Sisters. On the map, there is an alpine tarn that I was hoping to take a quick dip in but it was completely dried up. In fact, there is no water on this entire route until you reach Fairy Creek Falls at the end. I wish I had brought a bit more than 2 liters of water. I drink like a camel but it was also very hot with a descent amount of elevation gain. The descent to the valley floor was relentless. Straight down for 4,000 feet in the baking hot sun. I am very glad we did not go this direction because the cold plunge we took in Fairy Creek Falls to end the day was spiritual. Alex and I absolutely love cold water. We take cold showers and plunge into the Elk River daily. Fairy Creek Falls was cold and the feeling was amazing. I'm addicted. We chugged a liter or two of water (yes, chugged) and walked the final 20 minutes back to our car under an encroaching thunderstorm. All in all - a solid day. This is a very nice loop trail that makes for great training for bigger days. Happy days...

Date: July 16, 2023 Location: Fernie, British Columbia, Canada Total Trip Distance: 15.5 mi / 25 km Total Elevation Gain: 4,590 ft / 1400 m Trip Duration: 8 hours 40 min Team: With Alex Catalfamo Field Notes: We found a pullout to park our low clearance 2wd car just past Hartley Lake. Plenty of water on the approach. Didn't see anyone on the Old Trail (the route we took) so might be a good option if one is looking for solitude. Rating: Class 1 Download GPX File Google Maps Location Approach Via Old Trail Three Sisters is a striking mountain that looms above the town of Fernie in British Columbia. When Alex and I first arrived in town, we knew it had to be climbed. It stands at 9,150 feet in elevation and dominates the landscape. With Saturday being completely smoked out due to wildfires, we woke up Sunday to clearer skies and decided to have a go for the summit. There are many different routes to this mountain but we decided on going via the Old Trail just past Hartley Lake. This road was a bit rough for our low-clearance 2wd car, but we went slow and made it to the trailhead just fine. We found a small little pullout for parking just past the turnoff to Hartley Lake. The trail started off on a 4wd track for a few miles before eventually turning into trail that ended by a meadow. From there it climbs very steeply up out of the valley to the treeline on the slopes of Three Sisters. At this point we realized it was going to be a long day. The trail was quite rocky and the sun was very strong. On our map (as you can see in the photo of the route), there seems to be a shortcut to the col between Bisaro S4 and Three Sisters, but we didn't find it. We continued following a rough trail and cairns that linked up with the Mountain Lakes / Heiko trail. This took us to the col. We assessed the straightforward route up Three Sisters, drank some water, ate a quick snack, and began the final 1,600 foot climb to the summit. Three Sisters Summit The climb from the col is vert straightforward. It climbs at a moderate pace and there was only one time where I had to use my hands. It's a hiking trail, not a scramble. There were a few moments where I was feeling quite over it, mostly due to the heat and that my left calf was cramping up. Once on the summit, those feelings vanished. The views from the summit of Three Sisters are magical. There are views in all directions. One is able to see the True Mount Fernie, Mount Proctor, the Crowsnest Range, he Lizard Range, Top Of The World Provincial Park, The Purcell Mountains, and more. Mount Bisaro was the crown jewel of the views - it is massive. With heavy wildfire smoke just 24-hours earlier, we were very grateful to have clearer skies to take in the views. It felt like a rite of passage to climb this peak while living in Fernie for the summer. We signed the summit register, took a few photos and began the long descent back to the parking lot. We took the exact route the way we came, following the Mountain Lakes / Heiko trail and then making a right back to the Old Trail. It would be one of the hottest days of summer. We felt it so we ended the day with our ritual cold plunge in the Elk River and promptly ordered from our favorite restaurant in town. Happy days...

Date: July 21 - 23, 2023 Location: Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Canada Total Trip Distance: 23.89 mi / 38.44 km Total Elevation Gain: 8,063 ft / 2457 m Trip Duration: 3 Days Team: With Alex Catalfamo Field Notes: This trip can be completed in 2 days, but we opted for 3 to have a slightly less aggressive pace and to spend more time in the mountains. While none of the scrambling is overly difficult, the terrain on Daly is very loose and steep so I would strongly recommend a helmet. There is plenty of water where we camped. There was also water flowing just past the Niles glacier before the ascent up Daly. Rating: Class 3 Download GPX File Google Maps Location Niles Meadows via Sherbrooke Lake After tossing around a variety of different ideas for a 3-day weekend, Alex and I finally settled on a trip to Yoho National Park. This was our first time in this park and it did not disappoint. With a perfect forecast, we made the three and a half hour drive from Fernie. We arrived at the trailhead, had a quick PBJ, strapped on our packs and began the 6-7 mile approach to Niles Meadows. The approach is easy with a defined trail the entire way. You steadily climb a few hundred feet on the way to Sherbrooke Lake. From there, the trail continues on the hikers right of the lake. I couldn't resist a quick swim in the beautiful water. From there the trail meanders through meadows, steadily climbing through forest. No need to carry much water as you are never far from it during the entire approach. At last we reached Niles Meadows where we were greeted with a beautiful view of Mount Niles. It was wet in the meadows so we decided to expend the extra energy and climb another 500 feet. I'm glad we did. The views were amazing, it made the climbs shorter, there were (slightly) less bugs, and we had water in abundance. We set up camp, cooked an entire box of pasta, and hunkered down for the night. As the sun set, we were treated to an incredible thunderstorm that passed directly overhead. Mount Daly There are some days where the numbers don't tell the full story. While only 7 miles and 3,200 feet from our camp, Daly was a pig. We crawled out of our sleeping bags around 5:30 after sleeping for maybe an hour or two. The sunrise was beautiful and I soaked it in while drinking a hot coffee. By seven we were ascending the ridge above camp. From there, we crossed the basin between Niles and Daly. The terrain here was okay and we made decent time. We decided to avoid the glacier as we didn't have spikes. I don't think there would have been any difference in time savings either. After crossing the basin, we climbed up to reach a col between a small cone summit and the slopes of Mount Daly. What took place for the next two hours was endless scree grinding and loose rock hopping. It was some of the worst terrain I've ever been on. Maybe I just haven't spent enough time in the Canadian Rockies. The terrain was quite loose and very steep - I'm glad we wore helmets. In reading route descriptions prior to the trip, there was mention of a "class 4 scrambling crux" when one reaches an obvious rock band after climbing above the small summit cone. The rock band is obvious, but we decided to sidle to the climbers right and found very easy slopes we could simply walk up, although still very steep and loose. Once passed the "crux", we climbed another 800 feet where we reached the false summit. Some maps may mark this as the official summit, however, the summit register is on the other peak a mere fifteen minutes away. To me, it is well worth it to climb the ridge between the two summits. It's airy and has an exposed move or two that adds some flair to the trip. The climbing is easy. In my opinion, this was the "crux," although it's nothing more than exposed scrambling with perfect rock. The views from the true summit are spectacular with mountains in all directions. It is definitely a remote peak - there were on average five to six successful summit parties (that signed the register) per year. 2021 only saw four. In 2023, we were the third. We felt extremely lucky to stand on this massive peak. After snapping some photos and signing the register, we made the climb back down to camp. I found the descent to be quite frustrating. You couldn't trust a single step. It felt like every rock would shift or move under my feet which resulted in a slip or two. Secondly, the sole of my right boot was getting torn off and Alex's shoes were getting holes in them. The Canadian Rockies were eating our footwear alive this summer. Care had to be taken on the descent as rocks would release and create hazard for the climber below. We decided to fan out and take our time. Incredibly, we saw a party of two climbing Daly as we descended. They were quite keen, deciding to do it in a day. Our last difficulty was descending the scree back down to the col between the cone shaped summit and Daly. We did of a combination of down climbing and sliding, roughing our hands in the process. Eventually we made it back down to the basin and and hustled back to camp where we soaked in the ice cold tarn near camp. Mount Niles I was thrilled to get close to six hours of sleep. By four in the morning I was out drinking coffee under the last of the dying stars. The weather was perfect. By 5:30 we had left camp and were headed towards Mount Niles. The route is easy to follow and within fifteen minutes we found ourselves at the base of the climb. We ascended the obvious scree gully for about 500 feet and then climbed up to the right to gain a ridge. From here, we ascended steep but easy slopes to the summit. There was a rough path the entire way and navigation was easy. As we ascended, alpenglow baked the mountain tops. Reddish-purple light gradually morphed into golden light and our souls did the same. Is there anything more pure than standing on a summit of a lofty peak with a good mate at sunrise? The views from the summit were spectacular. The climb from camp was short and steep. We reached the summit in one hour and thirty minutes and the descent took roughly forty-five minutes. Under a barrage of black flies, we quickly packed camp and made the three hour walk out back to the trailhead. Happy days...

Date: August 18 - 20, 2023 Location: Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada Total Trip Distance: 26.88 mi / 43.25 km Total Elevation Gain: 7,356 ft / 2,242 m Trip Duration: 3 days Team: With Alex Catalfamo Field Notes: Excelsior Mountain is a straightforward scramble with little exposure and steepness. As indicted in the trip notes below, make sure to take the climbers left ridge to the col between Excelsior and Centre to avoid a horrible boulder field. I bailed 1,000 feet below the summit of Tekarra the following morning as I woke up with flu-like conditions. Rating: Excelsior, Class 2 Download GPX File Google Maps Location Smoke, Rain, and Snow A few weeks ago Alex had come up with the idea of going to Jasper. Personally, I did not want to drive seven hours one-way when we have such fantastic mountains within a three hour radius. However, I was easily convinced by a waitress at a Mexican restaurant one night. Secondly, the Icefield Parkway is apparently a classic drive. Being in Canada for just the summer we had to commit (or really, I had to commit). Alex had come up with this trip and wanted to bag a few peaks off of the Skyline trail. We took three days off of work, woke up early on Friday, and made the seven hour drive north. The forecast wasn't incredibly inspiring. The smoke from the wildfires was particularly bad and the forecast for our hike in was calling for heavy snow and rain. By the time we had driven an hour from Fernie, we were socked in with heavy smoke for the next four hours. We couldn't even see the mountains in front of us. What was once heavy smoke turned into heavy rain. We drove the entire Icefield Parkway in torrential freezing rain. Seven hours later we were in Jasper and the sky looked to be clearing. We started hiking on the Skyline Trail that heads up to Signal Mountain. This is probably the easiest 3,000 feet you could even climb in your life. The grade is so casual I could've done 10,000. As we neared the junction to go towards Tekarra camp, the rain started coming down. Then the rain turned to snow. Then the snow really started coming down. You gotta love the mountains. We arrived at Tekarra camp with only one other person there and a couple inches of snow on the ground. We were pretty cold, camp, and set up camp quickly. I love the feeling of eating a hot meal in your sleeping bad while watching steam fill the tent, blood pushing through your body to get warm. Excelsior Mountain The good thing about the cold weather is we slept like dogs. I think we got about seven hours each so we were thrilled. There was quite a bit of heavy fog / cloud in the valley so we took our time having breakfast, stretched out, and even did some Wim Hof in the tent. By 9 am we decided to make a move. As soon as we departed the skies cleared. We followed the Skyline trail until you reach a patch of trees just before reaching the ridge of Centre Mountain that meets the trail. We took a left here and entered the basin between Excelsior and Centre. From here, it is important to work climbers left and gain the ridge made of alpine scrub / rock rather than the massive boulder field on the climbers right hand side. This should be extremely obvious. At first, we didn't go climbers left hard enough and were messing around on the boulders. I had us drop down a bit and gain the opposite ridge on the climbers left. What a difference! Smooth, easy travel led us to the col between Excelsior and Centre. From the col, the climbing is never more than class 2 scrambling. We brought helmets and I felt it wasn't really necessary, but to each there own. There is an obvious ledge (as seen in the photo) that we easily bypassed by sidling left underneath it. Once passed this obvious ledge, we climbed straight up to gain the summit ridge. Our only difficulty was the 2 inches of fresh snow on top of loose rocks, so care was to be taken. Soon enough we were standing on the summit with clouds obscuring many of the surrounding peaks. One could imagine the views would be quite special on a clear day. We hung out for a bit, enjoyed the silence, snapped obligatory summit photos, and made our way back to camp. Mount Tekarra We arrived back at camp at 2:30 and casually took an hour to pack things up. We had eyed a tarn on the map about 1,500 feet below Tekarra and decided to move camp for an easier summit day. It took about an hour to reach this "high camp" from Tekarra camp. I'm glad we made the move, it was beautiful and very peaceful. As we arrived at camp, I found myself feeling run down and unwell. I figured it was the shitty food I had been eating for the last two days. So what did I do? I ate two packages of some ramen noodle type of thing, stretched out, and went to bed. I fell asleep rather quickly but woke up at 1:30 in the morning with my heart pounding and my body feeling very tired. It felt as if I was coming down with the flu. I attempted to calm my mind, focus on my breathing, and get back to sleep. By 5:30 it was time to get up as we had a mountain to summit and a seven hour drive ahead of us. I felt extremely run down and had no energy. Fuck. It was the first time I was "sick" in three years. I figured I'd still give it a go and see what happened once I started moving. There was no improvement. I felt nauseous, weak, and dizzy. 1,000 feet from the summit and an icy, snow covered scree gully ahead of us and I decided this was my finish line. I was also slowing Alex down and knew he wanted to bag this peak. I told him I'd wait for him in camp. Personally, I have no issue turning around in the mountains. Of course I want the summit, but bad things happen in the mountains when one doesn't pay attention. The mountain gives signs, the body gives signs, and one's intuition gives signs. Today, the mountain conditions were shit for scrambling. Icy, steep, snow covered gully. I watched as Alex climbed and knocked off rocks that screamed down below where I would've been climbing. Safer for him to be solo. My body hurt. It was tired and needed rest. My intuition spoke clearly - this isn't your day. I've made a lot of mistakes in the mountain and have gotten away unscathed (except that one time I shattered my foot falling 20 feet - that fucked me up). Also, I love climbing mountains...but I've learned my happiness doesn't depend on it. I'm at peace with not summiting every mountain I try to climb. Some people are okay with that internally, some are not. There is no right or wrong - only consequences. I made my way back down to camp and went back to bed. It felt nice to layer Alex's bag on top of mine and feel the tent warm up with the rising sun. Unfortunately, wildfire smoke was coming back with a vengeance. Alex said it totally obscured the summit view. By 10 Alex was back at camp. I had a coffee, we quickly packed camp and made the 4 hour non-stop walk out to the car. Not going to lie - I felt like shit. The drive home was not fun and I almost puked. Oddly enough, I woke up the next morning after sleeping ten and a half hours and felt amazing. Life is a complete mystery. Happy days...

Date: June 24, 2023 Location: Fernie, British Columbia, Canada Total Trip Distance: 8.53 mi / 13.73 km Total Elevation Gain: 4,188 ft / 1,277 m Trip Duration: 6 hours Team: With Alex Catalfamo Field Notes: This is one of my favorite off-trail hikes / scrambles in the Fernie area. Accessible from town and a very efficient route to the summit. The only difficulty is the summit ridge, which is straightforward and easy off-trail hiking / scrambling. A helmet is not required. There is no water on route. Rating: Class 2 Download GPX File Google Maps Location Approach Alex and I arrived in town about a week before we did this trip and we were frothing to get up high. I had spent the last six months in Hawaii working with the most incredible healer and friend, Jack Fonderwhite. He was helping to get my body back to climbing mountains after a seven year recovery process from a big injury, but that's a story for another day. Point is - I hadn't been in big mountains in a long time. Probably somewhere close to three years. We did a warm up on Mount Fernie Ridge on Wednesday and decided on Hosmer for the weekend. Hartley Lake Road isn't great but it's manageable with a low clearance, 2wd car. We went slow and found our way around the potholes. About a twenty minute drive from town and we were the only car at the parking lot. With the sun heating up early, we wasted no time and started up. The trail is efficient. We went straight up with views of Proctor and Three Sisters gradually becoming better and better. The higher we climbed, the higher my spirit rose. It felt great to be back in the mountains. At the col just below Ghostrider Mountain the views really open up from a ledge. It was cool to see the accessibility of mountain trips in Fernie. Right from town you have a lot of great day trips and we felt as if we made the right choice for this to be our base camp for summer. Mount Hosmer From the col below Ghostrider one needs to pay attention to route-finding to make the correct left hand turn for Hosmer. I use the Gaia app for navigation in the mountains and it has never let me down (I also have a Garmin inReach but only use this for emergency). The route map photo at the top of the page is the exact route we took, so look for a very faint herd path to your left by a grassy area. As you follow this rough path, it diverts into the woods. The trail becomes marked by orange flagging tape. We followed this trail and the flagging tape until it became harder to follow as we entered the basin. From here, we bushwhacked straight up the basin through the woods and travel was simple. Eventually, we made a left to begin climbing up to meet the summit ridge of Mount Hosmer. The photo below is the ascent route of Mount Hosmer taken from Ghostrider Mountain. We took the left turn slightly early and it became pretty steep with loose rocks. Not a big deal, but I'd recommend using the route map photo above which shows the easiest travel to meet the summit ridge (this is what we took on the descent). Travel in the basin until you have a clear view of the climb above and simply pick the easiest route of ascent. Once on the summit ridge, navigation is extremely straightforward. We followed the summit ridge, becoming airy at times, up and over a false summit. This is where it became really fun. The ridge narrows and provides incredible 360 degree views. The ridge is never more than a class 2 scramble - which is off trail, but climbing with your hands. There are steep drop offs on each side which gives it kind of a "lofty" feeling. When we reached the summit, Alex congratulated with me with two simple but powerful words - "welcome back." I thought I'd become very sentimental and emotional to finally stand on a relatively big mountain again, but rather I didn't feel much. It was just good to be back. Finish lines are an illusion and when one reaches any summit, the view is of other summits. It never ends. We signed the summit register, snapped photos, took off our shoes and chilled. It was a perfect day to be in the mountains. When we were ready we made the descent back to the car, taking the same route. Of course, the day ended with a cold soak in the Elk River and plenty of delicious Indian food. Happy days...

Date: August 13, 2023 Location: Fernie, British Columbia, Canada Total Trip Distance: 10.88 mi / 17.5 km Total Elevation Gain: 4,160 ft / 1,268 m Trip Duration: 6 hours 40 min Team: With Alex Catalfamo Field Notes: It seems it is up for debate whether this is the true summit of Mount Fernie. Many maps have the summit on a smaller peak on the ridge, google maps/earth have the summit at the tallest peak on the ridge. This route takes one to the tallest peak and it is a worthy objective with steep, easy class 2 scrambling. There is no water on route. Large parties may want helmets. Rating: Class 2 Download GPX File Google Maps Location The True Summit of Mount Fernie Whether or not this is the actual summit remains a mystery. After hiking the Mount Fernie Ridge trail multiple times this summer, Alex and I began to talk about where the true summit actually is. The town tourism website of Fernie shares the details of the hike that "leads to the summit," but in fact is only a hike to a viewpoint on a ridge. I remember one instance where we hiked to this viewpoint and met some locals. When we asked them where the true summit was they looked at us as if we were speaking a foreign language. Continuing with our research, the maps indicate the summit is further along the ridge, requiring an additional scramble (as you can see on the route photo above). However, when searching on google earth, the summit is actually located at the highest point on the ridge (typical of summits), which is where we climbed to. We decided that we would climb to the true summit, regardless of what the maps say, and reach the highest point on the ridge. Independent of what is actually the true summit, we didn't care. We found the tallest peak to be beautiful and figured not many make the trip. Approach This is the second day in a row we found ourselves back at Island Lake Lodge having hiked Mount Baldy the day prior. No doubt this is a great zone and one can only imagine the ski potential here in winter. We started down the road for a bit and then turned left onto the Tamarack trail. I always love the wooded approach before going to climb a peak. Even better was that it was old growth forest - simply magical. The trail began to make it's way up out of the valley at a very gradual pace. Before we knew it, we had easily ascended 1,900 feet and were at the top of the ridge. To our left was the Tamarack summit viewpoint (which we would save for the end of the day), while the trail turned into the Heiko / Mountain Lakes trail. We had some water and continued on. Within another fifteen minutes of walking we got a view of our objective for the day. True Mount Fernie is a beautiful peak and we were excited to make the ascent. The forecast for the day was supposed to be hot, but the temperature was quite nice and we appreciated that. We continued on until we reached the scree gully that I had marked as our ascent route for the climb. It took us two hours to reach this point from the parking lot. Ascent of True Mount Fernie We had a quick bite to eat and assessed our route. There was a bit of unknown. The scree gully climbs straight up and then turns to the climbers right, going out of sight. Just a minute before reaching this spot on the trail, another potential ascent route gets cliffed out. I wasn't overly concerned because if we really needed to, we could retrace our steps on the trail and bush bash to meet the summit ridge. We figured we would be okay and made our way straight up the gully. After a couple hundred feet of climbing, the gully wraps the climbers right. I got a view of what lay ahead and we were golden. At this point, there are two options to reach the second, main scree gully that will take you to the summit ridge. Option one is to stay in the gully and keep climbing another fifty feet or so (gets slightly steeper here). Option two is take a hard climbers right into the brush where you will meet the main gully. Option two made for better travel so we did this. Once in the main gully we powered straight up. It's a classic, steep scree gully. Here, larger parties may want a helmet purely because of other climbers kicking rocks down from above. We climbed in the gully until the final two hundred feet or so, where the gully moves ever so slightly to the climbers left. We avoided this and moved climbers right, finding easier travel through the brush. Once at the col leading to the summit ridge, we took a breath and enjoyed the surroundings. There were excellent views in all directions. We high-fived and were fired up to be here. The final four-hundred feet to the summit was straightforward with a short section of ridge climbing. It's a very short section of ridge with big drop offs on either side - a fall here would be very bad. With that said, it's nothing more than a walk. We wondered if there would be a summit register and / or a cairn on top. Believe it or not - there was both. Funny enough there was only one entry in the summit register - signed just two weeks ago! The entry said something to the effect of, "no matter what the maps say, this is it, the highest point." The views from the summit were simply awesome. Three Sisters, Proctor, Hosmer, the Crowsnest Range, Fisher Peak, The Lizard Range, it was all there. While Alex signed the summit register I ate a PBJ and took in the views. My favorite peaks have always been the obscure ones. I'm not sure why, maybe it's just an extra feeling of adventure or the unknown. I also love scouting out a peak and using my route finding skills to find the best way to the summit. Once we had our fill at the top, we made our way back down using the same route. The scree gully was particularly shitty, but fortunately one makes quick work of it. On our way back to the trailhead we were both feeling great, so we climbed the short two-hundred feet to the Tamarack summit. We watched as a fire unfolded in Sparwood, the smoke traveling over the Lizard Range. The day ended with a burger, fries, and our ritual plunge in the Elk River. Happy days...