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  2. Haast Pass to Mount Cook

Mahitahi/Zora/Landsborough/Karangarua feat. Mts Strachan and Townsend, 19-29 December 2015

This year we resisted the temptation to go back to the Olivines for our big Christmas trip and headed into the Hooker/Landsborough Wilderness area instead. Slogging nearly two weeks of food and climbing gear up the wild Mahitahi, we were rewarded with unbelievably good weather, which enabled us to befriend Mt Strachan, Dent Noire and Townsend on our way into the Zora, upper Landsborough and Karangarua. Day 1: Up the true right of the Mahitahi to camp by the stream draining Mt Stratford. Day 2: To camp near Uaroa Creek crossing the Mahitahi a couple of times and encountering easy travel through silver beach as well as thick tangly west coast bush. Day 3: Moved camp a few km upvalley to sit out a front. Day 4: To Mueller Pass via a route below bluffs on the true right of the valley to avoid thick scrub in the main river. Day 5: Climb of Mt Strachan and descent to Zora Creek. Day 6: Climb to within 15m of Fettes Peak via saddle 1874m and Dent Noire (Pt 2190m). Day 7: Descent the Zora to the confluence with the Landsborough. Day 8: Travel up the Landsborough to Fiasco Creek. Day 9: Over Douglas Saddle and the Gladiator to Karangarua Saddle. Day 10: Climb of Mt Townsend and descent to Lame Duck Hut. Day 11: Walk out to the road. Team: James Thornton and Nina Dickerhof
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Travel about to get harder for this last section before Uaroa Creek.
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Travel about to get harder for this last section before Uaroa Creek.

  • <br><small><a href="http://www.topomap.co.nz/NZTopoMap?v=2&amp;ll=-43.76322,169.82304&amp;z=14" style="text-align:left">View Larger Topographic Map</a></small>
  • Making our way up the lower part of the Mahitahi.
  • Getting more bouldery.
  • First campsite beside the creek draining Mt Stratford...
  • ..where James surprised me by conjuring a loaf of German Christmas cake from his pack. To my present delight he decided not to carry it until Christmas as originally intended. Later on we discovered that his ability to carry this extra weight came at the expense of his harness (photo - James Thornton).
  • Sheltering from the drizzle for lunch opposite the Edison confluence.
  • Some easy bush travel through an unexpected stretch of silver beech.
  • Travel about to get harder for this last section before Uaroa Creek.
  • Camp near Uaroa Creek, Mt Hawkins in the cloud down valley.
  • Our camp near Uaroa Creek looking upvalley to a 300m waterfall draining the flanks of Mt Strachan. The section in the distance above is described by Moir's as containing "horrendously thick scrub with no good line." Looking forward to the next day...
  • Cloud obscurring Mueller Pass.
  • Starting up the bouldery section the next morning.
  • James below the Bannock Brae Range.
  • Mahitahi boulder chaos above Uaroa Creek, but travel in the main creek bed still possible most of the time with little detours into the thick scrub on the right.
  • Mahitahi boulder chaos above Uaroa Creek.
  • Mahitahi boulder chaos above Uaroa Creek.
  • Now looking down to the 300m waterfall.
  • A short clearing during the front revealed this waterfall running down the flanks of the Bannock Brae Range.
  • Upper Mahitahi - waterfalls running down the flanks of the Bannock Brae Range.
  • We decided to camp here, 2 km above Uaroa Creek to sit out a forecast front.
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