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  2. Tramping and mountaineering in New Zealand
  3. Haast Pass to Mount Cook

Morse-Mt Dechen, 29 January - 02 Feburary 2016

A nice weather window saw us heading back to the spectacular Hooker Range. We were interested in investigating a new approach to Mt Dechen involving the Morse River, a hanging tributary of the Mahitahi, and a traverse of Mathers Peak.
Day 1: Up the Mahitahi to the Morse confluence and bush-bash on the true right of the Morse to a camp in the bush. Day 2: Up to the head of the valley to the Morse glacier moraine. Day 3: Climb out of the head of the valley and traverse of Mathers Peak to Mt Dechen and back to camp. Day 4: Down to the Mahitahi confluence. Day 5: Relaxing stroll back to the road.
Team: James Thornton & Nina Dickerhof
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Tops travel to Mathers Peak (photo - James Thornton).
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Tops travel to Mathers Peak (photo - James Thornton).

  • Finally on the upper snow slopes above the slabs, looking down into the Morse, the Otoko on the left.
  • Traversing tops to Mathers Peak, Mt Hooker in the background.
  • On our way to Mathers Peak, the peak in this photo turned out to be a false summit, Mt Gow and the Otoko glacier lake on the right.
  • Tops travel to Mathers Peak (photo - James Thornton).
  • Some sidling to get to the true summit of Mathers Peak. Mathers Glacier on the left, Morse Valley below, Mt Hawkins on the right.
  • On the summit of Mathers Peak looking across the Bannock Brae Range towards Mt Cook and Sefton.
  • On the summit of Mathers Peak , Mt Strachen on the right, Edison below.
  • Tops travel to Mathers Peak (photo - James Thornton).
  • Starting the descent to the col between Mathers and Dechen, 400 vertical metres below, then almost 800 up on the other side. Our route went trhough the rock showing below the McCardell Glacier, then to the summit on easier crevassed slopes above.
  • View across to the Bannock Brae Range and Strachan on the right, Cook and Sefton in the distance.
  • Nearing the summit of Dechen looking back to Mathers Peak that we traversed. Mt Hawkins in the centre.
  • The Otoko glacier lake and Mt Hooker.
  • James on the summit of Dechen admiring the unclimbed slabs on Strachan.
  • James on the summit of Dechen looking across towards the Main Divide and Mt Ward.
  • Strachan in front of Mt Cook and Sefton, Fettes Peak in between.
  • James on the summit, Landsborough Valley and Main Divide peaks on the right.
  • Me on the summit, a snack at last.
  • Tasman and Cook in the distance, La Perouse and Sefon in the middle, Strachan and Fettes in the front.
  • Mt Ward, Glenisla, Glencairn, Glenmary and Dasler Pinnacles
  • Starting the descent down the McCardell Glacier, Otoko glacier lake and Mt Hooker in the centre.
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