The practical bits
If you’re considering a similar trip, here are some practical tips and logistics of what we did:
Accommodation
We stayed at Ferrier Lodge which provides heated bunk rooms and staff to help manage the place. Food is provided and cooked for you as part of the stay, however clean up is a communal responsibility and chores are divvied out by room. The lodge is designed for skiers and their schedule so cooked breakfast is quite late by alpine climbing standards and some negotiating on chores might be needed if you’re planning an alpine start. The lodge is comfortable and has a well stocked bar and a separate room off the lounge which you can use for rope skills/training. There is also the Lockwood shelter which you walk past to access the lodge. The shelter is very basic but open for emergencies or as a separate space for rope skills on rainy days.
Transport
We coordinated a shared coach to and from the airport, which required careful planning to ensure no one would miss a flight or a ride on the bus.
Club gear
We brought down club shared gear such as first aid kits, bothy bags and radios on top of our own gear. The radios became very useful in checking in and keeping track of everyone, ensuring no one was out past their check-in time.
Routes
The area provides a great mix of Alp 1 and Alp 2+ objectives, perfect for people fresh off courses and veterans alike. There are many named and unnamed routes and peaks, which you can either plan out in advance or if you have the skills, just wing it and see where the day takes you. Check out some routes described in the Arthur’s Pass mountaineering guide by Graeme Kates or have a look on www.arthurspass.com for additional routes and guide book updates.
Huge thank you to Stephen Hunt, Emma Coombe, Jon Keyser, and Mr Jim for organising, logistics, finances, briefings and safety.
Arrival
After coordinating a shared shuttle, we were able to get our packs up the goods lift and walk up to the lodge in good conditions, knowing we were lucky in our timing as any wind means the goods lift can’t run. Being a catered lodge, we arrived to a hot meal after ferrying the packs from the top of the lift to the lodge and ended the evening with a clean up and debrief
Day one
Our first full day in the maunga gave us excellent conditions. Having introduced ourselves the evening before and made plans with different groups at different levels, each party went out with a different goal in mind. The area afforded us many options with differing levels of challenge for everyone’s experience. An alp 1 crew took the ridge along from Blimit to Cassidy and a handful of alp 2 groups headed for the gullies between and along Temple and Phipps. For most it was a satisfying mix of type 1 and type 2 fun and a cold beer at the lodge.
“Spoilt for choice, very exciting to be surrounded by lots of potential routes, some named some unnamed. Great opportunity to explore those spots with a motivated and friendly group
Like the lodge bar A quality selection, within easy reach: Good people enjoying happy hour; and a bit wobbly at the end of the day” - Rueben S.
Day two
Knowing the weather would turn overnight and bring a wet and windy north westerly, we had a leisurely start to the day. Some of the more experienced climbers kindly took the newer climbers through some knots and rope techniques in the Lockwood shelter while we waited out the horizontal sleet and rain. A brave group later went out to practise some (very wet) dry tooling and top rope climbing at a nearby crag.
Day three
The third day afforded us some better weather, but less than ideal avalanche conditions. The snow pack was water loaded with a hard crust, which gave us plenty to climb up in the morning but less stable conditions for climbing down once the sun had warmed the slopes. The various groups went off on their various adventures after having studied the advisory and planned around concerning aspects. A few minor incidents and near misses occurred with a few parties, none of these were as a result of avalanches and no one was seriously injured, though in part due to a mix of luck and helmets! Everyone returned to the lodge in one piece for another hot cooked meal.
“I was stoked to get a diverse experience out of this year’s trip, every day had a different vibe. From climbing something steep and technical with Jon on the Phipps/Temple col, to Type 1 fun climbing with Cherry fighting off Kea determined to sabotage our anchors, this trip had it all. You could say the real peaks we climbed were in our hearts all along.” - Moss H.
Day four
The wind had picked up and the avalanche advisory hadn’t changed. After managing to fit adventures into every day so far, energy was low for many but stoke was still high. Groups splintered off once more, heading for a more gentle ridge traverse, some relaxed pitching practise or some trad climbing to avoid the strong gusts. Snow caves were built, pranks were played and general vibes were good.
“Having just come out of Snowcraft 1, I was able to join and learn so much from an incredible and welcoming community of seasoned alpinists! I’ve learnt Kea are also the cheekiest native bird, and make very reliable alarms. As a quick tip, if you are fond of your friends, it’s good to place some rocks in their backpack for added strength training!” - Cherry C.
Departure
Fortune favoured us again and the conditions were lovely to leave the lodge by. The sun was out, the goods lift was running and we made our way back down the track to the road, with many longing glances back behind us at the mountains we were walking away from. The trip was a massive success, members stretched their limits and challenged themselves and most of all, all came home safely. We’re grateful for our time in the southern alps and grateful to everyone who helped make the trip possible. Until next year, we will see you again Temple Basin.
Photo credits:
Dylan H. (cover image), Tayla J., Rueben S., Dylan H., James J.
