2015-09-27-Girdlestone-Jade Cincotta < Photos > 2015-11-18-Lewis Pass Tops Photos from Nelson Lakes post-AIC climbing trip This trip was intended for recent graduates from our club's alpine instruction course, to provide some Southern Alps experience. We got good weather over the 4 days around Labour Day, and climbed Mts Cupola and Travers.
- Party members
- The team comprised Stu Hutson, Jason Stephens, Jadria Cincotta, Peter Hicks, Brendon Green, Nikki Williams and Dave Grainger
The team ascending Mt Cupola
Jade on front points, Mt Cupola
Mt Hopeless as seen from Mt Cupola
We followed a snow gully that steepened to about 50 degrees.
Climbing an easy rock band near the summit was OK, but the snow below proved tricky with 10cm of new snow over ice.
View of Lake Rotoroa from the summit of Mt Cupola
We reached the north east ridge of Mt Travers, which looked fairly straightforward travel.. From here.
Getting a bit more exciting with scrambling over blocks on the ridge.
We ascended the curving left snow gully and descended by the narrow right hand couloir. It had an ice step partway down which proved tricky on front points with one ice tool!
We roped up at this block. Jade and Jason ready to climb! Mts Cupola and Hopeless in background
Jade getting used to NZ ridge climbing
At this point, we found an entertaining ledge to follow. The advice to Jade was 'think like a goat'...
Next day, three of us were climbing Mt Travers. Tired legs made for sluggish uphill but by 8am we were high above the Travers valley cloud.
Mt Cupola 2260m - The summit team L-R Peter Hicks, Jadria Cincotta, Nikki Williams, Jason Stephens, Brendon Green, Stu Hutson (resting)
At midday we were still on the NE ridge but had moved into a snowy section where we could crampon which seemed like speedy travel
Jason and Jade reach the summit of Mt Travers 2338m
Jason Stephens and Jadria Cincotta at the summit of Mt Travers 2338m
Jade, Dave and Jason at the summit of Mt Travers
Jason Stephens and Jadria Cincotta at the summit of Mt Travers 2338m
Heaps of snow made the summit area easy to move around.
Dave in front of Mt Cupola
Jason descending Mt Travers
We descended by the easy route
These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs4.0 International License.
These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs4.0 International License.