The 1000 Day Holiday

With Ohau getting rain, we packed up and left our huge alpine club lodge in Mt Cook and headed thru the mackenzie basin to Wanaka.

The afternoon was spent at Treble Cone. They are the only field to have recieved recent good snow. And even then half the terrain was unridable.

However, I cant wait to get back here. Just looking around you are aware that it is an awesome mountain. The new quad chair in Saddle basin opens up heaps of blackdiamond terrain.

An awesome day of spring conditions.

We have hung out at unwin lodge at mt cook. It has rained continously for 36 hours.

On good news. Mt tasman has had 3.5metres of snow in that time!

Avalanche danger is at extreme, so its a wait and see what ohau’s report is tomorrow.

Otherwise will be heading for wanaka. The forecast is clearing on thursday.

With all canterbury fields closed due to rain and wind we cooked up a roast for lunch before hitting the road again.

We stopped in a castle hill. An amazing location for bouldering in arthurs pass.

Then thru the lake coleridge 4wd shortcut and heading for mt cook.

The weather isn’t looking promising for tomorrow, but its cold outside. So we are hoping for snow.

Hoping to ride ohau tomorrow.

Snow is forecast for wednesday, and we are then aiming for treble cone for thurs/friday

I got my knee checked. And initially the doc was going to give me stiches which would have ended my snowboarding holiday. But after exclamations from me took a closer look and I hadn’t cut through the dermis (tissue layer) so taped it up, gave me a tetanus booster and some antibiotics.

So all should be well.

With all fields closed due to wind we headed into christchurch. drove up the port hills and did some outdoor rockclimbing. Rakaia rocks. Grade 16. First time climbing outdoors, and its weird having to find your holds.

We headed for a lodge in arthurs pass in hope of good weather with which to do a club field on monday.

Conditions: 35cm base, 3cm fresh. A lot of hidden rocks. Light winds, blue sky breaking thru.
No crowds, carpark half full.

Great snow conditions all over the mountain, but in the afternoon its become quite heavy and chopped up.
The fresh cover.

Some great fresh tracks made on the black runs.

Most boards are in need of some ptex work for gashes.

On mountain repairs $10 in under an hour! Primo.

I also have achieved an 8cm gash on my knee cap. Will see the GP in methven this arvo to see if stiches are Required.

Photos of gash to follow

The intention is to stay in arthurs pass and attack the powder at all the club fields.

But alas, there has been no snow.

And I got a txt this morning from Jamos saying to bring my hiking shoes.

No complaints tho. Will still be fun.