Peak Hill, Rakaika Valley

Pip had an afternoon off and the weather was perfect. So crampons, axe, cookers, tents, dinner and extra warm stuff was loaded in the packs and we set off to try and catch the sun set from the summit of Peak Hill.

We made it there just in time, changing into our warm gears as the sun slipped below the horizon. Dinner was then made in the vestibule under starlight.

On the trip down, the moon came out, rendering our head lamps superflous. So we wandered back to the car in the incredibly bright celestial light.

Ready to go




Halfway up, Lake Coleridge behind

Pip and the Craigieburn Range

Sunset on Peak Hill Summit

Dinner time :)

Moonlight descent

Mt Bruce Ski Carry

There was a huge snow dump in the mountains and the avalanche danger increased to considerable, so we changed our Ski tour location to Mt Bruce, a lower angled, north facing, lower elevation summit in the northern edge of the Craigieburn range.

Walking into Cora Lyn to access the Lagoon Saddle (Mt Bruce) track

Mark, Chucky and Toine

We walked for a couple of hours through some amazingly soft deep powder to reach the bushline and the clear blue skies.

Only problem was, that the 2 feet of perfect powder was deposited directly on tussock! There was no base at all, and therefore it was un-skiable. However, we did persist uphill for a while, wading through the pow-wow for over an hour before turning around in disgust..

Couldn't even ski back down the hill.. So we carried our ski's all the way back to the car.. :(

View over the Waimak Basin

Snow Angels..

Multi Talented Toine


On the way home, there was just enough snow at Kuratawhiti (Castle Hill basin) to take the ski's for a walk and even get 2 turns in! (for 6 hours of walking!)

Big air at Kura Tawhiti ;0)

Mark catches a lift