“On a Mish” #29 Mountain Goats & Glissading (Part One). Mt Bealey(1836m). Arthurs Pass National Park. 1.10.2014. When you do something often, sometimes you can overlook what some people would find dangerous. I have climbed many mountains on my own, and I am quite comfortable traveling high in the hills by myself. Setting my own pace and stopping whenever I want is something I like, and when traveling alone you only need to take care of yourself. On a mish up Mt Bealey, I’d use my new skill of glissading for quicker travel as well as spending some time with the mountain goats that call the mountain home…
The winter of 2014 had me going to Arthurs Pass Village time and time again, and each time my adventures had their own challenges and rewards. There are many climbs that begin from the village itself. It is the perfect place for a climber to base themselves and a vehicle won’t be required.
The alpine highway that travels through the Bealey Valley and over Arthurs Pass is cut into the southeast corner of Mt Bealey’s lower reaches and is a magnificent stretch of highway. If you are not a keen walker, tramper or climber, then the drive is still a spectacular experience.
On this mish I had the use of a little luxurious cottage in the village to spend the night before the climb. Having a base to climb from was a big change from starting most of my missions from my tent. After an excellent meal at the cosy crib / bach I dozed off to sleep by the warmth of the classic pot-belly stove. During the night I awoke several times to the sounds of trains rumbling through the little alpine village. I’m guessing the noise is something the locals get used to, but for this greenhorn it was a lot of noise at night.
An early-ish start was needed to get up, down and then back to Christchurch so I left the warmth of the cottage and stepped out into the semi-dark chill of a crisp winter’s morning. I walked in the dark through the village, which was silent apart form a couple of birds who were ready to get the morning chorus started. It didn’t take long before I was at the start the Mt Bealey Track.
As I began to follow the track through the forest it was dark again, the forest canopy covered the little light that was starting to appear on the eastern horizon. My head torch lit up the frost on the ground making it sparkle, then eventually the morning light began to appear between the gaps in the foliage. This meant I could turn my head torch off as I crunched my way along the shaded frosty track. It also meant I was well on my way towards the home of many mountain goats and a place where I could practise my glissading skills…
