“A Mish a Day” #2 Leaning Peak(1477m). Fiordland National Park. 29.12.2017. In some of the earliest paintings of the Lake Manapouri area you can see a peak that looks like it began to topple over, then paused mid fall creating the unique shape of Leaning Peak(1477m). The mountain can be seen by keen mountain spotters on the way into the Te Anau Basin, and thanks to foreshortening it looks quite close. Access to the base of the mountain is where anything resembling easy finishes, as its forest covered base is located at West Arm on Lake Manapouri, and needs to be accessed by boat.
I decided to include a night camping on the peak when I headed there late in 2017, and along with the camping gear I needed to carry extra water for drinking and cooking. It is safe to assume that our packs were a little bit heavier than daypacks, but enthusiasm and excitement always helps with the first few steps when wearing a pack that is over half your own body weight. The route begins behind the West Arm Power Station, and at first was very easy as it passed through a small cave. After the cave we came across an old water pipe, which helped with navigating the thick bush for a couple hundred meters. Above this we followed animal tracks at first, then it was some good old fashioned bush-bashing. Having full packs made some of the steep scrambling interesting, as the pack would get caught up in the tree, and this would always happen in the worst situations. At one stage the only way up was through a bush covered rock bluff. In places, to get past the foliage, I had to lean back to dislodge branches with a very large drop below me. After what seemed like days of bush-bashing we finally got above the worst of the bush and onto the shoulder of the mountain. This was the best place for camp, but with the forecasted rain the next day, we only had time to stash the heavy gear and head for the summit. A steep gut led to the south west ridge, which provided a fun scramble to the top of Leaning Peak(1477m). As expected the mountain’s location made for incredible views in all directions, including the distant snowy summits of Mt Earnslaw and Mt Aspiring. The lake where we started was now 1200 meters below, and this gave an amazing sense of achievement, and with one last look around it was time to head down to the campsite on the mountain’s shoulder. After getting ‘slightly’ lost in the bush descending, we finally found camp, and after putting the tent up it was obvious this was gonna be a campsite to remember.
An early-ish start the next day was greeted with ominous dark clouds approaching from the west, a good reason to retreat off the mountain. From camp it was immediately into the dense bush, and the downward travel proved to be just as challenging as going up. At one stage, to get to easier ground involved a climbing traverse on branches sticking out of a cliff, this was definitely the crux of the Mish, and provided the most unintentional excitement. Many times on the way down we would see the lake, and each time it would seem so close, yet so far. With a few extra scratches, covered in dirt and the odd branch snagged in our bags, we finally burst out of the bush just above the power station, then it was an easy wander back to the West Arm Wharf in the rain. The view from the summit of Leaning Peak(1477m) and also the campsite will be etched into my memories forever, and that’s great because for me the peak is a ‘one and done’ mountain!!
