“On a Mish” #125 Where the Water Comes From (Part Two). Water Tank Ridge. Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park. 25.1.2015. After a Heli-Hike trip was cancelled at the last minute my schedule was changed to afternoon work in the Old Mountaineer restaurant. Now I had a day that needed an adventure because I was in the very lucky situation of having a few hours of spare time when there was blue sky and very little wind, plus Aoraki / Mt Cook National Park is my backyard! Normally in weather like this I was up on the ice of the Tasman Glacier with spellbound Heli-hike customers. Either situation is a win!
I got onto loose scree above the angry Kea’s nest on Water Tank Ridge. The day was fine, and I could see the small dots of humans down in the Hooker Valley going about their day in paradise. As I climbed higher, I was briefly brought to a halt by a large bluff of loose rock and scrub. I checked both sides and, with the left looking like a quick way to plunge down into the Glencoe Stream Valley, the right-hand route looked like a much safer way to go.
The mountains of Aotearoa are littered with loose rocks on their lower reaches and this always leads to some hairy low altitude scrambling. Oh, to have the balance and poise of the deer and goats that frolic about these areas with ease! Feeling the loose stones slipping away under my feet kept me on my toes (literally) and after some slightly dodgy scrambling, thankfully I was on top of the bluff. Even though I was in a semi-rush I took the time to take in the amazing view of the spectacular area I was lucky to call home at the time. The tiny town’s residents really do live right amongst the biggest peaks on offer in Aotearoa.
From my elevated vantage point I was looking directly up the Hooker Valley at the Lake and Glacier. The angle was much different than what most people see. It was like I was in the top floor of the Hermitage Hotel if the building was 50 floors tall. Among the mountains most people drool over when visiting the area, the boss Aoraki / Mt Cook(3724m) was dominating all with his ice shining bright in the sun. A truly grand vista that made the effort well worth it, and I still had time to climb higher and increase the scope of what I was seeing.
After briefly resting on the flat spot on the ridge I continued onward and upward. Due to my elevation, I started encountering patches of snow and ice which I didn’t really expect, and was unprepared for. The voices screaming “go further up so you can see more” were getting challenged by thoughts of “this isn’t safe, and you have seen enough”. I have had this conversation with myself many times over.
I was now at a point where, to continue upwards, I needed to traverse across a small snow chute which funneled avalanches down through it each winter and now, in summer, was covered in small rocks that had been raining down from above. Because I was only in my running shoes and not prepared for snow the safer thoughts prevailed, and I decided I had gone far enough. Besides I was much higher on the ridge than I had originally thought I would get, and the experience was outstanding! It would seem that the ridge where the water comes from is a rather good ridge!
I quickly made the decision to turn back, after a couple of pictures of course! And with that I began the part of my journey where gravity was on my side and not doing its best to weigh me down. Gravity might have been on my side on the way down, but Mr Kea was still looking at me like I was his arch rival as I approached his nest again. With my hands up pleading mercy, I quickly shuffled by and didn’t look back!
Apart from the ‘interesting’ down climb through the loose scree bluff, the descent was straight forward. The folks living in or visiting this great place really are lucky, as this is only one of many missions available, each with their own rewards on offer. Having such an epic backyard was something I never got sick of and as I prepared myself for an afternoon of restaurant work, I was soaking in the satisfaction of another successful mish in perfect peak paradise. With the ‘fun stuff’ over it was time to go back to work to take some people to another equally awesome part of the home of New Zealand’s largest mountains…
