Mt Aspiring

Mt Aspiring, the “Matterhorn of the Southern Alps” is a mountain I know well and it was with some indifference I agreed to climb it again with my Scottish friend Frank Johnstone last February. It had been Frank’s special request and he had travelled half way round the world to do it. Mid February arrived with the promise of several days of fine weather. We left in the evening and drove to Wanaka. On the way I realised I had not brought along any ice screws and later on was told there was ‘green ice” on top so I was concerned by my omission though I sceptical that I would need any technical gear for the climb. In Wanaka I got a text from Simon indicating he was keen to join us. We arranged to meet at Scotts bivi in the upper Matukituki Valley next day.

At Raspberry Flat I was amazed to see so many cars, a far cry from years ago. We set off with heavy packs for Aspiring Hut where we stopped for a spell.

To save weight I took a fly and bivi sac instead of a tent, a decision I was to regret later. It was a gloriously sunny day as we walked on to Shovel and Pearl Flats and up to the upper Matukituki. The bridge across the river at the bushline had been washed away and the ford was straightforward. At Scotts Bivi I set up the fly as the bivi rock was unappealing. Not long afterwards Simon arrived.

We were away early next morning. It was a slow climb up the ‘Gut” with its steep slabs always difficult with heavy packs. From the tussock basin we climbed up a gully and found the line of cairns leading up to Bevan Col. I noted the huge melt of the snow arête in the process of disintegration. I took a poor route up and arrived after Simon and Frank just as a chopper clattered in to disgorge a group of “tourists” heading for Aspiring. We stopped for lunch.

The Bonar Glacier looked terribly crevassed and clearly a lot of ice had melted compared with my previous visit nine years ago. It took us an hour to zigzag our way across and then we had to follow down the glacier beside the Shipowner Ridge well past the hut before we could gain the ridge. Just below the hut was a delightful tarn and bivi spot where we stopped. It was warm and windless with extensive views. We had a swim in the tarn and an early night.

We left early next day. It was a starlit night as we plodded up the Shipowner Ridge. At the top just as it was getting light we set up an abseil to reach the ice 50 feet below. Years ago one used to be able to walk straight onto the snow so obviously there had been a big melt in the interim. Further on we gained the NW Ridge and wandered around huge towers to the big buttress where we moved left on narrow ledges. Higher up below the flat ridge level with the top of the Ice Ramp we put the rope on for a short exposed pitch. From here on it was a plod up rocky slopes to the summit. The top 250 feet were hard ice but not difficult and not requiring any protection at all. The views were superlative.

After a round of photos we descended and noted a lot of cloud now moving in from the Tasman.

We made good time on the descent though we did loose the route for a while getting around the big buttress. I led the rock pitch back onto the Shipowner that was straightforward. Back at our bivi we found the keas had paid our gear a visit and shredded our pack liners and helped themselves to some of our food. I was anxious about the weather so we set off across the Bonar. By now the wind was rising and the weather looked doubtful. Darkness found us on the other side of Bevan Col with Frank stuck on a cliff. Once we got him off that we carried on down in the dark and eventually decided to stop at a flat area by a large cairn. With some difficulty I pitched the fly. The weather grew worse, cloud enveloped us and then at 3.00 am the rain started. No sleep was possible in the storm as we waited for first light.

Dawn saw us packing up in the rain. It was truly miserable. In whiteout it was guesswork getting down to the valley above the gut. In rain and cloud we descended till we struck a track. This led over to the right but the view into the steep gut below Hector Col did not look inviting. So we tried another line that looked even worse so went back to the first one and descended. The valley below so pleasant on the way up no longer looked so inviting in the slanting rain. An attempt to descend the gut failed so we decided to bivi in the wee valley above. So there we stayed, cold, wet and miserable with less than adequate bivi gear and only a remnant of kea salvaged food to sustain us.

By next morning the rain had eased and the creeks were down as we set off. This time I put on my crampons to climb slick slabs and perchanced upon a line of rappel anchors that took us safely down to the West Matukituki. From there it was an easy walk out to the car.

As ascent of Mt Aspiring 14-19 February 2011 by Simon Marwick, Frank Johnstone and Stanley Mulvany