Back at Whakapapa

So we had another night booked at the Alpine Club hut up above Whakapapa and a forecast of fantastic weather (almost tempting us to forget the booking and snowcave on the summit plateau) so we headed off on Friday evening and slept in the car near the town of National Park.

We woke to frost on the inside of the windows and headed up to the Top O' the Bruce to catch the ski lift up to the hut. We dropped off our overnight stuff, shouldered our climbing gear and skis and plodded on up to the summit plateau. Stepping through 'The Notch', a gap in the crater rim, we again had the isolated view of the plateau and its battlements of the summit peaks. Straight ahead was our obective - Matihao (Cathedral Rocks).

We left our skis at the top of the Whangaehu Glacier and headed down to the south face of Matihao, to warm up (as if the climb up there wasn't enough) on the straight forward but atmospheric 'Left Couloir', a deep gully of bommer snow-ice. After a quick refuelling stop in the sun on top, we headed down the so called 'Easy Gully' which landed us back at the bottom of the face.
Helen in the lower reaches of 'Easy Gully'

Looking along the face, the best ice appeared to be on 'Straight Route' providing a continuous strip of ice to the snowy ledge at two thirds height. After waiting our turn, we started up the route. The first pitch began with a sting, an awkward steep buldge, followed by a bit of weaving before a sustained vertical section up to an exposed belay half way up the fall. The second pitch provided another steep section before the relative comfort of the snowy slope providing a bit of respite and a belay before the a difficult mixed section to get established on the final strip of ice running through the rock band that finally deposited us on the snowy upper slopes of the peak. We are coming to the conclusion that with Ruapehu winter routes the wildy variable conditions means that grades need to be taken only as the vaguest indiciation.

Looking across from the bottom of easy gully to climbers (retreating) off 'Straight Route'. It was still a full rope length from the snowy slope through the rock band to the top.

Helen weaving up the first pitch.

Finishing up the easier angled snow at the top of the second pitch.

The shadow of Ruapehu to the west as the sun sets from the top of Cathedral Rocks.

Looking east from the top of Cathedral Rocks, the summit plateau, 'The Notch' in the crater rim and the sea of clouds beyond. Helen just got to see the sun dip below the horizon but Tim was still dismantling the belay on the other side of the summit. A nice end to the climb.

It was getting dark by the time we picked up our skis and were making our way back over the plateau and we were properly be-dusked by the time we had passed back through 'The Notch' and reached a point where we could swap crampons for skis and head (slowly) back down to the hut.

In the morning, Helen headed down and back up the lifts with out overnight stuff and picked up our climbing boots from the car (needing a break from climbing in our ski boots) and again we headed up to 'The Notch'. From here though we headed left across the plateau under the line of cliffs of Tukino to the south face of Te Heu Heu.

The rimed up rocky summit of Tukino and the snowy dome of Te Heu Heu beyond (6 vague dots being some other people from Wellington on an official Alpine Club trip).

From the edge of the summit plateau, we took a rising line up the south face, the Mangatoetoenui Glacier dropping off beneath our feet providing fantastic exposure. We were soon at the top and took in the views before making the short detour to tick Tukino and then descending the Te Heu Heu valley back to the ski field and the hut.

Ngauruhoe and Lake Taupo to the north from the summit of Te Heu Heu

The Wellington party approach the summit of Tukino

Helen on the summit of Tukino

Te Heu Heu from Tukino, the snowy Ruahine Ranges and the east coast beyond.

We made it back in time for second lunch at the hut and there was enough time left for two ski runs before the lifts closed. Unfortunately Kevin (who we had given a lift from Wellington) didn't turn up back up at the car until several hours later (long story - involving having to go back to the hut from almost at 'The Notch' to pick up a rope amongst other things) so it was a bit of a late arrival back in Wellington.