17th December 2009

Second leg day 1. Day 1 was probably the worst weather I have ever experienced. Today day 5, things look equally bad and we are a day behind schedule, had hoped to cross the Wilkin today but this is highly unlikely and will wait for a boat, one is due on Monday, today is Sunday 13th
(A wee note from Rion to Nicholas, I committed sacrilege the other day, I had dragged a can of coke up to Rabbit Pass and I drank it on the morning of day 3, it was not that satisfying, quite a waste of coke)
Day 1 8th December. An exciting wee day, Andy dropped us at the swing bridge as a thunderstrom lashed around us. We wadded through swollen rivers to get to the swing bridge. We plodded up the farmland of the East Matukituki, linking up to cross one piddly side stream. A bridge got us over the Glacier Burn and that is when things got fun. The East Matukituki was swollen and flooded, the track side streams were also large. Our first obstacle was 2 side streams that were quite impassable due to the volume and speed of the water. One hour later we had straddled a log across it and kept on marching with the rain still pouring. The next obstacle was a 3-4metre high plume of water which was made by a waterfall crashing down into a bucket shape rock which forced it up again. A wire ran across the channel between the plume and the waterfall. At this point a not safe was issued and we retreated to a too tiny biv rock, platformed out by adze to drink tea and wait for the rain to ease. Once the rain intensity dropped so did the plume and by 6pm we were moving again. The three wire acros Kitchener was excillarating as the muddy river was clunking with boulders and the water leaped high like little fingers wanting to tear you off. By Junction flat things had settled down in the sky though we had wet gear a plenty. Richard and his wet sleeping bag retreated back to Wanaka the next day. Popes nose east face was awesome.
Day 2, A slow start. A brilliant day was in existence as we marched up the East Matukituki with a promise of fine weather until tomorrow pm. The goal was to camp above the Wilkin waterfall face and descend in the morning. Rob and Rion made slowish time to Ruth flat though this may have been due to our marvelling the Turnball Thompson Falls and Kitchener Cirque. The climb to Rabbit Pass was interesting, the lower slopes were full of Alpine daisies. There was one small patch of snow on a rock scramble and we descended to Rabbit Pass , reaching camp at 2130 exhausted .
Day Three. I was woken to rain at 3am, a bad omen though Canterbury Mountain radio confirmed that the weather was going to be good till the avo- it was not. Light rain was ever present and we headed down to look at Rabbit Pass it appeared not to bad -about 20m of dodgyness. The warnings we had received told us to back off and wait till things got drier, hopefully tomorrow. So snuggled in the tent we are.
Day 4 Upper Wilkin to Top forks hut
So in the tent we stayed while the weather boiled around us. Only emerging to try and use the mountain radio- set now broken, a hilarious sight of 2 men holding an ice axe over his head proping up 2 cables while the other hand nurses the radio set, very statue of libertyish, very bloody cold. We only heard thunderstorms. Then we hardened the F.. up shat ourselves on the waterfall face, got to Top Forks, warm fire . PS tent pole now bent from the wind