Pope's Nose - Letter from Andy, 4th December

Dear Family

We've recky'd a fair portion of the West Matukituki Valley of late, and explored a few cool places, but I thought instead I might simply relate a kind of trip report on one of the good days, yesterday in fact, knocking the Pope's Nose on the (his) head.

Diary Entry for Day 12: 4 Dec '09
2am start under clear skies and an amazing full moon. A good freeze this morning so it was good cramponing from right outside the door of French Ridge Hut (1480m) - snow was porridge in the afternoon. We plodded up French Ridge, and threw on the rope about 200m below Quarterdeck Pass to step around a few crevasses. The Quarterdeck Pass (our access to the Bonar Glacier) came quickly and our speed was good. Weren't far off passing a trio of climbers who left the hut some time before us. No headtorches needed in this moonlight, one by one surrounding peaks dropped below us. We were feeling good and kept footing without break across the Bonar Neve.

Unbeatable experience! Magic: The bowl of the Neve has like a huge expanse of icy glass, and reflected the full moon in awesome sparkles. Orange tinge to the East gave clues of a rising sun, still an hour under the horizon. The stars were brilliantly clear, Venus (perhaps!?) glowed bright orange and shooting stars soared throught the sky with unbelievable clarity.
No shit...actual shooting stars!!
Must admit to tripping on the rope a couple of times, so encapsulated by the spectacle we were.

A bit more serious business was involved climbing up the crevassed slopes under Mt Aspiring and Pope's Nose. A few nicely placed snow bridges let us across most big gaps in more or less a straight line. A bit of exitement when Rion lost a leg into a thin deep slot!

We set four pitches up Pope's Nose, mostly to negotiate a small shrund at the base. The steep snow face to reach the summit ridge, was more straightforward with two tools but we kept the rope on anyway, given the freakin gnarly drop over the other side.
"Glad you convinced me to carry those extra ice screws" Rion squeaked in mountain otter language as I came up on his second belay. Half driven snow stake equalised on a screw in kinda hard snowish ice...ish (Rion now claims the stake was only a backup). Sweet bro. The traverse East to the Summit was simple enough...slung a couple of rocks on the narrow ridge.

Hi 5's on the summit (2700m). Awesome, look @ the view, have a beer. It's the second highest mo-fo in the region and Aspiring tempts us next door. This has been a good test of our skills though. Conscious of returning across the Bonar before the noon sun smoked the crust, we solo downclimbed the face and enjoyed a glorious dawdle home. Lunch and Clive Cussler on the balcony of FR hut.

......And....thanks Lizzie for the dehy icecream, it was so good, set real nice in the snow outside.

Lookin forward to catchin up the "the lads" Rob and Ric in few days. Hope all is well with friends and folk up North.

Love and hongi's from
Andy, Rion and Rhinocerous