Category: Grand Traverse Aoraki Mt Cook
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Walking the Beagle Channel
During April 8 – 9, 2005 I walked a section of the coastline along the Beagle Channel down into the town of Ushuaia, located in Tierra del Fuego in Southern Argentina. We were actually trying to cross the Beagle channel to Isla Navarino (belonging to Chile), and attempt a challenging walk called the Dientes circuit, however could not find…
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Mission aborted – but oh what an adventure!
Happy 2013 to everyone! The weather in the Southern Alps this week is very suitable for ducks. However if you are not a duck, then it really is quite miserable. Strong winds, heavy rains interspersed with huge bolts of lightning and booming claps of thunder. From Monday to Thursday of this week, the forecast has…
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Rehydrating in the rain
Good news! A weather clearance is coming for Thursday and Friday this week. Bad news, I need to leave by Saturday. At least we are finding opportunities to keep re-hydrated today. We spent an interesting couple of hours visiting the DOC exhibit’s on climbing in the Aoraki National Park and Sir Edmund Hillary’s various feats…
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Rain rain go away
After a 10 hour flight to Christchurch overnight I landed this morning at 1030am, picked up the rental car then picked up climbing partner Big Al (Alan Silva) who flew over from Sydney. We then drove the 5 hours down to Mt Cook Village where we are currently staying tonight in Unwin Lodge (run by…
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Ngima Grimen Sherpa – A tribute
Within the last few days I saw some Facebook posts, that a Sherpa named Ngima had passed away in a motorcycle accident. As many Sherpa share the name ‘Ngima’ I did not pay much attention until I saw his full name listed again today ‘Ngima Grimen Sherpa’. I then looked more closely and recognised his…
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Merry Christmas: Packing for the GT – Just how light is right?
“Ho, ho, ho”, or should it be “groan, groan, groan” as our bodies struggle to digest that enormous amount of food that is traditional to consume at this time of year. I have been training hard for the past few weeks, however with the parties, dinners, lunches, drinks etc, my self-discipline has slipped with what I have…
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The Grand Traverse, Aoraki Mt Cook – climbing route in 3D
In three weeks time the route that I hope to attempt in New Zealand is the ‘Grand Traverse’ (GT), together with Alan Silva. The GT crosses from the West coast of New Zealand to the East coast, via the summit and summit ridge of Aoraki Mt Cook, New Zealand’s highest mountain. The Climb New Zealand …
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Its climb time!
Greetings from Sunny Singapore! Today is a special day as my father turns 70 years old. Happy birthday Jack! What a celebration of a life lived fully and happily. At the age of 70, Jack is still running over 12oo acres of steep hill country sheep and beef farm in Matau, Taranaki, New Zealand. He…
Grant 'Axe' Rawlinson 