We were wakened at 6 am on Saturday morning by Dad posing this question to us as we reposed in our sleeping bags. Yes, we did lug two big Canon cameras all the way up to Syme hut. Looking east we could see the silhouettes of Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe, and Tongaririo framed by orange and pink clouds. Egmont was surrounded by low cloud so we didn’t get a glimpse of the surrounding countryside. We had a leisurely breakfast and organized the gear we would take to the summit. Dad took his rope, snow stakes, ice screws et cetera, just in case.
We walked out the door of the hut and suddenly we were in cloud. Mum didn’t want to hold us up, so she decided to stay back at the hut and attempt the summit the next day providing the weather held. The cloud rolled away as quickly as it came, and we were in brilliant sunshine.
Angela and me near the start of the climb. Syme hut in the background.The snow was firm and made nice, crisp cramponing. To get to the summit from Syme hut, you descend a few metres into a saddle, then climb 600 metres up the south face. There are no flat spots, no downhills; nothing to ease the task of ascending (until you reach the crater rim, which is only about 30 m below the summit). The slope started off benignly enough but gradually got steeper and steeper.
Resting on the crater rim
Once the rim was gained, we sat down with relief. The first real rest we had in about two hours since leaving Syme hut. Crampon straps were tightened for the final assault of the summit. We walked along the crater for a little bit before ascending to the very top. We stood on the summit, victorious. Well, half victorious. We still had to get down. Egmont was still surrounded by cloud, so we had no view apart from the top of billowing clouds below.
The summit as viewed from the south entrance of the crater rim.
Dad, me, and Angela on the summit of Mt. EgmontA brief rest on top as there was a bit of breeze, then we descended back into the crater for a longer rest and lunch. Dad happened to meet an acquaintance from the NZ Alpine Club, and they decided to climb the crater face of the Shark’s Tooth (a secondary peak), which was covered in ice. Magnus hadn’t brought any gear with him, as he had been soloing due to the lack of a climbing partner. He borrowed Angela’s harness, and it wasn’t long before Dad and Magnus were setting up a belay at the bottom of their intended route. Due to minimal gear – four ice screws and a snow stake, they had to do the climb in two pitches.
The Shark's Tooth as viewed from the south entranceDad led the first pitch up to a sloping ledge, and set up a belay point there. Magnus followed, then passed Dad and led the final short but hard pitch. At this time the first few wisps of cloud started rolling over the summit, at times obscuring the two climbers from view. Angela and I rested down in the crater (and took plenty of photos). There were lots of other mountaineers up there; we would have seen around twenty people in the time we were up there, but no other ice climbers. Eventually Dad reached the top of Shark’s Tooth, and we could see Magnus and Dad walking down the ridge. It took them an hour from setting up the first belay to reaching the crater floor again.
Dad sitting on the belay ledge, and Magnus halfway up the first pitch.
By this time the cloud was rolling in thicker and more frequently, so we decided that we had better start our descent. When we reached the crater rim above the south face, Dad short roped me (tied a rope from his harness to my harness) as I wasn’t comfortable walking down the steep, icy slope. Luckily, I didn’t need to test the system. By this time it was white out. We just kept heading down and occasionally saw our crampon marks and platforms from our ascent. But all the holes in the ice soon started looking like marks from an ice axe or crampons.
Being in a whiteout is very disorientating as you often can not see more than one step ahead of you. It is hard to tell whether the ground slopes up or down beside you, and it is very hard to keep in a straight line. This is one reason why Mt. Egmont has the reputation of the deadliest mountain in New Zealand; because it is subject to sudden and frequent whiteouts.
The return of the mountaineers.
Cherrypie said...
fascinating peice of writing, Briar. I am surprised you met so many people up there in just a few hours.
November 3, 2009 at 4:08 PM
Heather said...
All the other climbers had come up the north ridge, so we met them in the crater and on the summit in the space of an hour and a half. For the rest of the day we saw no one.
November 3, 2009 at 4:19 PM
Adam Dawson said...
Got to love the scenery.
November 17, 2009 at 12:20 PM