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After weeks of fantastic weather and fast climbing conditions we've had a LONG week of rain. We're back into a good week of weather..... yes, you say, it was bound to happen. Merry Christmas to us all.
AORAKI-Mt Cook
Marty recently reported firm conditions and good coverage of the Linda glacier. We have not heard news in the last few days, but here's a couple of photos from Rob Frost's private GT which ended Sunday 9th Dec.
Westland National Park
Nick Morgan has been a regular at Centennial hut lately - here's some fantastic photos (thanks Mark and Mandy). James Hamilton and crew recently completed a Steep Alpine Ice course based at Pioneer hut - click here for their photos.
Mt Aspiring National Park
Mark Woodward reported "very warm" conditions Dec 9th. His 3 person Aspiring Expedition Course ascended via the "ramp" and descended via the full northwest ridge.
Reports from Anton at Colin Todd last night indicated that conditions on snow were very firm and fast and they needed ice screws for the summit ice cap. Anton preferred to climb via the northwest ridge, not the ramp. Marty is climbing today and we'll have an update on our website "Mountain Conditions" tomorrow.
Another Seventh Summit Contender?
What is the most appropriate Australasian summit - Kosciuszko, Carstensz or.... Aoraki/Mt Cook? While all of the other continents have an undisputable summit, the true top of Australasia remains open to interpretation. There are those like Dick Bass who contend that Australasia should be limited to the Australian land mass (i.e. Kosciuszko) and others like Paul Morrow who believe that all the surrounding islands should also be included, as far afield as New Guinea (Carstensz Pyramid). In his book 'Seven Summits', (Mitchell Beazley 2000) Steve Bell puts forward arguments for both.
However, Steve's view is that both of these options are flawed. Koscuiszko may be the highest point of the Australian mainland, but it is such an easy climb (or walk!) that it falls short of the notion of challenge that makes the 7S such an appealing objective for so many mountaineers. The argument for Carstensz is based upon tectonic plates: that New Guinea is on the same plate as the Australian land mass, therefore part of Australasia. Carstensz is certainly a challenging enough climb, but it is notoriously difficult to access and the region is affected by significant human rights issues.
Australasia (or, if you prefer, 'Oceania') is often accepted as being Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand and the surrounding islands of the South Pacific. This is the interpretation used by geopolitical and economic measures, and by some sporting organisations. As such, it removes New Guinea from the equation, and so the highest point becomes Aoraki / Mt Cook.
The Seven Summits is a concept already based, in the case of Europe and Asia, on man-made borders. The Australasian summit argument has never been resolved, so both the Kosciuszko and Carstensz versions are accepted and recorded. If Aoraki/Mt Cook was adopted as the Australasian summit, it would provide a readily accessible objective, and it would embrace the concept of challenge and commitment that makes the Seven Summits such a worthwhile undertaking.
What do you think? We'd welcome your comments.
Trip report : Ama Dablam, 2007 - led by Steve Bell click here for pictures
Steve Bell has just got back from leading the Jagged Globe Ama Dablam expedition. It was a great trip and the benefit of going late in the season was proved yet again by near perfect weather for the whole trip. Four members of the team reached the summit with 2 Sherpas on 2 December. Steve and the remaining members made a summit bid on 3 December, which turned out to be the one bad day of the trip. They turned back at 6600m in deteriorating weather and bitterly cold conditions. That night it snowed heavily, making the retreat to base camp difficult and time-consuming. All were safely back at BC on 4 December.
Jagged Globe will be running its 10th expedition to Ama Dablam in November 2008, with Kiwi guide Caroline Ogden as leader.
Welcome Jim Blyth !
IFMGA Guide Jim Blyth is a member of both the British Mountain Guides and the French Syndicat National de Guides de Montagne. A Scotsman, Jim has been living in France for the past 14 years and since 2000 in the village of Servoz, close to Chamonix. He specialises in ski mountaineering trips to unusual destinations such as Mongolia, Greenland, Lebanon, Russia and Chile to name a few. He also does small scale ice climbing and mountaineering expeditions around the world and traditional summer alpine guiding in the European Alps. Jim has brought his young family with him to New Zealand for 6 months and we are delighted to have him as a member of the Aspiring Guides team for the season.
Ideas on excellent trips with AGM
Four day ascents (Earnslaw, Barth, Dixon, Minarets, Lendenfeld, Barff). http://www.aspiringguides.com/four_day_ascents.html
Five day Mt Aspiring http://www.aspiringguides.com/mount_aspiring_tititea.html
Five day Mt Sefton http://www.aspiringguides.com/mount_sefton.html
Six day Mt Tasman http://www.aspiringguides.com/more_great_ascents.html
Six or seven day grade 5 alpine ice http://www.aspiringguides.com/grade_5_climbs.html
Six or seven day Aoraki/Mt Cook http://www.aspiringguides.com/mount_cook_aoraki.html
Seven day Climbing Week http://www.aspiringguides.com/summit_week.html
Ten day Sw ridge of Aspiring & Aoraki/Cook http://www.aspiringguides.com/sacred_ancestors_cook_aspiring_.html
Ideas on courses (our groups are small)
Seven day intro Mountain Skills course http://www.aspiringguides.com/introductory.html
Eight day Steep Alpine Ice course http://www.aspiringguides.com/advanced_courses.html
Eight day Expedition Mt Aspiring course http://www.aspiringguides.com/advanced_courses.html
Private Instruction courses http://www.aspiringguides.com/private_instruction.html
Ideas on trekking
Two day Glacier treks under Mt Aspiring http://www.aspiringguides.com/glacier_trekking.html
Four day Copland Pass http://www.aspiringguides.com/copland_pass.html
Rabbit Pass, Rainbow Valley, Cascade Saddle, Black Peak, Glacierburn, Five passes http://www.aspiringguides.com/wilderness_trekking.html
Please call us now to plan your next rendezvous +64 3 443 9422.
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