Mountain Climbing New Zealand Style
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Taranaki
Having just finished reading Christian’s post on Bozeman I was happy to see that someone beat me to writing that story. I was there with everyone else and I think Christian put it very well.
Having left Bozeman, I headed back to Canmore, then Vancouver on my way to Quebec for some more ice over the Christmas period. I managed to get out on Christmas day and warm up on a fun route called Petite Eiger just near Montreal. Then things took a turn for the worse, on Boxing day I go the call that my little grandmother was doing poorly. Minutes later I had booked a flight to Vancouver the next morning, followed by a flight on to Auckland. So as not to keep everyone hanging, because I know you all care about my little 89 year old grandmother as much as I do, after two pacemakers she is doing much better and probably has another year or two in her. Thanks for asking.
Spending most of my time in Napier, New Zealand on the East Coast of the North Island, I was keen to find a challenge that would only take me away for a day at a time because I was not really there to climb. I decided on two of the highest volcanoes with a plan to do both in the same day. I love it when a plan comes together, shame this one didn’t.
Doing the morning chores
Like all good Kiwi adventures, you can’t start anything till you have done the morning chores. Getting up in the dark, it was off to the cow shed to milk the cows, then hit the road. The roads in NZ are some of the best in the world (if single lane twisty roads are your thing) and best traveled by motorcycle if you want to get anywhere quick and I did. I had to cover 12 hours of driving in the next 24 hour period as well as climb to two summits (both recommend 8-10 hours return and these mountains are 3 hours apart). So leaping on a borrowed Harley I was off with the roar of a V Twin engine.
Mt Taranaki is around 2500m (8,500 ft) and rises steeply from sea level. Mt Ruapehu my second target is just over 9,000ft but has a much shorter approach and starts at around 3,300 ft making it an easier climb. The weather forecast was calling for rain and 90 kph winds easing through the day; not the most ideal weather for climbing. Mt Taranaki is known as a mountain that kills many with its rapidly changing weather but you take what you can get in NZ.
Taranaki, showing its face
I started up Mt. Taranaki in misty rain with a head wind that blew it sideways. Walking up the approach track was like walking uphill pulling a big weight behind. Rising above the treeline I was constantly being blown from one side of the track to the other as the gusts increased. After the first hour, the rain eased and the sun showed its face but the wind continued to build. I considered turning around but the forecast said it would lighten up so I kept plodding on. Like most volcanoes in NZ the slopes above the treeline are made up of a horrible kitty litter-like gravel and sand mix, that means you have to take two steps up then slide back down one, this coupled with the wind was very tiring.
In an effort to keep weight to a minimum and the plan to climb fast I had opted not to bring the sunscreen (given the rain when leaving the parking lot and the fact that I am not too bright) however the NZ sun is much more savage than what we get here in North America and with the sun now beating down I was getting burnt to a crisp.
Look out for the sun.
The wind continued to build, and I continued up the steepening kitty litter while starting to resemble a Buddhist monk in Tibet on a pilgrimage. I would take a couple of steps then have to lie down and wait for the gust of wind to pass, then get up and run a few more steps up before repeating the process, all the while being pelted with small rocks and sand that were being blown off the ridge above. After two hours of this punishment I made it to the summit ridge only to have the adventure-dial turned up.
The ridge was an easy scramble with just a few exposed sections and on a fine day it would have been a breeze. Today I was holding on for dear life. On three occasions I had gusts of wind that caught me off guard and while I had a firm grip with my hands I found my legs were being blown out from under me. Again I thought of turning back but it did not look like I had far to go now. Why is it that the summit ridge always looks so much shorter than it really is? The final 100m was covered in verglas just to add a little insult to injury then a short snow (ice) patch to stand (crouch) on the summit for a quick picture before heading back down.
Not a bad view!
Crossing the snow on the way down required a dive down in the self arrest position for each gust of wind, while the kitty litter was like downhill skiing with a jet pack on your back. I flew back down to the top of the approach track and finally met some people who were heading up, though most were turning around and heading back down. I borrowed some much needed sunscreen to help stop the burn then continued to the parking lot with a round trip time of less than six hours. I was doing great for time but my body was ruined.
There was no way I would have the energy to climb Ruapehu today. The wind had been like kryptonite to Superman, the noise alone had left me with a raging headache. So I headed for home with a quick stop at the pub for a beer because I was fairly parched. Next time weather permitting I will go back and try to do both summits again. New Zealand is a great place to climb with many easily accessible objectives but never underestimate the weather. A nice day can change rapidly, so always be prepared.
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