Tahurangi Peak & First Finger Gully
Tahurangi Peak & First Finger Gully
Story by Neville Palmer
25 – 26 August 2007
Neville Palmer, Gavin Marshall, Jason Brown, Ali Bryant, Frances Woodhead, Mark Yeo and Trey Guinn.
After at least a week of stunning weather it was with a little apprehension towards the weather forecast for the weekend that we found ourselves driving towards Ohakune on Friday night. It was looking like Saturday would be ok for climbing but Sunday was likely to be a café day.
We woke on Saturday morning to light drizzle, still not convinced of the weather. We soon found there was no need for concern. Just a few metres above the Turoa car park, the sun was out above the blanket of cloud, with a clear blue sky and barely a puff of wind. The conditions were the best I’d seen in my short history with Ruapehu.
We had already decided that a summit of Tahurangi really only counted if we started from the carpark. No chairlift for us today. (OK so the guide book says the Skyline Ridge route starts at Blyth Hut but who’s really counting?) We didn’t get far before crampons were off packs and on our boots. Even the snow was in good nick for climbing. Things were shaping up well.
There was an interesting mix of abilities in the team and with the fantastic conditions everyone found a little of something to test themselves on, on the way to the summit. Unfortunately, due to a little misdirection by their trusty leader, Gavin, Jason, Ali and Frances missed the ridge approach to the summit and ended up at the col below steep ice on the northern side of the summit peak. No-one was overly concerned by this as we enjoyed a leisurely lunch over looking the Crater Lake. After lunch Ali joined Trey & I, to retrace our steps and claim her summit shot.
By this time the snow had softened just enough that all thoughts of decorum were lost and, much to the amusement of the ant trail of snow boarders and skiers now making their way up the mountain for an off-piste run, the only way down for us was bum-sliding and shovel-sliding. It was a hilarious end to a great day. Then back below the cloud to the rain and grey of Ohakune.
Sunday morning started very much the same with drizzle and cloud in Ohakune and glorious sun on the mountain. Our original trip plan had been to climb Girdlestone on the second day. However, looking across from Tahurangi on Saturday, there were some impressive ice formations around the summit which looked to make the climb a little more challenging than we had anticipated. Not everyone in the team had harnesses and ropes so we decided to leave Girdlestone for next time. Instead we found some small ice cliffs just above and east of the Giant Café, named First Finger gully. We may not have had enough harnesses, ropes and gear for everyone to climb a peak but there was more than enough for us all to have a play on some steeper ice. For most of us there were a lot of things to put into practice for the first time; climbing with two tools, placing a first ice screw, setting up anchors, leading a pitch. I think we all learnt a lot and had a ball in the process.
No one really wanted to leave the mountain that afternoon but there was still the drive back to Wellington. So we dragged ourselves away from our playground and headed back below the overcast sky to Ohakune for a quick bite at the Mountain Rocks before hitting the road for home.