Thumbs Up!

Two Thumbs Range
October 2004
Story by Don French

The Two Thumbs range is often forgotten by the north island climbers as they head south with Mt Cook objectives in mind. But if the weather at Mt Cook is not playing the game, then other areas should be considered like the The Two Thumbs range, primarily because it is further east than most south island mountains and seems to be in the rain shallow of every direction. Hence the unstable weather of labour weekend resulted in us using Plan B, the Thumbs.

The party of seven gathered at the traditional climbing meeting spot in Geraldine to arm themselves with cheese and pastries for the journey ahead.

The approach to The Thumbs is via Bush stream, which exits the hills into the Rangitata river a few kilometres west of the Mesopotamia homestead. The river is relatively easy travel with numerous crossings, which may well be a challenge with more water. There is a stiff 250metre climb out of the stream to Crooked Spur Hut, a well-appointed Mesopotamia musters hut.

5:00am saw the group leave the hut and traversed through the tussock into a side stream that leads to Brabazon saddle(1731ms). A sidling descent into the headwaters of Black Birch stream enabled a clear view of the objective, the Thumbs (or more exactly, the southern and highest of the two peaks). The thumbs obtain their name from Samuel Bulter who claimed that they look like two thumbs placed fleshly parts together.

Two routes where attempted. James Wright and Don French took a line directly up the face connecting a series of snowfields via short difficulties, which lead directly to the shoulder just south of the high summit.

The other four, James Broadbent, Fraser Crichton, Scott Campbell and Toby Johnston took a thin white line on the left of the face, topping out onto the shoulder to join the other pair.

The six then traverse the last hundred or so metres to the summit (2546m), reaching it at 1:15pm. Descent via the NNE ridge to the col dissecting the two summits offered a few frustrations and false leads. A 45m rap had the group at the col for an easy descent to the valley and a safe return to Crooked Spur just before dark.