Photo Of SMS Remarks fest

Me , Shelley, Jean on Saturday Morning Special 

This photo is by Mark Watson of Highlux photography
www.highlux.co.nz/blog
Thanks Heaps mark for a great memory preserved and your generosity in letting me use it.

Mark was one of the official photographers at the Remarkables mixed and Ice festival I mentioned a few posts ago
Pretty pleased to have a pic of my hardest lead yet..Not so pleased to see I crossed the ropes ( I blame nerves)

More winter climbing

Well more winter climbing as the season comes to an end, including the elusive (for me) Friday's fool
The start is still too hard for me to lead.. but one of my one day goals. (Thank God Paul had the Kahuna's)

Keith, Millsy, Me 

Thanks Millsy, Keith , Paul for good times, support, and top ropes on the hard stuff. X X X

Remarkables Ice & Mixed Festival

This weekend there was a climbing Festival in Queenstown.
http://www.iceandmixedfestival.co.nz/

It had a great Vibe with everyone from Gerusa putting crampon's on for the first time ever, Some pro Guides, Top end climbers, and lots of amateurs, all hanging out enjoying a few beautiful sunny windless days in the Remarkables, Queenstown.

Lots of social time too to catch up with old friends and climbers from far and wide. I also got to climb with 3 people I'd never climbed with before and get to know them a whole lot better.

My Team on Saturday Morning- Jean, Me and Shelley

Ice climbing stuff I love

Petzl Quark Ice Tools- Disclaimer: I work for the importer

The New Quarks are awesome:
Light weight- so you don't get drag on the swing.
Hooks for leashless- Never get pumped again! Never hit your Knuckles.
All mountain- Can be stripped down, along with the lightweight this is a one tool does it all tool.

Earth Sea sky Stretch Fleece leggings


Cosy and cuddly with out ever getting sweaty. I have other thermal layers but wear these everytime. Also great for winter running and biking


The natural confectionary company Forbidden fruit


Yummy and don't go hard in the cold. A pocket full of these will keep you going on the walk out.

Primal Scream, West face, Remarkables

Lovely Tony B came to visit and we climbed a route  with Michal. Not much ice at the moment and it was hard with rock slabs under snow.

Photo by michalkarnik.com

Me on Pitch 1

Photo by michalkarnik.com

Pitch 3 This overhung chock was the crux, nothing but slab on top, feet smeared on face. Tony let out a primal scream on the lead.

The "easy" gully finish wasn't that easy

Thanks to Michal for the great photo's.  It is a lot of gear to carry.

Blue velvet

Blue Velvet dosn't have great access notes so here's a cheat until new Guidebook comes out. Acess as going to Wye creek. Where the Tarns drain out, head right along the ridge past a shed sized block, then traverse basin and go down gully next to ice.  At top (below rock band) traverse off easiest way. It may go up and down.
Grade 2 170m

Paul at the Base of Blue velvet

In the Hood

On Saturday Aaron and I spent the day together and went on a long easy bike ride around The neighbourhood. Shotover, Arrow and Kawarau rivers. Lake Hayes, Millbrook etc. We of course stopped for Mocha's and cake in Arrowtown on route. Cool to be having adventures, however small, together again.

Sunday I went back to Remarkables Ice climbing this time just behind the ski field and lake Alta. A cool day with the old school crew of Dave , Rupert, Millsy and a new friend Thierry.

We started early. Dawn photo by Rupert Gardiner of Rock n Rambles (Guided climbing/hiking)

Millsy in front of the climbs we did. Roughly 40m. Twin ropes best.

Left. Alta states

Right. White Jism

 The wee slab you see on far left leads to the alta Ego chimney. Fixed Piton here about 12m.

Fist official day of Winter spent at South Face

Paul at start of Touchdown

Half way up

Top

Touch Down top on left and some stuff we had a play on in middle

( See if you can find the Abseiler)

Ice climbing with Paul . He just Learnt at the Queenstown climning club day last year. This guy is SUPER keen. A very fun way to spend the first day of Winter

First climb of Winter

Well kind of.
Aaron and I walked up to Lake alta, His knee wasn't up to it yet so we didn't go too far. No ice at Border crag, Altered states  formed but too wet and warm right then. A cold snap and head up there.

I climbed a couple of mixed things. 1st climb I was awful but the next one was better. Maybe because it was so steep I had to use technique or maybe just getting back into the head space.

Either way with carrying rope, draws, screws, rack all by myself since Aarons broken and getting out hanging on the tools it's got to be good training.

Aaron coming up to support me when he can't play..I'm a very lucky girl.
He wasn't really up to the snow walking so if you want to play I'm looking for partners.

Ski touring Wye

A few weeks ago Aaron and I set off to ski tour to Wye ice. The Snow was icy Stastrugii (windswept bumps) and terrible ski conditions, The ice was on and further down the valley we could see a cool looking Pillar. With the lure of a new line we decided to ski down to the pillar, climb it and then continue down the valley and hitch back up to our car at the end of the day, thinking the snow conditions would be much nicer in the valley.

Aarons splitboard infront of our Pillar

Aaron not too happy since there is water pouring down the pillar, making it unclimbable

we decide it's too far back to the other ice so continue down the valley at first snowboarding but quickly terrain becomes too flat, so we try it in ski mode( not reccomended)

In the icy conditiond and the lack of edges I kept slipping Towards the stream bed in the steeped sided area's

Soon things go from bad to worse and Due to the rocks poking through the soft snow we can no longer"ski" so we have to Post hole through snow with Ice climbing gear and touring gear on our backs.

Never knowing how far you would go through was exhausting.  Huge boulders, alpine shrubbery (damn you Spinifex) Sometimes it was so deep we had to crawl to make any progress. 3 hrs later we made it out to the Wye climbing area. Way too late in the day to get a ride back up remarkable we were rescued by our Lovely friends Shane and Nial, who went way out of their way to help us retrieve the car...You guys Rock!

It took me 3 days to recover, but no permanent damage done. A bit more adventure than we bargained on at the beginning of the day though

Girls iceclimbing trip

I did a wee report on the trip at www.queenstownclimbing.com under Ice/G man and Estelle return which has alot more photo's.

A couple of me on the day

Above: leading Ice by Rike

Below: Walking out by Melanie

A few of us Girls went for a great days climbing at Wye creek
Mel and Sam rockclimbing friends wanted to go so I also invited a few Experienced girls to help out, a few more friends were invited along and we had a crew of 8. Unfortunately Sam hurt her shoulder and couldn't make it last minute. A couple of the girls are Mum's so We made the most of our time and were out for 11 hours.

We were Blessed with Calm sunny weather
Jane and I set up topropes. Me on a nice easy one and Jane on a harder one. The girls all threw themselves at it. I was quite impressed by all the grit and determination on Display.
Celine bought Cake.(It may be 5 years since she ice climbed but she didn't forget the important stuff!)
Celine, Anna, had ice climbed before Too( Mel also But not enjoyably) and Birget,  and Rike were rockclimbers, so had all the fitness and rope skills.
Thanks to Jane's amazing tips Mel started to get the swing of things this time.

We finished off on some De;licat( or should that be desperate) mixed rock and ice.

Some of G man's Photo's from alpine club comp

http://alpineclub.org.nz/image/aaron-ford-between-a-rock-and-fragile-ice-sending-grey-power-m8-in-wye-creek

http://alpineclub.org.nz/image/aaron-ford-hitting-hard-the-wye-creek-ice

Ice climbing at wye

We have had heaps of Ice climbing several Day trips and A 3 day camping trip as well.
Our friend Guillaume came camping with his awesome camera so we didn't take many photo's ourselves.
His are so good, he'll save them to sell I think.

A few Pics

Aaron leading Iron curtain


Oops. I knocked a Chunk of ice on myself. Wound closure strips to stop the scaring and a couple of days looking like Aaron beats me and I'll be fine.


behind the top tier of ice at Wye creek is a nice cave. People camping often sleep there. It is sheltered for lunch.

Holidays part 1 Milford

We checked out the Darran Mountains at winter.
The Ice was a little Thin for us to climb but the Scenery as amazing as in Summer

Kitting up in Cirque creek for a little explore

Cirque creek.


me checking out the view



the creek in Gertrude valley( there was Frost everywhere)

Tony's photos of Equinox

Sally on the top of Crux pitch Equinox. Half on rock half on Ice with a big old burn from the Bridging


Aaron leading the crux pitch. For a rock pitch heaps of ice was coming down off the little ledges and cracks!


A nice couple shot for the family back on the Queens drive!

Mixed climbing:Saturday Morning Special/ Equinox telecom tower, Remarks

Saturday Morning Special was the first climb of the season, 3 friends climbing, One pitch to lead each. A really positive and fun start to the season.
Equinox so named as it was the shortest day! My zone from the week before abandoned me and I just followed the boys on top rope. Quite scary and with changing between using your hands and the ice axe all the time it was a bit of a logistical nightmare..But I learnt alot and will be better organised next time I wear a pack and full rack and tools!

Saturday Morning Special M3 or 4, 170m Tony Burnell, Aaron Ford and Sally Ford 06/09
Gully at left end of Telecom tower( 100m left of MC gully)
Snow gully with Mixed steps. 3 pitches
Easy access and descent to shadow basin chairlift, makes this a great introduction to remarks mixed climbing.

Aaron heading off on Pitch 1


Tony just above the first step pitch 2


Glad to be on top Aaron celebrating as he see's it's the last belay


Our happy team

Equinox M5+, 165m , Tony Burnell, Aaron ford, Sally Ford. 06/09
Goes up the obvious and Awesome rock corner right of the Notch route between T Tower and double cone.

Wye creek ice again

we went over to the Ice again on Saturday. There were 3 girls there 2nd time in a row!

Melanie Heather and Me. Thanks for the Photo's Mel.
Lots of Dunedin and Wanaka people.

Aaron had a go at the mixed route he bolted last time. The easy looking crack at the top is slanted so unless you keep the tools just so you slide out....and he did! The crux was getting on the ice but I imagine that that will be easier other seasons as in old photo's the pillar looks much more established. he didn't do it clean so you willl have to suffer through even more ice blogs.
Aaron reaching out to the ice from the crack on his new route

I had my first go at drytooling. I could hold the position OK but traversing, and the weight transitions involved, was very difficult. I was scared on top rope so credit to Aaron for his attempts. I pulled hard and have been pretty sore this week. Luckily I am entertained by the olympics so sitting around on the couch isn't too bad.

The weekend before we did a vertical rope rescue course for The rescue team. It was pretty interesting. But Long days.

Aaron has finally finished the Job he has been on for 18 months and we had a party there on Sunday night which was really nice. I don't usually get to see the houses once they are all finished and furnished.

camping in the ice

we spent Saturday night at the ice. Paul, Anna, Lionel, and Pete were out there and we had dinner with them in their nice big tent so it was very civilised. I did lead like i wanted so I was stoked at that.

It is great to be back at home again now...Chairs are so COMFY!

Wye creek Ice 19/07

On Saturday e headed over to the ice again, this time with Tony Burnell.

Tony on Iron curtain
Since Aaron didn't climb Last time we again started with iron curtain then we climbed a more fragile line to the left that looked cool as we lowered off.

Aaron through the curtain
Aaron then led the central pillar which had some really cool bumpy features and was a bit tricky to protect because of that. REALLY fun climbing though.

Aaron wondering if that bump will stay when he stands on it

Sally on Central Pillar
I felt like I got into the swing of it was much more relaxed and Smart than last week so next time I'll bust out a lead I think.

On sunday went for a wee snowboard up Remarks with Amber and Nick

Ice,ice,baby

Sat was a big day with the morning snowboarding for me and the both of us going to the indoor climbing wall in the afternoon.
finally on Sunday the weather was Good and we got to go Icce climbing( or Rather I did)
It is a 2-3 hour walk in we arrived at the ice and Aaron slipped over and landed on a rock. He has a sore butt/hip/back. He was experiencing shooting pains and was unable to climb
Rupert lead The iron curtain and Dave and I had a toprope.
Rupert leading
sally on toprope
dave on toprope
Then Aaron and I started out and left the boys to it.Luckily although sore a couple of neurofen and keeping moving slowly saw Aarons injury improve.
Aaron on his split board
Sally on snowshoes
It was really good to get out on the Ice and we can't wait to get back out there!