Gratuitous peak of the week. After not successfully completing a peak for two weeks now, I decided to bag a classic. Foggy Peak (1741m) lies next to Porter’s Pass, the gateway to the Southern Alps from Christchurch…
52 Peaks Challenge
The original 52 Peaks Challenge. The entire list of 52 peaks from the 2013 film, documenting a personal challenge of growth by running up 52 mountains across Aoteraoa New Zealand within one year.
“It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.” Once said by Sir Edmund Hillary about climbing a peak. On Sunday, I felt the same.
So instead of doing a peak this weekend, I turned my attention to a last minute entry into the Hanmer Springs half-marathon; a hilly, trail half marathon in the foothills of the Lewis Pass Range. I was offered a lift to Nelson with JJ and Richard Ussher (who were competing in the Rollos 24hr Adventure […]
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Peak 18: Mt Sinclair
Mt Sinclair sits a long way back (part of the Sinclair Range) next to the Two Thumbs ski range, north of Lake Tekapo and is a chain of peaks over 2000m in altitude. Mt Sinclair itself, named after Dr Sinclair, who, back in 1861 was Colonial Secretary to the New Zealand Government. He, along with his friend – Julius von Haast, principle geologist (and also famous for the Haast Pass being named after him) in the upper Rangitata, were surveying the river before his horse bolted and he reached an untimely demise. Still, his legacy lives on in the mountain range, and what a stunning range it is.
After a week recovering from something I picked up in Punakaiki (was it a bug going round, that venison burger I had from the cafe or nature’s sign that I needed a rest…) and as I’d stopped the vommiting, it felt like I was taking to turn for the better. I decided I was well […]
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Peak 16: Mt Bovis
Ah the West Coast. To some this is a rainy place. A place of grey misery, forged out of coal mining pits and historical misdemeanors – reached only be a single track that winds it’s way up the rugged coastline. They’d be totally right… but when the sun does come out, the beauty of the tropical rainforest is released; untouched, ‘un-humanised’, unseen.
Winter is coming. That’s what all ‘Game of Thrones’ fans are shouting at the moment – but it’s also true of New Zealand’s seasons for the 52 Peaks Challenge. This weekend we had the first dump of snow in the Torlesse and Craigieburn Ranges, not a lot but enough to sugar coat the peaks above 1200m, two of which I was climbing.
So I decided after a few years out of the sport and having raced Sprint the Bay earlier in the year to head to the National Orienteering championship. Conveniently they were taking place in Christchurch so… and why not!
Having not really raced in terrain for a while (trail running is so different to tussocks and the like) I thought I might be best suited to the Sprint and Middle Distance races taking place in the Ferrymead Heritage Park and Tūhaitara (nr. Woodend Beach).
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Peak 13: Mt Cloudsley
So a trip to Castle Hill Village for the weekend. The ideal break from the city life and a great time for… a spot of mountain biking along the Hogs Back and of course some 52 peaks running time (!) all next to the world famous Kura Tawhiti (Castle Hill).
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Peak 12: Big Ben
Back to Canterbury this week with another peak from the Korowai/Torlesse Tussocklands Park, this time for number 12 out of 52 peaks… Big Ben (1416m).
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Peak 11: Kapakapanui
The beautiful North Island is this week’s location for a 52 Peaks Challenge… this time in the Tararua Range of mountains, which is split into two halves creating both a northern and southern crossing. The peak I’d chosen to go for is called Kapakapanui, on the west side of the range overlooking Kapiti Island and […]
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Peak 10: Rabbit Hill
So apparently it does rain in New Zealand… after months of sunshine and blue skies for the 52 Peaks, the clouds were upon me this weekend. The cloud base unfortunately was sitting at sea level and cleared at 1800m, so I was definitely in the midst of the cloud and drizzle at 1251m…
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A Week of Rest
After completing nine of the 52 Peaks, I decided to take a weekend off to rest and recuperate after a busy start to the year.
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Peak 9: Dumblane
Off to Hanmer Springs, an alpine village about 140km north of Christchurch. Famous for hot springs, a mountain biking mecca and the ‘local’ ski field… and it was here that I’d planned the 9th 52 Peaks summit.
So something slightly more epic this week; running from Broken River camp ground all the way up to the top of the Craigieburn & Broken River skifields, along the ridge and down again for both the 7th and 8th out of 52 Peaks.
This was a little bit more adventurous, off the trails and purely on scree slopes and rocky ridges. From the car start at 800m we (myself and Karati, a friend) ventured towards Helicopter Hill and took a sharp (and steep) left up the ridge that leads towards Mt Hamilton.