Wilkin Explorations, 2003

Wilkin Explorations, Easter/ANZAC Weekends 2003

Words by Kathleen Logan
Pictures by Caroline Duggan, Kathleen Logan & Julien Funfrock
Outstanding Trip Organisation by Don French

Don French’s Wilkin Valley Exploration trip sounded so exciting that a total of 15 enthusiastic climbers journeyed there over Easter /Anzac Weekends 2003. Dave Langrish and Kathleen Logan, former Wellington section members (now in Dunedin) met the van at Makarora, while the only ringer (non-Wellingtonian), James Broadbent, drove down from Christchurch. They joined Don French, Ex Al Presidente (Alan Lowrie), Caroline Duggan, Peter Shanahan, Garth and Angie London, Jenny Henshaw, David Chittenden, Nicky McIndoe, Sally Boyd, Kevin Patterson and Julien Funfrock for 8 days of great weather, good times and hopefully some peaks.

An exciting jet boat ride saw 5 people make it to Kerin Forks Hut on the first night, 6 people flew up to a few km short of Top Forks hut, while the other 4 had to spend an unscheduled night in Makarora due to fading light and jet boat difficulties. Yaay (eventually) for motorised mountain transport!

The first day’s tramping from Kerin Forks up to Top Forks Hut shook the cobwebs out of our knee joints and we prepared for the ascent of Mt Pollux.

"Don has attempted it before" I heard (more than once it turns out), so on Sunday he led the way up, choosing the best bush-bash via a waterway (would have been a waterfall if it weren’t for the drought), which included some chimney-stemming and pulling up vertical grass. Two ropes were set up to assist on the steeper upper scree slopes before the large bivy ledge was gained. This ledge (on the SE side of the mount) has probably never seen so many tents at one time!

Easter Monday saw seven pairs of headlamps starting off around 6am. Sally and Garth turned back after a while for a civilised lie in, while the rest ascended the glacier, again following Don’s excellent lead (well, sometimes following his tracks as he was way in the distance). The interesting route comprised some climbing over crevasses and abseiling down a wall onto the Donald Glacier, followed by more short vertical ice, crevasses and nevé until we reached the summit ridge.

The ridge included a "friend pitch" (a fixed Friend conveniently wedged above a steep rock step) followed by the "eye of the needle" pitch, which involved some crawling (easier for the petit lasses than the tall lads).

By an early lunch the Summit of Mt Pollux had finally been climbed by Don and James, followed shortly after by Dave and Kathleen. The ‘C’ team (the other 6) made a more civilised lunch time summit of approx. 1pm, - it is probably more ascents than this mountain usually sees in a year!!

Other mountains climbed on the trip included Mt Awful (Dave and Kathleen) and Mt Betsy-Jane (Kevin and Julien). Mt Awful is a misnomer, as it has wonderful solid rock and some great climbing. Should be called Awesome!

Special thanks must go to Angie, for being our base camp manager, and copiously plying us with hot tea on our arrivals and saving bunks!

Details
* Don, James, Dave, Kathleen, Alan, Caroline, Nicky, Kevin, Julien, Pete, Chitty & Jenny climbed Mt Pollux (2,536m) on April 21, 2003.
* Julien & Kevin climbed Mt Betsy Jane (2,168m) on April 25, 2003.
* Dave & Kathleen climbed Mt Awful (2,192m) on April 25, 2003.
* Sally, Garth, Angie, Nicky, Chitty, Jenny, Alan & Caroline looked at Mt Alba (2,360m) from Crucible Lake on April 25, 2003 but decided to leave the summit attempt for another day.