Well that didn’t work – this rock is no better than the sugary, treacherous snow I was craving respite from. My climbing companions Caro and Simon and I had been tentatively plugging upwards, out of the dawn, towards Mount Travers’ north east ridge. There had been no freeze overnight and, nagging at the backs of our minds, was a deteriorating weather forecast.

For a route map and more images www.occasionalclimber.co.nz
For a route map and more images www.occasionalclimber.co.nz