On the uphill

Looks are deceptive. It looks flat but it's more uphill than it looks. If you look to the rocky outcrop on the left of the plateau, that's where we came up and over. Then we headed across the platueau up the ridge that goes off the left edge of the picture.

Then it was up and across the base of bluffs to get around and up them. I was happy to discover this cairn, which indicated I was doing a sterling job as navigator.

A few years ago I tried to come up the middle of the plateau but it was awful. Waist high tussocks hiding stones. Let's say it wasn't successful and leave it at that.

But today we were successful. I'd never climbed Mt Somers via this route. It's more of a grind, 3 3/4 hours of a grind than the more traditional route.

As you can see the weather was perfect. Go large (the right hand icon with 2 arrow heads, under the image). Aoraki Mt Cook is visible on the left, Elie De Beaumont on the right.

It's hard to fathom climbing anything in a merino t-shirt in May, but I did. It was only at the top when we cooled in the breeze that I put a jacket on.

We descended via a route on the north face, avoiding bluffs and ending up on the saddle between Pinnacles and Woolshed. From there it was an easy wander back to Woolshed hut, where we'd left 7 1/2 hours earlier.

A perfect day and the best birthday treat I could have :-)