On top of the world

Day 1: Ascent of Mt Tapuae-o-Uenuku (Mt Tappy)

The title is a complete exaggeration of course but it's how I feel. 1500 blips and a successful climb of Mt Tappy. I'm pretty happy :-)

Large of course - it's the only way to view it

This is down the ridge from the actual summit but it's the photo that summed up today for me the most. It's been a big day, it's had it's challenges and all but one of our party made it to the top.

Mt Tappy is the highest mountain in NZ outside of the Southern Alps. There aren't many days you can stand on any sizable summit without having to hold on and wearing all the clothing you carried. Today has been one out of the box.

It's the first time I've stood on a summit where everything else is lower. I hadn't reckoned on that and it's absolutely blown me away. So many snowy peaks, passes and mountain ranges, plains, the lower North Island and Marlborough Sounds, the Pacific Ocean and shear drop 1000's of metres to the Clarence Valley below.

Plenty of rock, enough snow and icy stuff for crampons and ice axe and challenge aplenty. Lovely stuff. One of the best days of my life :-)

Yesterday's blip - the upper Hodder River

I'm a bit tired and catching up with loads of washing, work, dentist etc. I'll back blip and catch up this week as I can. (Opps, I see I have an overnighter this coming Saturday and Sunday. No rest of the wicked).