Climbing Mount Aspiring, New Zealand, NW Ridge.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ต.ค. 2024
- Climbing Mt Aspiring, New Zealand.
Wonderful mountain, great views and challenges to climb. I climbed Mount Aspiring Dec 24 2019. I went in solo and found other climbers going for the summit on a good weather day. The approach I did in two stages. First to the lower hut on French Ridge, then to the Colin Todd hut near the summit. The climbers I teamed with, planned to take the "early summer route" just North of the NW Ridge. We did a 4 am start and there were two huge avalanches that changed our plans to do the full NW Ridge. The rock was mostly a scramble with a couple of 5.0 moves. The ice was very solid and the weather held. It was a good day and great views. Randy :)
Other: The Ptarmigan Traverse Photo Collection goo.gl/photos/...
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A memory of an amazing climb up to Mount Asparing and a great sorrow when my climbing partner fell to her death on that beautiful mountain. That was way back in 1971. Now i am now 80 years old but remember that day in details. She rests in peace in Dunedin.
Beautiful video you guys. It definitely has put the hook in me.
I went up there a few days after you and people were still talking about your badass solo ascent. Nice work
Thanks John. I am glad the weather is finally getting nicer in New Zealand. I really enjoyed the beauty, the green, all the animals...
Mesmerizing beauty of New Zealand! Excellent video Randy, I especially liked the narrated portions. They made it so much easier to follow. Beautiful lupines and glacial flour in the rivers....All in all, just beautiful. As good as your editing skills have become I still imagine you had a good ten hours putting this together (due to its length) Had you selected Mt Aspiring as your target beforehand? Orr did you just wing it? Were your cabin 'mates local guys or like you, from distant countries? I know you commented that a couple of them were good on ice, etc. but did you notice any peculiar differences in climbing technique? Enough questions, you need to take a break and relax.
Joel, as you suspected, I just winged it. Your right, New Zealand is beautiful, very beautiful. I had 6 days around the Queenstown area(South) and needed a good weather window to climb. I went in solo and hoped to get onto another rope, or just go it alone. The upper hut, the Colin Todd hut, had at least 2 climbers. I knew that because I met them before they flew out by helicopter from the local town. That was a team from Australia, Adam and Hugh.
At the first hut, there were around 10 people, but nobody was a climber, none were going higher from that group. The next day, the situation changed. I think many climbers showed up since there was a good weather window. Seven of us headed out to the higher Colin Todd hut that day. Along the way, 2 climbers, Christian and Anthony, knew I was on my own and decided to let me on their team. Christian, I believe is around 21 years old and Anthony is around 25 years old. Being older, I did not slow them down too much and our team being the last on the ridge passed everyone to the summit. I was 3rd to the top. 10 made it that day. 8 from the hut and there were 2, Ben and Sue that went missing the day before, they were to the summit just before us, climbing another ridge and did not use the higher hut. The huts have radio communication each day to keep track of everyone, those missing, or in distress too. Ben and Sue were being carefully watched the entire time.
As for climbing Mt Aspiring; that was one of a couple of my targets. The most disappoint thing was the weather report each day for over a month. Every day it was rain, cold, no clear skies.... I really thought that I would do my best with the approach, finding others, and just hope for a good weather window, which did appear. The weather can't be bad all summer, Right?
..... I am sure I will have more to say to you personally later, Randy :)
Nice video, it's great to see the whole climb up rather than just a few highlights, by the way I noticed a lot of people didn't seem to be roped up on the glacier, curious as to why that is, I thought it was super dangerous to be on a glacier alone, was it just good conditions? I would have thought after a storm in December would be one of the worst times as the crevasses would have opened up by then but then had snow bridges with the storm.
There were about 12 people at the cabin and everyone was roped up on the way in and out. Only I went solo, not using a rope. The stormy weather made me turn back. The wind was sideways and it was very nice to have a hut to return to. I dried things out and the next day I did not encounter a lot of fresh snow. The weather in general is rather iffy. They had horrible weather for weeks and that was the first good weather window. I new that 1 team of 2 people would be there. I met them while registering and they had a helicopter ride. I was the 3rd in the hut and it quickly filled up. Again, the good weather brought out all the climbers needing another climbing fix.
Thinking about the climb; I was not roped and another team of 2, that I tagged along with, were also not ropped... seems like the other 9 people ropped up. During the last 1200 vertical feet or so, I put away my Ice axe and just used my poles. It was steep, but very manageable. The slope was very predictable. /// Thanks for commenting.
Super inspiring! You should totally post a few gear videos or your training/exercise routine. I thought my summit to Mt. Daniel was gnarly, but it definitely got me into mountaineering. I have no clue where to start with mountaineering. There are so many classes around Seattle, plus additional safety/crevasse/glacier rescue classes. Not sure what route is best for me, but I am hoping to be physically prepared for 2021 as well as all skilled-up and knowledgeable with mountaineering. This summer, I'll just be backpacking, but longer trips, higher elevations, shorter times. My cardio is complete sh!t, since I am from the flatlands, but defieintly going to work my way up. Awesome vid again!!! Can't wait to see more of your trips.
TJ, I would be happy to talk about it with you climbing plans. Many start to learn in the climbing clubs, while others just gravitate to other climbers and learn. Just leave your email, or contact info if you have questions or need info. Randy :)
Just gorgeous Randy- wow moments like 15 minutes in had me breathing a bit uneasy. It looks like the precipice to a fall to the end of the earth; I can hardly imagine how it would feel to be up there. Great editing and I can't wait to see more from you!
Around 15:00 mins is the top if the peak. The lower sections were actually the most dangerous parts of the climb. We had 5-10 house-size-chunks of ice break off when it was to be stable, around 5am. If we were 15 mins earlier, we would have all been crushed. 10 mins later, another 10 houses of ice came off... we change plans and did the rock ridge. Climbing maybe 2,200 feet or so, before the ice.
Name of the hut 🛖
10:51
Colin Todd Hut
Thanks for the vicarious climb and inspo! Always gorgeous - what video cam are you using?
I am using the sony RX100 VII, It came out last summer and shoots 4k video. ... the crux, the trouble I have, is using Hitfilm as an editor. It has no simple stabilization.
WOW ! Top of the world , Randy .
What a ride you've taken us on this time . Spoiled we are to ride upon your shoulder . Surreal views and compelling narration . Once again envious of your accomplishments (but not the effort required) 😉 You have a captive audience - keep up the good work .
Excellent backing sound track choice .
Sketchy toe/pickaxe descent (guess my $20 cramp'ons wouldn't make the grade)😁
p.s.:not sure i could drive on the left.
Highest regards , stacy , B.C.Canada
Yes, your lost Canadian $20 dollar crampons would be a challenge to use on this one. Everyone had beefy, steel crampons all the way. The mountains were very similar to Cat Peak and the weather was just as iffy. You would have loved it, since it is just like what your use to Stacy. ... driving on the left was also interesting, and I had to remind myself which side to focus on, now and then. Randy :)
@@RandyT_RandyLikesToClimb 😂 Nope, beg to differ . This is more advanced then anything i've ever done.
Forgot to mention how much i adored the bird segments 👍🏻