Half way up Bealey Ridge
Charlie Kea
Mathew and Don on top of Mt Bealy
Charmaine "no holds barred" down
the scree
The entrance to Babylon
Posing under a formation in the cave
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 I
arrived in NZ at midnight of Friday the 20th Dec.The
next was
spent putting some gear together for my few days of adventure with Don
(Zimmer frame grandad). On Sunday we headed off to Arthurs Pass, a drive
that would have been flawless if we had not encounted a
"kamakaze" bird that didn't see Don's clean windscreen, arriving
at Arthurs Pass about 8.30am.By 9am we were on the track to Avalanche Peak, a 1100 metre straight up
tramp! The trip was a circuit of Avalanche Peak, Lyall Peak, Mt Bealey, a 700 metre
dropdown the scree slope into Rough Creek and back to the
village.(see map) I was unaware of the climb ahead, but we took our time
to reach the top in 2 hours. Don, as I had been told, has a nack of talking
to keas, and he didn't disappoint on this occasion. We had a Kea follow us
up the section of Scotts Track we were on and to the top of Avalanche
Peak.
Once at the top we met three other people and invited them to join us
on the round trip. Chamaine ( an Adelade girl ) provided all the sound
effects as she had never been in snow before, and couldn't resist sliding
down it on her bum. Three hours later, and a little challenged, we made it
along the the ridge line to and and over Mt Bealey to the start of the
scree slope. Running down the scree was so much fun, "this has been
the best day of my life" Charmain declared as she raced down the
scree!
We then headed down Rough Creek (aptly named) to the
village, changed
our clothes and headed off to Punakaiki on the West Coast, staying at the
motor camp that night. Don slept for 10 hours, might have something to do
with two previous nights of 5 hours sleep and 300k of driving, and no zimmer
frame!!!
Early the next morning we packed up and headed up the coast
to the Fox
River and a hour plus tramp up the river and then up through the bush to
the top of the gorge wall to the entrance to Babylon Cave. This was
my first caving experience. I'm told it was a pretty cruisie cave wise, but
for me it was great.
Returning to the car at midday we headed for home via Lake
Brunner where
we got our first bit of bad weather when it rained, no matter we had
enjoyed great weather for the two days.
Next day Don took me kayaking out in the
Estuary. My god, did my arms
hurt, as did my legs after the tramp and my legs again after rhe mountain
biking in Bottle Lake Forest (16k of single track). Some way to end 2002
...PAIN....I guess I'm just too unfit! All up it was great fun, a little tiring
and the pain a small price to pay.
Mathew kayaking in the Estuary in Christchurch
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Bealy ridge looking east
Bealy ridge looking west (enlage to see
people)
Down the scree with Mathew in the lead
Some of the mid summer snow
 A
damp bit of the cave
A nice limesone formation
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