Day 2 in Lyngen and the weather as brilliant as ever. We skinned up the gully towards the summit ridge to Nordmannviktinden, a steeper and more interesting line than the day before and superbly atmospheric in the mist.
Our first day out in Lyngen and we eased ourselves in with a trip up the 1142m Storhaugen. The weather was absolutely ridiculous and we could never have dreamed that the conditions would be this good. Low avalanche risk, blue skies and good snow.
Queenstown is stuffed with people trying to sell you adventures. Erinna and I caught the gondola up the hill a few times for some mountain biking. Turned out to be much more downhill than we were expecting!
Plans to spend a few days in the high peaks of Mount Aspiring National Park were put on hold as the weather turned wet and grim. Erinna and I chanced a trip up Breast Hill to the east, which turned out to be cloud and rain free with a stunning sunrise as well. One of my favourite ever wild camping spots, and the closest to a mountain summit that I've ever spent the night.
Just down the road from Arthur's Pass lies a discrete little turning into a nature reserve car park. Venture down the path and you enter Cave Stream, a waist deep, freezing cold, underground river which winds its way through the hillside to emerge a kilometre or so upstream. The small plaque casually suggests that a headtorch and shoes might be helpful. A very cool little subterranean adventure.
We really wanted to hike the day trip up Avalanche Peak and so after our descent from the Robert Ridge, Erinna and I raced around to Arthur's Pass and set up camp, fending off the night-time attack of the cheeky Kea parrots.
In the morning we shot up the 1000m ascent to the summit just before the clouds closed in. After the steep ascent, Avalanche Peak culminates in an airy, exposed ridge to the top with great views of the glaciers clinging to the surrounding peaks in Arthur's Pass National Park.
