Whats on the agenda?

Well if anyones is interetsed and want to join in this is the plan so far... So things are starting to happen now. Getting pretty excited. So far i have the fisrt couple of weeks in NZ sorted. After that im just gonna have to play it by ear and hope i team up with some people who are keen for some skiing in the backcountry! As it stands this is the plan..

• 11th July Fly in to ChCh
• 12th-13th July new (seondhand) boots thermo formed, buy up on food at pack n save, sort out some odds and ends in town.
• 14th Head down to Queenstown with Loz...
• 15th, 16th Ski some resorts real keen for Remarkables...
• 17th get a lift back to turn off with mt cook village and hitch/walk in
• 18-24th Ski mountaineering course with Alpine Guides. Will do a full review for anyone interested...
• If i cant scrounge a partner to head back into to AMCNP i am planning on hitting up Ohau, Dobson, and fox peak ski resorts hitching around and setting up camp somewhere just outside the resort. If someone is keen i would be in the backcountry in a flash.
• Will have to drop back into ChCh for a few days to put a tax return in as by this stage i will be very very poor i suspect!
• August, september, october and onwards, unsure! Looking for crew!

Leaving and Coming home

Well have now officially moved all my stuff out of Tasmania and into storage at my folks place in NSW. The mighty subaru made the 800km trip, blown head gasket and all, without a single issue! Since getting all my kit home i have been doing a fair bit of beach fishing with dad (fish curry and smoked fish mmmm) and fixing kit. I pulled everything out yesterday and did a bit of a check up on it. Turns out skins dont like being stuffed in a cubpoard for a couple of years. I stripped the glue back and ordered some new glue from Paddy Pallin in Jindabyne at $74 AUD not cheap, but cheaper than new skins! I also gave my skis a bit of a touch up cleaning up the edges and bases and re-waxing them. Pulled my tent out for a check up, and will go get some more sil-net sealant today hopefully from the local camping store and touch up a few spots, im still yet to work that out, that you buy really nice tent (aka bibler, macpac etc.) and have to seam seal it yourself? Im sure it has something to do with not being able to seam tape siliconised nylon or something...anyone who knows i would be keen to hear! The countdown is now on until i fly out with under 20 days to go. It looks to be the first couple of days im going to spend in chch sorting some items out, getting my new second hand boots (thanks jack) thermo molded, picking up some maps, and organising food. Then its off down south for a few days resort skiing to get the eye back in....after this the plan is looking like Mt Cook village for a bit...will have to see on weather etc.... I also have managed to get a bit of a climb in the other day with a mate from tassy, anna. We headed down to Bittangabee bay and walked around to the north side (45min-1hr) where some sea cliffs are. Got a couple of climbs in, one really funky face with really cool pockets carved into it by the sea about 20m height. We also put up what we decided was a first ascent, as no one would have wasted their time with what we deemed advanced bouldering before... about 5-7m arete, with two good faces either side. Was fun. Called it the gear monster as anna dropped her atc from the top ledge (about 12m). Was a pretty tops day in general with lots of sea eagles, and big bait balls jumping 30m off the cliff, hot and sunny!

Tickets and More Gear

Well its a done deal, after a bit of a stuff up. Purchased a one way ticket to NZ flying out of Melb on the 11th of July (Not June as i intially booked...). Getting into CHCH at 3 in the arvo. Spent some time deliberating over baggage. Will be making full use of Virgin Blues sporting equipment only weighs 5kg. Giving me 15kg for my pack. I figure i can jam two sets of skis, ice axes, crampons, rope, bivy, tarp and tent into my ski bag, hopefully meaning my skis will weigh 20kg, but only count for 5kg! Yay! So i figured it was time to start making a detailed list...so here it is (got to love a list)

Clothing 1 x Down Jacket (MD Aurora Sweater) 1 x Shell Jacket (OR Mentor) 1 x Shell Pants (MD Alpette Bibs) 2 x Beanies (1 x Warm 1 x Thin balaclava for under helment) 1 x 100 Weight Polar Fleece Jacket (MD's) 2 x Long sleeve Thermals (1 x Ice Breaker, 1 x Poly Pro) 1 x Short Sleeve Thermal 2 x Thermal Bottoms 1 x 100 Weight Polar Fleece Pants 4 x Socks 2 x Liner Socks 1 x Mitts (OR Cornice Mitts) 1 x Leather Riggers Gloves Sno sealed 1 x Liner Gloves 1 x Light Polar Fleec Gloves Climbing 2 x BD Venom Axes (1 x Adze 50cm, 1 x Hammer 57cm) 1 x SMC Crampons (12 pt) 1 x Harness (Petzl Adjama) 9 x Carbiners (4 x Screw Lock, 5 x Wire Gate) 7 x Slings (3 x 120cm, 2 x 180cm, 2 x 240cm) 2 x Prussiks (1 x Long, 1 x Short) 1 x Belay Device (Petzl Reverso) 2 x Screamers (Mammut) 3 x Snow Anchors Pitons?? Cams?? Rope?? Camping 1 x Macpac Olympus Tent 1 x Paddy Pallin Bivvy 1 x 3/4 Thermarest 1 x CCF 60cm 1 x Groundsheet 1 x MSR Wishperlite 1 x Stove Pad 1 x Pot with Frypan lid (2L?) 1 x Down Booties Skiing 2 x Skis (G3 Baron 183cm, Movement Freeheel 176cm) 2 x Bindings (Voile CRB 1 x 3pin, 1 Standard) 2 x Boots (1 x Garmont Energy, 1 x Garmont Synergy) 2 x Poles (1 x Black Diamond Expedition, 1 x Free) 1 x Skins (G3) 1 x Snow Shovel (Voile Tele pro) 1 x Beacon (Mammut Barryvox) 1 x Probe (G3 Pro 240cm) 1 x Ski Goggles Packs 1 x WE Lost Word (105L) 1 x Cactus Partol Pack (40L) Other 1 x Hydration Bladder 1 x Nalgene 1 x Camera 1 x Sunnies 1 x Zinc and Sunscreen Tooth Brush/Toothpaste Repair Kit Rope 4mm Cord x 15m Duct Tape Needle and Thread Seam Grip Zip Ties Knife Hmm More to come, i will be publishing a list of cost of gear etc. and where i sourced it from in the future when i get everything together. This is more for my benefit so i can work though what i have to do/make between now and the 11th!

I think the words "dumping its ass off" are the correct way to describe the snow conditions at the moment in NZ. Smiles all round :)

Gear...freakin.

Right so turns out getting gear is not A) Cheap or B) Cheap. Have been working on a number of items. Need to get my mountaineering kit sorted, and sleeping arrangements. Sleeping

• Currently i am using a -10C bag (MD Standarhart) and reckon i will be right with a bivy bag and a warm liner. Will take a WE overhang tarp (6x4 aka massive) for living under while hitch hiking about the place. Teamed up with an old school 3/4 thermarest and a short bit of CC foam and i reckon i will be onto a winner for alpine bivys and roadside luxury ;)
• Bivy Bag - Just bought 2nd hand Paddy Pallin goretex bivy bag for $75 AUD (RRP $550) ping ping ping!

Mountaineering Gear - Is expensive!

Well as a rank ameture mountaineer this i one hell of a steep learning curve. Have worked out some of my basic kit, still researching everything i can. Will give a final gear list and weight before i fly out!

• Ice axes - Either Black Diamond Raven Pro or Venom, or a similar axe by Petzl, Camp, Grivel etc. One adze, One Hammer.
• Crampons - Hard to decide whether steel or alloy is the go. Leaning towards a steel setup such as BD Sabretooth as the are dirct cheap on MEC 2nd hand gear swap ($35 CAD...PING). Aluminium considering BD Neve Pro. Nice and light.
• Draws, biners etc - Just got 8 DMM Truclip Straight Gate and 8 DMM Truclip Bent Gate biners and One BD Twist loc for $75 AUD 2nd hand barely used (PING). Will get some slings and draws to make up prob 7 sets of Draws.
• Slings - Backcountry.com i suspect....
• Belays device - Black Diamond Guide.
• Harness - My climbing harness Petzl Adjama.
• Prussiks and tape - Just out of whatever i can get cheap at MD's
• Protection - Still thinking about this. Ice screws, snow stakes, some cams (that i can afford) and nuts....all expensive stuff would be better to team up with someone else for this season...
• Rope - Rope is expensive....

Anyways, will update at a later date...

The Start....

Alright Guys, so the time has come to get back on the slopes again after a long period absent while completing my engineering degree! I am doing this in the form of a broke ass trip to NZ for a lot of backcountry touring and ski mountaineering, mixed in with the occasional resort ski! I will be updating this every now and again just to let you know whats going on, and also as a bit of a diary of my trip for myself! At the moment i am in the middle of organising gear, flights, insurance etc. for my time over their. Looks like departure date will be early to mid July fllying into sunny down town Christchurch that is currnelt half under water with the rest of the south island....all of this is falling as snow! Yewwwwwwwwwwww! I will give some more info on gear etc. for all you gear freaks out their at a later date! Anyways, peace love and vegatble rights to all. Rip on.