"Book out the last week in July and I'll tell you more the week before we head in," Glen Aspin told me almost a year ago. "I've found something that's going to blow you away, but I can't say anymore. Just trust me ... and you'll need some crampons."
I didn't need much more convincing. His seeds of adventure were enough to get me across the line. And so last week I found myself stomping through ankle, knee and thigh-deep snow as I made my way into a secret location just three hours from Christchurch.
Leading the charge was Glen Aspin, his brother Dean, and their mates Ed and Jerome. The four of them had studied the region's topo maps like a surfer studies the weather forecast. They figured out that for the water ice to form they needed three elements: a large snowfield directly above a vertical bluff or cliff that faces southeast. The snow field needed to get lots of sun, but the more shaded the water flow, the better.
The valley they found was like discovering a series of pointbreaks. But these breaks only work for six weeks of the year. As I write this, the season is already drawing to a close. But last week Glen climbed three new routes and Dean bagged his first big multi-pitch water ice. That takes their total to more than 10 first ascents since they discovered the area.
Chasing waterfalls is not as easy as you might think. The climbers are incredibly skilled and equally hungry. They wander the mountains with binoculars close at hand to spot the grey-blue formations high up in the peaks. It's like a surf trip looking for waves, but instead of a playful paddle, it's a long walk to a terrifying climb into an impossibly steep face, before the climbers laden themselves in hardware and tool into another unknown wall of water ice. The days start before the sun comes up and we usually walk out in darkness. It's as much a physical challenge as it is a mental one – but that's what these climbers thrive on and this past week they most certainly thrived.
Returning to normal programming next week with some new swell in the forecast.
See you at the beach ... Derek
PS We have a bunch of tickets to giveaway for Band of Magicians at the Regent Theatre, Dunedin, from August 20-22. Keep an eye out on our Facebook page for more info. And learn more about this intriguing collection of magicians right here.
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