Page 21 - 2002 AMA Summer

Dawn light on Mt Tasman viewed Irom high on Mt Cook. The descent route through the icelall^ is just visible on the Unda glacier.
AORAKI
By Capt Chris Allewell RE
Kia tuohu, Me he maunga teitei, Ko Aoraki anake.
If you must bow your head, then let it be to the lofty mountain Aoraki.
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Ice tinkled off Brian's helmet as Rob surmounted the final ice bulge that blocked our route through the summit rocks of Mt Cook. Looking down the 2000m sweep of the East face, the orange glow of dawn had revealed the Tasman glacier snaking away to the north. Shivering on the belay stance, I tucked myself further Into the rock to avoid the debris and my mind drifted back 18 months to the Sheffield pub where it all began.
Sat in the bar after a cold grey day on the grit, during the AMA spring meet, the talk had turned to proper mountaineering rather than rock climbing. Sal Ashan was keen on heading out to New Zealand and helped by several pints of Stella everyone agreed it was a great idea. As I had spent some time travelling around New Zealand before joining the Army, I volunteered to help her out. She floated the idea with the AMA committee, gained approval (or at least that was what
V she told me) and then decided to leave the Army!
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iThe expedition was handed over to me as I started the mind
numbing six months of the Army Junior Command and Staff Course. Rather than listen to the characteristics of forward logistic resupply, I worked out If it was possible to climb the big three (Mfs Cook, Tasman and Aspiring) in one expedition and the logistics of doing so. Evenings were spent reading guidebooks rather than textbooks and by the end of the course the expedition was planned!
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Assembling the team was slightly more problematical, as one
Operation after the other swallowed team members with
names changing right up until the month that we flew. On the 131 December the expedition flew from Heathrow through two New Year celebrations and arrived in New Zealand on 2 February. Frantic gas, food and map buying ensued and 24&rs later we were at Mt Cook village waiting for a ski plane 5vup onto the Tasman glacier. This waiting unfortu- ly set the tone for the rest of the expedition as we sat ing out at the rain and clouds waiting for the weather to improve. The weather kept us on the ground for two days allowing us to sample Jackie's food (not to be repeated, but worse was to come), the local beer (much better) and a quick practice of som&erevasse rescues and prussicking. When the good weather eventually arrived we were almost grounded by bizarre regulations regarding carriage of stove fuel. After a tortuous conversation about whether sealed gas bottles were safe to fly we eventually persuaded a pilot to
helicopter us in.
The fifet two days were spent mainly inside the abundant
as we refreshed our skills prior to our first climb, the short steep south face of Mt Aylmer before traverse the Hochstedder Dome with its classi­ fy curving snow arete. The complete absence layer over New Zealand meant factor 30 cream iffect of factor 3 and had us raiding the first aid kits ular bandages in a desperate attempt not to be About this time and contemplating the effects of ition we voted Rob to help out Jackie with the food, had asked her initially if she would mind doing the jjy's she replied that she only ever cooked baked beans st, I had laughed thinking she was joking. She Isn't. Sb when the other hut occupants were tucking into ree course meals with fresh meat and vegetables, we
French Ridge Hut in a very rare moment ot good weather. This was where the expedition sat out six days of torrential rain, which caused widespread flooding over the rest of New Zealand. Mt Bartf lies behind.
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cARMY MOUNTAINEER