Climbs and trips
Mountain trips and climbs – images, information, articles
Most of my climbing has been in New Zealand, with most of my international trips being trekking more so than climbing.
See my climbing CV What’s in my pack Wilderness Magazine April 2020
February 2025, Dragons Teeth high route
January 2025, Gomorrah and Sodom
December 2024, the Minarets
December 2024, 1000 & 100 Acre Plateau
December 2024, Takaka Hill Via Ferrata
November 2024, Mt Fishtail
November 2024, Xenicus Peak & Mt Gibbs
August 2024, Mt Travers East Face
July 2024, Winter Peak and Mt Tasman
May 2024, Twins traverse
April 2024, Mt Princess traverse
March 2024, Peaks above Mt Fell Hut
February 2024, Mt Campbell to Flora Saddle
February 2024, Red Hills, Richmond Range
January 2024, Iron Hill, Lockett Range
December 2023, Solu Khumbu, Nepal
October 2023, Flora Saddle to Crusader return
October 2023, Red Hills Hut and Beebys Knob
October 2023, Flagtop and Kea Hut
August 2023, Mt Campbell to Hoary Head return
March 2023, South Twin via Ellis Basin
August 2022, Carkeek from Poads Rd
August 2022, Old Ghost Road
June 2022, Rome Ridge Avalanche Peak traverse
June 2022, Mt Philistine, Arthurs Pass
April 2022, Rangioteatua circuit, Ruahine Ranges
February 2022, Ella Range circuit, Nelson Lakes
January 2022, Wilkin Sibera Young
November 2021, Brodrick Pass
November 2021, Divers Col
November 2021, Aylmer & Hochstetter Dome
November 2021, Tasman Glacier 
October 2021, Wye Creek tops
October 2021, Ringatoto Tahurangi circuit
July 2021, The Remutaka Cheval
May 2021, Maungamahue bivvy, Ruahine Ranges
March 2021, Colenso Spur to Waipawa River, Ruahine Ranges
February 2021, Scott Creek to Greenstone River
January 2021, Mitre via Table Ridge, Tararua Ranges
December 2020, Northern Crossing, Tararua Ranges
October 2020, Mt Cupola, Nelson Lakes
August 2020, three saddles, Nelson Lakes
July 2020, Jumbo, Tararua Ranges
May 2020, Mt Ruapehu circuit
February 2020, Toka Biv, Ngamoko Range
January 2020, Waimakariri Falls and Harman Pass
January 2020, Mt Taranaki via Tahurangi Lodge
December 2019, Ama Dablam BC, Thonak, Renjo La, Khumbu, Nepal
September 2019, Richmond traverse
July 2019, Mt Taranaki via Fantham’s Peak
June 2019, Cinerama Col
May 2019, South Ridge Mt Travers
March 2019, Mt Somers
March 2019, Holdsworth Aokaparangi
February 2019, Lewis Tops & Mt Haast
January 2019, Neill Ridge Bull Mound circuit
October 2018, Mt Brewster via south west face
September 2018, Mt Rolleston via Rome Ridge
August 2018, Bush Stream
July 2018, Te HeuHeu SE Ridge
May 2018, Mt Evans
April 2018, Tararua Peaks
March 2018, 7 day circuit, Kahurangi National Park
January 2018, Mitre Peak
January 2018, Ball Pass and Kaitiaki Peak
December 2017, Gokyo Ri, Renjo La, Sundur Peak, Khumbu, Nepal
October 2017, Mt Travers
August 2017, Tongariro crater circuit
August 2017, Tongariro
August 2017, Mt Matthews
July 2017, Mt Taranaki via Tahurangi Lodge
March 2017, Annette Plateau & Mt Kitchener
February 2017, Northern circuit, Ruahines
December 2016, Bannister circuit, solo
November 2016, Mt Wakefield
November 2016, The Quarterdeck
July 2016, Mt McPherson/Traverse Pass
July 2016, Mt Kosciuszko
April 2016, SW Ridge Cloudy Peak
March 2016, Mt Peel
February 2016, Mitre Baldy circuit
February 2016, Dundas Hut circuit
December 2015, Imja Tse, guided, Khumbu, Nepal
December 2015, Kongma La, Pokhalde, guided, Khumbu, Nepal
November 2015, the Footstool
August 2015, Mt Temple & attempt on Mt Rolleston
July 2015, the Darrans
June 2015, Junction Top
May 2015, Mangaweka Peak, solo
April 2015, Mt Owen & Billies Knob, solo
February 2015, Mt Forbes
February 2015, Mt Sibbald
January 2015, Mt Hector to Kapakapanui, solo
January 2015, Mt Arthur
December 2014, Dundas Hut & Logan Peak
November 2014, Mts Armstrong & Brewster (no summit), guided
August 2014, Mount Taranaki via Fantham’s Peak, solo
July 2014, Girdlestone and Tahurangi – Mount Ruapehu, solo
July 2014, Darrans – attempt on Mount McPhearson/Talbot traverse repelled by poor weather/snow conditions
July 2014, Angle Knob, Mount McGregor, Broken Axe Pinnacles – Tararuas, solo
May 2014, Mitre Peak and Girdlestone – Tararuas, solo
April 2014, Mt Hikurangi, solo
February 2014, Recce to Mount Tasman, poor weather/snow conditions prevent climbing, out via Chancellor Dome, guided
December 2013, Singalila Ridge trek, West Bengal
August 2013, high route from Tahurangi Saddle, around Crater Lake – Mount Ruapehu, solo
March 2013, Mount Earnslaw East – Aspiring National Park
March 2013, O’Leary Peak – Aspiring National Park, solo
January 2013, Mount Ngauruhoe
December 2012, traverse of Single and Double Cones – Remarkables, guided
December 2012, Aoraki/Mount Cook via Linda Glacier, guided
December 2012, ANZAC East, guided
December 2012, Glacier Dome, guided
July 2012, Girdlestone, Mitre, Tahurangi – Mount Ruapehu
June 2012, Cathedral Rocks via east side – Mount Ruapehu
January 2012, family trip to Mueller Hut and Mount Ollivier
January 2012, Mount Sebastopol – Mount Cook National Park
March 2011, Te HeuHeu – Mount Ruapehu
January 2011, Avalanche Peak, Arthur’s Pass
January 2011, The Dome – Mount Ruapehu
December 2010, Mount Taranaki via Fantham’s Peak
July 2010, Mounts Ngauruhoe and Tongariro
January 2010, Mount Taranaki via Fantham’s Peak
December 2009, Gokyo Ri, Cho La – Khumbu, Nepal
June 2009, Tahurangi and Paretitaitonga – Mount Ruapehu
April 2009, Mount Hopeless via Sunset Saddle/Hopeless Hut
April 2009, Angelus Peak, Nelson Lakes
January 2009, Mount Tongariro and Emerald Lakes
August 2008, Mount Taranaki via Fantham’s Peak
July 2008, attempt on Mount Cupola squashed by poor weather and avalanche risk
May 2008, attempt on Single Cone defeated by poor snow conditions – Remarkables
September 2007, Sharks Tooth and main summit via Tahurangi Lodge – Mount Taranaki
August 2007, Tapuae o Uenuku, Inland Kaikouras
July 2007, Pinnacles – Mount Ruapehu, solo
July 2007, Tahurangi – Mount Ruapehu
July 2006, Girdlestone – Mount Ruapehu, solo
April 2006, Renjo La, Cho La, Everest BC – Khumbu, Nepal
August 2005, Girdlestone – Mount Ruapehu
July 2005, Tahurangi – Mount Ruapehu, solo
September 2004, Te HeueHeu – Mount Ruapehu
January 2003, Mount Aspiring via Mount Bevan and Ramp
July 2002-3-4, AIC student/assistant, Mounts Ruapehu and Taranaki
November 2001, Mount Sebastopol – Mount Cook National Park
June 2000, Mount Taranaki via Tahurangi Lodge, guided
November 1999, Tserko Ri – Langtang, Nepal
October 1999, Mount Ngauruhoe
August 1998, Mount Fuji – Japan, guided
August 1997, K2 Base camp and Gondokhoro La – Baltistan, Pakistan, guided
March 1997, Mueller Hut and Mount Ollivier – Mount Cook National Park
June 1996, Gunung Merapi – Central Java, Indonesia, guided
Apr 1996, Gunung Sinabung – Sumartra, Indonesia, guided
December 1995, Sharks tooth – Mount Taranaki, guided
October 1994, Copland Pass – Mount Cook National Park, guided
October 1992, Pang La, Everest BC, Lamna La – Tibet
June 1992, Higravstinden – Lofoten Islands, Norway
May 1992, Mount Olympus – Greece
December 1991, Gunungs Batur and Agung – Bali, solo
March 2013, Tararua Peaks, solo
January 2011, Wakefield Ridge – Mount Cook National Park
March 2010, Kapakapanui – Tararuas
August 2006, Mount Mathews – Orongorongas
January 2005, Mount Hector – Tararuas
2001, Mount Holdsworth – TararuasIn 2002 I signed up for the New Zealand Alpine Club’s winter Alpine Instruction Course, the AIC. For anyone wanting to get into the mountains this is a smart move. For not very much money, over the course of three weekends on the mountain, combined with three midweek tutorials back in Wellington, I got a really great introduction to all the main facets of mountaineering. Basic technical skills including using crampons and walking axe, self arrest techniques in case of a fall on snow slopes, placement of a range of different anchors on rock and in snow, belaying, abseiling, roping up for glacier travel and crevasse extraction. Safety measures including assessment of terrain, snow and weather conditions and the use of avalanche transceivers. Basic map reading and navigation techniques. Gear management! I still embarrass myself with silly oversights and clumsy mistakes on that front. And also an insight into the philosophy of mountaineering and the opportunity to meet some very experienced members of its fraternity.
While actually on the mountain during the course I quickly realised that skills learnt inside a cosy hut need to be practised over and over again before they can successfully be applied in a blizzard with all my bulky climbing gear on. The simplest mistake, like having a glove ripped away in the wind, can be life threatening when high up on a mountain in winter. This and all the other insights I gained on the AIC, made me realise that going climbing by default definitely did not qualify me as a mountaineer.
After my first season in winter 2002 I took the opportunity to return for a further two seasons as an assistant instructor. This gave me the opportunity to stay fully engaged with the course curriculum long enough for my head to stop spinning.