Leader: Andrea Smithe

With the hint of a good day and no organised trip, a spontaneous call went out to muster keen participants for a blast ‘somewhere grunty.’ This turned out to be a gander up Ben Nevis. Seven made their way up the well-signposted road from Wairoa Gorge Road, the old access remaining well and truly closed. In her two-wheel drive, Astrid coped well. We parked just below the usual car park.

The weather did us justice, with a little chilly wind up top but fantastic views and well-wrapped up hardy souls. At a lovely lunch spot, some honed their self-arresting skills down a small snow slope on the east side of the ridge, where the snow was surprisingly quite firm.

After lunch we wandered further along the ridge to the next 1642-metre high point, rock scrambling  and gleeful, romping through the snow. It was an uneventful jaunt down Gibbs Spur, passing a largish group heading up late in the day to BBQ above the bushline, still at that time, in the sunshine, though the ridge was closing in with clouds chasing us down.

Hurrah for spontaneity! It proved to be a lovely day, bringing like-minded souls together. Thank you, everyone, for your wonderful company.

Eager beavers were: Kath Ballantine, Simon Garton, Peter Waworis, Debbie Hogan, Grant Derecourt, Astrid, & Andrea Smithe (scribe).