Leader: Ray Salisbury with Shaun Barnett (below)
Alison volunteered to lead the advance party while I fetched Shaun Barnett from Nelson airport. Back at my home, he was reacquainted with my wife, a colleague from his high-school days. Alison txted me from the top of Takaka Hill to verify her car-load was underway.
Our second car-load eventually left Nelson, reaching the turnoff to the Cobb Valley where young Gina was collected. At Trilobite Hut we lunched in the sun, then walked down the gravel road to the track start (where Dion had ‘hidden’ his jeep.)
After about ten minutes gentle climb, Shaun shot photos of Myttons Hut, which is maintained by old deer-cullers nowadays. (Incidentally, before Hugh Mytton took over the sheep run, my gt-gt-grandfather held the grazing license. On the 1894 map it was labelled as Salisbury’s Hut.)
The gradual zigzags proved just what my unfit sluggish thighs needed, while my party patiently waited for me on the ridge top. (Incidentally, early maps show this spot as Mt Peel – Mackay’s peak was not absolutely fixed. I believe the surveyor actually climbed Iron Hill in 1858.)
No one was willing to make the 2–3 hour detour to bag Deep Creek biv, so we sidled west into the tussock basin of Lake Peel. Here, Shaun and I disappeared into our solitary world of landscape photography. Chris and Gina wised up and sauntered off to Balloon Hut, where our advance party was relaxing.
To my surprise, Dion Pont (above) had gate-crashed the tramp. He was lying on a bunk laughing to himself, when I stumbled inside the hut. A family of seven made room for us, but the 14-bunker was quite snug. At bedtime Dion took ownership of a bench, while Shaun camped on the veranda.
Sunday morning saw us racing up the ridge with our DSLRs getting shutter fatigue. Fantastic light over the Arthur Range kept us photographers happy.
After breakfast, our combined party of nine strolled up Mount Peel, skirting snow cornices and enjoying the fresh breeze. I spent some time by the windvane emulating James Mackay’s compass bearings from 1858 – they didn’t line up with the topography.
Dropping off the summit via the prominent north spur, we soon found ourselves bush-bashing alongside Thorn Creek. After two hours descent we emerged onto the valley floor where Steve disappeared into the Cobb for a swim. Dion enticed Gina up-valley to re-bag Chaffeys Hut, recently renovated by John Taylor as an historic dwelling. Alison took her car-load to Nelson, and I drove Shaun and Chris on our second adventure to Lake Sylvester.
Our intrepid adventurers were: Shaun Barnett (guest), Steve McGlone (visitor), Chris Louth, Alison Aaron, Gina Andrews, Ken Ridley, Ray Caird, & Ray Salisbury (scribe).