Sunrises don't get better than this.
I've heard it said, "There are old climbers, and bold climbers, but no old bold climbers" and I guess there's a bit of truth in that. I was pondering this little bit of mountaineering lore while descending from Avalanche Peak today. I left the bach at 3.20am, an Alpine start because I was heading for the Rome Ridge of Mount Rolleston, a classic snowy ridge on the nearest highest peak in Arthur's Pass. It was all going well: I burnt off a team of 7 kiwi students on the steep thrash up through the bush; the wind and early morning cloud sank back to reveal a stunning cloud inversion; and the route ahead looked interesting, but not too spicy - just right I thought for a solo ascent, within the comfort zone. Higher up I was having my doubts as any snow which had been in the sun, even at this early hour, was deep and soft - not boding well for a descent later in the day. I'd just started descending round a steep buttress at around 1900m at the top of the E Crow Glacier when I sunk up to my waist in a small hole, a tiny little tension slot just below the bergschrund. It wasn't at all life threatening, but the incident made me realise that this maybe wasn't a good place to be alone. So I turned back...
My mini-tripod is handy for moments like this.
As it turned out the day wasn't wasted. The views from up there, so early in the morning, were spectacular - I even saw a Brokken Spectre. Plan B was put into force, a ridge walk southwards to Avalanche Peak, the classic tourist daytrip from the village. It was great fun, a bit like Torridon ridges in winter, and I was "over the hill" and back down in the valley by 1.30pm. I really felt my knees in that final descent, something I've never really felt so hard before. Must be getting older...