Archive For October 18, 2024
“If you start to slide I’m out”. Brownie was on the uphill side of the van with his hand on the door handle. I was concentrating on the drive and with the void on my side, jumping out was not a option.
The old Hiace was four wheel drive but the problem was the gearing and the crap tires. First gear wasn’t low enough so I had to brake and when I lost traction, the ABS came on and control became elusive.
Brownie had met us on our arrival to the Mt Olympus summer car park two days previously. After the rough, rocky, incredibly exposed, eye-popping drive up in the van he was the first person we met. Dressed from helmeted head to toe in black, he had white Maltese crosses on the shoulders of his jacket. The Dark Knight.
“You’re sticking out”
I get back in the van and have the impression that I’m about to topple down the mountain as he indicates for me to advance, ever closer to the drop.
“That was quite a drive up” I say as I get out of the van. “Seemed rougher than I remember”.
The Dark Knight shrugged “That’s how it is”
“I’m not complaining, I’m just saying it felt rougher”
“Sounded like a complaint to me. We don’t have a Complaints Department here. At least it’s not me” and off he went!
I reversed the van back a metre from the edge.
Mt Olympus, Playground of the Gods, is a top spot for freedom loving back country skiers. Great people, great facilities, great terrain. Get yourself up there!
This trip had a ski fields theme as the weather remained too bad and the winds too strong to allow us access to the big mountains. We had full kit for glacier camping but the closest we got to using it was pitching the tents in the ping pong room at Ohau. We skied what we could, enjoying each others company and the priviledge of travelling through the beautiful South Island.
The white painted concrete Esplanade Hotel could be a monstrosity but it isn’t. Beautifully renovated, it is simple and stunning. Apparently it used to be pink.
We parked up in the van and I went to see Peter, who was a man of few words judging by our phone conversation earlier. Effortlessly deadpan, he took the money and gave me the keys.
“Is breakfast included”
“No”
“Can we buy breakfast”
“Yes”
“How much is it”
“Depends what you eat”
“Ah. So there’s a menu?”
“Yes”
“Is the coffee good?”
“No. It’s crap”
That evening we dined across the road at the very well appointed Soldier’s Club. Bright lights, bar, restaurant, pokey machines and a sobering memorial wall. No-nonsense ladies of a certain age served us our meal. Politely efficient they weren’t much for smiling or small talk. Probably the end of a long day. I phoned Doug who confirmed that there was enough snow in the Snowy Mountains and that the weather was good. However, the problem was the wind caused by huge depressions in the Southern Ocean.
This wind stayed with us throughout but thankfully didn’t stop us achieving our main objective which was a ski traverse of the three highest mountains in Australia, 2195m Mt Twynam, 2209m Mt Townsend and 2228m Mt Kosciuszko. This is a big, but manageable day which we enjoyed on variable snow and with strong winds throughout. The sun shone and the views were sensational.