Port Hills half day with Chocolate Shop bonus

Retrospective from 22nd August

A great half day walk in the Port Hills, perfect for a lazy Sunday and even better with a visit to the 'She Chocolat' shop half way round. See http://www.shechocolat.com/

From the carparks at Victoria Park, we climbed up the Harry Ell track to Sign of the Kiwi, which was pretty busy with people having an early lunch stop. We headed south on the crater rim walkway to Hoon Hay Park before dropping down to Governors Bay on the Faulkners Track and stopping for a chocolate fix at 'She Chocolat'.

To add a little variation on the return route, we climbed back up to the Crater Rim walkway via the Ngaio and Watlings track, before heading back to Sign of the Kiwi and Victoria Park. All in all a nice half day out in beautiful late winter weather with a perfect stop for lunch.

Ben More – a windy one

Headed up on to Ben More from the Lyndon Road on Sunday. This walk offers spectacular views across the plains and foothills and also would, given a little bit more snow make a perfect ski touring trip. The hill itself is broad and round, with no technical difficulty. On the day we climbed it though the elements rolled their dice and we had a ferocious biting wind thrown in as well.

It was on top that an hour of windy epic-ness started. Traversing between 1660 and Ben More itself we were subjected to the full force of the gale, - amplified considerably no doubt as it funnelled down the valley and over the ridge line. It was windy enough for the ice axes to come out (as we started to get blown along the scoured snow) and then to have to link arms to stop being blown over.

Luckily as soon as we dropped off the summit of Ben More itself and changed direction the wind reduced as quickly as it had started. Another few hundred metres or so, and it was back to merely a steady stream, enough to make sure we stayed well dressed but nothing untoward.

The ridge back down was a delight, giving views over Lake Coleridge, which improved the further along we went and then a direct route down, taking us out of winter to the warmer spring like conditions of the valley below.

A mid week jaunt to Castle Hill Peak

I had a post earthquake day off last Wednesday, kindly given to me by my boss for not running screaming from the building the previous week, when the largest aftershock caused it, and those of us in it, more than a little (dis)stress.

It was a perfect opportunity to walk out to Castle Hill Peak from Porters Pass. There was a fresh sprinkling of snow on the ascent, and being mid week I had the place to myself. I took the skis and had the first chance to use them for a little run coming off the back of Foggy Peak.



Then it was a long traverse out to Castle Hill Peak itself, looking fairly serious from a distance, but not anywhere near as difficult when you get to it.

By the time I reached the top, the weather was perfect and I managed to stop for a brief lunch break on the summit, just out of the wind enough to avoid freezing various body parts. There are fabulous views on both sides from here – back down to the Canterbury Plains and also across to the Craigieburn Ranges.

The return trip was just as much fun, with more skiing on the way down, at least as far as Foggy Peak, below that the snow rapidly turned to snow covered rocks, so that put pay to any more skiing for the day