Crossing the Garnock Burn. What you dont realise is that it feels like 2 degrees in the water so we rushed to get across without falling over.
A lucanid stag beetle I found on the truck of beech tree hiding over some moss.
Tooking out at Manapouri on the forest we have walked today
After two hours of steep climbing bashing through beech forest we reach hill 916.
We keep climbing until 9pm where we set up camp on the top of a tussock clearing. We were cooking our dinner and IT STARTED SNOWING - even in january.
DAY 2
After a freezing cold night we thawed off in the morning and started the second part of the climb to Mt Titiroa Summit. We traversed up mainly steep gravel with hundreds of boulders sticking out everywhere.
If you zoom in you can see our tent at the edge of the cliff in the middle of the picture
We saw lots of skinks running through the alpine vegetation. There were also hundreds of cicadas.
After 2hrs climbing we reach the summit of Titiroa 1715m
We are above the cloud and an icy breeze makes us put on all the clothes we have
A little lake near the summit
Looking out towards doubtful sound
The rough terrain we have just climbed
Karen enjoys the views of the summit while I explore the other peaks
Lots of tarns in the valley
We made the most of the gravel and run down the steep bits
A cool coral looking alpine plant
Enjoying the good weather
This was the COLDEST swim I have ever had, I only lasted 20seconds. The water was pristine - so clean and pure but freezing being the runoff from the snow melt (Mt Titiroa summit is in the background).
Karen sunbathes on the beach of the small lake
A mini stone henge
A knee deep tarn further down the mountain
An interesting scarab beetle on the edge of this tarn at 1400m
Descent back down the mountain through a patch of tussock
Lake Rakatu
We decide to spend the night in the forest at hill 916 after a freezing night on the open mountian last night
DAY 3
This kind of shows you how steep the forest was in parts. I fell over heaps of times
Most of Mt Titroa from a clearing.
15 January 2011
After the cruise be borrowed a boat and rowed across the lake and started our three days climb up Mt Titiroa. We had beech forest, river crossings, open tussock, gravel/scree, bush bashing, snow, lakes, tarns and luckily a good map and compass to get us there.
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