Top from the top
Date: 17 Aug 1999, The Press, Christchurch, page 36
Captions: Darrel Thomson, left, and Pat Barrett on the summit of Mount Adams. Mounts Cook, Tasman, and Elie de Beaumont, and the coastline of the West Coast are in the background; Whataroa River and plain from the upper slopes of Mount Adams.

PAT BARRETT reaches the summit of Mount Adams for one of the best views in the Southern Alps.

FACT FILE Climbing Mount Adams is not easy. Although the route is not technically difficult, the sheer distance involved, weather conditions, and time above the bushline make it worthy of respect. It is approached via Dry Creek (Little Man River) which crosses SH6 about 19km south of Harihari. Cars can be left here at a hidden layby. There is no track up the river, though some rough trails will be found. At the second major feeder stream on the true right (about two hours from the road), cairns will be found indicating the start of the track up the steep bush ridge above (this is on the true left of the feeder creek, about 100m up from the forks). Good campsites are found at and above 1545m and continue all the way up to 2101m at various locations on the ridge. If there is no snow on the route, water must be carried from the river. The summit ridge is straightforward, although this will depend on snow/ice conditions. Ice axe and crampons are essential. The ice-cap glacier needs to be traversed with care; a rope is not normally needed. Beware of cloud/mist above the bushline. Time: two days. Could be done in one long summer day. Grading: difficult. Map sheet: I35 Whataroa.

Flashing crystals of sunlight scatter over the ice-cap glacier on Mount Adams as we crampon along the summit ridge toward the eastern and highest peak.

Beneath our carefully placed boots great chasms of ice and rock advance into the valley depths, here still filled with deep shadows. Siege and Escape are the two small glaciers that flank the summit ridge and drain the neve, their broken surfaces shrinking under the towering ramparts of the Adams range.

Ahead, the short summit pyramid juts against the blue sky, its easy ridge made more difficult by scattered icy snow amid the rock. A brief moment of struggle and scraping crampons above the plunging bluffs and we are standing, jubilant, atop the summit.

More than 10 years had passed since I had first identified Mount Adams as a peak worth climbing, during which time I had planned many trips to bag the summit, but on every previous occasion the weather on the Coast had pre-empted my attempt, necessitating a consolation trip to a drier locale.

Mount Adams had been the catalyst for a remarkable number of challenging sorties to the hills, but this time, on my first serious venture, we gain the top. Standing as a massive isolated sentinel, well to the west of the Southern Alps, Mount Adams, 2208m, commands a view encompassing the West Coast from Cape Foulwind to Knights Point and the Main Divide from mounts Cook and Tasman to Mount Kensington in the Poerua river headwaters.

The view is astounding. Peaks, passes, and glaciers thrust their way through the tortuous geography that lies east of the summit, beyond the huge green and amber gulch of the Barlow river, which prevents any easy approach from the east onto Mount Adams.

D'Archiac, Pyramus, Mannering, and Elie de Beaumont compete for our attention as we run our gaze along the sawtooth spine of the Alps, picking out their profiles above the Perth and Whataroa catchments. Mounts Cook and Tasman, blocking any further view southwards, are almost forgotten.

It is a fantastic slice of mountain hinterland that awaits those who venture to the summit in clear weather, but that ascent, although not technically difficult, is extremely arduous.

Beginning on SH6 just north of Whataroa township, the route traverses the lower rugged reaches of Dry Creek (which, in fact, carries a good volume of water) to the base of the steep, rough ridge and track to the bushline. As the route begins on the highway at only 100m it quickly becomes apparent that the 2108m ascent to the summit will demand a great deal of strength and commitment.

With heavy packs, equipped with overnight gear and four litres of water each (there is generally no water available on the mountain), we begin the climb through the forest.

Short, sharp steps along the ridge provide some respite from the interminable grunt uphill, but even so, we emerge sweating and gasping at the bush edge, confronted by the long, steepening sweep of tussock ridge above.

The day is warm and sunny, and we continue upwards to put in our camp at 1545m on the main ridge, still 663m below the summit. Now there is time to relax, boil the billy, and savour the view which already captivates us. Cook and Tasman are visible, as are many of the lower summits of the Whataroa, and the view seawards is magnificent, especially as the sun sets and casts a deep orange glow over the rugged landscape, auguring well for our summit attempt. A lone kea remains at our camp late into the night, frustrating us as we try to sleep.

Pre-dawn brings a hasty shuffle of gear, breakfast, and then away up along the steep, narrow path. Tussock gives way to scree, rock, and frozen snow where we fit crampons and scrunch up the slopes to the second of Mount Adams's four peaks at 2194m. Here we encounter the bounding hairy forms of three thar. We envy their agility and strength. Below, the green and blue tapestry of the West Coast absorbs us in the beauty of this margin of flat land that clings to the mountains, backed by the rolling Tasman Sea.

Our time on the summit is limited to a half hour, as we try to savour this moment of our passing, keenly aware of the long descent and drive home to Christchurch. Yet nothing can detract from the overwhelming panorama and the majestic beauty of the valleys and mountains as we step down from the summit pyramid with the light sparkling jewel-like on the glacier. Down, down, down; interminably down.