When I moved to New Zealand Phipps Peak at Arthur’s Pass was one of my first trips. It began an extended and on occasion, literally painful affair that lasted several years. If you are sitting comfortably then I shall begin:
My first visit provided a rude awakening to the Kiwi hills and what is jokingly referred to as rock round here. After a steep pull up from the monument on the pass it provided an enjoyable and easy scramble. Nowhere serious but lots of fun if you stuck to the crest. Progress was quick over a low shoulder and onto the summit block. Then all of a sudden its personality changed, the drop became serious and the way ahead unclear. Some one had dumped a big Gendarme in the way and the only solid bit was the bit we had to go round. Surely that was not meant to be there. We were only here for a tramp after all. It doesn’t take a lot to feed my inner chicken - justifying it by lack of time and preparedness we turned round.
Take two was worse. A late start, coffee stop and worse fitness saw us plod slowly from the monument to the shoulder. By then we knew we had nowhere near enough time and instead dropped into Temple Basin.
Take three we didn’t even step on the hill. A look from the road showed it plastered in unseasonable snow and ice. We had no axes, floppy boots and wilting will power. We went off and did something else probably involving coffee and pies.
Now children and careers intervened. Several years passed doing less each year other than loosening the belt off a few notches. Meanwhile the frustration with Phipps grew at a similar rate to the waistline. Finally the realization dawned that after moving halfway round the globe for the hills I was sat in an office doing nothing. Dumb. It was time to get reacquainted.
Take four. Fitness was appalling. I had only been out on a few day trips and it showed. Having done the trip from the pass twice already we decided to follow the recommended way and use the ski field path. The trouble was, on the way up we had convinced ourselves to do Temple first. I am not sure if this was to avoid the drop into the Phipps basin or the foreshortened view of the access to the Phipps ridge. Either way we took to the orange rocks leading to Temples South ridge. Half way up I pulled on something that was holding up something else and it all fell on me. It took a few minutes to collect myself and clear my vision (I say it was the blood in my eyes but others may say it was just my crying like a baby blurring everything). What was REALLY DUMB was the helmet in the bottom of the pack. Take four finished at the top of Temple wearing the Helmet.
Take five. An early start in the dark had us at the ski buildings shortly after dawn. We dropped into the Phipps basin and started up the grassy slopes below the shoulder. Half way up this my mate did a magic trick with a rock. He stood up on it and fell over. Some how whilst falling he managed to over take the rock so it could then roll over his leg. This was an impressive trick and the lump was gratifyingly big. We eventually pushed on and got back to the Gendarme. Now I put down what happened next to having done nothing involving drops for years. Some how all sense went out of the window. We traversed close under the gendarme into a loose choss filled gully with a steep exit. We faffed around for ages trying to convince ourselves we were on the wrong track. Eventually confidence suitably eroded we backed off tails between our legs with another defeat to explain.
Take six. This was getting silly. Again the early start and same approach. Back to the gendarme and up a steep little chimney next to it (with a rope on now), a one-move wonder. What was all the fuss about. We were above the gendarme at last, although I am still not convinced this was the right way. The ridge above climbs steeply and loose whilst the views of the Temple buttresses get better and better. The final ridge to the top narrows and is wonderfully airy. We descended the ridge to Temple looking for the pinnacles I had read about. We found one, exposed but warm in the sun and easy solid rock. We put the rope to use again only to find it was the wrong way and we should have followed the easy track after all. The correct pinnacle was found tucked right underneath Temple and was passed by a ledge and another chossy chimney on the Ski field side. Finally the top of temple was reached and we could plod down safe in the knowledge we didn’t have to make excuses again.
If any one can shed light on what is the accepted way past the Phipps Gendarme can they let me know, and please don’t let this put you off doing any trips with me in the future. I’m not always so incompetent.
Just noticed the Photographs and their file names are reversed - Nice Rock is the Gendarme and vica versa.
