Dorset Ridge 13-15 December
A fun trip in the mighty Tararuas
Mighty Mitre
Up bright and early ready for a BIG day (it is one of GUO's trips after all!)
The first rest on the big climb up Burton's track to the tops. Some of us just sat...
While others climbed...
And some just slept (nighty night Sue)
Monsta looks like he's off to the races
Is it just me or does that pack look like it belongs to a gypsy or homeless person (scruffy sod)?
Looking back over the Wairarapa
A bit of a scramble through some leatherwood
Breaking out of the bush onto the tussock tops
and more climbing (groan)
Jumbo hut in the distance
The next climb onto South King (the Broken Arse umm Axe Pinnacles on the left)
A good spot for lunch and to fill the water bottles
And then we were off again...up we went
and over and down the other side
Our destination was Dorset Ridge hut (well once we'd climbed down this hill and back up the other side)
The Broken Axe Pinnacles (from the other side) and McGregor in cloud
McGregor Biv (if you open your eyes and try you will see it...come on you can try harder than that!)
Back into the bush (Dorset Ridge hut is opposite)
Goblin forest
Old traps
Old tramps...we reached Dorset Creek
And now the steep climb up to Dorset Ridge
Looking back at McGregor
We finally made Dorset Ridge hut - woo hoo!
Looking back at the spur we'd come down
Iceman
Moon rising over Mt Girdlestone, our big climb tomorrow
Who the hell brought Happy Feet?
The setting sun was glorious
We started early on Sunday
Our big climb up to the top of Girdlestone, then across to Mighty Mitre back right (looks like fun huh)
It was a (rare) stunning Tararua day
Time to fill up to water bottles for the all important hydration
Some of us (aka not the lazy ones) dropped down to Tarn Ridge hut (I stole tea bags and tried unsuccessfully to convince Dylan Dawg to nick the wood burner)
Bannister and the Twins (a trip planned for January)
Looking back at Dorset Ridge from whence we'd come
The start of the climb to the top of Girdlestone
More fun than you could shake a stick at!
Mighty Mitre was looming
But first we had to get up Brockett
A beautiful buttercup
The last big push to the top of Mighty Mitre
Made it (I should point out it was about 46 degrees at this stage)
Okay, pack on and off again for the push down to MFH
Looking back at Mighty Mitre's top
Peggy's Peak
Finally back at MFH where Mikey found a friend (I think a first on this trip)
