A look at Echo Col

Honora and I still haven't crossed Echo Col. The last record of anyone going over it was John Easton and Lynette Hartley in 1991. Then energetic explorer Xabi Alcorta climbed to the top from the Avoca side 5 or 6 years ago, but didn't go over.

We took the pleasant walk in over Jordan Saddle to the Avoca hut on Saturday to have a serious look at it on the way out on Sunday.

It was good to be back at the Avoca hut. It's one of my favourite places in the hills. Honora spent an hour in the early evening facinated by the antics of a tiny field mouse.

In the morning we crossed the river and started up the gully toward the col. Part way up you need to leave the gully and cross a rib to gain access to the basins below the col. I explored up the gully looking for a route and returned to Honora.

Honora had been looking at a steepish scree and tussock slope and thought it might go. She started up it and I went off to get my pack. I noticed she was moving very slowly, carefully twisting tussock strands in her hands. That's not normal for Honora so I had my doubts about it. I climbed a separate line without my pack to check it out. It was rather nasty but I made it to the rib.

Honora reached a point where she couldn't go up or down. A 30 metre traverse separated us, across steep gravel covered slabs. I suggested she drop her pack. She agreed and quickly launched it into space. It bounced and bounded out of sight way below. The traverse was then much easier and we soon found a better way back down to the gully. Honora's pack hadn't suffered any damage from the fall.

We'd taken a bit of time for our little adventure so decided we'd go back out over Jordan and cross Echo another time. However I think we've sorted the route now. A large kaitiaki stone marks the start of the best line onto the rib.

We headed back down and sat by the river in contemplation for a while.

The walk out over Jordan Saddle was, again, a nice amble. Coming in we'd enjoyed the profusion of gentians blooming on the slopes leading to the saddle. I'm not much of a photographer as I'd just looked and then walked on. But this time I stopped.