The Mottram Peaks

I love tramping into the head of the Waimak. Whether it's to climb a peak, cross a pass or just spend some time among its mountains I always get a keen sense of anticipation in the walk up the valley.

This time we started with a tramp in the twilight to AntiCrow hut. As we crossed the gravel flats pairs of NZ dotterels fluttered their wings on the ground to one side of us as their young ran the other way.

AntiCrow hut has been fully refurbished and gave us a very pleasant night's shelter.

Morning cloud drifted aside to uncover Mt Rolleston across the valley.

 

We walked a short distance along the bush track through mountain beech forest and turned up the AntiCrow river. The loose cliffs of the AntiCrow canyon towered high above us. The rocky stream bed alternated between rounded water-smoothed stones and angular blocks of shattered rubble brought down by earthquakes. We travelled easily, steadily gaining height under a warming sun.

In the head of the valley we stopped for an early lunch before leaving the ready water supply of the splashing stream. A young couple of trampers came down the route from Sphinx Saddle and paused for a brief chat. They'd just crossed over the saddle from a camp in the Avoca river. They went on their way and we on ours.

We left the stream and walked up a dry gully with masses of tall snow tussocks to either side. The gully turned a corner and we climbed slopes of short green grasses.

Pretty Eyebrights and other flowers covered the ground everywhere we looked.

Above us a very large scree stretched away to the ridgeline. We toiled up it, avoiding the looser stones where we could. The upper slopes shimmered under the high sun.

Frequent pauses to take in the changing view gave gratifying evidence of height gained as features dropped below. A key moment was being able to see over Sphinx Saddle into the Avoca river.

The 500 metre scree climb took only an hour and a half. We topped out at 1700 metres in a col between two of our peaks. A gentle breeze cooled

A hardy anisotome, the Bristly Carrot, grew right on the rocky ridge, flourishing in the harsh conditions.

We sidled to the west and climbed the lower Mottram Pk. Views of the upper Waimak valley and the main divide peaks were fantastic.

It's always great to see familiar country from a new angle. Burly Mt Greenlaw hulked above Gizeh Col. The snowy summit of Mt Murchison topped everything. The full length of the Mt Harper ridge stretched out directly across Greenlaw Creek. Behind this Mt Davie raised its head and shoulders, the thin line of its summit tiara of choss clearly visible. The upper Waimak valley curled around under the mean cliffs of Carrington Pk. Mt Rolleston was partly obscured by the spikey Jellicoe Ridge.

We dropped back down to the col and climbed to the higher of the Mottram Peaks at 1789 metres.

This now gave us an unimpeded view to the east, right down the Waimak valley to Mt Binser as well as a complete survey right around 360 degrees.

For our descent we explored down a gully directly to the Waimak valley. Our route took us down scree, through shrubland and into the beech forest in a very quick descent. We emerged on the valley floor a short distance from Greenlaw Creek.

That only left an easy walk out to Klondyke Corner, with a short diversion back to the AntiCrow hut to collect our overnight gear.

What a great day, with a bonus night away too.