Oates

Mountain
Personal

Rolleston being all majestic like in the morning sun

7/7
Group: Me, Kieran, Rob, Ari
Conditions: Awesome


Started walking up the Minga at 5am with the plan of climbing Oates that day. Got to the point on the track where we would start heading upwards, Ari didn't have gaiters and his feet were already frozen, so he carried on over Goat Pass and out. The rest of us headed up, but halfway up to spot height 1664m I was too knackered from the day before, so I headed down to the hut and left Kieran and Rob to it. They made it to about 1700m then turned around. Decided we had to have another go!

Us on the High Peak of Oates, with Franklin in the background, the next project...

8/7
Group: Me, Kieran, Rob
Conditions: Still awesome
Time: 12 hours 30mins


Again started walking at 5am, got to 1664m by 7.15am and started on up the ridge, reasonably gnarly and fun little ridge, until it bluffed out and we realised that this was the ridge that the guide book said to avoid. Found our way back down, had a bit of a debate which resulted in carrying on for the peak :).Sidled the north side of the ridge like we should have done to start with and crossed over to the south side, traversing across the snow slope. Then up the gut between the peaks and climbed up to the high peak. Finally! We summited Oates. Quick lunch on top and then down and out the Minga. Success :)

Summit!

Down climbing from the summit