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mt aspiring 4-Feb-2005 At 2:49:24 PM romfrantic

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Hey there Owain...like Tony said, blue skys all round! Stephan and I have been in the mountains twice now, the only hassle being freezing levels above 4,000 m just about the whole week so far (very soft snow)....but very calm and sunny conditions across the southern alps the last week, perfect stuff. Did a couple of climbs out at Arthur's Pass and then moved on to ice-climbing at Fox for a couple of days. Today we just got back from Aspiring Hut, having climbed Mt Tysell and the ridges around there the day before - too warm for my liking, but great stuff. We went up the Cascade Saddle route from Aspiring Hut to join the ridge from The Pylon to access the climbs, and I can see now how the route up to the cascade would be a hassle in wet/icy conditions...very thin stuff specially if with a heavy pack as many trampers would be I suppose if they did the whole crossing to the Dart-Rees. We descended the same way, the way down being just as interesting with the exposure on your face....certainly do-able, we had no issues, but I agree with earlier posts about how many inexperienced may feel they can also 'just do it' without realising what the 'tramp' really entails.
By the way, from word of mouth and anectodal chats at the huts, many parties are now descending the NW ridge of Aspiring via the butress route - Ramp not really that good at the moment.
Off to Mt Cook village now, hoping the weather somehow holds for an extended trip to the mountains again.