Mt Fell blog | April 2017

I thought Easter would be sufficient time for going up Mt Richmond, and mentioned the prospect to a friend.

He said he would love to come but wanted a different time, and a different route to what I was proposing, ie, the funnest day you can have near Nelson: climbing Mt Fell from the Pelorus River.

He suggested leaving from the Wairau Valley, which means you drive halfway to the top. You can pop up and back in a day.

I smiled and realised why I prefer tramping on my own. I didn’t bring the subject up again.

In any case the weather wasn’t suitable, the run into the Easter brought Cyclone Debbie, then Cyclone Cook. Not quite as much rain as predicted but still plenty on Easter Friday.

I went a week later which was also a long weekend, if you took off the Monday before a Tuesday Anzac Day. I left on Friday morning as well. This would give me five days to make it not a complete race.

This is how it went . . .

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Day 1 | To Rocks Hut

Woo!! Inside Rocks Hut. | Mt Fell, Richmond Forest Park Park, April 2017

Fortunately someone had marked the track with orange plastic ribbon about five years before, most were faded but still discernible, wrapped on the trees.

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Day 2 | Down the hill to Roebuck Hut

Much of the Pelorus River Track sidles high above the river. | Mt Fell, Richmond Forest Park Park, April 2017

Anyway, no one else has turned up yet so I might have an early night. I know it’s going to be a huge day tomorrow, 1800 m of climbing.

+++++horizontal rule+++++

Day 3 | Up the big hill to the Mt Fell Hut

The horizontal chain section above a impressive cliff.  | Mt Fell, Richmond Forest Park Park, April 2017

The track then stretched along a ridge for a kilometre or two before the last big climb up Mt Fell. Parts of that are steep, scrabbling with hands to drag myself upwards required.

+++++horizontal rule+++++

Day 4 | Back down to Middy Creek Hut

Venus and a sliver of the moon. Sunrise at Mt Fell Hut. | Mt Fell, Richmond Forest Park Park, April 2017

An ultramarine sky with an increasingly large or expand across the horizon. One of the best sunrises seen for a while, considering the lack of clouds.

+++++horizontal rule+++++

Day 5 | From Middy Creek Hut and back home to Nelson

Mountain bikers at Coppermine Saddle on the Dun Mountain Trail. | Mt Fell, Richmond Forest Park Park, April 2017

Biking, walking, and listening to podcasts. Kinda sums me up these days.