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Across the Hollyford valley, from Routeburn and the Grand Traverse lie the Darran Mountains: made mostly from diorite - a crystalline rock similar to but more coarse-grained than gabbro - they are to South Island what the Cuillins are to Scotland - a rock-climbing Mecca. They are also the steepest mountains I think I have ever climbed - huge deep U shaped valleys mostly filled with thick vegetation snake between soaring peaks.
Looking NNW from point 1543 towards the Darrans: the most prominent being the 2474m Christina on the RMap of the Darran mountains
Unlike the OS in Britain, the DOC(Dept. of conservation) in New Zealand makes all maps free on line. You can scroll them to any scale, and drag them to the particular area as desired. This link opens with the Darrans in the frame
https://dcon01mstr0c21wprod.azurewebsites.net/map/index.html?banner=0&layerlist=0&base=Topo&layers=Campsites,Huts,All%20tracks&extent=1215566.896283126,5025909,2193,7&search=Huts:100074591After seeing them on my 2002-03 trip I determined to visit them and had Gary organise a trip there in January 2006 with Sam Bosshard as my guide. We had brilliant weather throughout
Homer tunnelEastern entrance to the tunnel I can't do better than quote bits from Wikipedia:
The Homer Tunnel is a 1.2 km (0.75 miles) long road tunnel connecting the valley of the Hollyford River to the east and that of the Cleddau to the west.
Government workers began the tunnel in 1935 and the completion of at least a rough road to the eastern portal site in the same year. The tunnel and the associated Milford Road were built by relief workers during the Depression, initially just starting with five men using picks and wheelbarrows. The men had to live in tents in a mountainous area where there might be no direct sunlight for half of the year. At least three were killed by avalanches over the coming decades.Progress was slow, with difficult conditions including fractures in the rock bringing water from snow melt into the tunnel. Compressors and a powerhouse in the nearby river were eventually built to pump out 40,000 litres of water per hour. Work was also interrupted by World War II (though the actual piercing of the mountain had successfully been achieved in 1940), and an avalanche in 1945 which destroyed the eastern tunnel portal. These problems delayed the tunnel's completion and opening until 1953. We stayed throughout at the Homer hut (ca. 900m) at the Eastern end of the tunnel: it was in the middle of being refurbished at the time, but it didn't seem to mattter
Talbot McPherson traverseDriving up the valley towards the tunnel this is the classic view of Mt Talbot - McPherson and part of the traverse can be seen behind it on the LMap of the routeThe Homer Saddle(1375m) is a steep 90 minute climb from the tunnel entrance up a mixture of grass and scree which we started at about 6.00am after driving up to the tunnel entrance
Early morning at the Saddle looking back E to Crosscut 2263m on the L and Christina on the R I found it a slightly confusing place as the road exits the mountain on both sides and one can easily lose one's bearings
, but we headed R up Talbot's Ladder an easy but exposed scramble - I think we roped up but moved together - and then on up easy snow slopes to 1931m Mt. McPherson.
Looking back down Talbot's Ladder to the saddle and the rock ridge up the other sideSam enjoying the sunshine at the top of the ladderStart of the snow - looking on up to McPherson - far LViews from McPherson summit Obligatory Summit photo - the snowy peak at the back is 2723m Tutako - highest in the rangeIn the L foreground is 1620m Isolation peak: To its R looking down Esperance river to Gulliver river, with the Donne river heading back R . All these rivers meet, flow L to join the Cleddau and head North to Milford Sound while second from the L is Mt. Pembroke 2015m. Interesting that all the names in this area have a Welsh slant detailed view of the peaksZoomed viewsLooking almost NW to the R of Homer Saddle into the Cleddau valley: Mt. Pembroke again on the R with Isolation peak just coming out of the cloud. Milford Sound is over the back - though we couldn't really see it at this pointZoomed. The Llawrenny Peaks at the back in the centre - with Odyssey peak to their L in front - all about the same height as McPherson The traverse continues across snow to Traverse pass - the small dip in the L horizon - with Mt Talbot centre , Cross Cut with its four peaks centre R and Christina far ROn the snow traverse looking across to Tutako againAscending the last section to the passAt Traverse pass we headed R along the rock ridge to 2109m Mt. Talbot - Crosscut behindLooking North from traverse Pass: Adelaide saddle to my (true) LThis is a classic alpine rock ridge - grade II - II+ thoroughly enjoyable climbing on excellent rock - but as usual with lots of ups and downs. I suspect we took about an hour in each directionLooking back across the snow traverse to McPherson - centre RIn the opposite direction, the snowy lump in the foreground is Barrier Knob to the R of Adelaide saddle: part of Lake Adelaide is visible behindPictures on the rock ridge Climbing a pinnacleand looking back - traversing under oneclimbing another pinnaclelooking back along the ridge - with McPherson far L and Mt. Pembroke far RViews from the SummitAnother view over Barrier Knob and the forests around Moraine creek which drains Lake Adelaide Zoomed view back along the ridge: the 2021 rock lump beyond traverse pass doesn't have a name on the map, but directly behind it is Mitre Peak with The Llawrenny peaks to the L Towards Tutako and Madeleine: In the R foreground is the Sentinel and to its L the Twins: further L beyond the Donne river is probably Mt. underwood ZoomedMt Crosscut - with Christina behind and to its R Sam leading a pitch on the returnBack at Traverse passFrom the pass we headed R down soft snow (care needed) to glaciated slabs above Gertrude Saddle
The Sentinel and the TwinsLooking down Gulliver river valleyCushion daisies at Gertrude saddleBlack lake with Crosscut behind:we headed R behind the lake and down Gertrude valley to the hut on a good tracklooking back up Gertrude valleyanother daisy - there are so many different onesFinally a view of the traverse from the top of the ridge on the other side of Homer saddle