A Nostalgic Climb Up Curtis Ridge

On Sunday Iheaded off for a climb of Taranaki from the Stratford Plateau via curtis ridge. I've been wanting to make a climb up curtis ridge  for a few years now but have never quite managed to fit it in. Its an enjoyable route best done while there's still a good covering of snow so that you can get off the top of the ridge and traverse across onto the southern side of the mountain to complete the climb up into the crater. I last climbed this route in 1978 with my father though the climb I really remember from this side was a few years earlier with Dad and my brother Graeme.

We were high up on the ridge, about to head off into the snow when we stopped for a break. Graeme opened his pack, then his pack tipped over rolling off the side of the ridge and down into the valley throwing  out its contents as it went. Graeme ignored Dads pleas to wait and went bounding after it running madly down the rocks after his vanishing pack. Dad muttered under his breath, "Bloody idiot he'll kill himself", then with a last command to me to sit still he was off tearing down the ridge after Graeme even more wrecklessly than his son. Then the cloud closed in and I lost site of them. About an hour later I heard voices and soon after they were back having retrieved the pack and nearly everything that had been in it. The cloud broke up and we went on to climb to the summit. For me it was a long lonely wait and I was extremely relieved when I heard them coming back.

On my way up on Sunday I picked out the spot where this incident happened and am amazed that neither of them hurt themselves as the whole side of the ridge is seriously unstable.

The conditions on Sunday were perfect with clear skies and one of those rare days on Taranaki where there was just no wind, not even on the summit.  The upper moss slopes were extremely beautiful, bursting with fresh wildflowers. The snow conditions were perfect and I ended up having the whole southern side of the mountain to myself which was just awesome. It was my 60th climb of Taranaki and one of my most enjoyable climbs.

 Ruapehu in the predawn light from low down on Curtis Ridge.

Sunrise

The first light striking the top of the mountain.

This rock formation is called the Priests Fingers.

Alpine flowers growing amongst the moss slopes.

Fanthems peak with Syme Hut silhouetted on the skyline taken from high up on curtis ridge.

Looking south over Fanthems peak from the south east flank of the mountain.

Fanthems peak and the southern side of the mountain taken from the southern crater rim.

Sharkstooth from the southern crater rim.

The seven sisters ridge on the southern end of the summit peak.

The summit of Taranaki on an absolutely glorious day.