Marion Plateau - Mount Lydia, 3 - 8 January 2013

A short but enjoyable transalpine trip in Mt Aspiring National Park. Day 1: Up the Dart Track to the rock bivvy at Cattle Flat. Day 2: Across the swingbridge at Cattle Flat and up to a high camp above O'Leary Pass. Day 3: A crossing of the Marion Plateau to Boys Col and Key Dome, with an ascent of Mt Lydia on the way. We set up camp in the flats at the head of the Blue Duck River. Day 4: We explored the Blue Duck River and Key Dome, and had a look at the route through the bluffs into the Whitbourn River. Day 5: We scouted an excellent route from the head of the Blue Duck River to the swingbridge at Cattle Flat. Another night at the rock bivvy. Day 6: Out via the Dart Valley. Party: Peter Wilson, Jaz Morris, Tiffany Ann Stephens, Geoff Spearpoint, Danilo Hegg

Mount Aspiring from Mt Lydia
Climbing Lydia Mount Aspiring Mount Aspiring National Park Mount Lydia Mount Maori Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Pivot Peak Snowdrift Range Tititea Tramping Marion Plateau 365
Mt Ian from Mt Lydia. The Hamilton Glacier on left
Climbing Lydia Marion Plateau Mount Aspiring National Park Mount Ian Mount Lydia Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Tramping Marion Plateau 369
The Forbes Mountains from Mt Lydia. Mt Earnslaw (East and West Peaks) is just left of centre image, Moira Peak is right in front of Earnslaw's West Peak, while Mt Head is on the right, with Sir William Peak behind
Climbing Forbes Mountains Lydia Moira Peak Mount Aspiring National Park Mount Earnslaw Mount Head Mount Lydia Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Tramping Marion Plateau 374
View from Mt Lydia: Williamson Flat is in the foreground, with the Five Fingers Range to the left, and the Waipara Range (Cilicia Peak) to the right. McArthur Flat is visible further back, with the Olivine Range (Retreat Pinnacles and Remote Peaks) behind
Cilicia Peak Climbing Five Fingers Range Lydia McArthur Flat Mount Aspiring National Park Mount Lydia Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Range Olivine Wilderness Remote Peaks Retreat Pinnacles Tramping Waipara Range Williamson Flat Marion Plateau 380
360 degree panorama from Mount Lydia. Soundtrack: "Lydia's Song", by Roy Todd
Marion Plateau 417b
Mt Maoriri, Mt Edward and the Whitbourn Glacier from Mt Lydia
Climbing Lydia Mount Aspiring National Park Mount Edward Mount Lydia Mount Maoriri Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Tramping Whitbourn Glacier Marion Plateau 425
The Whitbourn Glacier route to Whitbourn Saddle
Climbing Lydia Mount Aspiring National Park Mount Edward Mount Lydia Mount Maoriri Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Tramping Whitbourn Glacier Whitbourn Saddle route topo Marion Plateau 425a
View down the Whitbourn River from Mt Lydia
Climbing Lydia Mount Aspiring National Park Mount Lydia Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Tramping Whitbourn River Marion Plateau 428
The team descending from Mt Lydia to Boys Col. Mt Ian above
Climbing Hamilton Glacier Lydia Marion Plateau Mount Aspiring National Park Mount Ian Mount Lydia Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Tramping Marion Plateau 435
And there's Geoff striding across the Marion Plateau after his ascent of pt 2215m
Albert Peak Climbing Lydia Marion Plateau Mount Aspiring National Park Mount Gates Mount Lydia Mount Madeline Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Tramping Marion Plateau 458
Geoff on the Marion Plateau, dwarfed by Mt Ian
Climbing Lydia Marion Plateau Mount Aspiring National Park Mount Ian Mount Lydia Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Tramping Marion Plateau 461
Easterly hogsback clouds over Mt Maoriri and Mt Edward
Climbing Lydia Mount Aspiring National Park Mount Edward Mount Lydia Mount Maoriri Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Tramping Whitbourn River hogback cloud hogsback hogsback cloud Marion Plateau 478
On Boys Col. Albert Peak, Mt Gates, Climax Peak and Destiny Peak provide a backdrop to the white expanse of the Marion Plateau
Albert Peak Boys Col Climax Peak Climbing Destiny Peak Marion Plateau Mount Aspiring National Park Mount Gates Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Tramping Marion Plateau 479
Descending from Boys Col to Key Dome
Boys Col Centaur Peaks Climbing Headlong Peak Key Dome Mount Aspiring National Park Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Tramping Marion Plateau 491
The Whitbourn Glacier, Mt Maoriri and Mt Edward from Key Dome
Boys Col Climbing Mount Aspiring National Park Mount Edward Mount Maoriri Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Snowdrift Range Tramping Whitbourn Glacier Marion Plateau 501
Hamilton Glacier, Mount Ian and Mount Tiber from Key Dome
Boys Col Climbing Hamilton Glacier Key Dome Mount Aspiring National Park Mount Ian Mount Tiber Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Tramping Marion Plateau 509
On Key Dome, looking across the Dart River to the Forbes Mountains
Climbing Forbes Mountains Key Dome Moira Peak Mount Aspiring National Park Mount Clarke Mount Earnslaw Mount Head Mountaineering New Zealand OSONZAC Twins Olivine Wilderness Tramping Marion Plateau 516
Descending from Boys Col to Key Dome. Mt Amundsen above
Boys Col Climbing Key Dome Mount Amundsen Mount Aspiring National Park Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Tramping Marion Plateau 523
Jaz descending from Key Dome into the Blue Duck River
Blue Duck River Climbing Key Dome Mount Aspiring National Park Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Tramping Marion Plateau 525
Descending from Key Dome into the Blue Duck River
Blue Duck River Climbing Key Dome Mount Aspiring National Park Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Tramping Marion Plateau 532
The Hamilton Glacier and Mt Ian from the slopes above the Blue Duck River
Blue Duck River Climbing Hamilton Glacier Mount Aspiring National Park Mount Ian Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Tramping Marion Plateau 547a
Blue Duck River
Blue Duck River Climbing Mount Aspiring National Park Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Tramping Marion Plateau 550
Blue Duck River flats - from our campsite
Blue Duck River Climbing Mount Amundsen Mount Aspiring National Park Mount Ian Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Tramping Marion Plateau 562
Yellow snow marguerite (Dolichoglottis lyallii) at the head of the Blue Duck River. Mount Ian above
Blue Duck River Climbing Dolichoglottis lyallii Flora Mount Aspiring National Park Mount Ian Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Tramping Yellow snow marguerite Marion Plateau 565a
Yellow snow marguerite (Dolichoglottis lyallii) at the head of the Blue Duck River. Mount Ian above
Blue Duck River Climbing Dolichoglottis lyallii Flora Mount Aspiring National Park Mount Ian Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Tramping Yellow snow marguerite Marion Plateau 568
Snow marguerites, hybrids Dolichoglottis scorzoneroides x lyallii. Blue Duck River, Dart River
Blue Duck River Climbing Dolichoglottis lyallii Dolichoglottis scorzoneroides Flora Mount Aspiring National Park Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Snow marguerite Tramping Yellow snow marguerite hybrid Marion Plateau 572
Snow marguerites at the head of the Blue Duck River. Dolichoglottis lyallii (bright yellow, in the back), scorzoneroides (white, front right) and hybrids between the two (cream, front left)
Blue Duck River Climbing Dolichoglottis lyallii Dolichoglottis scorzoneroides Flora Mount Aspiring National Park Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Snow marguerite Tramping Yellow snow marguerite Marion Plateau 573
Snow marguerite (Dolichoglottis scorzoneroides). Blue Duck River (Dart River)
Blue Duck River Climbing Dolichoglottis scorzoneroides Flora Mount Aspiring National Park Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Snow marguerite Tramping Marion Plateau 576
Snow marguerite (Dolichoglottis scorzoneroides). Blue Duck River (Dart River)
Blue Duck River Climbing Dolichoglottis scorzoneroides Flora Mount Aspiring National Park Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Snow marguerite Tramping Marion Plateau 577
Alpine willowherb (Epilobium glabellum). Blue Duck River (Dart River)
Blue Duck River Climbing Epilobium glabellum Flora Mount Aspiring National Park Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Tramping alpine willowherb epilobium Marion Plateau 579
Blue Duck River flats
Blue Duck River Climbing Mount Aspiring National Park Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Tramping Marion Plateau 582
Crossing the Blue Duck River at the source
Blue Duck River Climbing Mount Aspiring National Park Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Tramping snow bridge Marion Plateau 585
Bouldering at the head of the Blue Duck River
Blue Duck River Climbing Mount Aspiring National Park Mount Ian Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Tramping bouldering Marion Plateau 592
Gentian (probably Gentianella bellidifolia). Blue Duck River (Dart River)
Blue Duck River Climbing Flora Mount Aspiring National Park Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Tramping gentiana matthewsii snow gentian Marion Plateau 594
Gentian (probably Gentianella bellidifolia). Blue Duck River (Dart River)
Blue Duck River Climbing Flora Mount Aspiring National Park Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Tramping gentiana matthewsii snow gentian Marion Plateau 595
Climbing out of the Blue Duck River to Key Dome. Mount Ian behind
Climbing Key Dome Mount Aspiring National Park Mount Ian Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Tramping Marion Plateau 602
We came across a good tunnel to squeeze through en route to Key Dome
Climbing Key Dome Mount Aspiring National Park Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Tramping crevice rock crevice Marion Plateau 603
White caltha (Caltha obtusa). Key Dome, Mount Aspiring NP
Climbing Flora Key Dome Mount Aspiring National Park Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Psychrophila obtusa Tramping white caltha Marion Plateau 607
Mt Troas, Marion Tower, Mt Edward and Humboldt Tower from Key Dome
Climbing Humboldt Tower Key Dome Marion Tower Mount Aspiring National Park Mount Edward Mount Troas Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Tramping Marion Plateau 610
Mount Ian from Key Dome
Climbing Hamilton Glacier Key Dome Mount Aspiring National Park Mount Ian Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Tramping Marion Plateau 613
360 degree panorama from Key Dome
Soundtrack: Canon in D Major, by Pachelbel
Marion Plateau 634a
Mt Clarke, OSONZAC Twins, Moira Peak and Mt Head from Key Dome
Climbing Forbes Mountains Key Dome Moira Peak Mount Aspiring National Park Mount Clarke Mount Head Mountaineering New Zealand OSONZAC Twins Olivine Wilderness Tramping Marion Plateau 635
The formidable bluffs off Key Dome into the Whitbourn River. Mt Lydia and the Snowdrift Range above
Climbing Key Dome Lydia Mount Aspiring National Park Mount Lydia Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Snowdrift Range Tramping bluffs Marion Plateau 639
Headlong Peak from Key Dome. Snowy Creek comes in on its right.
Climbing Dart River Headlong Peak Key Dome Mount Aspiring National Park Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Snowy Creek Tramping Marion Plateau 648
On the bluffs of Key Dome. Cleft Peak behind
Cleft Peak Climbing Key Dome Mount Aspiring National Park Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Tramping bluffs Marion Plateau 650
Tiff strikes a pose at the edge of Key Dome's bluffs
Climbing Key Dome Mount Aspiring National Park Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Tramping Whitbourn River bluffs Marion Plateau 658
A good but tenuous route leads through the bluffs off Key Dome into the Whitbourn River
Climbing Key Dome Mount Aspiring National Park Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Tramping Whitbourn River bluffs route topo Marion Plateau 661a
Whitbourn River flats. The Dart River can be forded upstream of the forks, but it's swift and thigh deep in normal flow
Climbing Dart River Key Dome Mount Aspiring National Park Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Wilderness Tramping Whitbourn Flats Whitbourn River Marion Plateau 663

Southern Alps Photography

Marion Plateau - Mount Lydia, 3 - 8 January 2013

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