Pluto Peak - Spaniard Valley, 12 - 13 March 2011

A crossing from the Rees to the Dart, climbing Pluto Peak on the way. On Saturday, we walked up the Rees River to Kea Basin and Wright Col. Jaz and Nina went for an evening run up the East Peak of Mount Earnslaw, while Aaron and I took a well deserved rest at Esquilant Biv. The next day, we sidled to Pluto Col, then scrambled to the summit of Pluto Peak before descending Spaniard Valley to Valpys Pass and to Chinamans Bluff. Party: Aaron Whitehead, Jaz Morris, Nina Dickerhof, Danilo Hegg

Trip map. 1 grid square = 1km. Left click on map then select "Sizes -> Original" in bottom right corner of screen to view full size
Modern Art? Rees Valley
Climbing Forbes Mountains Mountaineering New Zealand Rees River Southern Alps Tramping cattle modern art salt salt cube Pluto Peak 002
Kea Basin, lower rock biv
Climbing Forbes Mountains Kea Basin Mountaineering New Zealand Rees River Rock bivvy Southern Alps Tramping bivvy rock rock biv Pluto Peak 011a
Kea Basin rock biv
Climbing Forbes Mountains Kea Basin Mountaineering New Zealand Rees River Rock bivvy Southern Alps Tramping bivvy rock rock biv Pluto Peak 015
Kea Basin rock biv
Climbing Forbes Mountains Kea Basin Mountaineering New Zealand Rees River Rock bivvy Southern Alps Tramping bivvy rock rock biv Pluto Peak 020
Hunter Creek North Branch and Mt Clarke
Climbing Forbes Mountains Hunter Creek Mount Clarke Mountaineering New Zealand Rees River Southern Alps Tramping Pluto Peak 025
Birley Glacier and Mt Earnslaw
Birley Glacier Climbing Earnslaw Forbes Mountains Mount Earnslaw Mountaineering New Zealand Rees River Southern Alps Tramping Wright Col Pluto Peak 026
View from Esquilant Biv: Pluto Peak and the Cosmos Peaks. The Bedford Valley below
Bedford Stream Bedford Valley Climbing Cosmos Peaks Esquilant Biv Forbes Mountains Mountaineering New Zealand Pluto Peak Southern Alps Tramping Wright Col Pluto Peak 033a
Sun rise on Pluto Peak
Climbing Esquilant Biv Forbes Mountains Mountaineering New Zealand Pluto Peak Southern Alps Tramping Wright Col Pluto Peak 043
Sun rise from Esquilant Biv. Pluto Peak in the foreground; the Darran Mountains and the Cosmos Peaks behind
Climbing Cosmos Peaks Esquilant Biv Forbes Mountains Mountaineering New Zealand Pluto Peak Southern Alps Tramping Wright Col Pluto Peak 045a
The team at Esquilant Biv. Pluto Peak to the left
Climbing Esquilant Biv Forbes Mountains Mountaineering New Zealand Pluto Peak Southern Alps Tramping Wright Col hut Pluto Peak 049
En route to Pluto Col
Bedford Stream Climbing Forbes Mountains Mountaineering New Zealand Pluto Col Pluto Peak Southern Alps Tramping Wright Col Pluto Peak 050
En route to Pluto Col
Bedford Stream Climbing Forbes Mountains Mountaineering New Zealand Pluto Col Pluto Peak Southern Alps Tramping Wright Col Pluto Peak 052
Looking west from Pluto Col
Climbing Darran Mountains Dart River Forbes Mountains Mountaineering New Zealand Pluto Col Southern Alps Tramping Pluto Peak 066a
Sugarloaf Pass and the Humboldt Mountains (front), Earl Mountains (back) and Mt Christina from Pluto Col
Climbing Earl Mountains Emily Peak Flat Top Peak Forbes Mountains Humboldt Mountains Mount Christina Mountaineering New Zealand Ngatimamoe Peak Pluto Col Pyramid Peak Southern Alps Sugarloaf Pass Tramping Pluto Peak 067
Pluto Peak summit muffin. Mt Earnslaw behind
Climbing Earnslaw Forbes Mountains Mount Earnslaw Mountaineering New Zealand Pluto Peak Southern Alps Tramping muffin Pluto Peak 068
Lake Mystery and the Cosmos Peaks from Pluto Peak
Climbing Cosmos Peaks Forbes Mountains Lake Mystery Mountaineering New Zealand Pluto Peak Slip Stream Southern Alps Tramping Pluto Peak 071
Aaron on Pluto Peak. Sir William Peak and Mt Aspiring behind
Climbing Forbes Mountains Mountaineering New Zealand Pluto Peak Sir William Peak Southern Alps Tramping Pluto Peak 077
View from Pluto Peak: Albert Peak, Climax Peak and Destiny Peak
Albert Peak Climax Peak Climbing Destiny Peak Forbes Mountains Mountaineering New Zealand Pluto Peak Southern Alps Tramping Pluto Peak 078
The standard route to the East Peak of Mt Earnslaw
Centaur Peaks Climbing Earnslaw Forbes Mountains Mount Earnslaw Mountaineering New Zealand Pluto Peak Southern Alps Tramping Pluto Peak 081a
Slip Stream, Cosmos Peaks and Lake Mystery from Pluto Peak
Climbing Cosmos Peaks Dart River Forbes Mountains Mountaineering New Zealand Niobe Peak Pluto Peak Poseidon Peak Slip Stream Southern Alps Tramping Pluto Peak 085
Mt Madeline and Mt Tutoko from Pluto Peak
Climbing Darran Mountains Forbes Mountains Mount Madeline Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Pluto Peak Southern Alps Tramping Tutoko Pluto Peak 089
View from Pluto Peak, looking over Shepherds Pass, Rees Saddle and Cascade Saddle. The peaks on the horizon are Mt Aspiring, Mt Avalanche, Rob Roy Peak, Headlong Peak and Mt Tyndall
Cascade Saddle Climbing Forbes Mountains Headlong Peak Mount Aspiring Mount Tyndall Mount avalanche Mountaineering New Zealand Pluto Peak Rob Roy Peak Shepherds Pass Southern Alps Tramping Pluto Peak 094
Smiley team on the summit of Pluto Peak
Climbing Forbes Mountains Mountaineering New Zealand Pluto Peak Southern Alps Tramping Pluto Peak 098
View from Pluto Peak: Spaniard Valley, Valpys Pass and the Dart River
Climbing Dart River Forbes Mountains Mountaineering New Zealand Pluto Peak Southern Alps Spaniard Valley Tramping Valpys Pass Pluto Peak 099
Sir William Peak and the Frances Glacier from Pluto Peak
Cerberus Climbing Forbes Mountains Frances Glacier Mountaineering New Zealand Pluto Peak Sir William Peak Southern Alps Tramping Pluto Peak 103
Mount Earnslaw West Peak
Climbing Earnslaw Forbes Mountains Mount Earnslaw Mountaineering New Zealand Pluto Peak Southern Alps Tramping Pluto Peak 106
Tarn in Spaniard Valley. Cosmos Peaks behind
Barrier Range Climbing Cosmos Peaks Forbes Mountains Mountaineering New Zealand Southern Alps Spaniard Valley Tramping Pluto Peak 115
Pluto Peak, Pluto Col and Mt Earsnlaw West Peak, Spaniard Valley
Climbing Earnslaw Forbes Mountains Mount Earnslaw Mountaineering New Zealand Pluto Col Pluto Peak Southern Alps Spaniard Valley Tramping Pluto Peak 120
The route to Pluto Col from Spaniard Valley
Climbing Earnslaw Forbes Mountains Mount Earnslaw Mountaineering New Zealand Pluto Col Pluto Peak Southern Alps Spaniard Valley Tramping Pluto Peak 120a