Grandview Mountain. 31 August - 1, 4 September 2010
31 August - 1 September: We walked in via Grandview Creek (owned by Lake Hawea Station), camped on the summit of Grandview Mountain, then descended the spur south of Cameron Gully (Mount Grand Station). Party: Jaz Morris, Nina Dickerhof, Danilo Hegg
4 September: I returned by myself and walked part of the Grandview Track from Sandy Point. I identified two locations that match several details in Thomson's painting. Mount Aspiring is barely visible from the first location; it is not at all visible from the second one. I am now convinced that Mount Aeolus is the 'lofty snowclad peak' that Thomson named Aspiring.
Trip map. 1 grid square = 1km. Left click on map then select "Sizes -> Original" in bottom right corner of screen to view full size. Lake Hawea Station ph 03 443 1637; Mount Grand Station ph 03 443 5870
Grandview Mountain
On the farm track below Grandview Mountain
Central OtagoGrandview MountainNew ZealandTrampingfarm tracktussock
View east from the top of Grandview Mountain
Lake Hawea from Grandview Mountain
Central OtagoGrandview MountainLake HaweaNew ZealandTramping
Grandview Mountain is not high enough for Jaz
Campsite on Grandview Mountain
Central OtagoGrandview MountainNew ZealandTrampingcampsitetent
The trig on Grandview Mountain
Fog over Hawea Flat
Central OtagoGrandview MountainHawea FlatNew ZealandTrampingfog
Mount Alta at sunrise
Central OtagoGrandview MountainMount AltaNew ZealandTramping
Minaret Peaks at sunrise
Central OtagoGrandview MountainMinaret PeaksNew ZealandTramping
End Peak and Treble Cone at sunrise. Lake Wanaka is still in the shade
Central OtagoEnd PeakGrandview MountainLake WanakaNew ZealandTrampingTreble Cone
Mount Alta and the Minaret Peaks at sunrise. Lake Hawea is still in the shade
Central OtagoGrandview MountainLake HaweaMinaret PeaksMount AltaNew ZealandTramping
Lake Wanaka and the range between End Peak and Black Peak
Black PeakCentral OtagoEnd PeakGrandview MountainLake WanakaNew ZealandTrampingTreble Cone
Mount Alta and the Minaret Peaks above Lake Hawea
Central OtagoGrandview MountainHaweaLake HaweaMinaret PeaksMount AltaNew ZealandTramping
View of Lake Wanaka from Grandview Mountain
Black PeakCentral OtagoEnd PeakGrandview MountainLake WanakaMount IronNew ZealandTrampingTreble Cone
View of Hawea from Grandview Mountain
Mount Alta, and an Aspiring-shaped cloud to the right
Central OtagoGrandview MountainMount AltaNew ZealandTramping
'At the head of Hawea, dist. about 40 miles, is a very lofty snowclad peak which I called Mt Aspiring' (J.T. Thomson, 18 December 1857). But Mt Aspiring doesn't have much to show from this angle!
Central OtagoGrandview MountainJ.T. ThomsonMount AltaMount AspiringNew ZealandTrampinglofty conical peak
'A high mountain which I named Pisa, as it carries on its summit a huge leaning rock remarkably like the Campanile Pisa' (J.T. Thomson, 18 Decmeber 1857). Thomson certainly carried a powerful telescope!
Central OtagoGrandview MountainJ.T. ThomsonMount PisaNew ZealandTramping
Cattle on Mount Grand Station
Central OtagoMount Grand StationNew ZealandTrampingbos tauruscattlecowfarm
Cattle on Mount Grand Station
Central OtagoMount Grand StationNew ZealandTrampingbos tauruscattlecowfarm
Mount Grand Station
Central OtagoMount Grand StationMount IronNew ZealandTrampingfarm
Trip map. 1 grid square = 1km. Left click on map then select "Sizes -> Original" in bottom right corner of screen to view full size
Clutha River, Mount Alpha and Roys Peak from the Grandview Track
Central OtagoClutha RiverGrandview TrackMount AlphaNew ZealandRoys PeakTramping
Mount Aeolus from point 1046m at the head of Deep Gully
Mount Aspiring and Mount Alta from point 1046m at the head of Deep Gully
Central OtagoGrandview TrackMount AltaMount AspiringNew ZealandTramping
The Clutha River and the mountains at the head of Lake Wanaka from point 1046m at the head of Deep Gully
Black PeakCentral OtagoClutha RiverGrandview TrackLake WanakaNew ZealandTramping
The view from point 1046m at the head of Deep Gully. Prominent peaks on the horizon are the Minaret Peaks (far left), Mount Pollux, Mount Castor, Mount Aeolus and Mount Albert.
Central OtagoGrandview TrackMinaret PeaksMount AeolusMount CastorMount PolluxMount AlbertNew ZealandTramping
Mount Aeolus from Trig A3L8
Mount Aspiring and Mount Alta from Trig A3L8
Central OtagoGrandview TrackMount AltaMount AspiringNew ZealandTramping
Lake Wanaka from just below Trig A3L8
Black PeakCentral OtagoClutha RiverGrandview TrackLake WanakaNew ZealandTramping
On the Grandview Track, looking towards the St Bathans Range
Central OtagoGrandview TrackNew ZealandSaint Bathans RangeTramping
The range between Lindis Peak and Trig A3L8
Clutha River and Lake Dunstan
Central OtagoClutha RiverGrandview TrackLake DunstanNew ZealandTramping
The hills between the Lindis and Timaru Rivers from Trig Hill
The rock platform in J.T. Thomson's painting
Looking at Lake Wanaka from the rock platform in J.T. Thomson's painting
Black PeakCentral OtagoClutha RiverGrandview TrackLake WanakaNew ZealandTramping
The rock platform in J.T. Thomson's painting
Black PeakCentral OtagoClutha RiverGrandview TrackLake WanakaNew ZealandTramping
Spaniards in front of the St Bathans Range
AciphyllaCentral OtagoGrandview TrackNew ZealandSaint Bathans RangeTrampingspaniard
JT Thomson's painting of Grandview Mountain
Black PeakCentral OtagoClutha RiverGrandview TrackLake WanakaMount IronNew ZealandTrampingpainting
The view from trig A3L8. Some of the detail matches the painting exactly (eg the position of Mount Iron), but the course of the Clutha does not, and neither does the shape of Lake Wanaka.
Black PeakCentral OtagoClutha RiverGrandview TrackLake WanakaMount IronNew ZealandTrampingpainting
Rock outcrop north of Trig Hill. The rock platform, the course of the Clutha River and the position of Black Peak match exactly with Thomson's painting
Black PeakCentral OtagoClutha RiverGrandview TrackLake WanakaMount IronNew ZealandTrampingpainting
Mount Aspiring and Mount Alta from the first of the two locations. Mount Aspiring hardly stands out as a lofty conical peak, and is at the head of Lake Wanaka, not Lake Hawea. From the second location, Aspiring is hidden behind Mt Alta and not at all visible.
Central OtagoGrandview TrackMount AltaMount AspiringNew ZealandTramping
'At the head of Hawea, dist. about 40 miles, is a very lofty snowclad peak which I called Mt. Aspiring'. This is the one. But it is today Mount Aeolus!
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