Jean Batten Peak, 23 - 24 November 2013
View down the Caples River to Lake Wakatipu from Unnamed Peak 1695m, Ailsa Mountains. Pt 2024m is at centre image; Tooth Peak just behind and left of it, while Jean Batten Peak is on the far right
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Jean Batten Peak route topo, from Key Summit
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Route through the 100m high band of bluffs at 1700m of elevation on the west ridge of Jean Batter Peak. Because the picture is taken looking up, the view is foreshortened - the top pitch is longer than it looks. In fact it's the same length as the first one. We climbed 3 pitches on the way up; descended with two 30m abseils (top and bottom) and one pitch in between. The gully directly above (and left of) the first pitch might also go when the mountain is drier, maybe after the end of snowmelt. We found it a greasy gulch with water running in it.
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View from Key Summit: Ngatimamoe Peak, Flat Top Peak, Pyramid Peak, Mount Suter
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Ailsa Mountains from Key Summit. From left to right are Ocean Peak, F-Knob, Emily Peak, Pt 1821m, Pt 1899m
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Mt Christina and Mt Crosscut from Key Summit
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Mt Christina, Mt Crosscut, Mt Lyttle from Key Summit
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On the Caples Track just below McKellar Saddle, July 2005 (left) and November 2013 (right). This image is typical of DoC's current fashion of 'upgrading' many of our back-country tracks to benched highways
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Campsite above McKellar Saddle. Jean Batten Peak in the background
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Boardwalk on McKellar Saddle. The Livingstone Mountains in the background
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The Caples Track (Road?) just east of McKellar Saddle. Mount Bonpland in the background
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Pt 1449m and 1760m, north and east of McKellar Saddle
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Jean Batten Peak from our campsite just north of McKellar Saddle
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Jean Batten Peak from our campsite just north of McKellar Saddle
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Our campsite just north of McKellar Saddle. Jean Batten Peak above
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Campsite above McKellar Saddle. Mt Christina, Mt Crosscut and Mt Lyttle in the background
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View of McKellar Saddle from the west ridge of Jean Batten Peak. Lake McKellar, Lake Howden and the Greenstone River on left
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On the west ridge of Jean Batten Peak
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On the summit of Jean Batten Peak
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What a place for a forest bird to die... near the summit of Jean Batten Peak. Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis)
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Abseiling off the west ridge of Jean Batten Peak in foul weather
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Abseiling off the west ridge of Jean Batten Peak in foul weather
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The 100m high band of bluffs at 1700m of elevation on the west ridge of Jean Batter Peak
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View of McKellar Saddle from the west ridge of Jean Batten Peak. Lake McKellar and the Greenstone River on left; the Caples River on right
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View of McKellar Saddle from the west ridge of Jean Batten Peak. Lake McKellar and the Greenstone River on left
Ailsa MountainsCaples RiverCaples TrackClimbingFiordlandGreenstone RiverJean Batten PeakLake McKellarMcKellar SaddleMountaineeringNew ZealandTrampingJeanBattenPeak122
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