Lake Quill tops - Sutherland Sound, 17 - 27 January 2011

An honest Fiordland trip - 11 days of wilderness, thick bush, rain, and steep terrain. And one of the most exciting alpine traverses I've ever tackled. Our route: Day 1: Eglinton River to the Glade Burn via Dore Pass. Day 2: On the Milford Track up the Clinton River to the Nicholas Cirque. Day 3: MacKinnon Pass. The promised fine weather did not arrive... Day 4: MacKinnon Pass again. And down to the Nicholas Cirque once more. Day 5: Mount Hart, in rain; we retreated to a campsite at 1380m of elevation on the ridge above MacKinnon Pass. Day 6: The fine weather has finally arrived! Only 3 days late... We sidled under Aiguille Rouge and the Nicholas Peaks, climbed Couloir Peak and camped by a beautiful unnamed lake above Lake Quill. Day 7: Ascents of Mt MacKenzie and unnamed peak 1885m, then down into the head of the Light River East Branch. Day 8: Sutherland Sound, then Lake Dale. Day 9: Over the tops into the head of Staircase Creek. Appalling weather. Day 10: Down Staircase Creek on the true right with the river in full flood. Day 11: On the Milford Track down the Arthur River to Milford Sound. Party: James Thornton, George O'Sullivan, Raphaëlle Brin, 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
Trip map - detail of alpine section. 1 grid square = 1km. Left click on map then select "Sizes -> Original" in bottom right corner of screen to view full size
Waterfall in the Murcott Burn, en route to Dore Pass.
Dore Pass Fiordland Murcott Burn New Zealand Tramping Waterfall Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 004
Looking down the Murcott Burn, en route to Dore Pass
Dore Pass Fiordland Murcott Burn New Zealand Tramping Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 010
Descending from Dore Pass towards the Clinton River and Lake Te Anau.
Clinton River Dore Pass Fiordland Lake Te Anau New Zealand Tramping Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 021
A visitor to our campsite in the Nicholas Cirque. Weka (Gallirallus australis)
Fauna Fiordland Gallirallus australis Milford Track New Zealand Nicholas Cirque Tramping weka wildlife Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 033
Cooking on the fire in the Nicholas Cirque, waiting for the weather to clear.
Fiordland New Zealand Nicholas Cirque Tramping camp fire fire Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 036
Some action finally! On the north ridge of Mount Hart. Mt Elliot, Mt Wilmur and Mt Balloon in the background.
Fiordland Milford Track Mount Balloon Mount Elliot Mount Hart Mount Wilmur New Zealand Tramping Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 039
Mt Balloon from the ridge of Mount Hart. McKinnon Pass and shelter below.
Fiordland MacKinnon Pass Milford Track Mount Balloon Mount Hart New Zealand Tramping Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 040
Mt Hart from the campsite at 1380m of elevation on the north-east ridge
Fiordland Milford Track Mount Hart New Zealand Nicholas Peaks Tramping Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 044
A visitor to our campsite on Mt Hart. Kea (Nestor notabilis)
Fauna Fiordland MacKinnon Pass Mount Hart Nestor notabilis New Zealand Tramping kea wildlife Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 055
Rain again... We built a stone wall to protect our campsite at 1380m of elevation on the ridge of Mt Hart.
Fiordland MacKinnon Pass Mount Hart New Zealand Tent fly Tramping campsite tent Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 063
Mt Balloon at sunrise, from the north-east ridge of Mount Hart
Fiordland MacKinnon Pass Mount Balloon Mount Hart New Zealand Tramping Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 066
Mt Elliot and Mt Wilmur at sunrise, from the north-east ridge of Mt Hart
Fiordland MacKinnon Pass Mount Elliot Mount Hart Mount Wilmur New Zealand Tramping Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 080
View from the north-east ridge of Mount Hart: Unnamed Peak 1885m on the far left, Mt Daniel to the right of centre image, and the Lady of the Snows on the far right.
Fiordland Lady of the Snows Mount Daniel Mount Hart New Zealand Tramping Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 084a
Mt Daniel (on the far right) from the north-east ridge of Mt Hart
Fiordland Mount Daniel New Zealand Tramping Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 096a
Panorama from the north-east ridge of Mount Hart
Fiordland Lady of the Snows Llawrenny Peaks Mount Danger Mount Daniel Mount Edgar Mount Hart New Zealand Steep Hill Terror Peak Tramping Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 102a
Panorama from the north-east ridge of Mount Hart
Fiordland Lady of the Snows Llawrenny Peaks Mount Danger Mount Daniel Mount Edgar Mount Hart New Zealand Steep Hill Terror Peak Tramping Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 102b
The Lady of the Snows (right) and unnamed peak 1811m, from the north-east ridge of Mt Hart
Fiordland Lady of the Snows Mount Hart New Zealand Tramping Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 111
Mt Danger from the north-east ridge of Mt Hart
Fiordland Mount Danger Mount Hart New Zealand Tramping Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 112
Sidling under Aiguille Rouge
Aiguille Rouge Fiordland Mount Hart New Zealand Tramping Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 114
Unnamed peak 1885m
Fiordland Mount Hart New Zealand Tramping Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 119
Mt Elliot and Mt Wilmur from the slopes of Aiguille Rouge
Aiguille Rouge Fiordland Mount Elliot Mount Wilmur New Zealand Tramping Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 124
The Llawrenny Peaks and Terror Peak from the slopes of Aiguille Rouge
Aiguille Rouge Fiordland Llawrenny Peaks New Zealand Terror Peak Tramping Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 131
Mt Hart (left) and Mt Balloon (silhouetted to the right) from the south ridge of Aiguille Rouge
Aiguille Rouge Fiordland Mount Balloon Mount Hart Mount Wilmur New Zealand Tramping Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 139
The Nicholas Peaks from the south ridge of Aiguille Rouge
Aiguille Rouge Fiordland New Zealand Nicholas Peaks Tramping Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 146
Lake Quill from the south ridge of Aiguille Rouge. Couloir Peak (left) and unnamed peak 1885m (right) above
Aiguille Rouge Couloir Peak Fiordland Lake Quill New Zealand Nicholas Peaks Tramping Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 158a
The southern Nicholas Peak (1792m) from the south ridge of Aiguille Rouge. Our route crosses the saddle to the right
Aiguille Rouge Fiordland New Zealand Nicholas Peaks Tramping Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 159
The Nicholas Peaks from the south ridge of Aiguille Rouge
Aiguille Rouge Fiordland New Zealand Nicholas Peaks Tramping Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 165
Aiguille Rouge and Mount Hart from the Nicholas Peaks
Aiguille Rouge Fiordland Mount Hart New Zealand Nicholas Peaks Tramping Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 167
Unnamed lake above Lake Quill
Fiordland Lake Quill New Zealand Nicholas Peaks Tramping Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 175
Abseiling on the Nicholas Peaks
Fiordland New Zealand Nicholas Peaks Tramping abseil abseiling Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 185a
Looking into the Castle River from the Nicholas Peaks
Barrier Peak Castle Mount Castle River Fiordland New Zealand Nicholas Peaks Tramping Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 212a
Nicholas Peaks from the west
Fiordland New Zealand Nicholas Peaks Tramping Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 213
Couloir Peak, unnamed peak 1885m and Lake Quill
Couloir Peak Fiordland Lake Quill Mount Daniel New Zealand Tramping Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 220
The lake at the head of the Dark River and Couloir Peak (on the far right) from unnamed peak 1653m above Lake Quill
Couloir Peak Dark River Fiordland Light River New Zealand Tramping Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 227a
View into the head of the Dark River from unnamed peak 1653m above Lake Quill. Near the right edge of the image are Light - Dark Saddle and unnamed peak 1682m above. The hanging valley of Robb Creek is on the left.
Couloir Peak Dark River Fiordland New Zealand Robb Creek Tramping Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 234
On the tops south of Couloir Peak
Couloir Peak Fiordland New Zealand Nicholas Peaks Tramping Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 237
Lake Quill from the tops south of Couloir Peak. Unnamed peak 1885m to the left, Mt Pillans at centre image and Aiguille Rouge on the far right.
Aiguille Rouge Fiordland Lake Quill Mount Pillans New Zealand Tramping Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 241
Lake Quill and the Arthur River from Couloir Peak
Aiguille Rouge Arthur River Couloir Peak Fiordland Lake Quill New Zealand Tramping Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 250
The descent route to the unnamed lake above Lake Quill. Unnamed peak 1885m above.
Couloir Peak Fiordland Lake Quill New Zealand Tramping Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 266a
Lake Quill from the outlet of the unnamed lake above. Aiguille Rouge and the Nicholas Peaks in the background.
Aiguille Rouge Fiordland Lake Quill Mount Hart Mount Wilmur New Zealand Nicholas Peaks Tramping Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 273
Lake Quill from the outlet of the unnamed lake above. Aiguille Rouge and the Nicholas Peaks in the background.
Aiguille Rouge Couloir Peak Fiordland Lake Quill Mount Hart Mount Wilmur New Zealand Nicholas Peaks Tramping Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 283a
The unnamed lake above Lake Quill
Fiordland Lake Quill New Zealand Tramping Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 290
Unnamed peak 1682m above Light - Dark Saddle, from the ridge of Mt MacKenzie
Dark River Fiordland Light River Mount MacKenzie New Zealand Tramping Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 297
The Light River, Sutherland Sound and Mt Longsight from unnamed peak 1885m
Fiordland Light River Mount Longsight New Zealand Sutherland Sound Tramping Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 314
Panorama from unnamed peak 1885m. Barrier Peak to the left; Light - Dark Saddle and unnamed peak 1682m to the right.
Barrier Peak Couloir Peak Dark River Fiordland Light River New Zealand Tramping Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 319a
Looking west from unnamed peak 1885m. Light River and Sutherland Sound.
Fiordland Light River New Zealand Sutherland Sound Tramping Lake Quill tops Sutherland Sound 330

Tony Sharpe
on April 27, 2012
I love these pics. Mid 90's I did a trip up the Worsely, over to the Dark round Lake Grave and then up the main north branch of the Light to Staircase Creek. This is the first time I have seen anyone else have a pic on the beach at Sutherland Sound. Special place- and we're heading off to the Milford next week and hope to nip up Mt Hart and Dore Pass.
Frank King
on September 30, 2011
Stunning pics Danilo. Awesome trip. Land of legends.
Dave Pratt
on March 10, 2011
Awesome photos Danilo!
Jamie Stewart
on February 17, 2011
Danillo, awesome set of photos and looks like an awesome (hard) trip. Inspiring!

Southern Alps Photography

Lake Quill tops - Sutherland Sound, 17 - 27 January 2011

Gallery comments

Tony Sharpe

Frank King

Dave Pratt

Jamie Stewart