Lake Victoria, 19 - 24 January 2015

My third visit to Lake Victoria, one of my favourites stomping grounds in the Kepler Mountains. On this occasion, we approached it from Lake Manapouri via the Refrigerator Valley.
Day 1: From Rainbow Reach via the Kepler Track to Shallow Bay Hut.
Day 2: From Shalllow Bay we pack-rafted along the northern shore of Lake Manapouri, across Calm Bay and the Hurricane Passage, to the mouth of the Refrigerator Valley. We climbed the steep spur on the true right of the river to approx 320m of elevation.
Day 3: Up the Refrigerator Valley to a small clearing near the head of the valley. Tough going getting into the hanging valley - hats off to the OUTC party that carried a refrigerator up this way ten years ago. And no, we did not find it!
Day 4: Up to a small lake at the very head of the Refrigerator Valley. From here, we scrambled to the top of Pt 1720m, highest point in the Kepler Mountains. We then crossed a piece of rather complicated country to Lake Victoria, before hopping over a pass and descending into the unnamed valley west of Spire Peak.
Day 5: Down into the Iris Burn River. We crossed to the Kepler Track just below the waterfall, then trudged down valley, past Iris Burn Hut and Moturau Hut to Shallow Bay. Thanks Theo (hut warden at Iris Burn Hut) for your generosity topping up our food supplies, we had run out of carbs!
Day 6: Back to Rainbow Reach and home.
Party: Lydia McLean and 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.
Rain showers over Southland
Lake Victoria 001 New Zealand Southland cloud rain rain showers showers weather
Rain showers over Southland
Lake Victoria 002 New Zealand Southland cloud rain rain showers showers weather
Paddling Lake Manapouri in the first morning light
Lake Victoria 004 Fiordland Fiordland National Park Kepler Mountains Lake Manapouri New Zealand Tramping alpacka raft pack raft pack rafting paddle paddling
Paddling Lake Manapouri in the first morning light
Lake Victoria 007 Fiordland Fiordland National Park Kepler Mountains Lake Manapouri New Zealand Tramping alpacka raft pack raft pack rafting paddle paddling
Paddling Lake Manapouri
Lake Victoria 009 Fiordland Fiordland National Park Kepler Mountains Lake Manapouri New Zealand Tramping alpacka raft pack raft pack rafting paddle paddling
Paddling Lake Manapouri. The Cathedral Peaks are in the background.
Lake Victoria 010 Cathedral Peaks Fiordland Fiordland National Park Kepler Mountains Lake Manapouri New Zealand Tramping alpacka raft pack raft pack rafting paddle paddling
Cathedral Peaks, Lake Manapouri
Lake Victoria 012 Cathedral Peaks Fiordland Fiordland National Park Kepler Mountains Lake Manapouri New Zealand Tramping
Paddling Lake Manapouri
Lake Victoria 014 Fiordland Fiordland National Park Kepler Mountains Lake Manapouri New Zealand Tramping alpacka raft pack raft pack rafting paddle paddling
Paddling towards the Beehive, Lake Manapouri
Lake Victoria 015 Beehive Fiordland Fiordland National Park Kepler Mountains Lake Manapouri New Zealand Tramping alpacka raft pack raft pack rafting paddle paddling
Entering the Hurricane Passage, Lake Manapouri. Leaning Peak is in the background
Lake Victoria 016 Fiordland Fiordland National Park Hurricane Passage Kepler Mountains Lake Manapouri Leaning Peak New Zealand Tramping alpacka raft pack raft pack rafting paddle paddling
Rain showers over the South Arm of Lake Manapouri
Lake Victoria 022 Fiordland Fiordland National Park Kepler Mountains Lake Manapouri New Zealand Tramping rain showers showers weather
Waiting for the water to calm down to resume paddling on Lake Manapouri
Lake Victoria 026 Fiordland Fiordland National Park Kepler Mountains Lake Manapouri New Zealand Tramping alpacka raft pack raft pack rafting paddle paddling rain showers showers weather
Rain showers over the South Arm of Lake Manapouri
Lake Victoria 028 Fiordland Fiordland National Park Kepler Mountains Lake Manapouri New Zealand Tramping rain showers showers weather
Rain showers over the South Arm of Lake Manapouri
Lake Victoria 032 Fiordland Fiordland National Park Kepler Mountains Lake Manapouri New Zealand Tramping rain showers showers weather
Rain showers over the South Arm of Lake Manapouri
Lake Victoria 033 Fiordland Fiordland National Park Kepler Mountains Lake Manapouri New Zealand Tramping rain showers showers weather
Kāmahi (Pterophylla racemosa). Lake Manapouri
Lake Victoria Fiordland Fiordland National Park Flora Kepler Mountains Lake Manapouri New Zealand Tramping Weinmannia racemosa kamahi kāmahi Pterophylla racemosa
From Kāmahi
Kāmahi (Pterophylla racemosa). Lake Manapouri
Lake Victoria Fiordland Fiordland National Park Flora Kepler Mountains Lake Manapouri New Zealand Tramping Weinmannia racemosa kamahi kāmahi Pterophylla racemosa
From Kāmahi
At the mouth of the Refrigerator Valley, Lake Manapouri.
Lake Victoria 048 Fiordland Fiordland National Park Kepler Mountains Lake Manapouri New Zealand Refrigerator Valley Tramping alpacka raft pack raft pack rafting paddle paddling
At the mouth of the Refrigerator Valley, Lake Manapouri.
Lake Victoria 056 Fiordland Fiordland National Park Kepler Mountains Lake Manapouri New Zealand Refrigerator Valley Tramping alpacka raft pack raft pack rafting paddle paddling
Take-out at the mouth of the Refrigerator Valley, Lake Manapouri.
Lake Victoria 057 Fiordland Fiordland National Park Kepler Mountains Lake Manapouri New Zealand Refrigerator Valley Tramping alpacka raft pack raft pack rafting paddle paddling
Refrigerator Valley
Lake Victoria 062 Fiordland Fiordland National Park Kepler Mountains New Zealand Refrigerator Valley Tramping
The western slopes of the Cathedral Peaks from the first clearing in the Refrigerator Valley
Lake Victoria 064 Cathedral Peaks Fiordland Fiordland National Park Kepler Mountains New Zealand Refrigerator Valley Tramping
The western slopes of the Cathedral Peaks from the first clearing in the Refrigerator Valley
Lake Victoria 066 Cathedral Peaks Fiordland Fiordland National Park Kepler Mountains New Zealand Refrigerator Valley Tramping
View up the Refrigerator Valley. Unnamed Peak Pt 1720m, highest point in the Kepler Mountains, is at centre image.
Lake Victoria 068 Fiordland Fiordland National Park Kepler Mountains New Zealand Refrigerator Valley Tramping
View up the Refrigerator Valley. Unnamed Peak Pt 1720m, highest point in the Kepler Mountains, is at centre image.
Lake Victoria 070 Fiordland Fiordland National Park Kepler Mountains New Zealand Refrigerator Valley Tramping
Pt 1525m, Refrigerator Valley north-west branch
Lake Victoria 072 Fiordland Fiordland National Park Kepler Mountains New Zealand Refrigerator Valley Tramping
Pt 1525m, Refrigerator Valley north-west branch
Lake Victoria 073 Fiordland Fiordland National Park Kepler Mountains New Zealand Refrigerator Valley Tramping
Lake outlet at the head of the Refrigerator Valley
Lake Victoria 079 Fiordland Fiordland National Park Kepler Mountains New Zealand Refrigerator Valley Tramping
Lake at the head of the Refrigerator Valley
Lake Victoria 082 Fiordland Fiordland National Park Kepler Mountains New Zealand Refrigerator Valley Tramping
Climbing above the lake at the head of the Refrigerator Valley
Lake Victoria 088 Fiordland Fiordland National Park Kepler Mountains New Zealand Refrigerator Valley Tramping
Climbing above the lake at the head of the Refrigerator Valley
Lake Victoria 090 Fiordland Fiordland National Park Kepler Mountains New Zealand Refrigerator Valley Tramping
The unnamed lake at the head of the Refrigerator Valley
Lake Victoria 091 Fiordland Fiordland National Park Kepler Mountains New Zealand Refrigerator Valley Tramping
On the north-west ridge of Pt 1720m, looking down onto our next campsite (straight below) and the Iris Burn Valley further back. Spire Peak is top right.
Lake Victoria 098 Fiordland Fiordland National Park Iris Burn Iris Burn River Kepler Mountains Mount Irene Mount Lyall Mount Pickering New Zealand Refrigerator Valley Spire Peak Tramping
Lake Victoria from Pt 1720m, Kepler Mountains. The Takitimu Mountains and Mount Titiroa are in the background.
Lake Victoria 100 Fiordland Fiordland National Park Kepler Mountains Lake Victoria Mount Titiroa New Zealand Takitimu Mountains Tramping
On Pt 1720m, highest point in the Kepler Mountains. Lake Victoria is back left
Lake Victoria 104 Fiordland Fiordland National Park Kepler Mountains Lake Victoria Mount Titiroa New Zealand Takitimu Mountains Tramping
On Pt 1720m, highest point in the Kepler Mountains. Lake Victoria is back right
Lake Victoria 105 Fiordland Fiordland National Park Kepler Mountains Lake Victoria Mount Titiroa New Zealand Takitimu Mountains Tramping
View into the Iris Burn and its unnamed tributary west of Spire Peak from Pt 1720m
Lake Victoria 107 Fiordland Fiordland National Park Iris Burn Iris Burn River Kepler Mountains Mount Irene Mount Lyall Mount Pickering New Zealand Tramping
Wetlands below Pt 1720m, Kepler Mountains
Lake Victoria 108 Fiordland Fiordland National Park Kepler Mountains New Zealand Tramping wetland wetlands
View down the Refrigerator Valley from Pt 1720m, Kepler Mountains
Lake Victoria 109 Fiordland Fiordland National Park Kepler Mountains New Zealand Refrigerator Valley Tramping
360° panorama from unnamed peak Pt 1720m, highest peak in the Kepler Mountains
Lake Victoria 133a
Unnamed peak Pt 1616m from the slopes of Pt 1720m, Kepler Mountains
Lake Victoria 134 Fiordland Fiordland National Park Kepler Mountains New Zealand Tramping
Unnamed lake at the head of the Refrigerator Valley. Pt 1616m top right
Lake Victoria 142a Fiordland Fiordland National Park Kepler Mountains New Zealand Refrigerator Valley Tramping
Lake at the head of the Refrigerator Valley
Lake Victoria 143 Fiordland Fiordland National Park Kepler Mountains New Zealand Refrigerator Valley Tramping
Refrigerator Valley
Lake Victoria 146 Fiordland Fiordland National Park Kepler Mountains New Zealand Refrigerator Valley Tramping
Refrigerator Valley
Lake Victoria 148 Fiordland Fiordland National Park Kepler Mountains New Zealand Refrigerator Valley Tramping
View down the Refrigerator Valley
Lake Victoria 150 Fiordland Fiordland National Park Kepler Mountains New Zealand Refrigerator Valley Tramping
Lake Victoria, Kepler Mountains
Lake Victoria 154 Fiordland Fiordland National Park Kepler Mountains Lake Victoria New Zealand Tramping

Southern Alps Photography

Lake Victoria, 19 - 24 January 2015

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