Sunny Creek to Lake MacKenzie, 30 April - 1 May 2011

A terrific cavalcade over the Ailsa Mountains tops. We started on the Routeburn Track from The Divide shelter, then walked up Sunny Creek to a lake at 1370m of elevation, where we set up camp. In the afternoon, we enjoyed a stiff scramble up unnamed peak 1945m. The next day, we crossed a pass into Roaring Creek, then climbed unnamed peak 1821m and traversed the mountain tops to the saddle at the toe of Emily Peak. We then descended to Lake MacKenzie and walked out the Routeburn Track by night. Two beautiful long days (and late nights!) where we used our hands just as much as our feet. Party: Claire McElwain, Kat Manno, Gwenn LeMée, Jonathan Braun, 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
The 174m high Earland Falls, Routeburn Track
Ailsa Mountains Earland Falls Fiordland Hollyford New Zealand Routeburn Routeburn Track Tramping Waterfall Sunny Creek 004a
Gwenn dwarfed by boulders and scrub in Sunny Creek
Ailsa Mountains Fiordland Hollyford New Zealand Routeburn Routeburn Track Sunny Creek Tramping Sunny Creek 005
Looking down Sunny Creek from near our campsite. Peaks 1727m and 1667m are on the left, while the Earl Mountains are in the background
Ailsa Mountains Earl Mountains Fiordland Flat Top Peak Hollyford New Zealand Ngatimamoe Peak Pyramid Peak Routeburn Routeburn Track Sunny Creek Tramping Sunny Creek 014a
The small lake at the head of Sunny Creek
Ailsa Mountains Fiordland Hollyford New Zealand Routeburn Routeburn Track Sunny Creek Tramping Sunny Creek 015
The Ailsa Mountains above Sunny Creek. From left to right are unnamed peaks 1833m, 1945m, 1727m, 1667m
Ailsa Mountains Fiordland Hollyford New Zealand Routeburn Routeburn Track Sunny Creek Tramping Sunny Creek 038a
The Ailsa Mountains above Sunny Creek. Route topo for the climb to unnamed peak 1945m
Ailsa Mountains Fiordland Hollyford New Zealand Routeburn Routeburn Track Sunny Creek Tramping route topo Sunny Creek 038b
Kat and Claire work their way up unnamed peak 1945m. That's a lot of air under those heels!
Ailsa Mountains Fiordland Hollyford New Zealand Routeburn Routeburn Track Sunny Creek Tramping scramble scrambling Sunny Creek 040
On the summit of unnamed peak 1945m, Ailsa Mountains. Photo Claire McElwain
Ailsa Mountains Fiordland Hollyford New Zealand Routeburn Routeburn Track Sunny Creek Tramping Sunny Creek 047a
View from the ridge of unnamed peak 1945m. The next peak to the north, about 2km away, is approx 1930m high, but has no name or elevation on the maps. Where there was once a glacier, there's now a substantial lake at the foot of the mountain
Ailsa Mountains Fiordland Hollyford New Zealand Routeburn Routeburn Track Sunny Creek Tramping Sunny Creek 048
Mt Tutoko, Mt Madeline and Lake McKerrow from the north ridge of unnamed peak 1945m
Ailsa Mountains Darran Mountains Fiordland Hollyford Lake MacKenzie Lake McKerrow Martins Bay Mount Madeline Mount Tutoko New Zealand Routeburn Routeburn Track Tramping Sunny Creek 049
Descent off unnamed peak 1945m. Kat and Claire demonstrate the Kat-walk
Ailsa Mountains Fiordland Hollyford New Zealand Routeburn Routeburn Track Sunny Creek Tramping cat walk catwalk scramble scrambling Sunny Creek 054
Dawn by the lake in Sunny Creek
Ailsa Mountains Fiordland Hollyford New Zealand Reflection Routeburn Routeburn Track Sunny Creek Tramping tarn Sunny Creek 058a
Gwenn on the pass between Sunny Creek and Roaring Creek
Ailsa Mountains Fiordland Hollyford New Zealand Roaring Creek Routeburn Routeburn Track Sunny Creek Tramping Sunny Creek 061
View into Roaring Creek and Lake MacKenzie from the pass out of Sunny Creek. Our route continued over the summit of unnamed peak 1821m at centre image. Ocean Peak, Somnus and F-Knob are on the horizon in the left half of the photograph
Ailsa Mountains FKnob Fiordland Hollyford Lake MacKenzie New Zealand Ocean Peak Roaring Creek Routeburn Routeburn Track Somnus Sunny Creek Tramping Sunny Creek 063
Our route out of Roaring Creek, over unnamed peak 1821m
Ailsa Mountains FKnob Fiordland Hollyford Lake MacKenzie New Zealand Ocean Peak Roaring Creek Routeburn Routeburn Track Somnus Sunny Creek Tramping route topo Sunny Creek 063a
Looking back into Sunny Creek from the pass into Roaring Creek
Ailsa Mountains Fiordland Hollyford New Zealand Roaring Creek Routeburn Routeburn Track Sunny Creek Tramping Sunny Creek 070
At the head of Roaring Creek. Ngatimamoe Peak, Flat Top Peak, Pyramid Peak and Mt Christina dominate the horizon
Ailsa Mountains Christina Darran Mountains Earl Mountains Fiordland Flat Top Peak Hollyford Mount Christina New Zealand Ngatimamoe Peak Pyramid Peak Roaring Creek Routeburn Routeburn Track Tramping Sunny Creek 074
Earl and Darran Mountains from the slopes at the head of Roaring Creek
Ailsa Mountains Alice Peak Christina Darran Mountains Earl Mountains Fiordland Flat Top Peak Hollyford Mount Christina Mount Gifford Mount Gunn Mount Lyttle Mount Madeline Mount Revelation Mount Te Wera Mount Tutoko Mount Underwood New Zealand Ngatimamoe Peak Pyramid Peak Roaring Creek Routeburn Routeburn Track Tramping Sunny Creek 083a
Earl and Darran Mountains from the slopes at the head of Roaring Creek
Ailsa Mountains Alice Peak Christina Darran Mountains Earl Mountains Fiordland Flat Top Peak Hollyford Mount Christina Mount Gifford Mount Gunn Mount Lyttle Mount Madeline Mount Revelation Mount Te Wera Mount Tutoko Mount Underwood New Zealand Ngatimamoe Peak Pyramid Peak Roaring Creek Routeburn Routeburn Track Tramping Sunny Creek 083b
Scrambling to the summit of unnamed peak 1821m. The snowgrass couloir in the background was our route from Sunny Creek into Roaring Creek in the morning. Photo Kat Manno
Ailsa Mountains Fiordland Hollyford New Zealand Roaring Creek Routeburn Routeburn Track Sunny Creek Tramping Sunny Creek 092a
Claire and Gwenn on the summit of unnamed peak 1821m
Ailsa Mountains Darran Mountains Fiordland Hollyford Mount Gifford Mount Gunn New Zealand Roaring Creek Routeburn Routeburn Track Tramping Sunny Creek 093
Big smiles on top of unnamed peak 1821m - it took us three attempts to get up there, we were nearly ready to give up... Photo Kat Manno
Ailsa Mountains Fiordland Hollyford New Zealand Roaring Creek Routeburn Routeburn Track Tramping Sunny Creek 093a
Unnamed peak 1930ish metres at the head of Roaring Creek. We descended the snowgrass couloir on the far right, after climbing out of Sunny Creek
Ailsa Mountains Fiordland Hollyford New Zealand Roaring Creek Routeburn Routeburn Track Sunny Creek Tramping Sunny Creek 094
Lake MacKenzie from the summit of unnamed peak 1821m
Ailsa Mountains Fiordland Hollyford Lake MacKenzie New Zealand Roaring Creek Routeburn Routeburn Track Tramping Sunny Creek 099
Lake MacKenzie and the Darran Mountains from the summit of unnamed peak 1821m
Ailsa Mountains Christina Darran Mountains Fiordland Hollyford Lake MacKenzie Mount Christina Mount Gifford Mount Gunn Mount Lyttle New Zealand Roaring Creek Routeburn Routeburn Track Tramping Sunny Creek 102a
The tops north of unnamed peak 1821m. Peaks in the foreground are F-Knob, Emily Peak and unnamed peak 1952m. Somnus, Momus and Earnslaw are in the background
Ailsa Mountains Emily Peak FKnob Fiordland Hollyford Humboldt Mountains Mount Earnslaw New Zealand Routeburn Routeburn Track Somnus Tramping Sunny Creek 108
Looking into Fraser Creek from the summit of unnamed peak 1821m. Unnamed peak 2117m (left) and Mt Bonpland (centre image) are across the valley
Ailsa Mountains Fiordland Fraser Creek Hollyford Mount Bonpland New Zealand Routeburn Routeburn Track Tramping Sunny Creek 126a
Looking at the route ahead from the summit of unnamed peak 1821m
Ailsa Mountains Emily Peak FKnob Fiordland Hollyford Humboldt Mountains Mount Earnslaw New Zealand Routeburn Routeburn Track Somnus Tramping Sunny Creek 128
A happy team on the summit of unnamed peak 1821m
Ailsa Mountains Emily Peak FKnob Fiordland Hollyford Humboldt Mountains Mount Earnslaw New Zealand Routeburn Routeburn Track Somnus Tramping Sunny Creek 132
Kat descending the north-east ridge of unnamed peak 1821m; Fraser Creek below. Photo Claire McElwain
Ailsa Mountains Fiordland Fraser Creek Hollyford New Zealand Routeburn Routeburn Track Tramping scramble scrambling Sunny Creek 134a
F-Knob, Emily Peak and unnamed peak 1952m, Humboldt Mountains. Magic country!
Ailsa Mountains Emily Peak FKnob Fiordland Hollyford Humboldt Mountains New Zealand Routeburn Routeburn Track Tramping Sunny Creek 138 Edit
F-Knob, Emily Peak and unnamed peaks 1952m and 1920m at the head of Fraser Creek
Ailsa Mountains Emily Peak FKnob Fiordland Fraser Creek Hollyford Humboldt Mountains New Zealand Routeburn Routeburn Track Tramping Sunny Creek 147a
The big bluff 300m north of spot height 1685m. Our rather intimidating descent route is on the far left (true right) at the top
Ailsa Mountains Fiordland Hollyford New Zealand Routeburn Routeburn Track Tramping bluff Sunny Creek 152
Emily Peak and unnamed peak 1952m, Humboldt Mountains
Ailsa Mountains Emily Peak Fiordland Hollyford Humboldt Mountains New Zealand Routeburn Routeburn Track Tramping Sunny Creek 157
Lake MacKenzie and the Earl Mountains
Ailsa Mountains Earl Mountains Fiordland Flat Top Peak Hollyford Lake MacKenzie New Zealand Ngatimamoe Peak Pyramid Peak Routeburn Routeburn Track Tramping Sunny Creek 159
F-Knob and Emily Peak at the head of Lake MacKenzie
Ailsa Mountains Emily Peak FKnob Fiordland Hollyford Humboldt Mountains Lake MacKenzie New Zealand Routeburn Routeburn Track Tramping Sunny Creek 170

Southern Alps Photography

Sunny Creek to Lake MacKenzie, 30 April - 1 May 2011

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Dave Pratt

Gwenn