Dragons Teeth, 30 December 2015 to 3 January 2016
Day 1: From the southern end of the Quartz Range Road over the Lead Hills to Lake Clara and to Boulder Lake Hut.
Day 2: Up Arena Creek to Green Saddle and along the tops to the Needles Eye. Here we ditched our packs and scrambled up the north ridge of The Needle. We then continued to Adelaide Tarn Hut; since it was full, we bivvied among tussocks 80m higher up.
Day 3: Dragons Teeth High Route to Lonely Lake Hut, with a side trip to the Dragons Teeth's high point (Pt 1663m).
Day 4: In steady rain, south over the Douglas Range tops, sidling under Kakapo Peak and the Waingaro Peaks. Fenella Hut was full; we spent the night at Cobb Hut.
Day 5: Down the Cobb River to Chaffey Hut and to the car park at Trilobite Hut (Cobb Reservoir).
Party: Crystal Brindle and Danilo Hegg.
First sunrise of the year on the ridge south of Adelaide Tarn.
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First sunrise of the year on the ridge south of Adelaide Tarn.
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First sunrise of the year on the ridge south of Adelaide Tarn.
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The Dragons Teeth at sunrise
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On the ridge south of Adelaide Tarn. Anatoki Peak and the Dragons Teeth are in the background.
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On the ridge south of Adelaide Tarn. The Dragons Teeth are in the background.
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The Dragons Teeth at sunrise
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Approaching the Dragons Teeth on the High Route
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View of The Needle from the Dragons Teeth High Route
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A CUTC party of six with whom we shared sweat and laughter on the high route of the Dragons Teeth. The Needle is in the background.
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Scrambling towards the Dragons Teeth on the High Route
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Scrambling towards the Dragons Teeth on the High Route
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Scrambling towards the Dragons Teeth on the High Route
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View of The Needle from the Dragons Teeth High Route
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At the top of the first step on the Dragons Teeth High Route. The Needle is in the background.
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View of Anatoki Peak from the south-east ridge of the Dragons Teeth's high point.
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Crystal about to reach the high point of the Dragons Teeth (Pt 1663m). Yuletide Peak and the Anatoki River below.
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Crystal about to reach the high point of the Dragons Teeth (Pt 1663m)
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View of Anatoki Peak (front right) from the Dragons Teeth's high point. The Anatoki Range and Devil River Peak are back left; Mount Snowdon is on the far right.
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Lead Hills, Brown Cow and Mount Hardy from the Dragons Teeth high point. Trident, Mount Douglas and The Needle are low in the foreground.
DragonsTeeth539Brown CowDouglas RangeKahurangiKahurangi National ParkLead HillsMount ClarkMount DouglasMount HardyNew ZealandThe NeedleTrampingTrident
Lead Hills and Brown Cow from the Dragons Teeth high point. Trident and Mount Douglas are low in the foreground.
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On top of the Dragons Teeth
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On top of the Dragons Teeth. "That's where I work!"
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Dragons Teeth High Point (Pt 1663m)
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Dragons Teeth High Point (Pt 1663m) route topo. A fun wee scramble, exposed in places. Grade 1+.
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Crystal topping out on the second step on the Dragons Teeth High Route. Hard work!
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Crystal topping out on the second step on the Dragons Teeth High Route.
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Anatoki Peak, the Dragons Teeth, Mount Douglas and The Needle from the top of the second step on the Dragons Teeth High Route
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Dragons Teeth High Route topo, from the top of the second step. Hat off to the genius who was able to find a feasible route through some diabolical terrain.
DragonsTeeth566bAnatoki PeakDouglas RangeDragons TeethDragons Teeth High RouteKahurangiKahurangi National ParkMount DouglasNew ZealandThe NeedleTrampingroute topo
Near the summit of Pt 1564m on the Dragons Teeth High Route. We were fairly exhausted by then! Anatoki Peak, The Needle and Yuletide Peak are in the background.
DragonsTeeth569Anatoki PeakDouglas RangeDragons TeethDragons Teeth High RouteKahurangiKahurangi National ParkNew ZealandThe NeedleTrampingYuletide Peak
Near the summit of Pt 1564m on the Dragons Teeth High Route. We were fairly exhausted by then! The Needle is in the background.
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The Drunken Sailors and Pt 1630m, Douglas Range.
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The Drunken Sailors at sunset. The Anatoki Range back left, Mount Snowdon on the far right.
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The Drunken Sailors at sunset.
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View of the Anatoki River and Anatoki Range from the east shoulder of Pt 1630m, Douglas Range
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The Drunken Sailors at sunset. Mount Snowdown is in the background on the far right.
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The Drunken Sailors at sunset. The Anatoki Range back left.
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The Needle and Lead Hills at sunset
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Sunset view from the east shoulder of Pt 1630m, Douglas Range. From left to right are The Needle, Lead Hills, Yuletide Peak and the Haupiri Range tops.
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The Drunken Sailors at sunset. The Anatoki Range back left.
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Sunset panorama from the east shoulder of Pt 1630m, Douglas Range, looking east.
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Sunset panorama from the east shoulder of Pt 1630m, Douglas Range, looking east.
DragonsTeeth596bAnatoki RangeAnatoki RiverDouglas RangeDragons Teeth High RouteDrunken SailorsKahurangiKahurangi National ParkLead HillsMount ChristmasMount SnowdonNew ZealandParadise PeakSlate River PeakThe NeedleTrampingYuletide Peak
The Drunken Sailors and Mount Snowdon at sunset.
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Looking towards Mount Snowdon at sunset
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The Drunken Sailors and Mount Snowdon at sunset.
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Leaving Lonely Lake Hut on a wet day
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On the ridge between Lonely Lake and Kakapo Peak
DragonsTeeth612Douglas RangeKahurangiKahurangi National ParkNew ZealandTramping
Dave Pratt
on December 31, 2017Great trip and pics Danilo! Question: Is there any info out there on the Dragons Teeth high route?
Chris Jones
on May 15, 2016I love looking at the photos of your trips. Great work!