Very well done - perfect music and atmosphere. I was here in Dec 79 with a young Guy Cotter. Managed a sketchy ascent of the East Ridge of Footstool in very soft snow. The hilarious thing I remembered is that Guy had forgotten his snow-goggles and we had to share my pair taking turns. We survived but both had a mild dose of snowblindness by the time we got back to the biv. It's astonishing to see the biv really hasn't changed all that much in 45yrs, it had the same 'aged' look to it back then.
Wow, the Footstool! Still on our bucket list to conquer 🏔️. Remember that trip when we planned to leave at 4am but decided against it due to avalanche debris scattered everywhere? One day we'll make it! 🤞 Congrats on reaching the summit! 🎉 A lot has changed since then, especially with global warming, but the hut remains unchanged - still a stunning spot! 🏠 It's one of NZ's most breathtaking locations. The views are simply superb! 🌆 How was the climb? Was it challenging? We've heard rumors of an icy step just before the summit? ❄️
@@alpine_squad OK so this is from very old memory and conditions will have changed. Getting onto the East ridge from the bivvy seemed easy enough, but we encountered one dodgy step after another and frankly if it was not for Guy's confidence I would have turned back. (If you look up Guy Cotter, he's the son of Ed Cotter who was one of Ed Hillary's close mates - and Guy himself went on to a stellar guiding career.) We did belay a few sections but frankly the snow was so soft that if one of us had fallen it would have taken both. I cannot speak to an icy step - but it would not surprise me - there was one very steep section I had to force myself to go up, being rather anxious about getting down it. But once on the Main Divide itself, getting to The Footstool itself was easy by comparison. Guy said that at the time it could have been a second or third ascent as not a lot of people had done it, but then standards have changed dramatically in 45yrs and all I can really offer is reminiscence and encouragement.
Oh wow, what a story! Yes, we’ve heard about Guy Cotter-he’s been mentioned in various NZ alpine publications and Backcountry Journal articles. Whew, indeed, conditions and standards have changed over time. We thought about tackling Footstool this spring, but our plans got messed up, so we ended up climbing Mt. Manakau in the Seaward Kaikoura Range instead. It’s definitely much easier having someone more experienced with you on a trip, but that’s a luxury these days. Not many keen, established climbers are open to mentoring. And, well, mentoring is a bit different than doing a peak with a guiding company. But fingers crossed, step by step, we’re making progress in terms of mountaineering. Thank you so much for sharing this story-it’s amazing! Lots of memories and those precious moments to treasure.
JUST gorgeous, gravity works the same way, I was there first '67', Celmisia's Acyphila's Dracophyllums in gorgeous abundance, Keas in attendance, not the locksmiths they would like to be, I remember the Brocken specter from the top of Footstool in '67', John Bull's in those days, the Hooker froze over in '82', Plateau Hut was buried in snow next Xmas, the bottom of the Tasman is still 2,000' below sea level, I have been an attendee of Aorangi since the early 40's. Gorgeous thank you. Arohanui, Robin Smith
Hey Robin, that almost reads like poetry. Thanks for sharing your feelings. We felt the same way, though I imagine the glaciers were much more spread out back then, and the climb up Footstool was much harder without today’s gear! It’s amazing that keas are still the same. Wow, Aoraki’s shape must have changed dramatically since then, especially after the summit collapsed over 30 years ago. It truly is a majestic place!
@chrisinverarity1793 oh, lovely 😊 we’re still processing footage from the last year, so have something good in store coming especially Mt Murchison and Barker Hut 🛖 - a 4 day trip in Waimakariri, and paddling and climbing Mitre Peak in Milford Sound 😊
@richardfoot It will be quite a different landscape during winter months and when more snow coverage is present. The actual conditions were from mid-November last year.
Beautiful video! Looks like an incredible spot. Considering doing this hike in mid to late April. Wondering if you think there will be snow at that elevation by then? I admittedly don't have experience with mountaineering equipment.
You’re right, it is such a beautiful spot! Go for it, hope you’ll thoroughly enjoy your adventure… Regarding the snow, there is a chance you may get some early season snowfalls, but it usually melts away pretty quickly… Suggest you’d feel way more prepared if you started tracking the mountain weather forecast 2-3 weeks before your trip so you are familiar with weather patterns preceding your trip, including freezing levels, snow vs rains, temperature fluctuations etc etc
This video was filmed early November but each year can be very different depending on how snowy the winter was and how quickly it starts warming up… The end of this winter is quite snowy so potentially yes, there still will be some snow up there.
The intention was to proceed further and ascend The Footstool, hence the climbing boots. However, we had to turn around shortly after leaving the hut at 3:00 a.m. as the snow wasn't holding up well. Plus, avalanches roared throughout the night, so we decided to call it a day. We'll try again this year :)
Yeah, thank you. Wanted to try again a few weeks ago while being down South, but the weather window wasn’t good enough, so ended up climbing some mixed routes in the Remarkables instead.
![Mt Murchison, Barker Hut, Carrington Hut: from carpark to the top [Silent Climbing in New Zealand]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/teiYJB94AmY/mqdefault.jpg)
![Mt Murchison, Barker Hut, Carrington Hut: from carpark to the top [Silent Climbing in New Zealand]](/img/tr.png)
Very well done - perfect music and atmosphere. I was here in Dec 79 with a young Guy Cotter. Managed a sketchy ascent of the East Ridge of Footstool in very soft snow. The hilarious thing I remembered is that Guy had forgotten his snow-goggles and we had to share my pair taking turns. We survived but both had a mild dose of snowblindness by the time we got back to the biv. It's astonishing to see the biv really hasn't changed all that much in 45yrs, it had the same 'aged' look to it back then.
Wow, the Footstool! Still on our bucket list to conquer 🏔️. Remember that trip when we planned to leave at 4am but decided against it due to avalanche debris scattered everywhere? One day we'll make it! 🤞 Congrats on reaching the summit! 🎉
A lot has changed since then, especially with global warming, but the hut remains unchanged - still a stunning spot! 🏠 It's one of NZ's most breathtaking locations. The views are simply superb! 🌆 How was the climb? Was it challenging? We've heard rumors of an icy step just before the summit? ❄️
@@alpine_squad OK so this is from very old memory and conditions will have changed. Getting onto the East ridge from the bivvy seemed easy enough, but we encountered one dodgy step after another and frankly if it was not for Guy's confidence I would have turned back. (If you look up Guy Cotter, he's the son of Ed Cotter who was one of Ed Hillary's close mates - and Guy himself went on to a stellar guiding career.)
We did belay a few sections but frankly the snow was so soft that if one of us had fallen it would have taken both. I cannot speak to an icy step - but it would not surprise me - there was one very steep section I had to force myself to go up, being rather anxious about getting down it. But once on the Main Divide itself, getting to The Footstool itself was easy by comparison.
Guy said that at the time it could have been a second or third ascent as not a lot of people had done it, but then standards have changed dramatically in 45yrs and all I can really offer is reminiscence and encouragement.
Oh wow, what a story! Yes, we’ve heard about Guy Cotter-he’s been mentioned in various NZ alpine publications and Backcountry Journal articles. Whew, indeed, conditions and standards have changed over time.
We thought about tackling Footstool this spring, but our plans got messed up, so we ended up climbing Mt. Manakau in the Seaward Kaikoura Range instead. It’s definitely much easier having someone more experienced with you on a trip, but that’s a luxury these days. Not many keen, established climbers are open to mentoring. And, well, mentoring is a bit different than doing a peak with a guiding company.
But fingers crossed, step by step, we’re making progress in terms of mountaineering. Thank you so much for sharing this story-it’s amazing! Lots of memories and those precious moments to treasure.
JUST gorgeous, gravity works the same way, I was there first '67', Celmisia's Acyphila's Dracophyllums in gorgeous abundance, Keas in attendance, not the locksmiths they would like to be, I remember the Brocken specter from the top of Footstool in '67', John Bull's in those days, the Hooker froze over in '82', Plateau Hut was buried in snow next Xmas, the bottom of the Tasman is still 2,000' below sea level, I have been an attendee of Aorangi since the early 40's. Gorgeous thank you. Arohanui, Robin Smith
Hey Robin, that almost reads like poetry. Thanks for sharing your feelings. We felt the same way, though I imagine the glaciers were much more spread out back then, and the climb up Footstool was much harder without today’s gear! It’s amazing that keas are still the same. Wow, Aoraki’s shape must have changed dramatically since then, especially after the summit collapsed over 30 years ago. It truly is a majestic place!
Absolutely stunning. I am not in the best of health but if I was that would be a dream hike. Thank you for posting
Wishing you lots of health then, so you could see these with your own eyes one day too!
We will keep posting beautiful raw nature of New Zealand 🇳🇿
@@alpine_squad thank you. I will keep an eye on on your trips
@chrisinverarity1793 oh, lovely 😊 we’re still processing footage from the last year, so have something good in store coming especially Mt Murchison and Barker Hut 🛖 - a 4 day trip in Waimakariri, and paddling and climbing Mitre Peak in Milford Sound 😊
great video thanks for sharing 😃
Thank you Richard! This place in the midst of Aoraki Mt Cook national Park is a real gem 💎
@@alpine_squad planning on going there next winter to do a video cheers Richard
@richardfoot It will be quite a different landscape during winter months and when more snow coverage is present. The actual conditions were from mid-November last year.
Wonderful
Thanks, Jeremy
Beautiful video! Looks like an incredible spot. Considering doing this hike in mid to late April. Wondering if you think there will be snow at that elevation by then? I admittedly don't have experience with mountaineering equipment.
You’re right, it is such a beautiful spot! Go for it, hope you’ll thoroughly enjoy your adventure…
Regarding the snow, there is a chance you may get some early season snowfalls, but it usually melts away pretty quickly… Suggest you’d feel way more prepared if you started tracking the mountain weather forecast 2-3 weeks before your trip so you are familiar with weather patterns preceding your trip, including freezing levels, snow vs rains, temperature fluctuations etc etc
@@alpine_squad That is good to know, I appreciate the info and suggestion!
You're most welcome!
do you think end Nov/begininng of Dec will have this much snow on top?
This video was filmed early November but each year can be very different depending on how snowy the winter was and how quickly it starts warming up… The end of this winter is quite snowy so potentially yes, there still will be some snow up there.
@@alpine_squad was the toilet covered in snow?
Hm… that’s a good question, I don’t think there’s any toilet there. It’s not a serviced hut 🛖 you might think about carrying a poop bag or so.
There’s a thunderbox just behind the biv.
@striker0137 👍 it must’ve still being covered in snow as we haven’t seen one.
approach shoes next time?
The intention was to proceed further and ascend The Footstool, hence the climbing boots. However, we had to turn around shortly after leaving the hut at 3:00 a.m. as the snow wasn't holding up well. Plus, avalanches roared throughout the night, so we decided to call it a day. We'll try again this year :)
@@alpine_squad Ahhhh gotcha. Is a bit of a shame with the recent storms coming in but best of luck for you next ascent!!!
Yeah, thank you. Wanted to try again a few weeks ago while being down South, but the weather window wasn’t good enough, so ended up climbing some mixed routes in the Remarkables instead.
@@alpine_squad Heya just a question that's been on my mind, How long are your ice axes??
We use a pair of Petzl Sum’tec, 52cm long, 470g each :)