Being in the outdoors with friends invigorates
the soul. Tony's outdoor passions include ski touring, outrigger
paddling, sailing, alpine tramping, multisport events, and
white-water paddling.
Here is a short selection of photos from
a few trips and locations that may be of interest:
Craigieburn
Valley
Tucked in a tight valley between Porters and Arthurs Pass,
Craigieburn Valley is a skier's paradise – steep chutes,
long basins, no crowds, and nothing is groomed. On a powder
day, it’s like heli-skiing – the rope tow is your
chopper. Nearly every day ends feeling stuffed but very satisfied.
Gertrude
Valley + Milford Sound
Surrounded by massive U-shaped granite walls carved by ancient
glaciers, the Gertrude Valley offers one of New Zealand’s
finest day walks. The views from the Gertrude saddle and above
are simply breathtaking. On a clear day, Milford Sound and
the Tasman Sea glisten thousands of feet below, encircled
by the rugged ruptured peaks of the Darren mountains towering
above.
Lake
Angelus
The route along the Spencer Range in the Nelson Lakes National
Park to Lake Angelus is extremely popular in summer (probably
best avoided in January and February if you prefer less crowded
huts). The contrast in winter is dramatic – the vast
expanse is almost untouched by anyone. Craggy loose rock ridges
become broad wind-groomed snow ramps, and the only visible
bit of DOC’s 36 bunk hut is a shovel in the chimney.
Honeymoon
Bay
At the southern end of the Abel Tasman National Park, Honeymoon
Bay is a beautiful, quiet enclave, with a gorgeous view across
Tasman Bay toward D'Urville Island. Some views over different
moods and seasons.
Canadian
Rockies
In contrast to NZ's fanged and loose Southern Alps, the Canadian
Rockies have a more permanent, geometric appearance. Tony
has ski toured in Canada on several trips - around Sir Sandford
peak in the upper Selkirk range; from Sandpoint in Idaho to
the Canadian border (in the lower Selkirk range); and at Sorcerer
Lodge, north of Roger's Pass.
Mt Arthur
A popular tramping area, located behind Motueka, winter 2006
delivered a stunning snow dump, providing some not-so-common
perspectives of the Tablelands, Mt Arthur's northern approach,
and the vista across Tasman Bay toward Nelson
Grand
Canyon
Arid, ancient, and seriously unusual, the canyons are truly
grand. From mid-November to early December 2005, Tony joined
a private party of New Zealanders and Americans on a 21 day
(210 mile) rafting trip, from the 'put in' at Lees Ferry to
the 'take out' above Lake Mead, with lots of hiking, rock
scrambling, and fossil foraging en-route.
Murchison
and Tasman Glaciers
Gouging out Mt Cook's eastern flank, the Tasman and Murchison
glaciers, and their adjoining catchments, offer exceptional
ski touring and ski mountaineering, with a myriad of couloirs,
bowls, peaks, ice falls and head-walls to explore. The photos
below follow a stunning arch of glaciated terrain, from the
Aida Glacier at one end, curving around to the Darwin and
Bonny Glaciers at the other end. It is one of New Zealand’s
special places.
Fox
and Franz Joseph Glaciers
Plunging from the high giants of NZ’s Southern Alps,
down to the lush bush (rain-forest) of our West Coast, and
out to the vast expanse of the Tasman Sea, are the Fox and
Franz Joseph glaciers – stunning oceans of ice and snow.
A spectacular helicopter ride into a small alpine hut perched
high on a rocky outcrop above each enormous névé
gives access to some of the most sensational ski touring and
climbing in the world
