In Search of Hobbits, Sunshine & Quality Rock
Alan in the New Zealand Alps January/February 2003

Is this the way to Middle Earth?

Once I'd crossed the divide to our friendly sheep-farming neighbours' place, there was no turning back.

No marauding orcs, no thunderous skies, no sheer ice cliffs were going to keep me from one month of tying knots, and untying them again, then re-tying them, and clipping karabiners, and unclipping them and re-clipping them... well, you get the picture. I was finally on a dedicated climbing "holiday".

Middle Earth? Who could imagine a landscape more likely than NZ? Here is Milford Sound in fine form. Mitre Peak (whose summit is obscured in the center of the picture) is apparently the highest peak in the world to rise directly from the sea. If only they didn't get more than 7 meters of rain here every year more people might climb it!

I set myself three mountaineering goals... 1) Climb with my new-found climbing partner, Kevin
  2) Complete an advanced mountaineering skills course (& part 2)
  3) Climb with my climbing partner from home, James
And some others too...

1) Have fun
  2) Have fun (did I say that one already?)
Please follow the links above and enjoy the photos!

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