Snow Watch 2012

I can't post more info right now, but there isn't much snow in the Small Berg right now, I had to hike to the base of Langies yesterday to reach real thick powdery snow, the south facing slope below the Thumb is covered in deep snow.

Hi Mike

I travelled up from PMB to Estcoury this morning. There is lots of snow between Nottingham Rd and Mooi River. It will still be there after the weekend. Take the R103 if you have kids make a sedge for the slops

Selous

This is what Cathedral Peak is currently looking like - snow almost completely gone:

Sleeping Beauty Valley

The initial plan was for my mate (st2) and myself to go up corner pass and then up and over Trojan Wall and down Leslie's this last weekend. Sadly both of us have had bad flu and were not up to that trip, it turned out that it would likely not have been possible due to the snow anyhow. We decided to do an easy trip and go up to Sleeping Beauty Valley. However, he was still not well and I went up by myself, perhaps not advisable but so it goes.









The snow was calf deep for most of the trip until i hit the area just past the of-ramp to Cod Eye Cave.





The path then pretty much disappeared under waist deep snow and the last km up to the cave took me about 2hours to try follow the non-existant path and break trail. About 10m short of the where the path climbed out of the valley, I decided i needed to get out of the valley and slowly cimbed up a snow bank, waist deep in snow and snagging bamboo thickets. That small 50m section to the top of the ridge took about 30min. It really felt like it was not going to end! (I only found out my mistake on the way down)

The final section to the cave alternated between knee and thigh deep snow, but with the cave in view, at least i knew i would get there in daylight. The final river crossing before the slight rise to the cave I knew was going to be a little tricky, and so it proved it to be. The snow was waist deep on either side of the river! Getting down was a matter of using gravity and hiking poles to steady the slide. Getting out though was another matter. I virtually borrowed through and emerged gofer-like on the other side. At least i was through.




The rock overhang diagonally opposite from Sleeping Beauty Cave had been my initial target, however with dusk coming and energy reserves waining i decided to to use Sleeping Beauty Cave instead. It was good thing I did! The wind later that night increased in velocity until it sounded like a squadron of A380's flying through the valley. Inside my cave, the candle's flame did not even flicker!

The following morning though I decided to go across to my overhang as it had a nice flow of melt water coming down the falls and was in sun all day.

It certainly is a great place to chill out, catch a shower and bask in the sun. I was a little concerned that the wind might come up again during the night so i pitched my Outdoor Research bivy bag inside of the rock sanger just in case. After supper, the wind did come up and steadily got worse, so i climber into the bivy and tried to get some sleep. Hot and stuffy things bivvy bags! Eventually with the wind dropping, I got out of it and slept under the stars. I should have weighed it down with rocks or put it away for at about 5:30 in the morning the wind picked up violently and i heard an almighty crack as the one guy line parted company and the other pulled all it's pegs. Out of the corner of my eye i saw the bag rapidly disappear up the waterfall plunge shaft, 20 m above me. I could have looked for it, but I knew with the wind pumping the way it was, the bag was half way back to it's country of manufacture (China of course)






Anyhow, not wanting to deal with another night of wind and blown grit, i left the cave and the berg a day early.