Backcountry Bibles: Peak Hill

Showing posts with label Peak Hill. Show all posts

18 October 2014

Peak Hill - 20 September 2014

A little jaunt up Peak Hill was originally planned to be our way of easing ourselves back into tramping after a few months of not having done anything - a warm up for the weekend trip to Youngman Stream Hut. As it played out, the trips were done the other way around, due to the necessary child-minding arrangements falling that way. So we found ourselves heading off to Peak Hill with the weekend trip already under our belts, but still looking forward to an enjoyable day out in the Canterbury high country.

Peak Hill sits at the edge of Lake Coleridge, wedged between the lake and the Rakaia River. Standing at 1240m, Peak Hill is not a big climb, but its' isolation from other peaks in the area means that grand views in all directions await those who venture to the summit.

We started off with a short walk across a farm paddock. The marker poles lead along the fence line, and the right to cross this section comes with the mandate that trampers stick to the marked route, so don't cut directly across the paddock. Once across the stile at the head of the paddock, we started the climb. The route took a direct line straight up a narrow spur that runs up to the ridge line, following poles. Scrub grows densely in the gullies either side of the spur, so best to stay on route.
After 45 minutes of steady climbing we gained the crest of the ridge. From here, poles lead up along the ridge to the summit. It's straight forward, just follow the poles. As we gained height the wind strengthened, bitterly cold coming off fresh snow, so we donned jackets and were immediately more comfortable.

We made our way over Pt 1043m, a small, rocky knob on the ridge. Here the ridge, which is generally broad, narrows but is easily traversed. After dropping down through a small saddle we made the final climb to the summit of Peak Hill, reaching the top in 2 hours.
The view from the summit was spectacular, with an unimpeded outlook over the landscape around us. Looking around, the eye roved over the Hutt, Black, and Palmer Ranges towards the upper reaches of the mighty Rakaia valley. Double Hill appeared a mere pimple on the grand vista, beyond it stretched the Mathias River. Continuing round the compass, Mt Algidus and the Wilberforce River came into view, then gave way to the peaks around Lake Coleridge and the high country stations at their feet. Words don't give the scene adequate justice - I recommend you see it for yourself.

The wind was brisk on the summit so we didn't linger, instead opting to descend to a sheltered spot lower down the final section of ridge to eat lunch. As we ate we noticed cloud building on the other side of Redcliff Saddle so we made a hasty retreat. We watched it creep closer as we made our descent, reaching the car with around 10 minutes to spare before the rain reached us - a reminder of how quickly things can change in the mountains.

At the base of the climb up Peak Hill, looking towards Steepface Hill

Southern end of Lake Coleridge, from the lower slopes of Peak Hill

On the ridge, starting towards Pt 1043m

View across the Rakaia to Steepface Hill (left), Redcliff Saddle, and Black Hill (right)

Approaching Pt 1043m, with Peak Hill (1240m) in sight

On the rocky, narrower section of ridge passing over Pt 1043m

Julia on the narrower section of ridge, with Peak Hill ahead

Looking across the Rakaia to Black Hill (2067m, left) and the Palmer Range

Coleridge Pass (centre), with Torlesse Range through the pass, Blue Hill to the left & Red Hill to the right of the pass

Looking back down the ridge from the base of the summit ridge of Peak Hill

View into the Rakaia headwaters, from the summit ridge of Peak Hill

Ryton Station, with Mt Enys, Blue Hill, and the southern Craigieburn Range behind

Reaching the summit of Peak Hill

From the summit of Peak Hill, looking up the Rakaia valley

Northern end of Lake Coleridge and the Wilberforce River beyond

Lake Coleridge, with Cottons Sheep Range (front), Birdwood Range (back left), Mt Olympus & Craigieburn Range (back right)

Julia on the summit, with Steepface Hill and Redcliff Saddle behind

View down the Rakaia, from the summit of Peak Hill

Looking across Lake Coleridge to Kaka Hill (lakeside), Red Hill (left), and Big Ben Range (centre background)

L to R: Steepface Hill, Redcliff Saddle, Shingle Hill (rear), and Black Hill (rising out of frame)

Black Hill (left), and the Palmer Range. The manicured farmland to the right is Glenrock Station

On the summit of Peak Hill

Panorama from Peak Hill, covering around 180deg from Redcliff Saddle round to Carriage Drive

Tighter pano, focussing on the Rakaia valley

Descending off Peak Hill, looking for a sheltered spot for lunch

Descending off Peak Hill

L to R: Steepface Hill, Redcliff Saddle, Shingle Hill (rear), and Black Hill, and the storm brewing

Peaks north and east of Lake Coleridge, from the Wilberforce round to the Big Ben Range

Mt Enys, Blue Hill, Coleridge Pass, and Red Hill, taken from near Pt 1043m

Storm building through Redcliff Saddle

Great day to be out in the hills

On the ridge near Pt 1043m

The rain reaches Redcliff Saddle - will we make it to the car in time?

Rain spilling over Steepface Hill, and our car is in sight

On the lower slopes of Peak Hill, just in time

Crown Copyright - Land Information NZ

Access: Take SH72 towards the Rakaia Gorge and follow road signs to Lake Coleridge and Algidus Rd. Peak Hill is signposted along the way, and there is a DOC signpost at the carpark area. Keep to the marked route, all surrounding areas are private land.

Time: 2hrs to the summit

Map: BW20 Lake Coleridge

Hut: None

24 April 2013

Peak Hill - 7 July 2012

Our 7yr old son Toby had been itching to go for a tramp for some time so with a week off work I had set aside a day to make it happen.
Peak Hill was chosen as our destination as it offered a moderate climb and stunning views of the beautiful Lake Coleridge area. Being the middle of winter and there being plenty of snow about, the summit wasn't going to be an option for us as it involves a climb of about 600m vertical ascent from the foot of the hill to its summit at 1260m. Our approach was to climb to the crest of the ridge, which would enable us to look out over the southern end of Lake Coleridge and across the Rakaia River to the Hutt Range and beyond - a scenic introduction to tramping for Toby I figured.

It was a perfect winter day, blue sky and little wind, making for an enjoyable drive through inland Canterbury, passing through farmland most of the way to the foot of the hill. A crisp frost lay underfoot still, the ground sheltered from the sun by the bulk of Peak Hill, a fact I'd overlooked when planning this trip and one that caused us a little difficulty as although my tramping boots provided me with sure footing on the slippery surface, Toby's sneakers had little tread so a few adventures were to be had.

We were ready to go just before 11am, so we set out across the gentle slopes that lead from the carpark to the base of the hill itself, a nice easy start to the day yet when we reached the top of the paddocks it was surprising how much height we had already gained. Even from this low vantage point a nice view across to Lake Coleridge was already on offer, with the promise of even grander vistas higher up. The route steepens now, with poles and a well worn foot trail marking the way ahead. This trail proved a little awkward for Toby as the compressed grass was frozen solid, essentially forming a layer of ice underfoot. Easy travel was found just to the side of the trail, it just meant we had to walk a little closer to the matagouri growing on the lower slopes which brings its own challenges as those who've experienced it will know. The route is easy enough to follow, albeit steep, as it climbs directly up the western face to the ridge that leads to the summit. About halfway up we encountered snow, soft and untouched, and in places around knee deep on me. Due to the issues Toby was having on the slippery trail, we opted to take a slightly off-route, more direct line up the slope, using the untouched snow to our advantage as it offered him more grip than the icy trail. While this approach was more difficult for me as I sank in with every step, Toby's weight meant he simply glided along on top of it. Good progress was made in this way until we reached the ridgeline at about the 1000m contour just before 1pm after 2 hours on the go.

Having already decided that with so much snow about that the summit wasn't an option today we found a nice sunny spot to eat lunch and take in the views. From Lake Coleridge and its surrounding peaks, round across the Rakaia to Steepface Hill and the Hutt Range, to Redcliff Saddle and Black Hill, the views were stunning. We ate lunch and took it all in, maps were read, photos taken, before the descent had to be made. I decided to lead us down a different spur than the one we came up, thinking that descending on the icy track would be somewhat perilous for Toby. This worked well as we bounded down more untouched snow, until he spotted the marker poles and really really wanted to follow them again. This forced a tricky sidle across uneven ground but wasn't too bad, certainly not as bad as working our way back down the proper trail. Every step had Toby slipping and almost falling, with several introductions to the dreaded spaniard so a new tactic was devised where i would take a big stride and plant my boot sideways so he could slide down the trail holding my hand until his feet hit the boot - unorthodox but it worked and we reached the lower slopes without serious incident. While I strolled slowly across the farm paddocks at tramps end, delaying our departure as long as possible to make the most of the majesty around us, Toby still had the energy to sprint to the car and was eagerly waiting for me so we could go - he had been promised the camera for the drive home!

A successful introduction to tramping for Toby, and he's been persistently asking when our next one is so it must have been a good day for him too.