Hello everyone. Has anyone on here been into the head waters of the Cook River? If so, I would be very interested in talking to you. Thanks, lostone.
Quite a few visuals of it on the latest episode of First Crossings.
The Teichelmann, Newton & Alec Graham episode of the re-enactment of the first crossing of Harper Saddle.
I haven't been up there but know it gets a few visits from chamois hunters. Maybe DOC Franz or a hunters forum could help?
on demand screening is here,
you can also buy it from places like mighty ape, avaiable end of the month..
http://tvnz.co.nz/first-crossings/s2-ep5-video-5519122
Yep, saw that, but even they didnt show how they got up to the head of the valley. Im guessing that it maybe better to drop down into the cook, from the range on the true left of the river. Thus avoiding the gorge, and a lot of bush bashing.
Had a quick look in Alex Palman's mountaineering guide for Aoraki Mount Cook (NZAC publication).
It seems like you're in for a 2-3 day "struggle through thick forest up the Cook River" before you reach the La Perouse Glacier, with travel on the true left it would seem.
Other climbing options exist coming from the east, from the Grand Plateau either over Harper Saddle (reverse of the First Crossings journey) or via Clarke Saddle from Plateau Hut.
Have fun!
While you're on your way up, spare a thought for the team that carried Ruth Adams down the valley on a stretcher.
I've heard about that rescue Hugh. It was an epic feat! Teams of track cutters worked ahead of the stretcher party but it still would have been a hell of an ordeal. In 78 I was a stretcher bearer thru the South Westland bush and it's extremely demanding.
There is a vague family connection because my mother worked at Fox Glacier for guide Mick Sullivan's family hotel/glacier walk operation & a generation later my sister worked for him in Hokitika.
Yes, I have heard of the rescue too. Make you think how lucky we are to have helicopters these days!
