Travers & D'Urville Valleys in early May
Hi there
I'm going to take a crack at an extended version of the Travers-Sabine in the first few days of next May.
I'm well aware of a range of possible challenges and long days and will be fully equipped.
Do any of you guys have any words of wisdom, taking into consideration the time of year.
I'm presuming a few things; the TA crowd numbers will have dropped off, the huts should have low numbers, Travers Saddle & Moss Pass could be icy etc and the wasps may have decided to take a break. Anything else?
Thanks for any suggestions.
Roy
all depends on any snow around, potential avalanche conditons and the forecast what it will be like, this year there was a LOT of early snow from mid april.
Thanks Wayne.
Yeah I know it varies from season to season.
I'm kind of hoping for a bit of snowfall.
I'll be carrying crampons and an axe
It's the avalanche conditions I'll be monitoring.
Moss Pass is a bit of a rock scramble & a narrow chute on the Blue Lake side. The D'Urville side descent probably doesn't get much sun at that time either ?.
On the D'Urville, the river and side streams can come up high & fast fairly quickly. We stayed put another night instead of risking getting stuck between huts in a deteriorating forecast. Then again, it was the only hut we had to ourselves. Next day it was all down to a trickle again.
We shared the D'Urville Hut with a 3-generation family hunting party. They brought their own boat, had made themselves at home with some heavyweight comforts. Said he would have taxied us out for half the price if wanted ?. It was all convivial until Grandad hit the sack and snored the roofing iron loose. Not sure what the learning is there.
Often May is the tipping point for weather. If it's been a warm summer and no April snow then Moss Pass will be a straightforward scramble through the chute that Pro-Active cites. If it's fine weather, numbers in the Travers and Sabine valleys won't be down much. However, even in the best conditions the D'Urville is rarely visited and it's possible you may have this valley to yourself.
Thanks guys, duly noted.
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Forum | Tracks, routes, and huts |
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Started by | roysta1 |
On | 24 September 2018 |
Replies | 5 |
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