Back Basins Hide to Avoca - 'H&F route'

@Madpom: Thanks for the route guide into Chamois Ck. I've always wanted to drop into the head of it especially when viewing it from Pt 1647. About our route...We came up from the Avoca via that stream opp. Blind Creek that you describe. It was in the spring so the head of that stream was covered in snow. We left the stream and headed up to the NE shoulder of Pt 1839 in the snow and then gained the ridge and headed west to 1856 which was free of snow. From here we travelled south along the ridge and when we got to a chossy section of ridge that Frank decided he didn't like the look we took to the east side and dropped down a bit in steep horribly soft snow and then sidled back to the ridge. I didn't like this snow on the south side at all - I think it was a bit whumpy in fact so exited off it ASAP by climbing up it to the snow-free section. However Emma Richardson told us she travelled the entire way along the ridge which at that time of year was free of snow. That section of ridge SW of Pt 1647 was indeed horribly unstable and exposed, thanks to the 1994 earthquake. The first time I traversed it I wasn't happy. We were doing a recce and returned a few minutes later along it back to the hut. Having already done it and lived to tell the tale, it wasn't so bad going back along it. It's sometimes like that with intimidating routes I find. I'd love to go back there but the very quick route we used to take from L. Catherine requires permission nowadays and we're too disorganised to get it as our trips are nearly all spontaneous.

This whole thread just gave me tingly palms :-)

Never had tingly palms. What do they signify?

That explains quite a lot. Whenever I visualise or imagine tramping over exposed terrain my palms and soles of my feet tingle. For instance those pics you posted here a few years back of the route up Kauranga Saddle in the head of the Landsborough had the same effect. I thought everyone experienced this. It don't recall noticing it when confronted with the real thing - but then again other sensations like terror are probably dominating at the time :-) Mostly I used to be able to control it, but as I got older my appetite for sharp pointy places has diminished a lot.

watch this and see if it gets your palms clammy... : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4a7SpxtqmE

@pipeking. Yeah that did it alright!