Seven of us arrived at Ferintosh Station by Lake Pukaki to find Milan already there. After a chat to the lady in charge, we set off up Whale Stream. With the river flowing swiftly and the track not maintained, progress wasn’t fast. A reasonable campsite was found at about 400m.

Saturday morning was a plod all the way up to a saddle southeast of the top, but we were able to avoid the snow most of the way. Geoff was slowed by a virus requiring a few stops. The final ridgeline was a bit scrambly, but we made it for lunch. The cloud to the north of us cleared completely by 12:30 to reveal the full 3600. Some good lengthy bum slides were had on the way down. Nice to have some sun to relax in before tea with a lone kea keeping us company. Sunday was another clear day for the way out. A falcon was the object of a few photos at one spot. Had lunch back at cars. Then a bit of drama with Raymond’s car having to be towed up a steep loose track by Merv.

We were: Merv Meredith, Aarn Tate, Raymond Ford, Liz Stephenson Geoff Spearpoint, Milan Brisnik, Gary Huish, Peter Umbers