The Gap, Korowai/Torlesse Range

10 Sept 2023

Merv’s trip along the south side of Mt Somers became a walk to The Gap when Merv announced foot trouble would rule him out. We ended up with three trampers, so chose this snow trip as it was closer to home. Wang, Lee and Kerry were away up the Kowai Rr at 8:20am on this gusty morning. After twenty minutes a group of eight trampers overtook our three. Later, on a broad area of the river we caught them as they searched the river bed for something. It turned out that a wind gust had blown spectacles off a woman’s face. Wang saved the day by finding them and received a big hug from the relieved owner.

Near the hut our three took the true-left bank river terraces and the eight went up the river itself. At a fork in the river, we stopped for a break and were surprised to see the bigger group were behind us. At a little side-stream we diverted up a little way and then scrambled up a nasty little slope to reach the spur that runs NW towards The Gap. Patchy snow became continuous soft snow, and well ahead we could see a tight bunch of eight Over 40s TC people zig-zagging steadily up. Their tracks made the going easier for us, but they had time to eat lunch and start returning by the time we reached this prominent notch on the main ridge of the Korowai/Torlesse Range. We started downward at 2pm, avoiding the awkward scramble off the NW spur, and made two stops on the way back to the car at the big pines. As for the morning, the wind made us seek shelter, as we took off wet boots and soggy socks. Kerry nursed leg cramp in the back seat while Wang drove home, arriving 7:45pm—an energetic day out, enjoyed by Shi Ping Wang, Kyung Sang Lee and Kerry Moore. [KM]