Firstly, it has been a while since I have updated the blogs as it is now over a month since I completed Mt Potts, so apologies.
Mt Potts (2,184m) has been on my radar for some time but the weather has never lined up to give me the opportunity to summit it. Fortunately, there was a gap in the weather and there had been no snow fall for a while so I didn’t have to worry about that.
The day started well before the sun rose with me behind the wheel heading for the Hakatere area. The road, once it turns shingle, is so much fun to drive along. Not a huge amount of traffic means that it is in really good condition.
The weather forecast had cloud and a front sitting along the alps and the headwaters of the Rangitata, so I was expecting the odd spill-over shower on my journey.
The walk in was steep but really quick, thanks to the easement track taking you up the valley. There are a few exposed places where there has been the odd rockfall or slip. A nice surprise along the way was spooking a deer, and being able to just watch it in its environment was pretty cool.
It wasn’t long before I was deep in the valley and I had a decision to make. Once I got there, the route I had planned on paper looked a lot more ‘nuggety’ and difficult. My other option was a 900m ascent up a scree slope.
Having deliberated over some food, I donned my gaiters and began the scree ascent. Initially, progress was good but slowed when I would hit patches of soft loose rock. A tactic I found helpful, was aim for the bigger rocks and any dirt so I wouldn’t get held up in sliding rocks.
After the final slog I had made it to the summit in just under 2 hours from starting the scree climb. Of course it wouldn’t be right without a rise in winds bringing with it some sleet.
I was pumped to have made it and found a lovely spot just off from the summit out of the wind to have lunch.
The descent was more straight forward with the plan to take the long ridge back down to the car. Plan being the operative word in that sentence.
Towards the bottom there is a bit of a gorge in which the river meanders its way out to the Rangitata. I had seen in some previous research that some people had walked up it on their ascent of Mt Potts (later to be confirmed as crossing it lower down).
So the decision was made to drop into the creek bed and try to walk out via that route. Dropping in was rather steep but once I was in the riverbed I was greeted with a beautiful river dropping over rocks. I attempted to make my way down the river but there were a few bluffy spots with the water getting channeled and increasing in speed so I opted on climbing back out on the adjacent hillside. This on its own was a bit of a slog with multiple cliff bands and exposure, hanging on to beech seedlings for grip while sidling along made for a bit of an adventure!
I broke out just above the car and wandered down the easement track back to where I started.
An epic day out with some honest slogs along the way. The weather held out for me and I got to see a deer so who could complain!?
#20 Mt Potts – 2,184m, 13.8km, 6 hours
Slowly creeping in on halfway, fingers crossed for some settled weather!