Mt Kitchener (NZ)

From Queenstown we drove up north to Mt Cook village where we spent the night before heading up to a mountain hut above the snow line. Great views over to Mt Cook and Mt Sefton. The next day we roped up and headed for Mt Oliver. This was the first mountain that Sir E. Hillary climbed (apparently) before heading back to the hut for tea. We then set out again for Mt Kitchener, though after a while the going became tough with some steep traverses and sara and her mum headed back to the hut to practice self arrest, etc. Her father and i headed on and climbed a steep, exhausting gully to the small summit ridge and pointed top. After decsending back into the gully Stuart challenged me to a bum slide race down to the bottom of the hill... he thrashed me. I could not understand how he was sooo much faster than me, but he reminded me that i had left my harness on and that he was always going to win that one! from there it was a long trudge back through the softening snow to the hut. Saw a Kia (a big green bird that rips things to bits) and a huge spider that i did not expect to see in such a place. Had hoped to climb Mt Sealy, however the weather closed in and we decsended to the valley. Put lots of sunscreen on, however i think i sweated it out too soon and got a little sunburn. 4 days later my face is still peeling off!!!