Thread: Fiordland question

For @Tentman

We have the narrows 1st period, there's a YouTube video of a couple of blokes that make a run for it out of the block and to me it looks like they come down out of long gully and get bluffed out at the bottom and end up having to get choppered out. I see you made a comment on it about access in and out of that valley. From what I can see on Google earth it seems the area I have highlighted in Red is just huge bluffs. Would I be right in thinking if we stuck to the small Ridge on the very true left (in blue) we would get down out of there? Plan a big trip around the block on the tops and possibly dropping back down out of long gully

@ANOTHERHUNTER

The bluffs are in the bush within 200M or so of the lake - I dont see the ones I was referringto in your pictures. We just climbed a natural line from the Long gully drop off point, I'd been warned to GPS it and on our return that sure proved good advice. If I were doing what you propose I think I'd make a recce from the Long Gully bottom on my way into your own block, mark my spot at the top of the bluffs and save it for a "just in case". It would only take an hour or two and you'd only be a very short way into the Long Gully block.

Oh and we were on the true left of the Long Gully, not the true right where your line is.

We kind of plan to do this


And a bit more detail of the drop out of long gully, that area i highlighted red in my first post us the only part I can see that would be big bluffs and my blue line is on the true left of it (the right when facing up) that area does measure about 300 or so meters from the lake edge. So you're saying you went up/down the other side of that area than where my lines are?

I think I'll just follow your advice and go up there quickly first and gps/tape the route

Unforgiving country. I don't think I've been in the narrows, but one or two times have let myself drop over an edge and prayed. Visited the rest of glainock tho, good fun.

Originally Posted by SmokeyJason

Unforgiving country. I don't think I've been in the narrows, but one or two times have let myself drop over an edge and prayed. Visited the rest of glainock tho, good fun.

I have a rule that I never drop down anywhere I can't climb back up if I don't know what's below me, praying probably isn't going to help much due to lack of practice and belief!!

Looks like an awesome trip Ryan, have a good one and stay safe.

Looking more carefully we went up right on the boundary with the Billy burn block. It's a nice traverse along the very razorback ridge between them, typical Fiordland ridge, you take your time in places! We got beaten in the arete just below the "94" on your last picture, we were late May, no new snow but the arete had an icy bridge across it, I got across kicking steps with two rifle barrel self arrests (sorry Mauser Kurz) but the guys I was with watched in horror and decided it wasn't worth proceeding. So we went back the way we'd come.

You need to think about the wind in that block, from what I was told it generally blows up it. So it's best to hunt down it. But I've gotten the wrong end of the stick often enough before.