NZ - Ball Pass unguided info saught
Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2011 4:11 am
My friend and I are looking to head to Mt Cook Village in early Jan, one of the objectives of the trip is to do the Ball Pass trek from the Hooker Glacier over to the Tasman Glacier. We are hoping to do it without a guide and am just looking for some info/advice from anyone with experience?
We are coming from Australia and have some Victorian winter backcountry experience(snow camping and steep hiking). We also have rock climbing experience(though I doubt much of that will be useful for what are intending to do). We have crampons and ice axes for the snow fields around the pass, are there any specific skills that could be required for the pass that we may be missing?
I realize that Caroline Hut is a private hut so we'd have to camp out, any suggestions as to good areas to aim for the first night?
Any additional info anyone has would be appreciated.
We are coming from Australia and have some Victorian winter backcountry experience(snow camping and steep hiking). We also have rock climbing experience(though I doubt much of that will be useful for what are intending to do). We have crampons and ice axes for the snow fields around the pass, are there any specific skills that could be required for the pass that we may be missing?
I realize that Caroline Hut is a private hut so we'd have to camp out, any suggestions as to good areas to aim for the first night?
Any additional info anyone has would be appreciated.