This trip was postponed a couple of times until we finally had good conditions: minimal wind, a clear sky, and snow. Perhaps because the trip was on a weekday, it didn’t attract many participants, and only 10 people attended (18 were on the waitlist). As usual, we stopped at the Springfield bathrooms to change into our tramping clothes and then headed to the Porters Pass car park. As soon as we got out of the car, the full moon rose behind a ridge—what a sight! We started plodding up slowly. It was a pretty cold night, but the wind was kept at bay, making for a very pleasant experience. We reached the top in about 2 hours. Some of us put on crampons for the way down, as it was a bit icy in places. We made it back to the cars in a good time, in about 3 hours and 20 minutes, and I was in bed by 11:30 PM.

There were a couple of suggestions for future trips:

• Stargazing trip to Foggy Peak during the summer, around the New Moon
• Walk to Castle Hill in the late afternoon, then head back towards Foggy Peak as the sun sets and the moon rises

Stats: 4.8 km, 3 h 20 min, 810 m ascent

Participants: Michal Klajban (leader, scribe, GPX), Mark Nicholls, Alan Chapman, Faith Burnett, Phillip Wallis, Paul Yeoman, Benjamin Still, Alan Ross, Jonathan Carr, Hannah Watt

Tramped on 20th August 2024.

Photos

Map

Download file: GPX-hikingisgood-com-nz-2024-Foggy_Peak_full_moon.gpx