I had a very ambitious plan: to go to Sudden Valley, climb Mt Scott and Mt Wilson, and come back in a day. Kate Taylor was keen to join, so we left Christchurch just after 6 am. Going through Sudden Valley was great fun, with quite a few river crossings, boulders to get across, and steep slopes to climb. Once we overcame the creek part, the valley opened up, and I saw Sudden Valley for the first time. Oh man, how beautiful it was! A wide grassy flat cut with a lazy river in the middle. I got even more excited when I saw the cuteness of Sudden Valley Biv!
After a wee break at the biv, we continued further through the valley. It was starting to be quite clear that climbing Scott or Wilson as a day trip is quite an effort, and a fast pace needs to be taken from the start, which we didn’t really take. Kate decided to go to the bottom of the scree that sits between Scott and Wilson. I gave it a go and reached around the 1700m contour. Then, after realizing that I was on the wrong side of the scree to continue further, I chose to bail. I could have found enough power to push through, but I just wasn’t enjoying myself. The scree was bloody steep, and I was so hot that I thought I was going to dry out there like a slug on an asphalt road. So I decided to postpone both peaks to a better day when I feel it more.
It was an epic climb though, and I really need to make sure that I’ll come back (I always say that I know!). We exited the same way we came in. Although I didn’t succeed in reaching the tops, the valley impressed me with its wilderness vibes, which are quite unusual for a place so close to Christchurch!
Tramped on 8th March 2021.
Rough stats: 20km, 1200m up, 9 hours.
Participants: me and Kate Taylor.
Map
Max elevation: 1724 m
Min elevation: 552 m
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