Rakiura Ridge

"...but our eyes kept
drifting to a brace of giant corners joining the south ridge. We soon abandoned our preconceived
idea, and escaped off on ledges, down and around to below the left-most corner. Cradled deeply
within it, we palmed off perfect red schist, walking our feet up the crack. As things steepened, the
rope came out, and the ensuing belay was well positioned to watch Owen navigate around a large
block/overlap in the steeper second pitch. A third pitch – mainly block dodging – popped us onto the
south ridge of the days’ adopted peak (pt. 2258). Weaving through a few sharp towers and through a
notch brought us to the base of the precarious-looking headwall. To my complete surprise, it
climbed really well, even offering a pitch or two of good cracks. Care was required at the top, but we
felt no terror, only a piercing Southland wind straight off Foveaux Straight. There, too, was
something I’d often looked for from mountains but never seen. Under a scudding foreground
curtain of grey cloud, a blue range punctuated the southern horizon. Satisfied with our adventure on
Rakiura Ridge (17, ~6p) we toddled down the north basin and back through the mornings’ col,
admiring some polished pink corner cracks exposed by the recent demise of another glacier."

• from Stirring Embers, NZAJ (/CIA) c. 2023