On the morning of 7th December, Rob Hill and Joan O'Donnell drove along the eastern shore of Lake Tekapo, past Mt. Gerald homestead, through a few warm-up streams, and were confronted by a notice warning us of the many mishaps that could befall us if we proceeded to cross the Macauley River, and also how far away the vehicle recovery service was. But we'd had a dry spell, and most of the winter's snow had
already melted from the Two Thumbs range, and we had no problems. We bumped along the northern edge of the Macauley river bed, the scene of some involuntary digging by myself and Jago some years ago, and parked considerately opposite North-East Gorge stream.
We were trying Mt. Paris, 2,178m. So we recrossed the Macauley on foot and headed up the gorge stream. We were forced out of the stream bed as the gorge began, and continued sidling high. We found a good camp site at the start of our ridge.

Next morning we headed up tussock slopes to gain the rocky crest of the ridge, which was 4km long, and an exercise in route-finding as much as anything. Round most pinnacles, over others, and some head-scratching for yet others saw us at the summit 8 hours later, in a wonderfully cooling southerly breeze.

A very long scree descent took us back near the campsite rather earlier than we expected, and we had no trouble eventually regaining tarmac and civilisation next day.
Unfortunately a trip with Shane, following on from this one to try the Nun's Veil, didn't happen due to Nor'Westers. Shame.

May I wish everyone in the Arete a very happy Christmas.

Rob