En route to Girdlestone, Mt Ruapehu

August 2005; John and I climbed Girdlestone, the peak on the right of the photo. It's a subsidiary summit of Mt Ruapehu. It has serious technical routes, but ours was a straightforward slog — enjoyable, nonetheless. Note the snowboarders’ tracks — those descents must have been sheer magic.
The peak is actually larger and steeper than it appears in this photo. Tilting a wide-angle lens upwards, even slightly, tends to have that effect; conversely, pointing it downwards accentuates depth and steepness.

All content © 2009 Pete McGregor