Following on from the chilly evening in the snow last weekend, the sun came out for a few beautiful, hot days of climbing up and down scree slopes.
We had a spectacular base camp by a magical and very deep tarn with only 5 lost seagulls for company that intermittently squawked throughout the nights, and got very ramped up when the gale force winds funnelled through the basin. Not much sleep to be had and hoping the tent wouldn’t rip during the night we still thoroughly enjoyed the mostly still days.
In the pics you’ll see some red dots showing our route up and over the saddles, also my kids purple day-pack which you’ll find it hard to believe is loaded with 15kg of venison and the contrast of the base camp without snow. Most memorising, the clear blues of the deep tarn which continually changed with the light.
Not much sleep was had sausaged between two kids that flung their arms into my head all night long and with a full moon lighting up the tent, but I emerged well rested and to a most spectacular and still morning. A few of us wandered around exploring the plateau while others stayed cocooned inside while the first fingers of sun...
After many seemingly endless weeks painting in the studio and in the middle of the school holidays before the first winter snow, the perfect weather window approached. Boots, packs and gear were scattered throughout the house half packed and ready to go, however I was still only half committed. The looming dread of listening to the kids 7 & 8 fight, whinge and moan while I carried over a third of my body weight up 1100 vertical meters...
A little peek into the studio to see the last few weeks of detail work that has been going into the Lake Alexandrina painting…Progressing steadily, but the water reflection work is going to...