Tramping page [<< First] [< Previous] [Next >] [Last >>]
Siberia (d)

Click on picture thumbnails to enlarge or return to Tramping Index

Day 4: (Monday 26th Feb 2007) Today we head off to cross the Gillespie Pass and arrive at the new Young Hut. Luckily the weather lifted and we were not faced with a bitter grunt without views - just a 1 vertical kilometre grunt with views. Initially it was back up the valley but a right turn before the Gillespie Stream. From there it was another steep grunt vertically up about 200m (luckily via a series of zigzags) before emerging into a rather pleasant valley with a much easier incline.


Reaching the Gillespie turnoff 209KB

Mt Alba beyond Crucible 210JC

Unexpected vale 215KB

The pleasant vale all too soon becomes a steady and unrelenting climb rewarded with increasingly impressive views of Mt Awful at the top of the Gillespie Basin and views back to the Siberia Valley and Mounts Kuri [2134m] and on the right Mt Alba [2355] (which sits just beyond the Crucible).


End of Eden 217KB

Keith & Alan ascend 225IB

Mt Awful peak 229KB

View back to Kuri & Alba 231KB

Hard yakka 239IB

Rock Trolls 251KB

One's alive! 253KB

1 km drop 257AR

The track doesn't always seem to take the lowest saddle, presumably because the drop on the other side isn't safe. It appears that our track went directly up to the 1629m level instead of sidling up the contours to the actual 1501m Gillespie Pass. Eventually, after a 1 kilometre vertical climb we are on the pass and have a well earned rest and lunch. Some Israelis were also on top and one kindly took our group photo.


Deceptive saddle 265KB

Almost there Keith 267KB

Alan on top 259AR

Tired Thompsons on top 263AR

John on top 271CT

Israeli on top 296KB

Lunch on top 297KB

Gentiana bellidiflora on top 271CT

Heading down 303KB

Don't slip to your right! 309KB

or your left! 311KB

Mountain John 319IB

Mountain Cathy 323IB

Mountain Graham 321IB

Ian shooting Graham 327KB

Looking above South Branch 329KB

The descent starts with a 55m drop to a bit of a spur (1574m) where Ian was taking portraits against the backdrop of Mt Awful (actually the massive chunk of rock in front of us, Mt Awful is further to the left in mist). There are great views of the peaks across the South Branch of the Young and beyond to the even tall unnamed peaks beyond the North branch. Looking a long way down, one could see a tiny tent by the river. We then headed down another 600m vertically but only 600m horizontally, another 45° slope, but twice as big as the Crucible slope.


Tent down in the Young 337KB

Closer view 335KBa

max enlargement 335KBb

Straight down 339KB

Composite mountain 344CT

Top of Sth Branch 349KB

Last bit 351KB

On the Young 353KB

Once on the valley floor, it is a very civilised wander down past the man in the tent to the bridge near the site of the old Young Hut. I am fascinated by the unnamed "peak SE of Gillespie", not just by its angular facets, but whether it was the peak we scaled. After the bridge, we entered bush and descended 260m in about 1.5km to the new hut.


On the Young 355KB

Young scenery 357KB

peak SE of Gillespie 359KB

Mt Awful in mist 361KB

peak SE of Gillespie 363KB

peak SE of Gillespie 365KB

Young scenery 367JC

Back from bridge 369JC

[Next >]