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Rees Dart (e)

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Day 3: (Monday 13/03/06) The morning was fine and boded well for an excellent crossing of the Rees Saddle.


composite of Mt Clarke 301b KB

Rees River 302b KB

Kea 305a KB

kea 305b KB

Alan 306a IB

John B, Cathy & Ian 306b JC

Peaks 308a KB

As we gained height we had views back to the Mt Earnslaw peaks until the trail swung too far to the right (east). Those ahead took appropriate photos while I tried to get more kea shots.


Source of Rees 310a KB

Mt Clarke 311a JC

Keith taking photo 312a AR

Ian silhouette 314 KB

The valley rises more steeply as we head to the Saddle and the Forbes Peaks crowd in. Initially it is difficult to see where the track will go but eventually a short steep climb becomes obvious (and reassuring).


Back down the Rees 317 KB

Rees Saddle 319 JC

climbing the saddle 323 AR

view back to Rees 324 AR

Keith reaches saddle 329 JS

View down Snowy 333 JS

Snowy Creek 339 AR

Tarn on saddle 344 JS

At the top of the tussock basin there is a relatively short 100m climb to the saddle (1447m) where there is a large tarn and beyond this a small hill worth climbing to obtain 360° views of three valleys. The rock dome on top is quite safe unless one tries to take a 360° video and steps off the edge (as I did!). Luckily there is no audio track on my camera!


Snowy Creek 345 KB

Ian & Rees Valley 346 KB

Jim's panoramic widescreen shot of lower (left) & upper (right) Snowy Stream 343 JC

Saddle Tarn 347 KB

View down Snowy 349 KB

There is a rapid descent from the saddle to a terrace on the side of Mt Cunningham containing a number of tarns with the Snowy Stream passing below in a gorge.


Snowy Creek Gorge 350 KB

Tarns below Mt C. 351 KB

Tarn below Mt C. 352 KB

View back to saddle 355 JS

Snowy Creek 358 KB

Humboldt Tower 362 JC

Hesse & Mt Edward 364 KB

Hesse Glacier 365 KB

The Humboldt Tower, Hesse Glacier and Mt Edward become progressively more visible and distracting. A further drop takes you to a swing bridge and from then on the views of the Dart Valley with its various glaciers becomes even more magnificent.


Snowy Creek east wall 368 KB

upper Snowy bridge 370 JC

crossing the Snowy 374 JS

to the bridge 375 JC

Humboldt Tower 382 KB

Mt Lydia glimpse 383 KB

Hesse & Mt Edward 384 KB

panorama of Dart 385 KB

There are wonderful panoramic views of the upper Dart system dominated by an unnamed southern spur of the Humboldt Tower. The track continues to drop into the Dart, and it was here, as I was hurrying to catch up, that I rolled my ankle badly. Years of demonstrating to patients how to keep the lateral ankle ligaments elastic paid off as it became clear I hadn't ruined anything. The track finally crosses back over the Snowy immediately before the Dart Hut.


Dart Hut 390 KB

chat at hut 391 JS

Dart Hut 392 JC

Dart-Snowy confluence 394 AR

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