Occasional Climber

Bannister Circuit, December 2016

The view south east towards Cow Saddle and Waingawa River, from 900m
Looking west from 1,360m, to Table Ridge (1,478m - left distance), Waingawa (1,423m - centre), Arete (1,505m - right) and Bannister (1,537m - far right)
Looking north west from Waingawa (1,423m) to Arete (1,505m - left) and Bannister (low peak 1,513 and high peak 1,537m - right)
A section of the steep ridge leading to Bannister's low peak
A glimpse through a chasm on Bannister Ridge to Table Ridge
Looking north west along the ridge to Bannister (low peak centre and summit right)
Bannister low peak (1,513m) view south east to Waingawa peak and River valley
Bannister summit (1,537m) view south west to Lancaster (1,504 - left), Arete Bivy (1,360m - right of centre), the Twins (1,466m and 1,440m - right foreground) and Arete (1,505m - right skyline)
View back to Bannister from the lower Twin
Arete Bivy (1,360m)
Alpine flowers at about 1,400m
Arete Bivy, with Lancaster (1,504m - right)
View from the lower Twin - from left, Bannister low peak (1,513m), Blue Range (1,100m - distant left), Table Ridge (1,470m - centre skyline), Pinnacle Ridge (near centre - the route from Lancaster down to Arete Forks) and Lancaster (1,504m - far right)
Arete (1,505m) summit view north east to Dundas (1,499m - centre), Pukemoremore (1,474m - right of Dundas) and the Twins and Bannister (far right)
Arete (1,505m) summit view south west to Lancaster (1,504m)
Arete (1,505m) summit view south west to Lancaster (1,504m - centre) and the main Tararua Range
Arete (1,505m) summit view south west to Lancaster (1,504m - left), Park River and Pukematawai (1,432m - right)
The tarn (1,370m) just above Arete Bivy, with Bannister and the Twins left, Blue Range centre and Table Ridge right
The tarn (1,370m) just above Arete Bivy, with Bannister and the Twins behind
Arete Bivy (1,360m) - a jewel of the Tararuas
Inside 2 bunk Arete Bivy
Arete Bivy at dawn, with Arete (1,505m) behind
Moon over Arete
Arete Bivy at dawn, looking south east to the Blue Range
Dawn view south east from Arete Bivy, with Bannister left
Dawn view south east from Arete Bivy to the Blue Range
Sunrise over the Blue Range, with the low hills of the Wairarapa in the distance
Arete Bivy at dawn, with the Twins directly above the Throne, Bannister summit and low peak left of centre and Waingawa centre
Arete Bivy at dawn, with the Twins directly above the Throne and Bannister summit and low peak
View south west down the Park Valley, from the saddle just above Arete Bivy. Thompson (1,448m) is centre, with Lancaster (1,504m) left of centre
View from the saddle above Arete bivy, east to the Twins and Bannister
View on the approach to Lancaster, south east down the Pinnacle Ridge to the Blue Range
Lancaster (1,504m) summit view east, back along the ridge to Arete Bivy, the Twins and Bannister. Reaching this point meant I had been to all 15 mapped points in the Tararuas above 1,500 metres
Lancaster (1,504m) summit view, north west to Te Matawai Hut (900m)
Where Lancaster joins the Pinnacle Ridge, with the Blue Range behind
View east down the steep, rugged Pinnacle Ridge, with the Blue Range behind. Bannister is far left
A craggy section of the Pinnacle Ridge
On the lower part of the Pinnacle Ridge, offering a view of the entire route from Cow Saddle (670m - far right), all the way to Arete (1,505m - far left). The Twins, Bannister (low peak and summit) and Waingawa are all in profile - not a bad day's work
The Waingawa River, down at Arete Forks (670m)
Arete Forks Hut (670m)

Read about it – Chasing the fifteenth Vertigo January 2017       Tagging the 1500ers Wilderness Magazine April 2017

TopomapLINZ-logo    See the location of the fifteen points in the Tararuas above 1,500 metres
Tararuas New Zealand mountain images and information

To order a print or web resolution file of any image you see in this slide show, just right click the image, click “Copy Image URL” and paste in to the “Your message” box of our Contact Us form. Please also note, for each image, if you want a print or web resolution file. We will get back to you as soon as possible to confirm price and payment details.
Open Contact Us in a new window to paste Image URL(s) easily

Image specifications, pricing and licensing agreement