BISECTING The Greenstone-Caples

WE go to see landscapes, but sometimes it’s the cloudscapes above that leave a lasting impression. Huge cumulus, towering tall, dwarfing mountains. Streaky cirrus, harbingers of bad weather. Even contouring mist, snaking in mimicry of the landscape below, can enhance a scene far beyond its cloudless equivalent.

For Darryn, Peter and I, camped high in Scott Basin, the clouds were also confirmation of a decision well made. Filling the scoop of the pass above us lay a tapestry of cloud filaments, teased apart by high airflow and accentuated by the silhouetted black bluffs on either side.

We’d planned to be further west, on the Main Divide of Kā Tiritiri o te Moana/Southern Alps, but sticking to that plan would have exposed us to strong winds, heavy rain and possibly flattened tents. Examination of both topographic and weather maps had suggested an alternative route, well east of the stormy Divide.

Fifteen years ago, I’d walked the Greenstone-Caples and observed on the map a series of side valleys that had small huts. ‘Might be worth a look sometime,’ I’d