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Article in the SMH 7-Jan-2009 At 3:58:49 PM Macpacgirl

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I was on Aspiring the day after John Pawson fell off the South West Ridge, down the West Face, a couple of days before the Vinars went through their ordeal on Cook.

The weather was causing absolute havoc with wind and rain being the order of the day most days up there. So when you got a chance, you'd get kitted up and fly up and down whatever you could. Getting down was often in shocking conditions with huge winds, up you could always crawl when it got too blowey...

NZ is a funny place, so beautiful, magical to climb, but it is treacherous with or without a guide. Try and find crevasse lines with ice burning your skin and eyes. Even more treacherous than Aspiring was coming down Bevan Col to the Matukituki Valley, the rock was wet and slippery as all hell in your plastics... now that was scary.

But I wouldn't have missed the shitty weather or the scary bits for quids.... I had a lovely summit view and a special time with John Pawson's spirit floating around Aspiring. May he and Mark Vinar rest in peace!