Paul McCullagh and Mike Peat headed to Ruapehu for a weekend of climbing and skiing. They arrived on Friday 19th August and skinned up to Whakapapa Hut under a full moon.
On Saturday morning they climbed the central pitch of “Momentary Lapse of Reason” on Pink Floyd Buttress. The pitch had everything — delicate face climbing, crack climbing, ice runnels and even an overhang — and was considered worth a weekend on the mountain in itself. In the afternoon they traversed west to Barium Enema ice crag, which proved bare of ice. The return journey involved an exhausting skin back toward the hut, rewarded by a fine sunset ski descent.
Sunday brought warmer spring conditions. They climbed “Whisky”, a single-pitch waterfall route on Moonshine Buttress, then skinned to the pinnacle ridge for lunch. The descent off the north side offered exceptional spring snow.
During the return, Mike Peat lost control while skiing down hard ice and slid approximately 3 metres, landing on a groomer track. The fall looked serious but he escaped without fractures, walking away with bruising and soreness that lasted several days — a momentary lapse with fortunate consequences.