Ascent of Mt. Luxmore, 2014

Mt. Luxmore is a bump on the ridge just off the Kepler Track, well above the Luxmore Hut. Not many people have climbed it twice, I suppose, but I had my reasons. I climbed it in 2009, while Vicki was elsewhere on the Kepler, and recorded--on this very blog--my time from Brod Bay to the Hut: 4 hours. I was curious, and concerned, to see if I could match that time five years later. The full ascent is probably close to 4,000 feet.

Actually, pretty much the whole ascent was in a white-out; Lake Te Anau was in
an inversion, owing to the (relatively) warm, dry weather

Along the hike, under a big head-wall

Once up on the plateau I figured the clouds had burned off; but no, I had just gotten
above them

Looking up toward Mt. Luxmore, the bump on the right

Looking around...various peaks poking through the clouds;it all looked pretty alpine,
if not Himalayan, despite the fact you're only about 3,000 feet up

Ditto

Ditto again

At the base of the trail up to the summit, two Kea conspire to distract me and
steal my wallet, keys, camera, etc.

Mt. Luxmore summit triangulation point; looking toward Lake Te Anau

Summit area

Summit selfie; compare with 2009: OK, I may have aged 5 years, but I have
definitely gotten better at self-portraits

Te Anau town through the clouds

Looking back, on the long tiresome descent

Luxmore Hut

Arrival of the grand-parents: a large extended family was having a reunion at the
hut, and here the grandparents arrive by helicopter (Rebecca and Rachel note)

Next morning, some higher clouds and a view of one of Lake
Te Anau's several glacial arms 

Last hazy look at Mt. Luxmore; I made the climb to the hut in 4 hours 11 minutes,
that is, 11 minutes off my 2009 pace; a dinner acquaintance, a marine biologist by
trade, said that was not statistically significant; so I was pleased...