A slick road, shaded slopes, a lack of snow, the conditions neither diluted my anticipation nor rang any warning bells.  Tinkle, tinkle crunch, our boots smashed through the fragile façade of delicate leaf-like ice formations coating the upper slopes of Tahurangi. The southerlies had left their calling card. The fine rime needles weren’t here on my visit the previous fortnight.  The beard hadn’t had sufficient exposure to wind and rain to reach full growth,  allowing our crampons to shave it off step by step. Rime is an excellent micro forecast, patches of luxuriant growth indicating the most wind exposed aspects and spots of thin stubble the sheltered places. Continue reading “How my bum got iced” →