First ski descent of Dragon's Back on Mt Elie de Beaumont in New Zealand

The steep, exposed, and elegant Dragon's Back spine on the Spencer Face of Elie de Beaumont on New Zealand's South Island has been the subject of our speculation for years as to whether it could be skied. I had made a first descent on its right flank eight years prior with Tom Grant. This time, Beau Fredlund and I started from Centennial Hut, west of the divide, descended the Styx Glacier, and ascended 1,400 meters up the Times Glacier to the summit of Elie de Beaumont via the Walter-Elie Col.

At the top of the spur, we waited until 16:45 for the snow to soften before starting the descent. The line becomes extremely steep and ultra-exposed on the spine, and the snow conditions kept us on the skier's right of the spine throughout. After descending the Times Glacier and drinking the last of our water, we embarked on a gruelling four-hour ascent back to Centennial Hut under the light of the moon, arriving there after 17 hours on the go.

It was hard to grade this descent given the remote location of the face, which makes reconnaissance difficult, and the length of the day adds to the commitment level. Nevertheless, we suggest an NZ alpine grade of 4+.

It was an awesome trip in New Zealand, with many psyched teams pushing the envelope. I was blessed with great conditions and also skied the second descent of Silberhorn's Southeast Face with Beau, the third descent of Syme Ridge on Tasman with Gee Pierrel and Christina Lusti, and made a failed attempt on Jones Route on Mt. Cook with the two aforementioned skiers.

by Ross Hewitt

Info: rosshewittguiding.com

 

 

 

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