Returning home with motivation to explore my neglected home. the crazy variation of terrain from grass at Treble Cone to remote bush bash couloir to high alpine big walls. Whose with me and why. Wanting to make a film as well to document this challenge. Growing up in Wanaka, my parents’ old climbing buddies would stop by to swap stories from their adventures in the hills. Wild tales of nights perched high on ledges while a storm rages seemed in stark contrast to my hard working parents. The first time I saw Mt Cook up close we were on a family ski touring trip up the Tasman Glacier

The dramatic presence of the mountains there instantly changed me and left memories that are still vividly etched into my skull. Spinning a 360 off a jump on 30-year-old Spalding skis on our descent from Hochstetter Dome. Cursing far above my 14 years while battling my way up the Murchison Glacier headwall, an awfully steep place to learn to skin on such a rickety set up. Being so sunburnt you could have spread my nose on toast like peanut butter. I returned to blue-collar high school and wondered what other people were doing with their lives.