At 3724m high, Mount Cook (Aoraki) is the highest mountain in New Zealand. The surrounding region is a popular destination for tourists, mountain climbers and photographers. Mt. Cook is usually hidden behind clouds, many visitors leaving without the chance to even see the peak.

While driving into Mount Cook with our South Island Colours workshop group in April 2018, the weather ahead was looking significantly different from nearby sunny Twizel where we had stopped for breakfast. The clouds were dark, gloomy and cloaked the nearby mountains.

Sure enough, it soon began to drizzle which then turned to rain. It’s never worth getting the camera out with such limited visibility so we waited patiently in the Hermitage conference room critiquing our photos from earlier in the trip and hoping for some special light the next day. Conditions gradually worsened with the rain turning to sleet and then eventually snow overnight.

Without any chains onboard, it was a nervous start at 5AM the next morning – unsure of the conditions we would we wake up to. There had been small accumulations of snow overnight but thankfully the roads were clear allowing us to safely make our way to the carpark and start the 7km return Hooker Valley Walk.

This is where the fun began! I had warned the group there would be occasional ice patches along the track however by the time we reached the first suspension bridge the track was completely covered in ice. It may as well have been an ice rink.

The sky was starting to show the beginnings of a colourful sunrise over Aoraki so we hastily made the decision to persevere despite the need for micro spikes or crampons (my cross country nike runners just weren’t cutting it!).

We slipped and slid all over the place but somehow half of the group managed to make it safely to our target location on the Hooker River just in time for the peak of the beautiful sunrise. The remaining participants settled on an earlier viewpoint along the track.

This was without a doubt the most spectacular (and treacherous) conditions I have ever seen in the Hooker Valley. A magical sunrise over Mount Cook with a fresh dusting of snow, definately a moment I will never forget!