CMC Skyrunning World Series #1: Ball Pass Mountain Marathon
If you can jog the hooker track, you can make it to the playing fields. If you can make it to the playing fields, you can make it to Ball Pass. If you can make it to Ball Pass, you can make it to Caroline Hut, and now you are at Caroline Hut, you might as well go down to Ball Shelter and you have now pretty much completed the Ball Pass Mountain Marathon.
After the success of the CMC Skyrunning series last year we are back. Better routes, more vert and more good times!
SkyRunning is essentially gnarly trail running in the mountains. It’s not quite mountaineering, it’s not quite trail running; SkyRunning is the sweet spot where these two disciplines meet.
Itinerary: Meet in Wyn Irwin (Mt Cook Village) Friday night. Saturday morning we will head up the hooker track to complete the Ball Pass West to East. This involves an approx 10km road run to complete the loop back to Wyn Irwin. If you don’t want to complete the road run we could leave a car at the Tasman lake carpark.A GPX and beta on the route will be provided before the trip. The day will most likely take over 10 hours.
Distance: 41.54km (you can do some extra laps of the carpark if you want to make it a marathon)
Vert: 2,194m
If the weather is back Saturday we will push it to the Sunday. Sunday can also be reserved for those who want more Skyrunning / scrambling or rock climbing.
Previous experience required: For Ball Pass you will need trail running experience, including experience scrambling and running over technical terrain. You will need to be comfortable crossing Ball Pass which will involve some snow.
Gear required: Running vest or close-fitting small bag with a waterproof, thermal(s), midlayer, buff, sunhat, food, water, headtorch and first aid kit. Number of layers to be brought is up to the individual. Trail running shoes with good grip and foot traction device i.e microspikes / aluminium crampons etc, ice axe. Some people may want poles. PLB or InReach highly recommended, though you will have phone reception for some of it.
Plan B: In severe weather we will cancel. Severe weather includes gale force winds, heavy snow/hail, and thunderstorms. Will assess weather 5 days prior.
Questions: If you have any questions about the trip, feel free to contact trip leader: Simon Binney
