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Our last day in Caroline hut starts as a relaxed affair. We wake and breakfast quickly, and move outside to pack. It looks like it's going to be another hot and sunny day out on the ice. Today we plan to walk down to the ice cliffs below Ball Glacier and do some top roping and if time permits, practice some more self arresting as well as 'escaping the system'.

For the fourth day in a row we quietly fall into single file behind Roy as he leads us along the easy track around the back of the ridge. As we reach the steep loose section, we spread out to avoid sending rocks down on each other and continue snaking and sliding our way down. All the time I'm thinking ... "We're gonna have to climb this shit to get back!" ... As the going gets steeper, Roy advances away from us and we spread out further. Soon, as usual, Geoff and I are way behind and sending rocks down before us with every step. We can't see Roy and for some time, we stop, fearful that he's below us in the path of everything we're dislodging. We see Nick ahead over to our right, and catch a glimpse of Roy as well. Much further ahead. The slope we're on is just getting steeper and steeper and I'm doing my best to traverse across to where I last saw Nick. A startled shout from Roy stops us both in out track. "Guys.. Go back up!.. You're getting bluffed!...".

Ok.. Go back up huh ? Every step I take now seems to just slide in the lose dry rubble. Geoff is in a slightly better position, but is further back than me. We both are looking pretty uneasy. Roy drops his pack and is bounding over boulders towards us. He tells Nick to take cover under a large rock and seconds later, materializes on the slope between Geoff and myself. Practically guiding each footstep, Roy directs me over into a small water course. Here the boulders are larger and seem to move less. Geoff comes over too, and we clamber down to join Nick. We get another short lecture on being bluffed. Although a bit rattled by the strain, neither of us pipe up to say, " we only went that way to stop dropping rocks on where we though you were..."
There seemed no point and the lesson was a good one anyway.

A heap of scrambling over sharp edged rocks brought us to a stream gushing from the base of an ice cliff. With the exertion of the walk and scramble down, and still on edge from our recent 'bluffing', I took one look into the fast gray rush of water and suddenly felt weak. In the distance I could here Roy saying something about "Lucky it's still early, not too much water flowing yet... Don't want to fall into this one, you'll get suckked straight under the main part of the Ball Glacier and the next sunlight you'll see is about 10 km down the Tasman.... If you don't get stuck."...

That was enough ... I needed a hand to step across this trickle.

Once on the other side though, we quickly found a suitable cliff at the base of the ice fall and Roy set up a top rope for us to play with. We took turns chopping our way up and 10 pointing down. It's surprising just how steep a slope you can walk down, if you take your time and watch your footing. Next we tried a verticle face with a slightly bulged surface. Now this was more like it !! Gym Junkies Unite! I've opted to use Sparkie's hammer, which, in relation to my axe is tiny. It's also sharp!. Every placement goes in deep and solid. Unlike my unwieldy attempts with the axe. I quickly grasp the concept and reach the bulge. Roy points out my tendency to lift my heels. This, I think, comes from stepping and rocking-on in climbing. Try as I might to keep my feet low, I still front point high, and rock on, heel up. More practice required ...

Even so, I had a great time slowly working my way up the short face, watching the tools bite into the ice. Testing each placement carefully before committing to it. Trying to weight my feet. Reaching the top, I felt so good I down climbed as well. At the end of the exercise it was my hands that hurt the most. Gripping the tools was definitely the hardest part. I guess that with practice, and using your own tools, you eventually build up some stamina, as well as find comfortable settings for your leashes. Geoff and Nick also tackle the steeper slope but, I think I had the best conditions for it. The heat of the sun was quickly softening the surface of the ice, and our hacking and kicking was only speeding up the process. Nick had a particularly spectacular slip. One moment I'm lapping a rope, with Geoff belaying Nick from a rock next to me. The next moment, Nick yells and Geoff disappears. With Nick's fall, Geoff gets dragged through a melt pool and ends up under a small rock, but never lets go of the rope ! From up above us, Roy is laughing  hard and suggests we should take a photo.

We pack up and move off to find a slope of ice to discuss 'arresting' and 'escaping the system' and while we're there an enormous wall of ice tumbles of a face in the valley blow us. The ground shakes. Roy has gone off to scope out a different route back, but this is dependent on the size of the stream. Even before he rejoins us he signals us to go back the way we came. The stream we crossed before is now a torrent, and we wonder along it to find a better spot to cross back. This time it seems easier. I'm not stressed like the first time.

Climbing back up to the ridge is every bit as horrible as I expected. It's hot, dry, thirsty work. Not surprisingly, everything around us is loose and the sun beats down mercilessly. After only a few minutes I'm buggered. We gradually make the ridge and start the walk back to the hut. For some reason this seems interminably long. I'm breathing so hard I just can't get my breath back. Nick and Geoff wait for me just before the last rise so we can approach the hut together. At the hut I dump everything outside and stagger into the cool to make and drink a jug of cordial. We spend the next hour eating lunch, cleaning up and packing to walk out. I'm still so shagged from the walk up, I can't eat. In preference I guzzle water, tea and cordial.

Outside for the last time we tighten the straps on our packs and head off, down Ball Spur, towards to shortcut to Husky Flat, a mere 1000m below us.

To start with, the going is pretty easy and very scenic. Compared to the track up, this is a snack but within half an hour the going changes rapidly. From the easy grade at the top we quickly descended into a series of steep gullies and short ravines. although every step was a step down. Every step was starting to hurt. Again I find I'm sweating profusely and simply cannot shed any heat. In short... I'm cooking. We eventually reach a small rocky outcrop and I expire and force a brief stop in the shade. I can see that Roy is anxious to keep going, but I'm simply so tired I can't. I think the others were glad for the stop too. After a couple of minutes I get up and we move on. Below us I can see the grassy flat that is the flat along the side above the Tasman. It doesn't seem to be getting any closer. The terrain has changed to tall thick spiky vegetation, but the angle of the ground below our feet is still so steep, that every step is a high step down. The frustration is growing, as time after time I struggle to pick myself up off the ground after stumbling. Clawing through the underbrush I'm way way way behind the others, but not too far from the base of the hill. My frustration bubble bursts and in a fit of anger, throw myself done the last slope hoping my momentum will carry me through the last bushes and up the bank onto the flat. The first part goes well, and I burst from the last of the scrub, propelled by the weight of my pack. The second part almost works. With a full head of steam I try to leap up the embankment, but my legs crumple and, driven by my pack I collapse into the soft green grass like the Titanic into the iceberg. Pleased to be off the hill I look up to the other guys in time to see them, as one, turn and look away. "We don't know him..." is what the action says. I can't help but laugh. Struggling to my feet I re-join the others and then, like a robot on auto pilot, follow them back to the truck.

I can't wait ... to take my boots off, shower, eat and sleep.

Back at Unwin Hut we clean up and head into the Hermitage for dinner ...
"We'll have four of the  $40 All-You-Can-Eat buffet thanks..."
What could be better than that !