This is the RIB after Rob, Andy and I were taken over to the North side of the Thatcher peninsula and dropped off for two nights camping on Friday afternoon. Tommy and Matt Holmes wrapped up warm and decided to stick it out the whole trip on the RIB after saying jet boats are for ‘girls’!! The RIB and jet boat then headed across the way to Busen Peninsula to pick up Robert and Maureen which was the reason for the trip after their five day holiday over there. It was -8C on Friday not warming up even during the day.

We left our overnight kit and firewood in the cave on the way past and got dropped off further down the coast to walk back with day packs only up Papua Valley and down Curlew Valley to the cave on Friday evening.

It was snowing and quite windy as we walked around the base of Stenhouse and up to the col between Stenhouse and Camp Peak. With just our day sacks it was easier to get through some of the snow drifts which were at some points were up to my waist level!

We didn’t hang around the Col for long as the wind was blowing the snow all over the place and we wanted to drop down into the lee of the ridge line.

After 2.5 hours walking we made our way to the beach down the last steep tussocky snow covered slope and enter the cave through the small slit in the rock.

The cave goes back quite a distance and in the back it is sandy and dry. There were a few icicles hanging from the roof that had formed ice domes on the ground beneath. So we sent up our bivvy bags in the back with our down sleeping bags inside and it was a really good nights sleep listening to the waves lapping in the enterance off the cave.

We were able to dry our gloves and socks next to the fire which burnt till we went to bed at 9pm. As Rob says he loves camping as you get to go to bed at 9pm and gets lots of sleep!

Saturday morning was beautiful and sunny with blue skies it had snowed overnight and with high tide you had to nip out of the cave between the waves so as not to get wet!

I will put Saturday’s pictures up in a few hours but must nip off for Sunday roast dinner at Carse House. Hope you all had a great weekend.