Chancellor Dome, Westland Tai Poutini National Park

The snow at Chancellor Dome was perfect for making igloos, so while our group snuggled into their tents, two of our companions set about building their shelter for the night.

We had travelled to the West Coast from Christchurch the day before and flown to Chancellor Hut – the foot access up the Fox Glacier no longer an option with the glacier in retreat.

From the hut, we walked to Chancellor Dome to camp for the night. There is a relatively easy route, walking the true right of the glacier, but taking this would have put us in avalanche territory so we took the high route to the headwaters of Alf Creek and then on to the dome.

It took two hours to build the igloo, cutting blocks with snow saws and shovels.

– Noel Walker