Curtis Ridge/Upper Manganui Couloir

The grade depends on how close to the crest of the Priest’s Fingers you stay. Under snow and ice, the Curtis Ridge, insignificant from below, provides a beautiful alpine excursion on a sequence of delicate snow areas with technical interest over the rocky section know as the Priest’s Fingers. Unfortunately, it dies out fairly low on the mountain so the best way to the summit is to traverse into the long curving couloir that drops to the top of the Manganui Gorge, or better still, use Curtis as your approach to the best the mountain has to offer, Bob’s Bluff.