Skip to main content

South Face

Type
Face
Altitude
2362m
Part of
Malte Brun

Above Malte Brun Pass

Aspect
South West
Add Place Add Route

Routes

Reference Title Grade Length Pro Quality Alert Operations
5.99 5.99Moore Gully, V,3+,4 V,3+,4 0m
0
  • P1
  • Alpine (Technical) 3+
  • Alpine (Commitment) V
  • Alpine (Mt Cook) 4

Ascend the prominent gully on the left side of the face to reach the West Ridge below the Cheval.
5.100 5.100Central Rib, VI,4,4 VI,4,4 0m
0
  • P1
  • Alpine (Technical) 4
  • Alpine (Commitment) VI
  • Alpine (Mt Cook) 4

From halfway up the Beetham Glacier ascend broken spurs and ridges on the left side of the prominent central rib.
5.101 5.101The Christmas Turkey, VI,4,4 VI,4,4 0m
0
  • P1
  • Alpine (Technical) 4
  • Alpine (Commitment) VI
  • Alpine (Mt Cook) 4

Start up a prominent couloir in the centre of the face ( between two distinct aretes), and ascend until the couloir peters out. Traverse left around a buttress then ascend gullies to the upper West Ridge.

5.102 5.102Snuff, VI,5 VI,5 0m
0

Climbs the distinct arete to the right of the Christmas Turkey, beginning just to the left of the ‘big red spot’ at the bottom of the face. A couple of scrambly pitches on poor rock lead to steepening ground with good rock (two crux pitches of grade 17). The upper part of the route is again easier angled with poor rock. The first ascentionists climbed the route in 16 pitches.

  • P1
  • Alpine (Technical) 5
  • Alpine (Commitment) VI
5.103 5.103Rock and Roll, V,4+,4 V,4+,4 0m
0
  • P1
  • Alpine (Technical) 4+
  • Alpine (Commitment) V
  • Alpine (Mt Cook) 4

Ascend the third prominent snow cone left of the South Ridge and on up mixed snow and rock, with two short steep steps. After 200m, easier ground leads up rightwards towards the summit. If clear of snow and ice, the rock is not very sound.
5.104 5.104Rock n Roll Pt 2, V,4+,4 V,4+,4 0m
0
  • P1
  • Alpine (Technical) 4+
  • Alpine (Commitment) V
  • Alpine (Mt Cook) 4

Starts left of the direct route. When good ice covers the “forgettable rock” then this route could be worth a look, otherwise probably not.

5.105 5.105Rightside Direct, V,4,4+ V,4,4+ 0m
1.02
  • P1
  • Alpine (Technical) 4
  • Alpine (Commitment) V
  • Alpine (Mt Cook) 4+

Ascend the second prominent snow cone left of the South Ridge and, ignoring a ramp leading right to the Zig Zag route, ascend five steep ice pitches to reach easier-angled snow slopes leading to the summit.
5.106 5.106Zig Zag, IV,4,4- IV,4,4- 0m
1.02

A classic, which is often in condition when the other routes on the face are out of condition. Incredibly this was skied in late October 2017 by the team that made the first ski descent of the Caroline Face. Ascend the second prominent snow cone from the South Ridge and follow a ramp out right and into an amphitheatre. Move up left onto the crest of a buttress and then follow snowfields to the summit.

  • P1
  • Alpine (Technical) 4
  • Alpine (Commitment) IV
  • Alpine (Mt Cook) 4-
5.107 5.107South Ridge, III,3+ III,3+ 0m
0
  • P1
  • Alpine (Technical) 3+
  • Alpine (Commitment) III

From Malte Brun Pass skirt around the first few pinnacles on the west side of the lower ridge, then head up the crest of the ridge, which rises in two long steps. The rock is very rotten and in parts the ridge is quite exposed. Not recommended as a summer climb, but rather when it is covered with snow and ice (this doesn’t stop some people though). Probably the best way to descend if you’ve just climbed the South West Face though it has also been recommended to descend the ridge then cross into the end of the Zig-Zag route nearest the ridge.

Images

Comments
This place appears in
Aoraki Tai Poutini: a guide for mountaineers, 2018
Buy this guidebook
Attribution
Alex Palman
UUID
 
22c9e0df-2e7d-45db-ae31-9db1de2b72d3