South Face

This route on the South Face involves a climb of 530m from the foot of the face. It generally parallels the South West Ridge up a series of small snow ramps and intervening rock steps, until below the very steep rock face directly beneath the summit. Here there is a prominent snow arête which is crossed and a rising traverse is followed until the exit gullies are reached. There are a number of these all of a similar grade.

Denz and Thompson turned the bottom rock band by way of the ice cliffs above the schrund at the western end of the rock band. The upper part of the route sidles beneath the summit rock face until better angled ice slopes lead out on to the snow arête of the upper Coxcomb, about 50m below the summit.

A direct finish variation which avoids any sidling and tops out on the summit. When the prominent snow arête below the summit rock band is reached go straight up and climb a narrow five metre ice pillar sandwiched between a slab on the left and an overhanging wall on the right. Then there are 3-4 pitches up a gully which ends on the summit.

An ice climb on the leftmost part of the South Face. Start as for route 1 but continue directly up to the schist headwall above (rather than following the right tending ramps of 1 & 2). At the headwall follow a ramp that climbs rightward. At the top of this a rock and ice chimney (crux) breaks through the headwall to join the Summit Ridge. Cross over this ridge into the gully at the top of the South West Ridge and continue up easy ground to the summit. Completed in 52 hours return from Christchurch.

This is a fine line tackling the bottom rock band at its proudest point. The rock band is the most difficult climbing and is generally of a mixed nature. At about three quarters height the route joins the other routes and finishes up the Moore direct finish. 12 pitches.

A reasonably direct line that climbs through the overhangs in the middle of the South Face. It exited up "Perspiring" about 2 hours after it had been ascended. ED2 Scottish VII

Starts out right through the bottom rock band onto the ice field mid-height, then angles back left diagonal towards the summit and the normal exit gullies. About 10 pitches were climbed after the rock band.

Starts up obvious ramp ( Scottish 4) to the R of the lower rock band. Traverses L then exits onto the Coxcomb where indicated.

Start as for Perspiring. Climb through the lower rock band, follow gully and then gradually traverse left until under obvious notch. Head up through some ice/mixed pitches and exit at the obvious notch at the coxcomb. 12 x 60m pitches plus four pitches along the Coxcomb ridge. Cruxes pitche 1 WI3 & M3, Pitch 3 WI3+ & M4, Pitch 10 WI3+ & M3, Pitch 12 M4 8-12 ice screws, single set of cams 0 - 2, single set of wires 1 - 7, 8-12 draws.

Starts just left of The Shiny Beast, linking together two ice ramps.

5 pitches (60m). A short 6th pitch can be avoided if you begin belaying above the schrund. Pick your way up and along a right leaning shallow groove with mixed moves on the first pitch, until you can move up and left to gain a consistent ice flow in the second. Near vertical sections through the rest of the climb easing on the final pitch and trending right to gain the ridge. Gear: 10 x ice screws. Bring mainly shorter screws as this route is likely to have thinner ice than its neighbours.

This slash on the right side of the face was used as a variant start to the Coxcomb. The route is nice straight up ice climbing and a wonder-filled start to the Coxcomb. Some of the route approaches vertical but bridging eases the strain. Five full fifty-metre pitches.