Skip to main content

East Face

Type
Face
Part of
Karetai Pk

This steep face rises directly from the Te Puoho Glacier and is known for its coarse clean diorite.

Descent is usually via the West Ridge to Turner’s Eyrie. The North Ridge can also be descended to Karetai Col.

Aspect
East
Lat/lon
-44.67182694,168.04730415, NZ Topo Map
Topo50
CB09 074 416
Add Place Add Route

Routes

Reference Title Grade Length Pro Quality Alert Operations
1 1English Fearnley, II,17 II,17 250m
1.02
  • P1
  • 17
  • Alpine (Commitment) II
  • 250m
  • Trad

The five-pitch corner and groove 80m right of the South Ridge. Good rock.
2 2More Drugs More Threesomes, II,21 II,21 250m
1.02
  • P1
  • 21
  • Alpine (Commitment) II
  • 250m
  • Trad

Five pitches on the south-east aspect of the face, climbing just right of the roofs and up the big sheet of stone above.
2a 2aHugs not Drugs, III,22 III,22 290m
3

Superb climbing on continuously technical and steep wall. Starts just left of
Jones Jones at a vertical crack and goes more or less directly to the summit,
keeping left of easier ground. Line described is not necessarily the least
line of resistance or necessarily accurate as climbed in complete shmoo with
10-15 metres viz.

  • P1
  • 20
  • Alpine (Commitment) III
  • 40m
  • Trad

Start at the best crossing point or schrund. Various cracks lead to easier angled terrain at 20m, approx. 10m left of Jones-Jones. Belay where wall steepens.

  • P2
  • 20
  • 60m
  • Trad

Straight up wall and cracks to easier angled grey slabs and belay in large L-R chimney.

  • P3
  • 22
  • 45m
  • Trad

Straight up deviously to easier ground moving slightly left.

  • P4
  • 22
  • 55m
  • Trad

Up rounded crack system moving L onto pillar. L from top of this and up steeply to technical slab on L. Up this and L again to diagonal break.

  • P5
  • 22
  • 45m
  • Trad

Straight up fantastic flake, scamper over roof, and straight up to easier ground.

  • P6
  • 45m
  • Trad

Straight up and R to roof, round this and up to ledge. Gratuitously up wall above just cos it’s there to blocky belay 30m from summit.
3 3Jones Jones 0m
1.02
  • P1
  • Trad

Take the line of chimneys and gullies left of the central buttress.
4 4Glasson Line, III,17 III,17 400m
2.01
  • P1
  • 17
  • Alpine (Commitment) III
  • 400m
  • Trad

Eleven pitches up the middle of the face on sound rock. Climb left across a smooth slab into a chimney below a sickle-shaped crack. Climb the crack (crux) then follow a diagonal fault line right across the face for 2 pitches. Straighten again for 2 pitches until below a large band of overhangs, trending right to easier ground and the summit.
5 5The Studley Buttress, III,22 III,22 400m
3
  • P1
  • 22
  • Alpine (Commitment) III
  • 400m
  • Trad

Nine pitches (roughly 14, 19, 17, 18, 19, 22, 16, 13, 12) directly up the central buttress on the face.
5a 5aRising High, 20 20 0m
0
  • P1
  • 20

8 pitches
6 6Subalpine Route, III,20 III,20 350m
1.02
  • P1
  • 20
  • Alpine (Commitment) III
  • 350m
  • Trad

Eight pitches of good rock climbing up the centre of the face. Good protection generally and belays though sometimes sparse or time consuming to arrange. Crux on pitch three.
6a 6aTabula Rasa, 22 22 0m
0
  • P1
  • 22

7 pitches
7 7Hyslop Scott 0m
0
  • P1
  • Trad

A line near Karetai Col.
 5.9+, 17 17 0m
1.02

Four pitches of climbing on the northern side of the East Face. The chimney pitch involved hanging packs from harnesses and grunting and sliding and “would probably only get 5.8 in Yosemite” according to Neil. Fun climb, well protected.

  • P1
  • 17
  • Trad
Comments
Attribution
The Darran Mountains (NZAC: 2006) by Craig Jefferies
UUID
 
5a0babfe-96f0-4875-95b0-333e0f09ed46