The most accessible winter climbs in the Darrans are here.
A number of rock routes exist on the left side of the Macpherson Cirque around the Homer Face route. All climb up clean rock on interesting and varied terrain to a point just above Talbot’s Ladder. Follow a ramp system on the left side of the waterfalls into the upper cirque then up snow slopes for 100m.
The winter routes in the Macpherson Cirque are a short walk from Homer Hut when winter parking restrictions are in force. There isn’t a piece of mountain in the cirque safe from avalanches in the wrong conditions. In 1992 the snowfield near the summit of Mt Macpherson was actively controlled by explosives. The result was a fracture line that ran from near Talbot around to near Talbot’s Ladder on Macpherson. The debris running over the snow surface turned it to ice the consistency of the sword Excalibur. The avalanche almost ran to the road.
Winter Descent Routes.
There is a descent route at the west end of the cirque using steep slopes and gullies. The safest descent would be to rappel the route you climbed.
