Grade
3
Length
0m
0
Quality
Located on
Topo ref
4
- P1
- Alpine (Technical) 3
From the upper Wilberforce River via Denas Creek, by traversing upstream to a point directly below the summit rocks. A large scree leads up to a long steep couloir which meets the North Ridge not far from the summit. This route is fraught with dangers, avalanche, rock fall, and really rotten rock to name but a few. It is a seasonal route with a very narrow window of safe conditions (typically August to December, daily conditional). Descent is generally made over Kahutea Col, down the Kahutea Glacier (sticking true left), then sidling left diagonally down to gain the slabs and grassed slopes into Weka Stream.
Comments
UUID
bc533cfa-7b83-4f10-ac7d-7127ff419243
We approached this route from the upper Wilberforce and Denas Creek. After walking up Denas Creek ( best attempted in low water conditions) for half an hour, we managed to find a route into the tussock basins above. About 50m downstream of the marked stream entering Denas Creek from the true right, we found a faint scrub covered gut on the true left with an animal trail. After 50m of scrub bashing this turned into a scree gut and led to a tussock covered ridge leading to the upper basins on the south side of the gorge. We ascended to 1200m and sidled into the upper Denas Creek (above the gorge) staying at 1200m. This took about 3.5 hrs from Urquharts Hut. The next day we climbed the couloir in great conditions and descended on snowboards. This route could probably be regraded to 2-.
ok