Mt Pollux | ClimbNZ

Type

Altitude

2536m

Part of

Pollux is a fine mountain; the vertical relief is reminiscent of the Darran mountains. Top Forks Hut makes a great base, but may mean a long day and bivvying near the base of the mountain may be preferable.

Lat/lon

-44.23250834,168.87384443, NZ Topo Map

Topo50

BZ11 705 940

Accessed from

Wilkin River

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Routes

Reference	Title	Grade	Length	Quality
	Chasm Pass Route, III,2	III,2	0m	0
Climb to Chasm Pass and then cross Ice King Tops and Donald Glacier to join the Bluffs route to the summit. The route of the first ascent, but rather long and indirect. P1 Alpine (Commitment) III Alpine (Mt Cook) 2
	Bluffs Route, III,2	III,2	0m	0
This is the preferred route. From Top Forks Hut, take the track up the valley towards Lake Castalia and pick a line through alpine scrub up the ridge you can see from the hut and down from the lake. If time is taken and good route finding adhered to, the worst of the alpine scrub can be avoided. There is a steep gully to be negotiated before the glacier is reached from where the climbing is straightforward to the summit. P1 Alpine (Commitment) III Alpine (Technical) 2
	Diana Buttress, III,3,14	III,3,14	0m	0
P1 14 Alpine (Commitment) III Alpine (Technical) 3 The buttress lies immediately in line with the south ridge of Pollux. An enjoyable climb on clean rock (grade 14). From lake Diana ascend a large gravel fan before gaining height on tussock slopes to the base of the buttress.
	Donald Glacier Route, III,2	III,2	0m	0
P1 Alpine (Commitment) III Alpine (Technical) 2 From the Waiatoto, climb the spur on the true left of the Donald River to gain the upper basin. The worst of the scrub is then avoided by ascending Draughtsman Spur and sidling high across the southern aspects of the Commissioner Range. Gain the Donald Névé and negotiate crevasses to the summit.

Comments

Attribution

Allen Uren & John Cocks. Photo Rob Frost.

UUID

354d3ab5-ba24-4186-b6f3-0f353375e12b