Earle’s Gap is the level section at about 2850m Earle Ridge. You’ll need to get to Earle Gap (or at least pretty close) in order to access the Empress Shelf.
Routes
| Reference | Title | Grade | Length | Pro | Quality | Alert | Operations |
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| Direct, II,3+ | II,3+ | 0m | |||||
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Climb directly from the Sheila Glacier, depending on the season can involve anything from one straightforward pitch of snow and rock to three steep pitches of rock.
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| Empress Icefall, III,3 | III,3 | 0m | |||||
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Navigate the icefall draining the true right edge of the Empress Shelf. This can involve very complicated route finding through crevasses and seracs.
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| Lower Earle Ridge, III,3 | III,3 | 0m | |||||
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Follow the lower ridge from Empress Hut. This starts with a couple of steep pitches then relents, although near Earle’s Gap it narrows. This would be a time consuming option but, in some cases, may be the only feasible route.
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| Don’t Call Me Dude, 17,4 | 17,4 | 350m | |||||
Crest of the buttress between the upper and lower Empress Shelves. Excellent rock with no objective danger. 350m, crux 17. Descend via Earle’s Gap or glacier. |
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