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West Face

Type
Face
Altitude
3070m
Part of
Mt Haidinger

The rock buttresses on this face offer excellent
climbing, with many variations. The far-left
buttress, the gully between the buttresses, and a
narrow gully right of the Right Buttress have all
been climbed.

Glacier Peak to Pioneer Pass
Lat/lon
-43.55137,170.19967, NZ Topo Map
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Routes

Reference Title Grade Length Pro Quality Alert Operations
11.66 11.66Pahiatua , II,3 II,3 0m
0
  • P1
  • Alpine (Commitment) II
  • Alpine (Technical) 3

From the Albert Névé, ascend the snow slopes left of the west face routes.
11.67 11.67Left Buttress, III,3+ III,3+ 0m
0

From the névé, 200m of pleasant scrambling on good rock (crux 10), followed by 40-degree
snow slopes and final exit gullies onto the South Summit. Superb.

  • P1
  • Alpine (Commitment) III
  • Alpine (Technical) 3+
11.68 11.68Right Buttress, III,4 III,4 0m
0

This route has excellent rock climbing. It’s best
to follow a weakness on the right side (crux 12), although the centre of the buttress has been used
(crux 15). Follow the snow slope to exit onto the South Summit. In 1967, this route was a major
psychological breakthrough in face climbing and was heralded as a classic.

  • P1
  • Alpine (Commitment) III
  • Alpine (Technical) 4
11.69 11.69West Ridge, II,3+ II,3+ 0m
0

From the névé, gain the rounded rib beside the west face, head up easy mixed ground, and trend out left to finish up the same summit gullies as the west face routes.

  • P1
  • Alpine (Commitment) II
  • Alpine (Technical) 3+
11.69 11.69West Ridge, 3 3 0m
0

From the névé, gain the rounded rib beside the west face, head up easy mixed ground, and trend out left to finish up the same summit gullies as the west face routes.

  • P1
  • Alpine (Mt Cook) 3
11.71 11.71South Ridge, II,3,3- II,3,3- 0m
1.02

Very popular, and the most common way up Mt Haidinger. It is also the recommended descent route. The ridge is fairly straightforward (but beware of cornices) until the last 100m of rock, which if iced can be tackled either by traversing out slightly on the east face or up the couloir to the west. The ridge can be gained at many points. The usual routes are:
(i) The ridge can be gained at many points. The most elegant way lies up the arête which reaches the ridge 400m before the summit.

(ii) Along the divide from Governor Col, which involves a step halfway along the ridge must be ascended, otherwise the ridge is fairly straightforward (beware of cornices) until the last 100m of rock, which if iced, can be tackled either by traversing out slightly on the East Face or up the couloir to the west.

  • P1
  • Alpine (Commitment) II
  • Alpine (Technical) 3
  • Alpine (Mt Cook) 3-

If climbed from Governor Col, a step halfway along the ridge must be ascended, otherwise the ridge is fairly straightforward (beware of cornices) until the last 100m of rock, which if iced, can be tackled either by traversing out slightly on the East Face or up the couloir to the west.
Comments
This place appears in
Aoraki Tai Poutini: a guide for mountaineers, 2018
Buy this guidebook
UUID
 
94235a0f-b4b0-4706-bd44-a86b47dc797c