Marcel Face | ClimbNZ

Type

Part of

The western aspect of Mt Haast offers a good range of gullies that are usually well iced through to December. There have been several harder routes put up on the Marcel side since the 1970s, but only some have been recorded.

Aspect

South West

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Routes

Reference	Title	Grade	Length	Quality
11.98	11.98Left Gully, III,4+	III,4+	0m	0
The obvious gully leading to the left hand notch on the skyline. P1 Alpine (Commitment) III Alpine (Technical) 4+
11.99	11.99Swimming with Sharks Direct, III,5	III,5	0m	0
The left-most and more direct of two ice runnels that lead to the right hand notch on the skyline. Similar climbing to Swimming with Sharks. P1 Alpine (Commitment) III Alpine (Technical) 5
11.100	11.100Swimming with Sharks, III,5	III,5	0m	0
Takes the right-most of two ice runnels that lead to the right hand notch on the skyline. Generally thin ice requiring short ice screws. First ascended in eight pitches. The first ascentionists traversed the ridge to the North-Middle Peak col, but abseiling the route is recommended. P1 Alpine (Commitment) III Alpine (Technical) 5
11.101	11.101Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii, III,5+	III,5+	0m	0
Five pitches of enjoyable ice climbing interspersed with some tricky mixed climbing. P1 Alpine (Commitment) III Alpine (Technical) 5+
11.102	11.102Supergroove, III,7	III,7	0m	0
A short but technically difficult route (crux M6) with a bit of everything. Ice, a strenuous chimney, a free hanging pillar, and a sting at the end. P1 Alpine (Commitment) III Alpine (Technical) 7
11.103	11.103North-Middle Peak Col, III,3,3	III,3,3	0m	0
Ascend from the Marcel Glacier up steep snow into the right hand of two narrow couloirs leading to the col, and then on up the main ridge to the summit. P1 Alpine (Commitment) III Alpine (Technical) 3 Alpine (Mt Cook) 3 Ascend from the Marcel Glacier onto the Marcel Face. up steep snow into the righthand of two narrow couloirs leading to the col. Then on up the main ridge to the summit.
11.104	11.104Middle Peak- High Peak Col, III,3	III,3	0m	0
Ascend from the upper Marcel Glacier via a snow couloir. P1 Alpine (Commitment) III Alpine (Technical) 3
11.105	11.105Mutley's Revenge, III,4+	III,4+	0m	0
Start just right of the Citizen Chowdhury ramp via a short but steep pitch on an ice hose, then ease back to a couple of straight-forward pitches on steepish snow, heading straight for the summit. The fourth pitch climbs through short but steeper ice steps, then the fifth pitch climbs a steep snow gully to top out just west of the High Peak. The first ascentionists descended via the same route with five 50m abseils. P1 Alpine (Commitment) III Alpine (Technical) 4+
11.106	11.106Citizen Chowdhury, III,4,4-	III,4,4-	0m	0
P1 Alpine (Commitment) III Alpine (Technical) 4 Alpine (Mt Cook) 4- Start below high peak but trend right arriving about 50m east of the High Peak summit. Involves several short but steep steps. Five pitches.
11.107	11.107Valentine Gully, 5-	5-	0m	0
P1 Alpine (Mt Cook) 5- This five pitch route takes a prominent narrow gully almost directly below the high peak. The crux is at the bottom. The gully tops out between high peak and the next obvious prominence to the ). Descend to Marcel col. Cammell/Monteith climbed a steeper 3 pitch variation to left.
11.108	11.108Holloway-Thompson, III,4+	III,4+	0m	0
Begin up Route 11.109, and then up the steep cascade on the left to gain a hanging gully. From there, climb three 60m pitches directly to the south summit. P1 Alpine (Commitment) III Alpine (Technical) 4+
11.109	11.109Right Gully		0m	0
Gully between high peak and Main Divide knob. Don Bogie, Peter Sommerville, Jun 1979 P1 Gully between high peak and divide peak.
11.110	11.110South West Ridge, II,3	II,3	0m	0
From Marcel Col, follow an easy snow ridge leading north-east off the Main Divide, and along a slightly tricky rock ridge to the summit. A regular descent route. Despite the easy access, watch for loose rock late in summer. P1 Alpine (Commitment) II Alpine (Technical) 3

Comments

This place appears in

Aoraki Tai Poutini: a guide for mountaineers, 2018

Buy this guidebook

Attribution

Alex Palman

UUID

738b4d06-3006-4a7f-b103-cc2b8407e6f1