Mt Earnslaw Pikirakatahi West Pk

Gain access to a scree shelf by scrambling though first rocks on the north-east shoulder of the East Peak and then follow the scree shelf round until directly under West Peak. Here a chimney leads up 500m directly to the summit. The foot of the chimney can be reached from the standard route to Pluto Col from Wright Col.

Takes an easy sneak onto the most dominant rib on the NF. Can be climbed as rock or mixed route depending on conditions. From the traverse from Wright col / Esquilant towards Pluto, head up towards the largest steepest rock wall on the West Peak (facing the biv). At the base, follow an easy snow gully angling up right, gaining the highest rib on the North Face at half- height (around right of gendarmes - walk behind these). Follow this (scrambling, sometimes exposed) on convoluted gullies and corners right of the crest, finishing on two easy roped mixed pitches to top out high on the East Ridge (a rock corner, then a snow gully with ice step to a final 5m stemming chimney). A single rope, an ice screw or two and a light rock rack are sufficient. Descent options include Wright-Robertson couloir, Traverse to E Peak and standard NF descent, or possibly NW ridge or W face of W Peak.

Feels like a route from the early era. Rock surprisingly reasonable, although not as excellent as they made out in the 30's!

From Wright Col traverse shelf as in Route 6 but when under the col in the ridge between the East and West Peaks ascend a steep crack of rotten rock to the col. After a short deviation on to the steep South Face, ascend the ridge to the summit.

From Pluto Col climb up the north ridge until, at about 150m below the peak, a traverse is made to the left across a small couloir to a subsidiary ridge overlooking the West Peak Couloir. The left side of this subsidiary ridge is climbed back to the main ridge, which is followed towards the summit slope via a narrow ice ridge.

From Spaniard Valley climb up to and over scree until hard under the point at which Seven Sisters Ridge joins the ridge from Turret Head. Here a couloir of loose rock leads to a notch in the main ridge. The first detour necessary is made on the Spaniard Valley side but further up a detour is forced on the Earnslaw Glacier side on steep ice. Some earlier attempts at this route via Turret Head failed, one of these at the point where a detour on to the Earnslaw Glacier became necessary due to conditions, but otherwise this route is feasible.

From Earnslaw Burn climb to the col between Black Peak and the East Peak before traversing across the Earnslaw Glacier and ascending diagonally through icefalls to reach the ridge between the East and West Peaks to the west of the lowest point. Then follow the ridge, detouring as necessary on the glacier side.

Scramble up through lower bluffs and slightly right up through scree slopes until ledges sloping steeply up to the left give access through the main bluffs to the final easy slopes. Start on scrub covered ledges on the true right of the Earnslaw Burn, then ascend the right hand ice rib.