Summit climbs from North Egmont

Type

Part of

North Egmont

Situated at the end of Egmont Road (960m), North Egmont provides access to the northern slopes. The main Visitor Centre is currently being rebuilt (with only a temporary facility operating). Carparking can scarce – Stratford Plateau is strongly recommended as an alternative.

Accommodation

The Camphouse (960m)
Operated by DOC at the end of Egmont Road, this Class 1 historic building sleeps 32 and features a fully equipped kitchen with showers and electric heating; bookings must be made via the North Egmont Visitor Centre as standard hut passes are not accepted.
Maketawa Hut (1,074m)
Located 1.5 hours from North Egmont via the Ngatoro/Maketawa tracks (or 1 hour via the Summit Track and 'The Puffer'), this DOC hut sleeps 16 and provides water, mattresses, and gas heating.
Tahurangi Lodge (1,520m)
Privately owned by the Taranaki Alpine Club at the end of the Summit Track, this fully serviced lodge sleeps 26+ and offers mains power, flush toilets, and a full kitchen; the facility is kept locked, so bookings through the club are essential.

Aspect

North East

Lat/lon

-39.270869,174.095192, NZ Topo Map

Topo50

BJ29 945 526

Approach

Approximately 12km south from New Plymouth on State Highway 3, at Egmont Village, turn south onto Egmont Road and follow the road to its end at North Egmont 940m (16km from Egmont Village).
The North Egmont Visitor Centre (NEVC) is well worth a visit with excellent permanent displays, up-to-date knowledge of the tracks and conditions and current weather reports. Maps, handbooks, hut tickets and intentions book are available, in addition to meals and drinks at Drinking Rock Café.

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Routes

Reference	Title	Grade	Length	Quality
3.01	3.01Teds Alley, 2	2	0m	1.02
P1 Alpine (Mt Cook) 2 Directly under the cliffs of East Ridge, Teds Alley narrows dramatically and terminates in a short near-vertical step at 2180m. Early winter is the best time to climb when the crux has received a suitable coating of ice. Late winter when the step is ﬁlled in with snow drifts it can provide the more adventurous skier an exhilarating descent. Travel south from Tahurangi Lodge on a rising traverse commencing immediately above the Around the Mountain Circuit to Organ Pipes Valley. Climb the Organ Pipes Valley adjacent to the Eiger Wall taking the left hand exit gully and traverse south under the East Face and East Ridge at 2000m. Continue up and south into the steepening Teds Alley and stay close in under the bluff. At the crux a sheltered belay stance can be found on either side of the gut. An excellent 1-2 pitch route immediately under the bluffs gives access to the easier upper slopes and the crater rim at 2460m. Descent: Via the North Ridge route.
3.02	3.02East Ridge and Sharks Tooth, 2+	2+	0m	1.02
East Ridge is an excellent summer or winter route and is easily discernible from the main highway descending due east from the Sharks Tooth. In summer it offers good rock under foot (alpine grade 1+) and in winter, excellent ice (alpine grade 2+). P1 Alpine (Mt Cook) 2+ Travel south from Tahurangi Lodge on a rising traverse commencing immediately above the Around the Mountain Circuit to Organ Pipes Valley. Climb the Organ Pipes Valley adjacent to the Eiger Wall taking the left hand exit gully and traverse south under the East Face to East Ridge at 2000m. Once on the ridge, follow the crest with increasing exposure to an obvious change in grade (crux) at approximately 2200m. Maintain a close contact with the edge to increase the difﬁculty of the climb or traverse to the north to less steep terrain. If you are not on the crest of the ridge, you are on East Face. Continue climbing to the top of Sharks Tooth (2510m). Descend due north 60m along the arête from Sharks Tooth to a ‘chimney’, marked by wire and old steel standards, back climb the chimney into the Crater. In winter the chimney may be blocked. If this is the case continue north along the ridge and by dropping down the east face for a few metres should reveal a small series of ‘steps’ onto the top of Surrey Road route. Descent: Down the easier North Ridge route. ‡ During Winter: At the base of the crux, at 2200m, a short ﬂattening of the ridge occurs and a small step in the bluff line is passable in winter. Traverse to the south and gain the easier slopes above the crux of Teds Alley. This alternative avoids the more icy conditions found at both cruxes but, does involve an airy traverse.
3.03	3.03East Face - Pleasant Valley, 1+	1+	0m	1.02
Travel south from Tahurangi Lodge on a rising traverse commencing immediately above the Around the Mountain Circuit to Organ Pipes Valley. Climb the Organ Pipes Valley adjacent to the Eiger Wall taking the left hand exit gully and to lower East at 2000m. Continue up a shallow scoop to ﬁnish on the crater rim at the chimney 2440m. Descend the chimney into the Crater. In winter the chimney may be blocked. If this is the case continue along the ridge and dropping down the east face for a few metres should reveal a small series of ‘steps’ onto the top of Surrey Road route. Descent: Normally down the easier North Ridge route. Ski time: 40 minutes approx. P1 Alpine (Mt Cook) 1+
3.04	3.04Surrey Road, 1+	1+	0m	0
A classic and popular winter route usually climbed from Tahurangi Lodge. Ascend a short steep slope directly above Tahurangi Lodge to a lone snow pole and continue climbing over undulating terrain to the base of Surrey Road ramp at 2200m. Ascend the steepening ramp to the crater. Descend directly into the crater. Descent: Back down Surrey Road or the easier North Ridge route. Ski time: 30 minutes approx. Summit – Crater – Surrey Road Ramp – Hidden Valley – Nose Gully – Organ Pipes Valley. Steep. P1 Alpine (Mt Cook) 1+
3.05	3.05Blondies Traverse, 2	2	0m	0
P1 Alpine (Mt Cook) 2 Start as for Surrey Road above and at the base of the ramp at 2200m, traverse north-west to the ramp directly below Surrey Road. Climb the ramp to the Lizard at 2350m and either connect with the North Ridge route or continue straight up to the crater rim (2420m). When at the crater rim travel south along the ridge to a low-point known as Surrey Road Entrance. Descent: Back down Surrey Road or the easier North Ridge route.
3.06	3.06North Ridge		1500m	0
The North Ridge route is the most travelled and best-marked route to the summit. Poles at regular intervals mark the track above the numerous wooden steps exiting Hongis Valley. The NZ Mountain Safety Council has produced a video on the route for summer conditions which can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sg5BAkJwvMg Route Overview: From Tahurangi Lodge at 1520m follow Hongis Valley and steps to gain North Ridge at 1700m. Continue up the ridge and over a small rocky outcrop. Follow the poles to a large rock to the northeastern side of the ridge. Drinking Rock at 1900m was once much larger but may have been broken by a rock-fall prior to 1949. Some snow poles and a worn zig-zag track generally mark the route above Drinking Rock to the Lizard Ridge (2200m). In summer climb the Lizard to Summer Entrance and the crater (2450m). In winter the Lizard can develop hard ice and the Summer Entrance becomes nearly impassable. An alternative ﬁnish is to cross into Crater Valley at approximately 2300m and follow the valley into the crater. Continue into the crater and then climb west to the high point at 2518m. Alternatively start from North Egmont via the Holly Hut Track adjacent to Camphouse and pass by Ambury Monument after 50m. Continue up steps that lead to the base of the ‘Razorback’ ridge above Tahurangi Trig station at 1180m. Follow a well deﬁned but, not maintained, steep track on top of the ridge to the Around the Mountain Circuit junction at 1480m. Continue directly up the ridge and traverse east onto moss slopes and gain the base of North Ridge at approx 1750m. Ascend the ridge and follow the poled route as above. Descent: Same as described above. Times: North Egmont – Tahurangi Lodge 1hr, 15min. Tahurangi Lodge – Drinking Rock 1hr. Drinking Rock – Lizard 45min. Lizard – Summit 1 hr, 30min. Total: 4hr, 30min. Skiing: Summit, Crater Valley, Snow Valley, Hongis Valley, Tahurangi Lodge. Ski time 30 minutes approx. P1 Alpine (Mt Cook) 1- 1500m ~
3.07	3.07Khyber Pass, 1	1	0m	1.02
P1 Alpine (Mt Cook) 1 This is a popular route with locals and those familiar with the mountain, it offers the quickest route to the summit. Leave North Egmont via the Holly Hut Track adjacent to Camphouse and pass by Ambury Monument after 50m. Continue up steps that lead to the base of the ‘Razorback’ ridge above Tahurangi Trig station at 1180m. Follow a well deﬁned but, not maintained, steep track on top of the ridge to the Around the Mountain Circuit junction at 1480m. Continue directly up the ridge and then traverse west to gain the ridge immediately above the prominent rock pinnacle of Humphries Castle at 1600m. From this point the route tends to be a line of depressions and footmarks in moss and scree going in a south-west direction on the north ﬂanks of the upper North Ridge. The route follows above and below small buttresses and outcrops with increasing exposure to the Khyber Pass gully (S Gully and Ambury Bluffs) below. A steep clean lava ﬂow leads to the run-out of Crater Valley at approximately 2000m. The tail of the Lizard is to the east. If the snow has receded from Crater Valley the climb up the smooth lava ﬂow is the best route, bearing more south to gain the Lizard at approximately 2300m as the lava ﬂow ‘runs out’. Traverse south onto the Lizard and follow the poled route to summit via the North Ridge route. Alternatively, traversing further west at around 2100m will provide access to the top of the Flounder and some excellent views down into the Kokowai Valley and Ahukawakawa Swamp. Follow the ridge all the way to the crater or climb west onto Heberley Ridge directly to the summit. Winter ascents generally follow Crater Valley directly to the crater at 2440m. Descent: Via the North Ridge route.
	Kokowai Lava Flow, 1	1	0m	0
P1 Alpine (Mt Cook) 1
	North Route		1000m	0
P1 1000m Summit, Crater Valley, Snow Valley, Hongis Valley, Tahurangi Lodge. Ski time 30 minutes approx.

Comments

This place appears in

Taranaki Mount Egmont: a guide for climbers, 2003

Buy this guidebook

Attribution

Eden, Ross. Taranaki Mount Egmont; A guide for climbers. NZAC, 2003.

UUID

206c220a-0333-413d-8845-a8ba68ce1776