Grade
II,3,12,2
Length
300m
0
Quality
First ascent
Horace Holl, early twentieth century
Located on
- P1
- 12
- Alpine (Commitment) II
- Alpine (Technical) 3
- Alpine (Mt Cook) 2
- 300m
An adventurous summer line on variable rock. There is a spectacular hole (‘The Window’) in the lower ridge. A favourite climb of Horace Holl.
Comments
UUID
80968563-7863-4ac8-a739-b1f04952e9bf
Look, if you come into this climb expecting "sound rock" you will be severely disappointed.
Delightful glacially carved slabs? Nope. Basalt columns? Nope. Try glued moraine, barely stuck together conglomerate and ridiculously precariously stacked boulders of varying sizes. The "window" is cool though, if a giant pile of choss surrounded by slightly worse choss.
Expect chossy, exposed and largely unprotectable crux sections around grade 12-14.
It is a fun climb and a good adventure, relatively remote for Ruapehu, but know what you're getting yourself into.
Best descent is probably down the mangaeheuhu face or Girdlestone down scree guts which is approximately on the winter ski line. Expect better rock than you encountered on the way up.