Places
Type | Name | Alert |
---|---|---|
Mountain | Aoraki Mt Cook | |
Mountain | Aoraki Mt Cook Middle Pk | |
Mountain | Aoraki Mt Cook Low Pk | |
Mountain | Nazomi | |
Mountain | Mt Pibrac | |
Mountain | Turner Pk | |
Pass | Ball Pass | |
Mountain | Mt Rosa | |
Mountain | Mt Kinsey | |
Mountain | Mt Wakefield |
Routes
Reference | Title | Grade | Length | Pro | Quality | Alert | Operations |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
White Fang, WI2 | WI2 | 45m | |||||
A beautiful steep pillar, East facing at 1700m up Husky Stream (visible from the Southern base of the Husky Gut bypass), and amongst the most accessible ice routes from MCV. A long single pitch, or a couple shorter ones. WI4+. Formed midwinter after a cold spell. Complex avalanche terrain - on the approach, and from steep terrain threatening the route. Extra caution if Westerly winds are forecast - the slope above is a steep lee slope, very prone to wind loading. If loose wet avalanches are a concern, the pillar is likely too wet anyhow!
Carefully approach and climb the first 10m of thinner shell-ice to a sheltered belay cave on the right - or more logically scramble up snowslopes to the right, to the same belay cave. Ice screw anchor.
Step left onto the pillar. A thinnish curtain of vertical ice begins easing slightly after 5m, but the climbing remains steep and tenuous for 20 meters. Heavily chandeliered on the first ascent; the belayer experienced some concern when ice began falling down the inside of the curtain with each blow. Belay wherever you find good ice in the lower angle ice gully above; unless you plan on extending this route through the small steep choke above into rambling terrain. |