Hochstetter Dome

The south-east and north-west ridges are easily climbed. The shoulder on the south-east ridge above Lendenfeld Saddle is a regular ski run.

The small buttress on the south face of Hochstetter Dome visible from Tasman Saddle Hut has also been climbed.

North Face Grade 4, 1400m A fantastic setting, a bit of spice, and a distinctly Himalayan feel. Objective hazard due to icecliffs and the aspect of the face was mimimised on the first ascent by climbing the lower part in the evening and then finishing the route the next day after a bivvy. From the Whymper Glacier tend right across a slabby rock face to a gully. Climb this to a shoulder then left back to the central snowfield and straight up a gully to the headwall (crux). Head left again under the headwall before going straight up when the terrain allows, to finish in the col between the two summits of the Dome. Descent to the Tasman Glacier is straightforward.

An appropriate first short tour is to Hochstetter Dome. From either hut climb to Aylmer Saddle (between the peaks of Hochstetter and Aylmer) and carry skis along the ridge to Hochstetter’s High Peak (2827m). Alternatively ascend on skis by traversing under the high peak and approaching the Low Peak (2810m) from the west. A good long ski descent is from Low Peak via the broad western shoulder towards Lendenfeld saddle and then south-west towards the floor of the Tasman Glacier. 4-6 hours return to the hut.