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East Face

Type
Part of

This iconic and immensely visible face can be climbed a number of ways, starting either direct from the Mueller Glacier or via Sefton Bivvy and across the slopes under the Footstool ridge, and finishing by a variety of routes. Study the face well before your attempt.

Image
Caption

The east faces of Mt Thomson and Mt Sefton from near Mueller Hut

Rights credit
Colin Monteath/Hedgehog House
Aspect
East
Add Place Add Route

Routes

Reference Title Grade Length Pro Quality Alert Operations
2.60 2.60For Whom the Bell Tolls, VII,14,4 VII,14,4 2000m
0

A visionary climb. Gain the Frind Glacier by either (i) climbing a steep, loose moraine wall as on the first ascent, or (ii) climbing up the lower Frind Glacier itself (both options are severely threatened by icecliff avalanche hazard). From the Frind Glacier head up the right side of a buttress, which is in the centre of the serac wall (crux 14). There is an exhilarating bivouac site at the top of the buttress, potentially safe from icecliff avalanche hazard. Negotiate the icecliff, cross the Shelf Glacier and finish up The Sun Also Rises.


  • P1
  • 14
  • Alpine (Commitment) VII
  • Alpine (Mt Cook) 4
  • 2000m

2.61 2.61Triple Direct, VII,4+ VII,4+ 2150m
0

Audacious. From the lower Mueller Glacier, follow the Direct Route to the upper Frind Glacier (aka the Lower Shelf) and then cross this to reach the prominent central buttress on the middle tier. Climb the rock buttress (the stand-out feature of this route) and scale the edge of the Shelf Glacier. Cross the glacier where crevasses permit, and then ascend the 3 of 3 route to the col between the summits. 2150m of ascent, and the plum line of the face.


  • P1
  • Alpine (Commitment) VII
  • Alpine (Mt Cook) 4+
  • 2150m

2.62 2.62Direct Route, VI,3 VI,3 0m
0

The first ascent of this route was an important part of the changing psychological approach to mountaineering occurring in New Zealand from the late 60s to early 70s. Murray Jones had begun soloing a more direct line, but joined Ross Gooder and John Stanton when they moved ahead of him. The three climbers completed the route as one party.
Scale scree and bluffs above the Mueller Glacier to reach the upper Frind Glacier, beneath the prominent cliffs of the Shelf Glacier. Ascend a snow face below and to the right of the icecliffs. Use the snow face to reach an arête on the true left edge of the Shelf Glacier, then take one of the routes from the Shelf Glacier to the summit (the first ascentionists used the Direct).


  • P1
  • Alpine (Commitment) VI
  • Alpine (Technical) 3

Scale scree and bluffs above the Mueller Glacier, to reach the lower Shelf Glacier, beneath and just north of the prominent cliffs of the upper Shelf Glacier. Ascend the lower Shelf Glacier onto a snow face below and to the right of the icecliffs. Use the snow face to reach an arête on the right hand edge of the upper Shelf. At this point the two access routes from Sefton Bivvy join.


2.63 2.63From Sefton Bivvy, V,3 V,3 0m
0

Head up the rib behind the bivvy to where a broad bench runs across the top of the Huddleston Glacier. Negotiate your way into the upper Huddleston, from where you have two options:
(i) Continue up onto the Main Divide ridgeline left of Tuckett Col, and along to where the north-east ridge steepens. Traverse across a short section of broken, rocky ground on the face to rejoin the snow that leads into the upper Shelf.
(ii) Cross the prominent spur that bisects the Huddleston and Tuckett Glaciers at about 2500m, and continue traversing, angling towards the uppermost icefall that feeds the Tuckett Glacier. Once at the point between the rock band and the icefall, head up the true-right of the icefall (which is relatively protected from this point) and over the rib into the upper Shelf.
Then take one of the routes from the Shelf Glacier to the summit.


  • P1
  • Alpine (Commitment) V
  • Alpine (Technical) 3

2.64 2.64The Sun Also Rises, V,4+ V,4+ 0m
0

From the Shelf Glacier, climb a series of ice gullies separated by steep snowfields directly to the summit of Pt 3048m.


  • P1
  • Alpine (Commitment) V
  • Alpine (Technical) 4+

2.65 2.65Harrow Ramp, V,3 V,3 0m
0

From the Shelf Glacier, head out on the prominent left-trending ramp to gain the upper south ridge, then traverse across the western slopes of Sefton to reach the summit.


  • P1
  • Alpine (Commitment) V
  • Alpine (Technical) 3

2.66 2.663 of 3, V,5+ V,5+ 0m
0

Climb the bluffs to the right of the Harrow Ramp using a dribble of ice, then up snow slopes directly to the South Summit.


  • P1
  • Alpine (Commitment) V
  • Alpine (Technical) 5+

2.67 2.67Goldsmith Route, V,4+ V,4+ 0m
0

Up a short snow and ice couloir then up snow slopes leading onto the South Summit.


  • P1
  • Alpine (Commitment) V
  • Alpine (Technical) 4+

2.68 2.68Direct, V,5 V,5 0m
1.02

Straight up the couloir dropping beneath the two summits.


  • P1
  • Alpine (Commitment) V
  • Alpine (Technical) 5

Images

Comments
Peter Dickson

NB, that pic I uploaded belongs to Cam Mulvey. I just borrowed it to indicate roughly where my solo route goes. The fat ski bunny in the foreground is probably Guy McSkinnin

Thu, 22/09/2011 - 22:32 Permalink
Peter Dickson

For Whom The Bell Tolls: the route is marked completely wrong in the guidebook photo. The route does not connect up with any other lines, it is a completely independent climb. It takes a direct 2000m line from the Mueller Glacier moriane to the unnamed peak south of Sefton, deviating around some big crevasses on the upper shelf.

The first part of the climb up to the lower shelf is like a loose 70 degree moraine wall and no fun to climb. It could be avoided by walking up the lower shelf glacier instead.

Wed, 31/08/2011 - 15:49 Permalink
Attribution
ATP 2018 (Rob Frost)
UUID
 
d20d5fbd-43fe-4991-826c-f68c95776b97