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West Face

Type
Face
Part of
Magellan
Aspect
North West

All Routes start from the Balfour Neve. The following three routes start from the Magellan-Drake snow apron. The large schrund is usually best dealt with at the Magellan end. The routes are described left to right. Once on the snow apron, follow the base of the West Face.
The route following the obvious corner, where the West Face meets the Drake-Magellan ridge, is Pooh Corner. Starting from a small ledge just left of Pooh Corner is: Anyone Can Play Guitar.

Taichiro Naka

Routes

Reference Title Grade Length Pro Quality Alert Operations
12.31 12.31Ménage à trois, IV,6,20 IV,6,20 400m
0
  • P1
  • 20
  • Alpine (Commitment) IV
  • Alpine (Technical) 6
  • 400m

A sustained route. Climb the distinctive buttresses that scar the centre of the face, starting off the snow in about the middle of the face. There are three bolts on the route; 10 pitches (400m, crux 20) to the top of the Balfour Buttress, about 70m from the summit. Descend by abseiling Route 12.32.
12.32 12.32Anyone Can Play Guitar, III,6+,21 III,6+,21 0m
1.02
  • P1
  • 21
  • Alpine (Commitment) III
  • Alpine (Technical) 6+

Matches the quality of rock found on Drake. Climb the steepest and cleanest rock on the face, directly to the summit. From the snow, climb blocky ledges to a small orange belay ledge about 5m left of the base of Pooh Corner (a good spot to leave boots and tools). The steep ‘punch-in-the-guts’ first pitch is the crux (21); thereafter the climbing relents.
There are bolted belays every 50m (real rope-stretchers if you’ve got 50m ropes). Tops out on the Balfour Buttress about 20m below the summit. The route doubles as the west face abseil descent.
12.33 12.33Pooh Corner, IV,6,19 IV,6,19 0m
1.02

This is the corner formed where the west face meets the Drake-Magellan ridge. Start off the same ledge as Anyone Can Play Guitar. Three pitches up the attractive corner, and then easier climbing to the crux seventh pitch (19) on a steep slab. There are single bolt belays (no shackles) on the first eight pitches to the ridge (two more scrambling pitches to the summit). The best descent is to abseil Anyone Can Play Guitar.

  • P1
  • 19
  • Alpine (Commitment) IV
  • Alpine (Technical) 6
12.34 12.34Magellan-Drake Col, IV,4 IV,4 0m
0

To reach the Magellan-Drake Col, follow a thin edge of rock up the Magellan side of the dark gut. Once on the col, the ridge up to Magellan has better rock.

  • P1
  • Alpine (Commitment) IV
  • Alpine (Technical) 4
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Comments
Attribution
Alex Palman
UUID
 
00197fb1-a005-44ff-8043-ba45bb8e0be7