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East Face

Type
Face
Part of
Aoraki Mt Cook

Many variations exist on this 1600m high face. The routes are long sustained ice climbs and can involve high objective danger from rockfall. In 1991 a major rock avalanche swept down the face below High Peak, lowering its height by 10m. The debris jetted across the Plateau, spewed down the Hochstetter Icefall, across the Tasman Glacier and slightly up the moraine wall on the other side of the Tasman Valley.

Accessed from
Aoraki Mt Cook Middle Pk
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Routes

Reference Title Grade Length Pro Quality Alert Operations
 Great Gully, 5 5 0m
0
  • P1
  • Alpine (Mt Cook) 5

A prominent route parallel to the East Ridge. A right side variant of the Atkinson/Hall line exists, finishing on Middle Peak. Sveticic Slavko Miroslav, Mar 1990.
 Rumblestiltzskin, VI,6,WI4,M5 VI,6,WI4,M5 0m
0
  • P1
  • Alpine (Commitment) VI
  • Alpine (Mt Cook) 6
  • Water Ice WI4
  • Mixed M5

Follows a prominent gully up through the rock buttress in a direct fall line from Middle Peak. Approach via the snow field under the Atkinson/Hall route, and then traverse right beneath the rock buttress. The gully involves steep climbing. At the top of the gully there's a natural exit (hidden from view) out to a short snow slope. Follow it's left edge to a final rock wall just right of the Middle Peak apex (where this climb temporarily joined Boogie til you Puke), but then ice formations should lead up through the rock - traversing you out leftwards to finish on the rib immediately left of Middle Peak. If there is no ice use the rock (grade 17) finish of the aforementioned route or come up with another solution. The first ascent took 3 winter bivvys.
 Boogie 'Til You Puke, 17,6 17,6 0m
0
  • P1
  • 17
  • Alpine (Mt Cook) 6

Ascend mixed ground of icefields and rock ribs between the large gully on the left of the face and the Jones Route. The rock crux is at the top.

 Jones Route, 4+ 4+ 0m
0
  • P1
  • Alpine (Mt Cook) 4+

From the shelf head 900m up the left edge of the large snowface on the right of the face. Then out on a ramp leading left and up, joining the summit ridge just north of the Middle Peak. A variation heads straight up avoiding the ramp.
 High Peak Route
0
Comments
Attribution
Alex Palman
UUID
 
56841d9f-1987-4107-bdff-a74a410a17b4