Mt Pollux

Climb to Chasm Pass and then cross the Ice King Tops and Donald Glacier to join the Bluffs route to the summit. The route of the first ascent, but rather long and indirect.

This is the preferred route. From Top Forks Hut, take the track up the valley towards Lake Castalia and pick a line through alpine scrub up the ridge you can see from the hut and down from the lake. If time is taken and good route finding adhered to, the worst of the alpine scrub can be avoided. There is a steep gully to be negotiated before the glacier is reached from where the climbing is straightforward to the summit.

The buttress lies immediately in line with the south ridge of Pollux. An enjoyable climb on clean rock (grade 14). From lake Diana ascend a large gravel fan before gaining height on tussock slopes to the base of the buttress.

From the Waiatoto, climb the spur on the true left of the Donald River to gain the upper basin. The worst of the scrub is then avoided by ascending Draughtsman Spur and sidling high across the southern aspects of the Commissioner Range. Gain the Donald Névé and negotiate crevasses to the summit.