A number of quality waterfall ice climbs exist on the N side of Snowy Creek - a tributary of the Dart, near Rees Saddle. This area is relatively reliable: c. 1500m, deeper snow area with lots of material (caution avalanche terrain on approach - especially final slope to Rees Saddle and big overhead in snowy creek, especially from N bank / Tewha area), sunny low-angle feeder slopes above for melt, and deep shade for the lower part of the climbs (in July) from Mt Tewha.
Some of these routes ramble for hundreds of meters, above a first steep step which typically holds the steeper climbing. A couple of routes climbed to WI 3+ (?). More available. Some big ice high on shady side of valley too, opposite Rees Saddle (complex avalanche terrain), and an aesthetic but thin(!) alpine option...
A long walk (1 day) up the Rees river and over Rees Saddle. Mountainbikes may speed access up the initial beautiful grass flats of the Rees.
climbs to date (Craig Jeffries, Ruari Macfarlane, July 2023)
- The men from snowy River - a (1-2p?) route up a steep 2-stage curtain at the head of a gully. May walk past the pictured curtain on the right - or may be another gully , curtain on the right wall-ish
-a 2p climb further left ; a rambley pitch then a short steep pillar with a fee bulges/steps, up a cliff/prow into the sun - a long easy gully solo into the sun, with breaking-apart ice
Memory fails...