Cul de Sac

This is the gully on the left of the Lindsay Stewart Buttress, 1500m to the summit. The first section to the shoulder of the Lindsay Stewart Buttress is around 65 to 80 degrees and conditions dictate whether it is climbable as this is where unconsolidated snow can lie, and without protection becomes a voyage of the damned. From the shoulder up to the Cul de sac is lower angled, around 50-60 degrees and requires a ‘grind it down’ attitude. These pitches could be simul-climbed by a confident party. In the cul de sac there are two to three more technical pitches before the final gully to the summit. It is one of the great classic climbs in New Zealand and rivals a lot of similar routes in the Aoraki/Mt Cook area for comparable steepness and length. Most parties pitching all the route could expect to bivvy somewhere. Stories of climbers ending up near the top without bivvy gear and shivering away a winters’ night are common, and in the style of the first ascent. There are no easy descent routes that could be attempted in the dark. However if the Crosscut Bluff descent is in good condition, avalanche wise and there is a full moon it could almost be pleasant. The first section was climbed by Doug Warren and Ken Calder in 1973. Merv English solo to the shoulder, Bill McLeod soloed the full route in a day from Homer hut.