Natural pro requiredThe south-west face. The upper right part of the face is made up of several
clean grey pillars, with many cracks. The climb goes up the highest part of
the face, immediately left of the second pillar from the right. A sustained
climb with excellent sharp rock, mostly good protection and a poor finish.
Pitch lengths are approximate. Map ref: NZTopo50 CB09 066 306
Access from the hut is either along the upper edge of the snowfield/glacier,
or by skirting the lower edge of the snowfield and then scrambling up the
thick seam of white granite on its right edge. Belay where the face steepens,
just above the white seam and beside a small buttress with a mosaic of cracks
on its left side.
- P1
- 16
- 50m
- Trad
Onto the mosaic, step right onto buttress, slabby moves then slightly right into a groove and up to spike belay.
- P2
- 35m
- Trad
Easily up to the base of the pillars. Belay directly below a major V-corner with buttercups and a white-vein crack on the right wall.
- P3
- 19
- 45m
- Trad
Weave diagonally left at about 45 degrees across the broken face, heading towards the hanging, cracked slab on the distant skyline (a major landmark in the top middle of the face). A small pillar is the crux. Belay ledge is left of shallow left-facing corner.
- P4
- 19
- 40m
- Trad
Corner, which switches to right-facing with an off-width section (poor chockstone runner), then easier to long rubble ledge which runs across right to main buttress below a fresh fractured wall (a bypass pitch may go more easily up groove to left of corner).
- P5
- 19
- 15m
- Trad
Tricky moves in shallow finger-corners to low-angle slab below a deep corner with razor blade flake on its right wall and a tottering spike up higher.
- P6
- 13
- 15m
- Trad
Avoid corner by climbing down left, across and up onto buttress.
- P7
- 20
- 45m
- Trad
A long, left-slanting groove line, past a layback block, short chimney and devious move left across slab.
- P8
- 18
- 40m
- Trad
Shallow corner with very sharp fist section, then easier to slopey section leading right. Several possible lines lie above, but if it’s getting dark, escape right.
- P9
- 14
- 60m
- Trad
Traverse right across slabs to above ridgeline, climb down onto ridge, down loose rock slope and traverse right into rubble gully. Scramble up gully and buttress on right until confronted by a small spire and steep crack (might do better by scrambling further left).
- P10
- 15
- 40m
- Trad
Spire and crack then chasm on right, around left and up to flat step in ridge. Scramble direct to summit.