Upper Cirque Wall

This area has a big wall feel to it, with the routes being long and sustained.

Type:

Face (Alpine)

Aspect:

South East

Access:

In winter access is frighteningly simple. Walk down the road to Bakehouse Creek and cross the river. The crossing can be unpleasant in the dark; stripped to the waist and watch for slippery boulders. Good luck. Once on the other side, travel is straightforward (if your legs aren’t too numb)on the true right of the valley. Travel times vary, depending on how much snow is around but allow more than what you’d think, at least four hours if heading into the upper cirque.
To access the Upper Cirque, climb the gully at the true left-hand end of the Lower Cirque Wall. It is steepish but okay to solo. Beware; this is a major avalanche path. Only attempt it during times of low hazard. The small glacier in the Upper Cirque has been slowly wasting away. It has become quite broken and falling serac ice may be another hazard to negotiate.

Reference	Title	Grade	Length	Quality
11	White Knight	V WI4		0
	From the upper cirque terrace directly beneath the Middle Peak of Crosscut, climb up two pitches then tend left up a ramp for six pitches. Leave the ramp and climb a gully for five pitches to the lowest notch on the left of the Middle Peak. The best climbing is in the lower pitches. Bill McLeod, Hugh Widdowson, 1987.
	Tramadol Dreams	V 5 WI4	400m	0
	Between White Knight and Heart of Gold. Up to Cyclops Cave, then angle left to hanging couloir. Steven Fortune, Ben Dare 2015
12	Heart of Gold	VI WI5	650m	0	1
	Starts from the upper terrace in Cirque Creek, climb steep ice in a corner staying close to the rock on the right-hand side. Crux at ¾ height. The first half of the route was climbed on mainly rock protection with the occasional ‘psychological’ ice screw. 650m to the ridge of Crosscut. Nigel Perry, Duncan Ritchie, 1981.
13	Hotel Caribbean	VI WI5	700m	0
	Fifteen pitches of steep ice with the lower pitches being quite sustained. Nick Cradock, Nigel Perry, Nov 1982.
RI	Reunion Invernal	WI4		0
	A classic route with moderate difficulties.The access is easier and shorter than the neighbouring routes on the upper tier. Start at the top end of the Cirque Creek basin. Reach the waterfall pitches via easy snow slopes, avoid tricky ice covered rock slabs. Climb the waterfall and follow a hidden gully to its end. First 75° ice then 50° snow. Climb the crux in 3 steep pitches (ice up to 80°). Vertical snow can make moves difficult. The last few meters can be thin on rock slabs. Pass an overhang on the right and enter a ramp. Follow the ramp to the Crosscut Ridge. Snow up to 60° with ice bulges. 650m to the ridge. A strong team can climb the line in a long day from Homer hut. ACCESS: Approx 3h from the road. DESCENT: Rap off the route. Some fixed rap stations were left in the top part of the route during the first ascent. Abalacov’s were used where it was possible. GEAR: Short ice screws, full rock rack including pitons. Alejandro Mora Muños, Matthias Kerkmann July 2010