Mt Patuki is the apex of the Lake Turner, Donne and Tutoko catchments. There is good rock climbing on the south and north-east faces.
Descent is either by the Original Line couloir (may be better to scramble down rock on the true right as the snow breaks up in summer), or via the gully at the north end of the wall (requires a couple of abseils).
Routes
| Reference | Title | Grade | Length | Pro | Quality | Operations |
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| 1 | 1East Ridge, 2+,III | 2+,III | 0m | |||
A long and moderate ridge, loose in places. Sidle the first large tower on the south and the second to the north.
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| It’s All Gone Biltong, 22 | 22 | 60m |  |
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Below the first knob on Patuki’s East Ridge is an attractive looking arete
Scramble up from the left to belay. Climb rightwards into a short corner at the base of the arete. Up this and on to the arete proper.
Puff over the nose. |
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| 2 | 2Original Line, 2,II | 2,II | 250m | |||
Climb the snow couloir from the snowfield under the North East Face (there is often a large schrund at the bottom). The first ascent party accessed the face from the Tutoko Valley via Pakihaukea Pass. |
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| 3 | 3Penney Uren, 16,II | 16,II | 250m | |
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Climb the rock buttress on the true left (north) of the snow couloir. |
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| 4 | 4Short Cut, 20 | 20 | 305m | |
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Climb mostly red rock 80m left of the “Turner Vass”. Start at low point left of hanging snow patch and left of large right facing corner. Good route overall, however pitch 2 is seriously loose and another variation should be done to avoid this.
Climb up fist crack and then right facing corner to ledge. Move right to belay in middle of left-facing corner.
Step right of belay and climb easy slabs to red bulge. Climb up left of red rock. Take any gear you find as next wall has lots of loose flakes and rock. Carefully up this to belay at large spike on large boulder. Would recommend doing this pitch differently as loose section is very dangerous. Could climb vegetated but okay-looking crack to the left or try hanging groove further right.
Step right of large chimney and climb steep hanging flake. When this ends drift right into splitter cracks.
Straight up for gear then step left past block and climb fun cracks to belay.
Easy ground to steep crack. Climb crack to technical bulge, above this climb to top of obvious flake. Drift left and up for 5m to great belay stance on the buttress.
Straight up the arete. A little run out but phenomenal climbing. From here a short scramble to the ridge. |
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| 5 | 5Turner Vass, 21,II | 21,II | 300m | |
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Five pitches. Start left of the obvious left-slanting chimney crack. After the first pitch, cross the chimney crack on to the steep wall (crux), and continue straight up the red wall, finishing just north of Pt 2223m. Fantastic gear, great outing.
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| 6 | 6Thomson Turner Vass, 20,II | 20,II | 300m | |
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Five to six pitches in the centre of the large rock shield.
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| 7 | 7Mainly Tramping, 19 | 19 | 250m | |
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Climbs the north-east buttress of Mt Pātuki to the outlier sub-peak Pt 2161m. Six pitches. Descend either by scrambling to the summit and then down the Original Line couloir, or down the gully between Pt 2161m and Pt 2223m (requires a couple of abseils).
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| North Ridge | 0m | |||||
The party accessed the route via the Taoka Icefall, and descended the couloir on the North East Face to make the first traverse. |
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| South West Ridge, II | II | 0m | ||||
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The first ascent party accessed the ridge from the Donne River and Taoka Icefall. Gaining the ridge may be more difficult now due to glacial recession.
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| Central Buttress | 300m | |
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A steep buttress in the middle of the south face rising directly to the summit, well protected with solid rock and the crux near the top. Access via Patuki Col and Taoka Icefall. |
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