Donne Face | ClimbNZ

Type

Part of

The head of the Donne Valley is a massive wall stretching between the peaks of Karetai and Revelation. All the routes are long and committing. Descents from the face are lengthy. Turners Eyrie is a good initial destination. Parties have opted to traverse Underwood, descending the South Ridge, but this is difficult and time consuming. Dropping down the Taoka Ice-fall may be possible when in condition, otherwise exit using one of the routes out of the Central Darrans. Traversing Revelation into the Korako Glacier and thence to Moraine Creek is another possibility.

Aspect

West

Approach

There is a reasonable 3–4 person bivvy rock in scrubby bush at the head of the Donne River, at about CB09 061 401.

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Routes

Reference	Title	Grade	Length	Quality
1	1The Big Easy, IV,22	IV,22	600m	1.02
Start from between the two snow patches at the bottom of the face. A near-continuous crack line (fingers to off-width) on the left side of the face, where the best rock is. Take a rising traverse left for a couple of pitches, then straight up. The crux is a short, steep wall on pitch 5. Fourteen pitches in all. Exit was via the South Ridge of Karetai to Turners Eyrie. P1 22 Alpine (Commitment) IV 600m Trad
2	2Original Route, IV	IV	0m	0
From the flats at the head of the valley take some ledges left to the middle section of the face where a rope may be required for short steps, then continue up through the obvious corner, finishing left of the summit. The upper third breaks into easy ledges. The party accessed the route from Moraine Creek via Darran Pass, spent a day or so on the wall, and returned to Moraine Creek via the Korako ledges. P1 Alpine (Commitment) IV
3	3Whiston Anderson Roxburgh, IV	IV	0m	0
Climb steep grassy gullies in the lower third of the face, traversing left to ledges. Tend right then straight up the middle of the face directly in line with the summit. Pitch after pitch of great climbing on clean rock. On the last third of the face tend right on increasingly easier ground, finishing just right of the summit. P1 Alpine (Commitment) IV
4	4A New Dawn, 23	23	700m	1.02
Starts on the next weakness to the right of The Big Easy in a right facing corner. Pitches 1-6: Link together a series of fun right facing corners on the lower third of the wall with average grade 18-19. Pitches 7: Traverse right along the ledge (about 60m) until standing below the shield of good rock with cracks in the middle of it. Pitch 8: Easy climbing up loose-ish gully to reach the cracks. Pitches 9-11: Three pitches of great crack climbing going straight up the shield of good rock (grade 18, 22 and 23). Sections of wide crack, stemming, hand jams, corners, 0.75s bulge, and finishes with sustained finger crack. Pitches 12-13: Easy ledges then cave chimney behind block and step right onto ledge. There is a sheltered sloping bivvy ledge here. Pitches 14-16: Trend rightwards and up to enter the gully above the choss. Climb up the gully for two long pitches with an offwidth crux (grade 18). Scramble up and right to reach the ridge. Last 15m step to the ridge is steeper and required a short 15m pitch up a wide crack. Double rack, single #3 and #4 cam were useful on many pitches. FA party descended via the Te Puoho and Rainbow Lake. P1 23 700m Trad
5	5Dawnwalker, 21	21	800m	1.02
Pitches 1-7: Same as "A New Dawn" P8: Straight off ledge, move into steep chimney/offwidth crack Grade 18 30m P9: Off horn belay, make committing moves around bulge to the right, following a hand traverse right then back left aiming for a long right facing corner. Grade 20 55m P10: Follow finger crack through a bulge then up right facing corner system. Grade 21 60m (an excellent pitch!) P11: Finish up corner to a ledge. Grade 18 30m FA party bivvyd on this ledge Traverse ledge left for 100m, easy 4th class scrambling until at the base of obvious right facing corner P12: Up right facing corner, run out slab to a blocky steep chimney. Grade 20 55m P13-14: Easy scrambling, aiming for big obvious curving left facing corner system. Grade 15 120m P14: Climb left facing corner system. Careful of many loose blocks. Grade 18 40m P15: Finish up corner system, then up slab aiming towards the ridge. Grade 19 60m FA party traversed the ridgeline down to the Karako Glacier, then descended via Karako ledges and Moraine Creek P1 21 800m Trad

Comments

Attribution

Craig Jefferies

UUID

eed6e20b-0805-4543-8e5d-5390e04afd5b