2. NZ
  3. South Island
  4. Darrans
  5. Darran Mountains
  6. Karetai Pk
  7. East Face

East Face

(11 routes)

This steep face rises directly from the Te Puoho Glacier and is known for its coarse clean diorite.
Descent is usually via the West Ridge to Turner’s Eyrie. The North Ridge can also be descended to Karetai Col.

Type: 
Face (Alpine)
Aspect: 
East
New Zealand map

Map, Topo

Lat/Lon: 
-44.671826940000, 168.047304150000
NZMS260: 
D40 175 033
Topo50: 
CB09 074 416
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Reference Title Grade Length Quality Bolts Gone Natural pro Link to edit content
1 English Fearnley II 17 250m
1.02
 wire representing trad
The five-pitch corner and groove 80m right of the South Ridge. Good rock.
Merv English, Dave Fearnley, 1983
2 More Drugs More Threesomes II 21 250m
1.02
 wire representing trad
Five pitches on the south-east aspect of the face, climbing just right of the roofs and up the big sheet of stone above.
James Spiers, Richard Turner, Dave Vass, February 2011
2a Hugs not Drugs III 20 , 20 , 22 , 22 , 22 , 290m
3
 wire representing trad
Superb climbing on continuously technical and steep wall. Starts just left of Jones Jones at a vertical crack and goes more or less directly to the summit, keeping left of easier ground. Line described is not necessarily the least line of resistance or necessarily accurate as climbed in complete shmoo with 10-15 metres viz.
#EwbankAlpine (Technical)Alpine (Commitment)Alpine (Mt Cook)AidWater IceMixedBoulder (Hueco)LengthBoltsTrad
120III40mYes
 

Start at the best crossing point or schrund. Various cracks lead to easier angled terrain at 20m, approx. 10m left of Jones-Jones. Belay where wall steepens.
22060mYes
 

Straight up wall and cracks to easier angled grey slabs and belay in large L-R chimney.
32245mYes
 

Straight up deviously to easier ground moving slightly left.
42255mYes
 

Up rounded crack system moving L onto pillar. L from top of this and up steeply to technical slab on L. Up this and L again to diagonal break.
52245mYes
 

Straight up fantastic flake, scamper over roof, and straight up to easier ground.
645mYes
 

Straight up and R to roof, round this and up to ledge. Gratuitously up wall above just cos it’s there to blocky belay 30m from summit.
Rich Thomson, Rich Turner, 12 February 2016
3 Jones Jones
1.02
 wire representing trad
Take the line of chimneys and gullies left of the central buttress.
Allan Jones, Murray Jones, 1974
4 Glasson Line III 17 400m
2.01
 wire representing trad
Eleven pitches up the middle of the face on sound rock. Climb left across a smooth slab into a chimney below a sickle-shaped crack. Climb the crack (crux) then follow a diagonal fault line right across the face for 2 pitches. Straighten again for 2 pitches until below a large band of overhangs, trending right to easier ground and the summit.
Ken Calder, Bruce Clark, Pete Glasson, Al Smith, March 1973
5 The Studley Buttress III 22 400m
3
 wire representing trad
Nine pitches (roughly 14, 19, 17, 18, 19, 22, 16, 13, 12) directly up the central buttress on the face.
Dave Vass, Rich Turner, Rich Thomson, April 2007
5a Rising High 20
0
8 pitches
Georg Pollinger, Anton Baumgartner, 06/03/2014
6 Subalpine Route III 20 350m
1.02
 wire representing trad
Eight pitches of good rock climbing up the centre of the face. Good protection generally and belays though sometimes sparse or time consuming to arrange. Crux on pitch three.
Richard Thomson, Dave Vass, 2 March 2012
6a Tabula Rasa 22
0
7 pitches
Kyle Dempster, Jewell Lund, 18/03/15
7 Hyslop Scott
0
 wire representing trad
A line near Karetai Col.
Ken Hyslop, Barry Scott, January 1976
5.9+ 17
1.02
 2
4 pitches of climbing on the Northern side of the East Face. Chimney pitch involved hanging packs from harnesses and grunting and sliding. "(Chimney) Would probably only get 5.8 in Yosemite." -Neil Fun climb, well protected.
Kyle Walter
Attribution: 
The Darran Mountains (NZAC: 2006) by Craig Jefferies

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UUID: 
5a0babfe-96f0-4875-95b0-333e0f09ed46