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Pikipari Pass

Type
Altitude
1860m

Pikipari Pass is not really a pass at all, as direct descent into the Tūtoko valley is not possible. It is part of a high crossing over Mt Tarewai between Turners Biv in the Tūtoko valley and Lake Turner/Cleft Creek. The pass is incorrectly labelled Pakihaukea Pass on old topo maps.

Image
Caption

Mts Makere, Tarewai and Milne (l to r) above Cleft Creek. Pikipari Pass is between Makere and Tarewai. 

Lat/lon
-44.633428,168.023778, NZ Topo Map
Topo50
CB09 053 457
Approach

From Lake Turner
Follow tussock benches up from Lake Turner below Mt Makere until below the pass. The pass is reached via easy snow slopes in early summer but these soon break up and can be hazardous. By late summer access is usually on rock slabs. From the pass, traverse over Mt Tarewai. At least one abseil is usually needed to gain the Tarewai-Milne col.

From Turners Biv
Gain the high shelf above the bivvy (snow early in summer, largely rock slabs later) and the Tarewai-Milne col. Most parties will want a rope for the initial steep and extremely exposed section up Tarewai. Traverse Mt Tarewai and descend to Pikipari Pass, then on down into the Lake Turner basin.

Accessed from
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Comments
Attribution
Darrans guide 2007 (Craig Jefferies)
UUID
 
561f89d1-eb05-407d-a420-0c7d2871bbfc