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Hidden Face

Type
Face
Part of
Mt Tasman / Rarakiroa
Aspect
South West

This face hosts some of the most serious climbs in the book. Descent is usually over Tasman then Lendenfeld or Silberhorn. Access may be difficult due to a humongous crevasse scything through the icefall below the face.
All routes start on the Balfour Neve

Accessed from
Fox Glacier Te Moeka o Tuawe
Hidden Balfour

Routes

Reference Title Grade Length Pro Quality Alert Operations
12.10 12.10Hippo Takes A Holiday, VII,6,6 VII,6,6 0m
0
  • P1
  • Alpine (Commitment) VII
  • Alpine (Technical) 6
  • Alpine (Mt Cook) 6

Ascend a corner system 50m left of the Direct route. Exit onto the Torres-Tasman ridge just above the buttress above the col. Dave used to have a stuffed toy hippopotamus, and on the ascent Hippo was strapped to the outside of his pack. He may have been some comfort when Dave and Brian became trapped in a storm on the descent. Not much of a holiday for a hippo.
12.11 12.11Direct, VII,6 VII,6 0m
0

Begin up the gully left of the Sissons Buttress, and then ascend a narrow gully and rock pitch to gain the right edge of a prominent snowfield. Head up a pitch of steep bulging ice (crux), and then follow the broad gully out right. A fierce climb.

  • P1
  • Alpine (Commitment) VII
  • Alpine (Technical) 6
12.12 12.12Mortimer-Sissons Gully, VII,5+ VII,5+ 0m
0
  • P1
  • Alpine (Commitment) VII
  • Alpine (Technical) 5+

The route heads up a deep gully left of the Sissons Buttress. The gully widens out, and the route tends right and leads to an amphitheatre. Move right again and up to the ridge.
12.13 12.13Sissons Buttress, VII,5+ VII,5+ 0m
1.02

Ascend the prominent rib just right of centre of the face. The rock is comparatively solid and the climbing sustained. The rib peters out and is followed by 200m of snow and ice.

  • P1
  • Alpine (Commitment) VII
  • Alpine (Technical) 5+
12.14 12.14One Longer Day, VII,5+ VII,5+ 400m
0

To the right of the Sissons Buttress is an area of steep ice. This route takes the line on the left edge of the ice, against the right edge of the buttress. Finish up a long steep ice wall behind the arête then top out via Route 12.13. Conditions on the first ascent were a mixture of ice climbing and thin mixed climbing. Seven 60m pitches to the crest of the buttress.

  • P1
  • Alpine (Commitment) VII
  • Alpine (Technical) 5+
  • 400m
12.15 12.15Balfour Rib, VI,4 VI,4 0m
0

A super classic route and bold for its time. The bottom section of buttress is usually avoided by snow slopes beside the Balfour Face, although the first ascent climbed the buttress. It also appears possible to access the rib from below the Hidden Face. Once on the rib, climb up, around, and through ice bulges to join the West Ridge of Mt Tasman.

  • P1
  • Alpine (Commitment) VI
  • Alpine (Technical) 4
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Comments
Attribution
Alex Palman
UUID
 
1b3b5682-37ff-429e-b565-2e667e8990d1