Mt Edgar Thomson

Type

Altitude

2379m

Part of

Edgar Thomson is the northernmost peak of the Ben Ohau Range. Jane Thomson and Conrad Kain claimed the first ascent in 1915 in preparation for their Grand Traverse of Aoraki Mt Cook, undertaken the following year when Thomson was 57. Thomson named the peak after her son Edgar who died from a football injury.

Lat/lon

-43.779,170.0639, NZ Topo Map

Topo50

CB08 842 335

Accessed from

Dobson River

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Routes

Reference	Title	Grade	Length	Quality
	West Face, III,3+,12	III,3+,12	0m	0
The base of this route is easily accessible from Jamieson Saddle. Scramble up mainly good, exposed rock on the central pillar of the west buttress leading to the subsidiary south-west peak. Follow the ridge to the main summit. P1 12 Alpine (Commitment) III Alpine (Technical) 3+
	South Ridge, I,1,1	I,1,1	0m	0
P1 Alpine (Commitment) I Alpine (Technical) 1 Alpine (Mt Cook) 1 From Jamieson Saddle travel for two kilometres along the ridge to the summit.
	South Face, I,2,2	I,2,2	0m	0
P1 Alpine (Commitment) I Alpine (Technical) 2 Alpine (Mt Cook) 2 Travel up Birch Hill Stream until past the last sub-alpine vegetation, then angle up the steep lower slopes and the snowfield to the summit.
	East Ridge, I,1+,2	I,1+,2	0m	1.02
P1 Alpine (Commitment) I Alpine (Technical) 1+ Alpine (Mt Cook) 2 From the Hoophorn Stream scramble to the saddle west of Mt Hodgkinson, then travel up the ridge and snowslope to the summit. The connecting ridge to Mt Sealy provides excellent alpine rockclimbing. The summit of Edgar Thomson provides a superb viewpoint into the Dobson Valley, Aoraki Mt Cook National Park, and the McKenzie Basin.
	Central Rib, III,3,2+	III,3,2+	0m	0
P1 Alpine (Commitment) III Alpine (Technical) 3 Alpine (Mt Cook) 2+ Climb the vague rib on the North East Face that begins in the true right of the upper Hoophorn basin and runs up the centre of the face.
	Whiteley Woute, III,2+,2+	III,2+,2+	0m	0
P1 Alpine (Commitment) III Alpine (Technical) 2+ Alpine (Mt Cook) 2+ From the upper reaches of Hoophorn Stream follow a steep snow lead to reach the ridge close to the summit. The first ascent is reputed to have been completed by moonlight after a pub session had concluded the face was overdue an ascent!
	North East Face Variant, III,3,2+	III,3,2+	0m	0
Begin at the base of the Whiteley Woute, but instead of following the gully, move right onto a vague rib. Good rock on the lower half, but angles back and becomes more shattered higher up. This route avoids the worst of the avalanche danger, and reaches the ridge about 200m north-west of the summit. P1 Alpine (Commitment) III Alpine (Technical) 3 Alpine (Mt Cook) 2+

Comments

This place appears in

Aoraki Tai Poutini: a guide for mountaineers, 2018

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UUID

954b6cd4-ab33-48b8-aac2-c052c0989146