Biggest vertical (tramping) climbs in NZ?
Original post
What is the biggest vertical height gain in one go on tramping terrain in NZ?
Not including real climbing - eg excluding doing Mt Aspiring as a day trip from the road end or the Caroline Face of Mt Cook. Could including scree, easy scrambling and the odd easy snow slope.
Candidates around here that spring to mind:
[Pt 2103 from the Wye Creek carpark](https://www.topomap.co.nz/NZTopoMap?v=2&ll=-45.145666,168.813257&z=14&pin=1) 350 m to 2103 m so 1750 m elevation gain in less than 5 km.
[Mt Larkins from the Glenorchy Road](https://www.topomap.co.nz/NZTopoMap?v=2&ll=-44.878681,168.492422&z=14&pin=1) 400 m to 2300 m so 1900 m elevation gain in less than 10 km.
Can anyone think of any bigger (or comparable) grunts?
Mt Tapueuenuku is 2885 m, but you'd start from the Hodder Huts at about 1500 m elevation.
Somewhere in the Seaward Kaikouras - [Manakau (2608 m)](https://www.topomap.co.nz/NZTopoMap?v=2&ll=-42.223941,173.61763&z=12&pin=1) from a camp at say 400 m in the Hapuku River?
Mt Alta pretty close on 2000m gain. plenty in the 2000 to 2200m gain range in the Kaikouras with the odd scramble. Mt Saunders from roadend that I bailed from 2 weeks back, for example was ~2000m.
Where does the climb of Tapuae O Oenuku start from?
Kaikouras would be good candidates.
You can "day trip" Tapi if you are really fit. I know guys who have done the round trip in approx 16 hrs. The one attempt I did at a day trip got turned back by bad weather. Looks like the Hodder bridge is about 460m so would be over 2400m vertical on the topo map.
We were just in trying to go up and over Tarahaka but got turned back by a busted tent (but ultimately group fitness would have done us in anyway). We did about 1700m vertical on the topo that day but if I was on my own I think I could go from the George Stream entry over Tarahaka in a day which would be over 2100m.
Thanks, some good candidates there. @Madpom, what's the entry point/route for Mt Alta?
Edited to add: Looks like permission from West Wanaka Station then a packraft or kayak across the Matukituki might be the simplest logistically. (Without a 4WD)
I know people who did Mt Tapueuenuku in a weekend from Wellington. Bicycles on the ferry, ride to the road end, climb Tapueuenuku, back on the bikes then back on the ferry then back to work Monday morning.
mt alta: Round Hill Spur track throygh the farmland from where Mt Aspiring road hits the river bank. No permission required. See routeguides or DOC for details.
Gravel bars at the bend mean river typically knee-thigh deep at normal flows. Not one for rainy forecast.
A few options there from Mt Alta. Day loop via Buchanan peaks. Overnight via the Minaretburn & Kea saddle. Or Minaret - Albert - Makarora for a 2-3 day through trip.
I explored NW from Alta as far as Triple peak but tops potentially traversable all way to Mt Oestre.
Tapuae-o-uenuku from Branch Cottage is 2400m.
We climbed Manakau from Barret Biv in the Hapuku. A couple we knew had failed to get to the summit and wrote in the hut book: Too far and too unfit. Cheeky Frank changed the comment to: Too fat and too unfit.
Pity that that hut book is underwater now...
2
Another one for you - colleague just back from an ascent of Mt Adams. 2140m vertical height difference, most of it in 5km! Ice axe and crampons - but he describes it as a scramble not a climb.
https://ontheair.nz/assets/ZL3_WC-103?
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| Forum | Tracks, routes, and huts |
|---|---|
| Started by | Ian_H |
| On | 3 May 2021 |
| Replies | 8 |
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