Whitehorn Pass
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Original post
Last Jan at Carrington Hut I passed a party of 3 who were on their way to Whitehorn Pass and claimed it could be fairly easily negotiated minus crampons by scrambling on rocks up the true right (heading East-West), which they planned to do. Anyone have any knowledge of this?
That's what I did. Two of us scrambled up the rocky edge once it got steep, whilst those with crampons continued on the ice. They were quicker.
From what I've heard, there may be even less permanent ice more recently ?.
1 deleted post from
Hugh vN
the amount of snow-ice depends on the season and varies from year to year. Last time I was there (at christmass two years ago) we walked up a lot of snow without any problem on the Mary creek side and then had to descend a much longer steeper slope of snow in cronin stream. I was very glad to have an ice axe but we didn't need crampons.
Thanks for the info guys. Pro-active, what time of year were you there last year? And do you think you could have down-climbed the route ok had you been going in opposite direction?
Mine was December 2010. I've heard from another later trip that there was less snow.
How it looks this year, I wouldn't know.
This is the group stopping for crampons. We continued with the group until it got too steep.
http://www.oftc.org.nz/imagefetch.ashx?size=0&ImageID=543
My shot from going up the rocky edge.
http://www.oftc.org.nz/ImageFetch.ashx?Size=0&ImageID=542
Down climbing ?. Sure. It wasn't difficult going up.
Unless you have the beta straight from the horse's mouth at the time, I'd be taking crampons though I did manage without them one time but then again, was wearing plastic climbing boots and had an axe. There were moulins there though so no way I would have wanted to go for a slide.
Conditions certainly vary. Don't recall ever having been able to stay on rocks the whole across Whitehorn Pass way even in late summer. Usually I use an ice axe but not crampons when heading through there but have been through without using either. I'd recommend an ice axe be carried even in summer even if it is just used as a walking stick and insurance against sliding too far if you slip.
There are examples of injury when people cutting weight have chosen not to carry ice axes and slipped. A fairly recent Zit Saddle accident comes to mind when both members of a party went for a slide & needed to activate a beacon after one member was injured quite badly.
Don't own either nor have I the know how to use them. I'll probably pop the nose up with a view toward retreating if things get uncomfortable. Be nice to see the glacier no matter. Seven days to play in the area, so a turn back is no biggie. I've got kids and a pretty conservative acceptable-risk matrix!
Im hoping to cross on about the 28th or 29th Dec depending on what the weathers doing. I can let you know on here in the new year if that suits? Not sure when you're looking at going.
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| Forum | Tracks, routes, and huts |
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| Started by | Craigo. |
| On | 14 December 2014 |
| Replies | 17 |
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