Ailsa Mountains High Peak, 14 - 15 March 2015
We started at The Divide, walked the Routeburn Track to Lake Howden, then the Greenstone Track past Lake McKellar to the start of the large river flats west of Pt 2096.
We climbed to the summit on Saturday afternoon, then bivvied at 1300m of elavation at the edge of the hanging valley on the way down.
On Sunday, we returned the way we had come.
Party: Robert Schadewinkel & Danilo Hegg
Route description:
From the Greenstone Track, climb through open beech forest either side of the creek that drains Pt 2096m to the west. Above the 700m contour, cross to the spur between the two branches of the creek then follow the spur to bushline. After another 50m or so through easy scrub, sidle right then climb tussock slopes and skirting bluffs to the lip of an alpine basin at 1300m of elevation.
The basin is filled with rocks; it is dry and lacks flat campsites. There are reasonable bivvy sites among tussocks right at the lower edge of the hanging valley, where the creek flows from a large spring.
Keep climbing scree then grass followed by ledges directly towards the summit of Pt 2096m, staying on the true left of a major gulch cutting through the west face of the mountain. A system of narrow scree ledges under bluffs allows crossing above the top of the gulch to a major scree ramp that gives access to the north ridge of the mountain. Follow the ridge til under the steep summit pyramid, then sidle narrow ledges west of the summit and above a steep gulch in the south face (delicate!) to the easy summit slopes on the south side.
Grade 1.
Pt 1779m, Livingstone Mountains, and the river flats at the head of the Greenstone River.
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Pt 2096m west face from bushline
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Just above bushline en route to Pt 2096m
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Ailsa Mountains High Peak (Pt 2096m) from the scree shelf below the summit.
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On the summit ridge of Pt 2096m. The Ailsa Mountains are in the background.
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Ailsa Mountains High Peak (Pt 2096m) summit pyramid.
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Darran and Ailsa Mountains from Pt 2096m, Ailsa Mountains High Peak. Mount Christina is on the far left, Mount Madeline and Mount Tutoko are at centre image, Somnus is on the far right. Jean Batten Peak is just below and right of Mt Madeline.
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Ailsa and Humboldt Mountains from Pt 2096m, Ailsa Mountains High Peak. Somnus is just left of centre image; Mount Earnslaw is on the right.
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View north from Pt 2096m, Ailsa Mountains High Peak.
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View north from Pt 2096m, Ailsa Mountains High Peak.
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On the summit of Pt 2096m, Ailsa Mountains High Peak.
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View north from Pt 2096m, Ailsa Mountains High Peak. From left to right are Somnus, Cosmos Peaks, Pt 2117m, Upper Peak. Emily Peak is right in front of Somnus.
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View north from Pt 2096m, Ailsa Mountains High Peak. In the right half of the image are Somnus, Momus and the Cosmos Peaks. Emily Peak is right in front of Somnus.
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View north and east from Pt 2096m, Ailsa Mountains High Peak.
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View north and east from Pt 2096m, Ailsa Mountains High Peak.
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Mount Bonpland from Pt 2096m, Ailsa Mountains High Peak
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Tooth Peak from Pt 2096m, Ailsa Mountains High Peak
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Mount Tutoko and Mount Madeline from Pt 2096m, Ailsa Mountains High Peak. Jean Batten Peak is closer, on the far right.
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The Darran Mountains from Pt 2096m, Ailsa Mountains High Peak. From left to right are Mt Christina, Mount Crosscut, Barrier Peak, Marian Peak, Sabre Peak.
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Looking south-west from the Ailsa Mountains High Peak, Pt 2096m
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View north across the Ailsa and Humboldt Mountains from Pt 2096m. Somnus and Momus are back left.
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Mount Bonpland and Bold Peak from the Ailsa Mountains High Peak, Pt 2096m.
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Earl Mountains from Pt 2096m, Ailsa Mountains High Peak. From left to right are Flat Top Peak, Pyramid Peak and Ngatimamoe Peak; Consolation Peak in front.
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Looking up at our route, and the alpine basin where we camped. Pt 2096m is on the right, the summit not visible.
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Jean Batten Peak from the Greenstone Valley floor.
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