F-Knob, Routeburn Track, 31 August - 1 September 2013

F-Knob (Trig F on the old inch-to-a-mile maps) is a wonderful vantage point above the Routeburn Track. I walked in to Routeburn Flats Hut on Friday night, then up to Routeburn Falls and to the summit on Saturday. A campsite at 1500m on the mountain's north-east ridge was simply wonderful. On Sunday, I descended the way I had come.

Trip map. 1 grid square = 1km. Left click on map then select "Sizes -> Original" in bottom right corner of screen to view full size
F-Knob from the bridge over the Route Burn at the bottom of the Routeburn Flats. I camped on the shoulder on far right. The climb consisted of an easy scrambly section right above camp, followed by a plod on snow and a final 100m along a heavily corniced ridge.
Ailsa Mountains Climbing F Knob FKnob Mountaineering New Zealand Routeburn Track Tramping Knob 367
Construction site at Routeburn Flats
Ailsa Mountains Climbing F Knob FKnob Mount Xenicus Mountaineering New Zealand Routeburn Flats Routeburn Flats Hut Routeburn Track Tramping construction hut Knob 006
If you can't write a sign in proper English, don't expect people to be able to read it!
Ailsa Mountains Climbing F Knob FKnob Mountaineering New Zealand Routeburn Falls Hut Routeburn Track Tramping hut sign Knob 021
Mount Xenicus and the tarns above Routeburn Falls Hut
Ailsa Mountains Climbing F Knob FKnob Mount Xenicus Mountaineering New Zealand Routeburn Track Tramping tarn Knob 025
Mount Xenicus and the tarns above Routeburn Falls Hut
Ailsa Mountains Climbing F Knob FKnob Mount Xenicus Mountaineering New Zealand Routeburn Track Tramping tarn Knob 027a
Pineapple scrub (Dracophyllum menziesii). Routeburn. Ocean Peak in the background
Ailsa Mountains Climbing Dracophyllum F Knob FKnob Mountaineering New Zealand Ocean Peak Routeburn Track Tramping Knob 031
Ailsa Mountains Climbing F Knob FKnob Mountaineering New Zealand Ocean Peak Routeburn Track Tramping icicle Knob 039
Routeburn Flats, with Somnus and Momus top left
Ailsa Mountains Climbing F Knob FKnob Humboldt Mountains Momus Mountaineering New Zealand Route Burn Routeburn Flats Routeburn Track Somnus Tramping Knob 048a
Somnus and Momus above the Route Burn North Branch
ailsa mountains climbing f knob fknob humboldt mountains momus mountaineering new zealand route burn routeburn track somnus tramping knob 058
Tarn above Routeburn Falls, and the north ridge of Ocean Peak
Ailsa Mountains Climbing F Knob FKnob Mountaineering New Zealand Ocean Peak Routeburn Track Tramping tarn Knob 061
Somnus and Momus above the Route Burn North Branch
ailsa mountains climbing f knob fknob humboldt mountains momus mount earnslaw mountaineering new zealand route burn routeburn flats routeburn track somnus tramping knob 068
Somnus and Momus (left) and the Forbes Mountains (right) above Routeburn Flats
Ailsa Mountains Climbing F Knob FKnob Humboldt Mountains Momus Mount Earnslaw Mountaineering New Zealand Route Burn Routeburn Flats Routeburn Track Somnus Tramping Knob 071
Routeburn Flats and Mount Earnslaw
Ailsa Mountains Climbing F Knob FKnob Mount Earnslaw Mountaineering New Zealand Route Burn Routeburn Flats Routeburn Track Tramping Turret Head Knob 075
Unnamed Peak Pt 1952m (Humboldt Mountains), Fraser Col and Emily Peak
Ailsa Mountains Climbing Emily Peak F Knob FKnob Fraser Col Mountaineering New Zealand Routeburn Track Tramping Knob 076
Lake Harris and the Darran Mountains
Ailsa Mountains Apirana Peak Climbing Darran Mountains F Knob FKnob Lake Harris Mount Gifford Mount Revelation Mount Te Wera Mount Tuhawaiki Mount Underwood Mountaineering New Zealand Routeburn Track Tramping Knob 085
Fraser Col and Emily Peak
Ailsa Mountains Climbing Emily Peak F Knob FKnob Fraser Col Mountaineering New Zealand Routeburn Track Tramping Knob 089
View from the summit of F-Knob: Somnus and Momus
Ailsa Mountains Climbing F Knob FKnob Humboldt Mountains Momus Mountaineering New Zealand Routeburn Track Somnus Tramping Knob 093
Lake Harris and Conical Hill; the Darran Mountains in the background
ailsa mountains alice peak climbing conical hill darran mountains f knob fknob lake harris mount madeline mount syme mount te wera mount tutoko mountaineering new zealand routeburn track tramping knob 115
360 degree panorama from the summit of F-Knob, Routeburn Track. Click on image to play video. Soundtrack: Moonlight Sonata, Ludwig van Beethoven
knob panorama 60fps
Panorama from F-Knob: The Darran Mountaind and Hollyford River (left); Lake Harris, Mt Xenicus and Mt Erebus (centre); Nereus Peak, Somnus and Momus above the Route Burn North Branch (right)
Ailsa Mountains Alice Peak Climbing Conical Hill Darran Mountains F Knob FKnob Humboldt Mountains Lake Harris Momus Mount Erebus Mount Madeline Mount Syme Mount Te Wera Mount Tutoko Mount Xenicus Mountaineering Nereus Peak New Zealand Routeburn Track Somnus Tramping Knob 119a
View from the summit of F-Knob: Mt Xenicus, Mt Erebus, Nereus Peak and Somnus
Ailsa Mountains Climbing F Knob FKnob Mount Erebus Mount Xenicus Mountaineering Nereus Peak New Zealand Routeburn Track Somnus Tramping Knob 143
View from the summit of F-Knob: Unnamed Peak 2117m, Humboldt Mountains, and Mount Bonpland
Ailsa Mountains Climbing F Knob FKnob Humboldt Mountains Mount Bonpland Mountaineering New Zealand Routeburn Track Tramping Knob 147
View from the summit of F-Knob: Forbes Mountains. Mount Earnslaw at centre image
Ailsa Mountains Climbing F Knob FKnob Forbes Mountains Mount Earnslaw Mountaineering New Zealand Routeburn Track Tramping Turret Head Knob 148
Panorama from F-Knob: Mts Xenicus and Erebus (left), Somnus and Momus (centre) and the Forbes Mountains (right)
Ailsa Mountains Climbing F Knob FKnob Forbes Mountains Humboldt Mountains Momus Mount Earnslaw Mount Erebus Mount Xenicus Mountaineering Nereus Peak New Zealand Routeburn Track Somnus Tramping Turret Head Knob 150a
View down the north-east ridge of F-Knob. In the background are Nereus Peak, Somnus, Momus and Mt Earnslaw
Ailsa Mountains Climbing F Knob FKnob Forbes Mountains Humboldt Mountains Momus Mount Earnslaw Mountaineering Nereus Peak New Zealand Routeburn Flats Routeburn Track Somnus Tramping Knob 153
Somnus
Ailsa Mountains Climbing F Knob FKnob Humboldt Mountains Mountaineering New Zealand Routeburn Track Somnus Tramping Knob 160
Unnamed Peak 2117m
2117m Ailsa Mountains Climbing F Knob FKnob Humboldt Mountains Mountaineering New Zealand Routeburn Track Tramping Unnamed Peak Knob 162
Mt Bonpland
Ailsa Mountains Climbing F Knob FKnob Humboldt Mountains Mount Bonpland Mountaineering New Zealand Routeburn Track Tramping Knob 165
Panorama from F-Knob: Unnamed Peak 2117m and Mt Bonpland
2117m Ailsa Mountains Climbing F Knob FKnob Humboldt Mountains Mount Bonpland Mountaineering New Zealand Routeburn Track Tramping Knob 170a
Ailsa Mountains and Livingstone Mountains from the summit of F-Knob. There's a whole forest of peaks in there!
Ailsa Mountains Climbing F Knob FKnob Livingstone Mountains Mountaineering New Zealand Routeburn Track Tramping Knob 175
Mount Te Wera, Mount Syme, Mount Tutoko, Mount Madeline and Alice Peak
Ailsa Mountains Alice Peak Climbing Darran Mountains F Knob FKnob Mount Madeline Mount Syme Mount Te Wera Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Routeburn Track Tramping Knob 176
Mount Xenicus and Mount Erebus. Martins Bay back left
Ailsa Mountains Climbing F Knob FKnob Martins Bay Mount Erebus Mount Xenicus Mountaineering New Zealand Routeburn Track Tramping Knob 178
Nereus Peak and Somnus
Ailsa Mountains Climbing F Knob FKnob Humboldt Mountains Mountaineering Nereus Peak New Zealand Routeburn Track Somnus Tramping Knob 182
Panorama from F-Knob, looking north-west
Ailsa Mountains Alice Peak Climbing F Knob FKnob Humboldt Mountains Mount Erebus Mount Madeline Mount Te Wera Mount Tutoko Mount Xenicus Mountaineering Nereus Peak New Zealand Routeburn Track Somnus Tramping Knob 189
Panorama from the summit of F-Knob, looking north-west
Ailsa Mountains Alice Peak Apirana Peak Climbing Darran Mountains F Knob FKnob Humboldt Mountains Lake Harris Momus Mount Erebus Mount Gifford Mount Madeline Mount Revelation Mount Te Wera Mount Tuhawaiki Mount Tutoko Mount Underwood Mount Xenicus Mountaineering Nereus Peak New Zealand Routeburn Track Somnus Tramping Knob 202a
On the corniced north east ridge of F Knob. Unnamed Peak 2117m and Mt Bonpland in the background
2117m Ailsa Mountains Climbing F Knob FKnob Humboldt Mountains Mount Bonpland Mountaineering New Zealand Routeburn Track Tramping cornice Knob 208
The Milky Way above Mount Xenicus, Somnus and Momus
Ailsa Mountains Climbing F Knob FKnob Humboldt Mountains Milky Way Momus Mount Erebus Mount Xenicus Mountaineering Nereus Peak New Zealand Routeburn Track Somnus Tramping night night sky stars Knob 214
Lake Harris and the Darran Mountains
Ailsa Mountains Apirana Peak Climbing Darran Mountains F Knob FKnob Lake Harris Mount Gifford Mount Revelation Mount Te Wera Mount Tuhawaiki Mount Underwood Mountaineering New Zealand Routeburn Track Tramping night night sky stars Knob 218
A faint aurora glows behind Emily Peak
ailsa mountains aurora aurora australis climbing emily peak f knob fknob fraser col mountaineering new zealand routeburn track tramping night night sky stars time lapse knob 286
Time lapse video: Milky Way over Emily Peak. From a campsite on the north-east ridge of F-Knob
knob 231b
Star Trails over Emily Peak
Ailsa Mountains Climbing Emily Peak F Knob FKnob Fraser Col Mountaineering New Zealand Routeburn Track Tramping night night sky star trails stars Knob 231c
Somnus and Momus
Ailsa Mountains Climbing F Knob FKnob Momus Mountaineering New Zealand Routeburn Track Somnus Tramping crescent moon moon Knob 233
Campsite on the north-east ridge of F-Knob
Ailsa Mountains Climbing F Knob FKnob Humboldt Mountains Momus Mount Erebus Mount Xenicus Mountaineering Nereus Peak New Zealand Routeburn Track Somnus Tramping camp camping campsite tent Knob 240
Lake Harris and Darran Mountains (Mount Gifford, Apirana Peak, Mount Revelation)
Ailsa Mountains Apirana Peak Climbing Darran Mountains F Knob FKnob Lake Harris Mount Gifford Mount Revelation Mount Te Wera Mount Tuhawaiki Mount Underwood Mountaineering New Zealand Routeburn Track Tramping Knob 243
Lake Harris and Darran Mountains (Mount Gifford, Apirana Peak, Mount Revelation)
Ailsa Mountains Apirana Peak Climbing Darran Mountains F Knob FKnob Lake Harris Mount Gifford Mount Revelation Mount Tuhawaiki Mount Underwood Mountaineering New Zealand Routeburn Track Tramping Time Lapse Knob 500
Time lapse video: sunrise over Lake Harris and the Darran Mountains
knob 248b
Mount Xenicus and Mount Erebus
Ailsa Mountains Climbing F Knob FKnob Mount Erebus Mount Xenicus Mountaineering New Zealand Routeburn Track Tramping Knob 249