Lennox Pass - Turret Ridge, 8 - 9 November 2014

A classic crossing at the foot of Mount Earnslaw.

We set off up the Rees River from Muddy Creek car park on Saturday, and on the track to Kea Basin, which we left at 630m of elevation. After crossing Lennox Creek's spectacular chasm, we climbed to Lennox Pass and descended into the head of the Earnslaw Burn. We spent the night at a rock bivvy on the true left of the Earnslaw Burn, just above the bushline.

On Sunday we climbed over Turret Ridge, which we crossed just north of Pt 1749m. We then descended on the true right of the River Jordan to Paradise.

Party: Aaron Whitehead, Susan Lilley, Di Liddell, Rob Porteous, Danilo Hegg.

Trip map. 1 grid square = 1km. Left click on map then select "Sizes -> Original" in bottom right corner of screen to view full size.
En route from Kea Basin track to Lennox Pass
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 006 New Zealand Rees River Rees Valley Southern Alps Tramping
Lunch stop at Lennox Creek
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 007 Gorge Lennox Creek New Zealand Southern Alps Tramping chasm
Lennox Creek chasm upstream of the crossing point
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 009 Gorge Lennox Creek New Zealand Southern Alps Tramping chasm
Lunch stop at Lennox Creek
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 012 Gorge Lennox Creek New Zealand Southern Alps Tramping chasm
Creeping ourisia (Ourisia caespitosa). Lennox Creek, Rees Valley
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 016 Creeping ourisia Flora Invertebrate Lennox Creek New Zealand Ourisia caespitosa Rees Valley Southern Alps Tramping fly insect soldier fly
Male large hover fly (Melangyna novaezelandiae) on creeping ourisia (Ourisia caespitosa). Lennox Creek, Rees Valley
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge Creeping ourisia Flora Invertebrate Lennox Creek New Zealand Ourisia caespitosa Rees Valley Southern Alps Tramping fly insect Melangyna novaezelandiae hover fly large hover fly
Creeping ourisia (Ourisia caespitosa). Lennox Creek, Rees Valley
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 025 Creeping ourisia Flora Lennox Creek New Zealand Ourisia caespitosa Rees Valley Southern Alps Tramping
Just below the crossing, Lennox Creek precipitates into a deep chasm
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 028 Gorge Lennox Creek New Zealand Southern Alps Tramping chasm
Lennox Creek and the route to access the crossing point from the north. This is about 100m upstream of the elbow in the river at the 800m contour. The descent through the bluffs is reasonably steep.
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 030 Gorge Lennox Creek New Zealand Southern Alps Tramping chasm route topo
View into the head of the Rees Valley and Twenty Five Mile Creek from the slopes below Lennox Pass. Lochnagar is on the far right.
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 047 Lochnagar New Zealand Rees River Rees Valley Southern Alps Tramping Twenty Five Mile Creek
Richardson Mountains: Lochnagar (2316m, left) and Pt 2290m (right) from the slopes below Lennox Pass. Big Devil Creek is below Pt 2290m.
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 050 Big Devil Creek Lochnagar New Zealand Richardson Mountains Southern Alps Tramping
Richardson Mountains: Little Devil Creek and the Centaur Peaks from the slopes below Lennox Pass.
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 052 Centaur Peaks Little Devil Creek New Zealand Richardson Mountains Southern Alps Tramping
On the slopes below Lennox Pass. Mount Clarke in the background
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 053 Forbes Mountains Mount Clarke New Zealand Southern Alps Tramping
The Rees River, Twenty Five Mile Creek and Big Devil Creek from Lennox Pass.
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 060 Big Devil Creek Forbes Mountains Lennox Pass New Zealand Rees River Rees Valley Richardson Mountains Southern Alps Tramping Twenty Five Mile Creek
Mount Earnslaw / Pikirakatahi (East Peak) and Black Peak from Lennox Pass.
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 065a Black Peak Forbes Mountains Lennox Pass Mount Earnslaw New Zealand Pikirakatahi Southern Alps Tramping
Richardson Mountains: Little Devil Creek and the Centaur Peaks from the slopes below Lennox Pass.
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 068 Centaur Peaks Little Devil Creek New Zealand Richardson Mountains Southern Alps Tramping
Arthurs Creek and Mount Ferguson (in cloud) from Lennox Pass
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 073 Arthurs Creek Lennox Pass Mount Ferguson New Zealand Richardson Mountains Southern Alps Tramping
View into the head of the Rees Valley from Lennox Pass. Mount Cunningham is just right of centre image, with Mount Aspiring (top in cloud) further back.
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 074 Forbes Mountains Lennox Pass Mount Aspiring Mount Cunningham New Zealand Rees River Rees Valley Southern Alps Tramping
Mount Earnslaw / Pikirakatahi and Black Peak from Lennox Pass.
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 078 Black Peak Earnslaw Mount Earnslaw New Zealand Pikirakatahi Southern Alps Tramping
Walking the 'Mount Earnslaw Highway' on Lennox Pass
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 081 Black Peak Earnslaw Lennox Pass Mount Earnslaw New Zealand Pikirakatahi Southern Alps Tramping
Walking the 'Mount Earnslaw Highway' on Lennox Pass
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 083 Black Peak Earnslaw Lennox Pass Mount Earnslaw New Zealand Pikirakatahi Southern Alps Tramping
Mount Earnslaw / Pikirakatahi and Black Peak from the ridge north of Lennox Pass.
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 091 Black Peak Earnslaw Mount Earnslaw New Zealand Pikirakatahi Southern Alps Tramping
On the ridge north of Lennox Pass, in front of Mount Earnslaw / Pikirakatahi and Black Peak.
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 094 Black Peak Earnslaw Mount Earnslaw New Zealand Pikirakatahi Southern Alps Tramping
The head of the Earnslaw Burn. Mount Earnslaw / Pikirakatahi above
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 096 Earnslaw Burn Earnslaw Glacier Mount Earnslaw New Zealand Pikirakatahi Southern Alps Tramping
Looking down the Earnslaw Burn from the slopes below Lennox Pass. Turret Ridge is at centre image
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 107 Earnslaw Burn Lennox Pass New Zealand Southern Alps Tramping Turret Ridge
Our home for the night - a rock bivvy just above bushline, on the true left of the Earnslaw Burn. Nowhere nearly as good as the main one 500m further down-valley, it's a nice place to stay in fine weather, and it has better views.
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 117 Earnslaw Burn New Zealand Rock bivvy Southern Alps Tramping bivvy rock rock biv
Turret Head from our rock bivvy at the head of the Earnslaw Burn.
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 119 Earnslaw Burn New Zealand Rock bivvy Southern Alps Tramping Turret Head bivvy rock rock biv
Spaniard (Aciphylla spp.) at the head of the Earnslaw Burn. Mount Earnslaw / Pikirakatahi in the background.
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 122 Aciphylla Earnslaw Earnslaw Burn Earnslaw Glacier Mount Earnslaw New Zealand Pikirakatahi Southern Alps Tramping spaniard
On the slopes leading to Turret Ridge from the Earnslaw Burn. Mount Earnslaw / Pikirakatahi in the background
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 127 Earnslaw Earnslaw Burn Earnslaw Glacier Mount Earnslaw New Zealand Pikirakatahi Southern Alps Tramping Turret Ridge
Location of the upper Earnslaw Burn rock bivvy
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 132 Earnslaw Burn New Zealand Rock bivvy Southern Alps Tramping bivvy rock rock biv
Location of the upper Earnslaw Burn rock bivvy
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 133 Earnslaw Burn New Zealand Rock bivvy Southern Alps Tramping bivvy rock rock biv
Mount Earnslaw / Pikirakatahi and Black Peak at the head of the Earnslaw Burn.
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 135 Black Peak Earnslaw Earnslaw Burn Earnslaw Glacier Forbes Mountains Mount Earnslaw New Zealand Pikirakatahi Southern Alps Tramping
Turret Head
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 137 New Zealand Southern Alps Tramping Turret Head
Turret Head, Mount Earnslaw / Pikirakatahi and Black Peak at the head of the Earnslaw Burn.
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 138 Black Peak Earnslaw Earnslaw Burn Earnslaw Glacier Forbes Mountains Mount Earnslaw New Zealand Pikirakatahi Southern Alps Tramping Turret Head
The southern end of Turret Ridge (Pt 1670m) and Lake Wakatipu from Pt 1749m. Diamond Lake is at the right edge of the image
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 140 Diamond Lake Lake Wakatipu New Zealand Southern Alps Tramping Turret Ridge
Lake Wakatipu, Mount Alfred and Diamond Lake from Pt 1749m, Turret Ridge. Tooth Peak and Mount Bonpland are on the skyline
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 141 Diamond Lake Lake Wakatipu Mount Alfred Mount Bonpland New Zealand Southern Alps Tooth Peak Tramping Turret Ridge
Lake Wakatipu, Mount Alfred and Diamond Lake from Pt 1749m, Turret Ridge. The Rees River flows into the image from the left; the Dart River from the right. Paradise is at the head of Diamond Lake.
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 146 Dart River Diamond Lake Lake Wakatipu Mount Alfred New Zealand Paradise Rees River Southern Alps Tramping Turret Ridge
Lake Sylvan, Sugarloaf, Route Burn and Dart River from Pt 1749m, Turret Ridge
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 150 Dart River Lake Sylvan New Zealand Route Burn Southern Alps Sugarloaf Tramping Turret Ridge
Dart River, Lake Unknown and Mount Nox from Pt 1749m, Turret Ridge. Chinamans Bluff is at centre image.
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 151 Chinamans Bluff Dart River Lake Unknown Mount Nox New Zealand Southern Alps Tramping Turret Ridge
View from Pt 1749m, Turret Ridge: Mount Earnslaw / Pikirakatahi and Black Peak at the head of the Earnslaw Burn.
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 155 Black Peak Earnslaw Earnslaw Burn Earnslaw Glacier Forbes Mountains Mount Earnslaw New Zealand Pikirakatahi Southern Alps Tramping Turret Ridge
View from Pt 1749m, Turret Ridge: Rees River and Lake Wakatipu. Tooth Peak is on the right.
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 157 Lake Wakatipu New Zealand Rees River Southern Alps Tooth Peak Tramping Turret Ridge
Lake Wakatipu, Mount Alfred and Diamond Lake from Pt 1749m, Turret Ridge. Tooth Peak and Mount Bonpland are on the skyline
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 160 Diamond Lake Lake Wakatipu Mount Alfred Mount Bonpland New Zealand Southern Alps Tooth Peak Tramping Turret Ridge
Turret Ridge route topo
Lennox Pass Turret Ridge 162 New Zealand Southern Alps Tramping Turret Ridge route topo

Southern Alps Photography

Lennox Pass - Turret Ridge, 8 - 9 November 2014

Gallery comments