Ocean Peak attempt, 12 - 13 September 2015

An OSONZAC trip to the Routeburn Area, and an attempt to climb Ocean Peak. We turned back on a tricky ridge close to the summit, about 50m SW of the top of the couloir we had climbed on a previous (successful) ascent from the Lake MacKenzie side.

Click here to see pictures of an ascent of Ocean Peak in 2011.

On Friday night we walked from the Routeburn car park to Routeburn Flats Hut.

On Saturday, after dropping our gear at Routeburn Falls Hut, we set off for a recce which turned into a proper attempt since the snow conditions seemed to hold up well during the day.

On Sunday we walked the Routeburn Track and across a frozen Lake Harris to Harris Saddle.

Party: Sarah Tiong (leader), Keith Moffat, Jack Williams, Polly Camber, Ross Matthews, 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.
Routeburn Flats Hut. We did get there after midnight...
Winter Routeburn 006 Astrophotography Climbing Milky Way Mountaineering New Zealand Otago Route Burn Routeburn Flats Routeburn Flats Hut Routeburn Track Southern Alps Tramping night photography night sky
En route to Ocean Peak. Mount Xenicus is in the background
Winter Routeburn 012 Climbing Mount Xenicus Mountaineering New Zealand Ocean Peak Otago Route Burn Routeburn Track Southern Alps Tramping
En route to Ocean Peak. Mount Xenicus is in the background
Winter Routeburn 019 Climbing Mount Xenicus Mountaineering New Zealand Ocean Peak Otago Route Burn Routeburn Track Southern Alps Tramping
Upper Routeburn panorama from the slopes of Ocean Peak. Mount Xenicus is at centre image, Conical Hill on the left, Momus on the right.
Winter Routeburn 021 Climbing Conical Hill Momus Mount Xenicus Mountaineering New Zealand Otago Route Burn Routeburn Track Southern Alps Tramping
Approaching Ocean Peak from the north
Winter Routeburn 023 Climbing Mountaineering New Zealand Ocean Peak Otago Route Burn Routeburn Track Southern Alps Tramping
Approaching Ocean Peak from the north
Winter Routeburn 030 Climbing Mountaineering New Zealand Ocean Peak Otago Route Burn Routeburn Track Southern Alps Tramping
Approaching Ocean Peak from the north
Winter Routeburn 032 Climbing Mountaineering New Zealand Ocean Peak Otago Route Burn Routeburn Track Southern Alps Tramping
Approaching Ocean Peak from the north
Winter Routeburn 034 Climbing Mountaineering New Zealand Ocean Peak Otago Route Burn Routeburn Track Southern Alps Tramping
Approaching Ocean Peak from the north
Winter Routeburn 038 Climbing Mountaineering New Zealand Ocean Peak Otago Route Burn Routeburn Track Southern Alps Tramping
That's me, still on easy ground with walking poles. But it did steepen near the summit.
Image © Keith Moffat.
Winter Routeburn 042a Climbing Mountaineering New Zealand Ocean Peak Otago Route Burn Routeburn Track Southern Alps Tramping
En route to Ocean Peak. Sir William Peak, Pluto Peak and Mount Earnslaw are in the background.
Winter Routeburn 046 Climbing Forbes Mountains Mount Earnslaw Mountaineering New Zealand Ocean Peak Otago Pluto Peak Route Burn Routeburn Track Sir William Peak Southern Alps Tramping
En route to Ocean Peak. Somnus and Momus, Sir William Peak, Pluto Peak and Mount Earnslaw are in the background.
Winter Routeburn 051 Climbing Forbes Mountains Humboldt Mountains Momus Mount Earnslaw Mountaineering New Zealand Ocean Peak Otago Pluto Peak Route Burn Routeburn Track Sir William Peak Somnus Southern Alps Tramping
En route to Ocean Peak
Winter Routeburn 056 Climbing Mountaineering New Zealand Ocean Peak Otago Route Burn Routeburn Track Southern Alps Tramping
On the northern slopes of Ocean Peak
Winter Routeburn 059 Climbing Mountaineering New Zealand Ocean Peak Otago Route Burn Routeburn Track Southern Alps Tramping
En route to Ocean Peak
Winter Routeburn 060 Climbing Mountaineering New Zealand Ocean Peak Otago Route Burn Routeburn Track Southern Alps Tramping
Mount Xenicus and Somnus from Ocean Peak
Winter Routeburn 063 Climbing Mount Xenicus Mountaineering New Zealand Ocean Peak Otago Route Burn Routeburn Track Somnus Southern Alps Tramping
Routeburn Falls Hut
Winter Routeburn 067 Climbing Mountaineering New Zealand Otago Route Burn Routeburn Falls Hut Routeburn Track Southern Alps Tramping
On the Routeburn Track
Winter Routeburn 068 Climbing Mountaineering New Zealand Otago Route Burn Routeburn Track Southern Alps Tramping
On the Routeburn Track. Mount Xenicus is in the background
Winter Routeburn 069 Climbing Mount Xenicus Mountaineering New Zealand Otago Route Burn Routeburn Track Southern Alps Tramping
Lake Harris and Pt 1647m
Winter Routeburn 077 Climbing Lake Harris Mountaineering New Zealand Otago Route Burn Routeburn Track Southern Alps Tramping
OSONZAC party on Lake Harris. Pt 1647m is in the background.
Winter Routeburn 079 Climbing Lake Harris Mountaineering New Zealand Otago Route Burn Routeburn Track Southern Alps Tramping
On Harris Saddle. On the skyline in the background are Consolation Peak, Triangle Peak, Ngatimamoe Peak, Mount Lyttle, Mount Christina
Winter Routeburn 081 Climbing Consolation Peak Darran Mountains Harris Saddle Mount Christina Mount Lyttle Mountaineering New Zealand Ngatimamoe Peak Otago Route Burn Routeburn Track Southern Alps Tramping Triangle Peak
On Harris Saddle. On the skyline in the background are Triangle Peak, Ngatimamoe Peak, Mount Lyttle, Mount Christina, Mount Gunn.
Winter Routeburn 082 Climbing Darran Mountains Harris Saddle Mount Christina Mount Gunn Mount Lyttle Mountaineering New Zealand Ngatimamoe Peak Otago Route Burn Routeburn Track Southern Alps Tramping Triangle Peak
On Harris Saddle. On the skyline in the background are Consolation Peak, Triangle Peak, Ngatimamoe Peak, Mount Lyttle, Mount Christina, Mount Gunn, Mount Gifford.
Winter Routeburn 092a Climbing Consolation Peak Darran Mountains Harris Saddle Mount Christina Mount Gifford Mount Gunn Mount Lyttle Mountaineering New Zealand Ngatimamoe Peak Otago Route Burn Routeburn Track Southern Alps Tramping Triangle Peak
On Harris Saddle
Winter Routeburn 097 Climbing Harris Saddle Harris Saddle Shelter Mountaineering New Zealand Otago Route Burn Routeburn Track Southern Alps Tramping
View of Mount Gifford from Harris Saddle
Winter Routeburn 098 Climbing Darran Mountains Harris Saddle Mount Gifford Mountaineering New Zealand Otago Route Burn Routeburn Track Southern Alps Tramping
Avalanche paths on Conical Hill, Harris Saddle
Winter Routeburn 099 Climbing Conical Hill Harris Saddle Mountaineering New Zealand Otago Route Burn Routeburn Track Southern Alps Tramping avalanche avalanche path point release
Avalanche paths on Conical Hill, Harris Saddle
Winter Routeburn 100 Climbing Conical Hill Harris Saddle Mountaineering New Zealand Otago Route Burn Routeburn Track Southern Alps Tramping avalanche avalanche path point release
Darran Mountains from Harris Saddle: Mount Gifford, Apirana Peak, Mount Revelation, Taiaroa Peak, Karetai Peak, Mount Tuhawaiki, Mount Te Wera.
Winter Routeburn 103 Apirana Peak Climbing Darran Mountains Harris Saddle Harris Saddle Shelter Karetai Peak Mount Gifford Mount Revelation Mount Te Wera Mount Tuhawaiki Mountaineering New Zealand Otago Route Burn Routeburn Track Southern Alps Taiaroa Peak Tramping
Avalanche paths on Conical Hill, Harris Saddle
Winter Routeburn 104 Climbing Conical Hill Harris Saddle Mountaineering New Zealand Otago Route Burn Routeburn Track Southern Alps Tramping avalanche avalanche path point release
Mount Xenicus from Harris Saddle
Winter Routeburn 106a Climbing Harris Saddle Mount Xenicus Mountaineering New Zealand Otago Route Burn Routeburn Track Southern Alps Tramping
Lake Harris and Mount Xenicus from Harris Saddle
Winter Routeburn 114a Climbing Harris Saddle Lake Harris Mount Xenicus Mountaineering New Zealand Otago Route Burn Routeburn Track Southern Alps Tramping
Lake Harris and the Valley of the Trolls
Winter Routeburn 119 Climbing Lake Harris Mountaineering New Zealand Otago Route Burn Routeburn Track Southern Alps Tramping Valley of the Trolls
Crossing Lake Harris. Mount Xenicus above
Winter Routeburn 124 Climbing Lake Harris Mount Xenicus Mountaineering New Zealand Otago Route Burn Routeburn Track Southern Alps Tramping
Crossing Lake Harris. F Knob above
Winter Routeburn 129 Climbing F Knob Lake Harris Mountaineering New Zealand Otago Route Burn Routeburn Track Southern Alps Tramping
Lake Harris and the Valley of the Trolls. Pt 1647m above.
Winter Routeburn 132 Climbing Lake Harris Mountaineering New Zealand Otago Route Burn Routeburn Track Southern Alps Tramping Valley of the Trolls
Crossing Lake Harris
Winter Routeburn 134 Climbing Lake Harris Mountaineering New Zealand Otago Route Burn Routeburn Track Southern Alps Tramping
F Knob rises over the outlet of Lake Harris
Winter Routeburn 139 Climbing F Knob Lake Harris Mountaineering New Zealand Otago Route Burn Routeburn Track Southern Alps Tramping
Lake Harris and Pt 1647m
Winter Routeburn 142 Climbing Lake Harris Mountaineering New Zealand Otago Route Burn Routeburn Track Southern Alps Tramping
Pt 1647m north of Conical Hill, Routeburn Track
Winter Routeburn 146 Climbing Mountaineering New Zealand Otago Route Burn Routeburn Track Southern Alps Tramping
On the Routeburn Track near Lake Harris
Winter Routeburn 148 Climbing Mountaineering New Zealand Otago Route Burn Routeburn Track Southern Alps Tramping
Routeburn Flats Hut and Emily Peak
Winter Routeburn 150 Climbing Emily Peak Mountaineering New Zealand Otago Route Burn Routeburn Flats Routeburn Flats Hut Routeburn Track Southern Alps Tramping hut
Routeburn Flats Hut and Emily Peak
Winter Routeburn 152 Climbing Emily Peak Mountaineering New Zealand Otago Route Burn Routeburn Flats Routeburn Flats Hut Routeburn Track Southern Alps Tramping hut
Somnus from Routeburn Flats
Winter Routeburn 155 Climbing Mountaineering New Zealand Otago Route Burn Route Burn North Branch Routeburn Flats Routeburn Track Somnus Southern Alps Tramping

Southern Alps Photography

Ocean Peak attempt, 12 - 13 September 2015

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Edward John