Mount Lyttle, 26 - 27 September 2015

An ascent of Mount Lyttle in the Darran Mountains.
On Saturday morning we left the lower Hollyford Road and walked the Lake Marian Track to about 600m of elevation. We climbed out of the valley, trying to follow a route scouted by Max Olsen a few years back. Our navigation was not up to scratch on this occasion, and we weren't able to find the gap through the bluffs, which meant a long, hard day for us to get to bushline. We set up camp by a small pool of water on a ledge at 1100m of elevation.
On Sunday, we climbed the south face of Mount Lyttle (2060m) in perfect conditions. We made it back to camp still on hard frozen snow, then retraced our footsteps through to the valley floor, with three tricky abseils off trees.
Party: Gemma Wilson & 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.
On the Lake Marian Track. The Ailsa Mountains are in the background.
Mount Lyttle 014 Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Fiordland National Park Lake Marian Track Mount Lyttle Mountaineering New Zealand Southern Alps Tramping
On the Lake Marian Track. The Ailsa Mountains are in the background; Jean Batten Peak is on the right.
Mount Lyttle 019 Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Fiordland National Park Lake Marian Track Mount Lyttle Mountaineering New Zealand Southern Alps Tramping
First view of Mount Lyttle's low peak (Pt 1899m) from the Lake Marian Track. We climbed to bushline through the break in the bluffs below and right of the summit of Mt Lyttle.
Mount Lyttle 020 Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Fiordland National Park Mount Lyttle Mountaineering New Zealand Southern Alps Tramping
Approaching Mount Lyttle in the first light of dawn. Mount Christina and Mount Crosscut are in the background.
Mount Lyttle 034a Climbing Darran Mountains Dawn Fiordland Fiordland National Park Mount Christina Mount Crosscut Mount Lyttle Mountaineering New Zealand Southern Alps Tramping
Approaching Mount Lyttle in the first light of dawn. Mount Crosscut is in the background
Mount Lyttle 036 Climbing Darran Mountains Dawn Fiordland Fiordland National Park Mount Crosscut Mount Lyttle Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping
Approaching Mount Lyttle at dawn
Mount Lyttle 038 Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Fiordland National Park Mount Lyttle Mountaineering New Zealand Southern Alps Tramping
Approaching Mount Lyttle at dawn. The red line shows our route up the south face. The crux was the short diagonal step at the bottom of the face, which we pitched then abseiled off a snow bollard.
Mount Lyttle 038a Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Fiordland National Park Mount Lyttle Mountaineering New Zealand Southern Alps Tramping route topo
Mount Christina at sunrise
Mount Lyttle 040 Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Fiordland National Park Mount Christina Mount Lyttle Mountaineering New Zealand Southern Alps Tramping
Mount Christina and Mount Crosscut at sunrise
Mount Lyttle 047a Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Fiordland National Park Mount Lyttle Mountaineering New Zealand Southern Alps Tramping
Mount Christina at sunrise
Mount Lyttle 049 Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Fiordland National Park Mount Christina Mount Lyttle Mountaineering New Zealand Southern Alps Tramping
The Livingstone Mountains at sunrise fromt he slopes of Mount Lyttle. The David Peaks and Moffat Peak are the most prominent peaks on the skyline.
Mount Lyttle 050 Climbing Darran Mountains David Peaks Fiordland Fiordland National Park Livingstone Mountains Moffat Peak Mount Lyttle Mountaineering New Zealand Southern Alps Tramping
View into the head of Marian Creek from the summit of Mount Lyttle. The peaks on the skyline are, from left to right: Mount Crosscut, Mount Talbot, Mount McPherson, Barrier Peak, Marian Peak, Sabre Peak, Adelaide Peak.
Mount Lyttle 051 Adelaide Peak Barrier Peak Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Fiordland National Park Marian Peak Mount Crosscut Mount Lyttle Mount McPherson Mount Talbot Mountaineering New Zealand Sabre Peak Southern Alps Tramping
The South Face of Barrier Peak, Marian Peak, Sabre Peak and Adelaide Peak from Mount Lyttle. A frozen Lake Mariana is below Sabre Peak.
Mount Lyttle 054 Adelaide Peak Barrier Peak Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Fiordland National Park Lake Mariana Marian Peak Mount Lyttle Mountaineering New Zealand Sabre Peak Southern Alps Tramping
Mount Crosscut from Mount Lyttle. Mount Talbot is back right.
Mount Lyttle 055 Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Fiordland National Park Mount Crosscut Mount Lyttle Mount Talbot Mountaineering New Zealand Southern Alps Tramping
Mount Christina from Mount Lyttle. Lake Marian below; Ngatimamoe Peak back left.
Mount Lyttle 057 Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Fiordland National Park Lake Marian Mount Christina Mount Lyttle Mountaineering New Zealand Ngatimamoe Peak Southern Alps Tramping
View north from Mount Lyttle. Mount Gunn is in the foreground, Mount Gifford behind, with the summits of Mount Patuki, Mount Tutoko and Mount Madeline poking out in the back. The Hollyford River and the Skippers Range are further back on the right.
Mount Lyttle 059 Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Fiordland National Park Hollyford River Mount Gifford Mount Gunn Mount Lyttle Mount Madeline Mount Patuki Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Skippers Range Southern Alps Tramping
View north from Mount Lyttle. Mount Gunn is in the foreground, Mount Gifford behind, with the summits of Mount Underwood, Mount Grave, Mount Patuki, Mount Tutoko and Mount Madeline poking out in the back.
Mount Lyttle 061 Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Fiordland National Park Mount Gifford Mount Grave Mount Gunn Mount Lyttle Mount Madeline Mount Patuki Mount Tutoko Mount Underwood Mountaineering New Zealand Southern Alps Tramping
View of the southern Ailsa Mountains from Mount Lyttle: Unnamed Peaks Pt 2024m and Pt 2096m, with Jean Batten Peak in between, and Tooth Peak in the background. The Greenstone River is on the right. McKellar Saddle is at centre image, directly below Jean Batten Peak.
Mount Lyttle 062 Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Fiordland National Park Mount Lyttle Mountaineering New Zealand Southern Alps Tramping
View to the north-east from the summit of Mount Lyttle. The Olivine Range is on the far left, with Climax Peak and Destiny Peak prominent on the skyline. The Cosmos Peaks are just to the right, then Somnus and Momus. The Forbes Mountains (Sir William Peak, Pluto Peak and Mount Earnslaw) are on the far right. Mount Erebus and Mount Xenicus are in the foreground.
Mount Lyttle 064 Climax Peak Climbing Cosmos Peaks Darran Mountains Destiny Peak Fiordland Fiordland National Park Forbes Mountains Humboldt Mountains Mount Earnslaw Mount Erebus Mount Lyttle Mount Xenicus Mountaineering New Zealand Olivine Range Pluto Peak Sir William Peak Somnus Southern Alps Tramping
Gemma on top of Mount Lyttle. Mount Crosscut (left) and Sabre Peak (right) are in the background; the upper Marian Valley is at centre image.
Mount Lyttle 066 Adelaide Peak Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Fiordland National Park Marian Peak Marian Valley Mount Crosscut Mount Lyttle Mount Talbot Mountaineering New Zealand Sabre Peak Tramping
That's me on the summit, in front of Mt Crosscut. Marian and Sabre Peaks on the far right. A bleeding nose makes for some great route marking for the way back.
Mount Lyttle 069 Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Fiordland National Park Mount Lyttle Mountaineering New Zealand Southern Alps Tramping
360° panorama from the summit of Mount Lyttle. 27 September 2015, h9:00am
Mount Lyttle 091a
360° panorama from the summit of Mount Lyttle. 27 September 2015, h9:00am
Mount Lyttle 091b
Abseiling off a snow bollard on the south face of Mount Lyttle
Mount Lyttle 092 Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Fiordland National Park Mount Lyttle Mountaineering New Zealand Southern Alps Tramping abseil abseiling
Abseiling off Mount Lyttle. Lake Marian below and Mount Christina in the back.
Mount Lyttle 100 Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Fiordland National Park Lake Marian Marian Valley Mount Christina Mount Lyttle Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping abseil abseiling
Mount Crosscut from the slopes of Mount Lyttle
Mount Lyttle 106 Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Fiordland National Park Mount Crosscut Mount Lyttle Mountaineering New Zealand Southern Alps Tramping
The low peak of Mount Lyttle (Pt 1899m)
Mount Lyttle 107 Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Fiordland National Park Mount Lyttle Mountaineering New Zealand Southern Alps Tramping
Ailsa Mountains from the slopes of Mount Lyttle. McKellar Saddle is on the far left. On the skyline are, from left to right, Unnamed Peak Pt 2024m, Jean Batten Peak and Unnamed Peak Pt 2096m (highest point of the range).
Mount Lyttle 109 Ailsa Mountains Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Fiordland National Park Jean Batten Peak McKellar Saddle Mount Lyttle Mountaineering New Zealand Southern Alps Tramping
Ailsa Mountains from the slopes of Mount Lyttle. McKellar Saddle is at centre image. On the skyline are, from left to right, Unnamed Peaks Pt 1695m, Pt 1665m, Pt 2024m, Jean Batten Peak and Unnamed Peak Pt 2096m (highest point of the range).
Mount Lyttle 111 Ailsa Mountains Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Fiordland National Park Jean Batten Peak McKellar Saddle Mount Lyttle Mountaineering New Zealand Southern Alps Tramping
View into Falls Creek and the saddle into Melita Stream. Melita Peak (1680m) is the lowest peak on the skyline, exactly at centre image. Pt 1757m the prominent peak on the left, while Consolation Peak is on the right.
Mount Lyttle 112 Climbing Consolation Peak Darran Mountains Falls Creek Fiordland Fiordland National Park Melita Peak Melita Stream Mount Lyttle Mountaineering New Zealand Southern Alps Tramping
Gemma takes a nap at camp - we'd been up since 2:30am, and we'd had a late night on Saturday!
Mount Lyttle 113 Ailsa Mountains Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Fiordland National Park Jean Batten Peak Mount Lyttle Mountaineering New Zealand Southern Alps Tramping nap napping sleep

Southern Alps Photography

Mount Lyttle, 26 - 27 September 2015

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