Mount Tutoko, 3 - 6 October 2011

My long-held dream of climbing Fiordland's highest peak finally came true. We started up the Tutoko River and Limerick Creek to the Leader Falls, then up Leader Creek to a campsite 200m below Turners Biv. On the second day we crossed the Madeline Glacier to a campsite at the toe of Mount Madeline's western ramparts, then scouted the access ramps to the south face of Mount Tutoko. On the third day, we climbed Tutoko via its south face, before retracing our footsteps all the way down to sea level on day four. Party: Jaz Morris and Danilo Hegg

Danilo on the summit of Mount Tutoko
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Ngapunatoru Pass Ngapunatoru Plateau Tramping Tutoko Mount 336
Back over the ice flake to get past the massive crevasse
Age Glacier Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko crevasse Mount 339
Tackling the ice flake bridging a massive crevasse near the top of Mount Tutoko's south face. Photo Jaz Morris
Age Glacier Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko crevasse Mount 339a
Séracs on the south face of Mount Tutoko
Age Glacier Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko serac seracs Mount 343
Mount Madeline from the upper slopes of Mount Tutoko. Our campsite is highlighted by a red circle
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Madeline Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko Mount 351
Our tent at the toe of Mount Madeline's western ramparts, from the upper slopes of Mount Tutoko's south face
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko campsite tent Mount 362
Mt Syme, Mt Milne, Mt Tarewai, Mt Mahere, Mt Underwood
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Mahere Mount Milne Mount Syme Mount Tarewai Mount Tutoko Mount Underwood Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko Mount 371
At the start of the descent onto the access ramps. Photo Jaz Morris
Age Glacier Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko Mount 379a
On the access ramps at the toe of Mount Tutoko's south face. Photo Jaz Morris
Age Glacier Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko Mount 379b
Mount Tutoko south face (left) and a view across the access ramps (right)
Age Glacier Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko Mount 390a
Route up the south face of Mount Tutoko
Age Glacier Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko
Natural ice sculpture
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko ice sculpture serac seracs Mount 398
Back at camp
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Madeline Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko camp campsite tent Mount 405
Sunrise on Mount Tutoko's south face
Age Glacier Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko Mount 418a
Panorama from our campsite west of Mount Madeline
Barrier Peak Castle Mount Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Ada Mount Elliot Mount Tutoko Mount Wilmur Mountaineering New Zealand Odyssey Peak Sheerdown Peak Tramping Tutoko Mount 428b
Séracs on the south face of Mount Tutoko
Age Glacier Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko serac seracs Mount 432
Mount Tutoko's south face
Age Glacier Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Grave Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko Mount 443a
Natural igloo on the Madeline Glacier
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Madeline Glacier Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko serac seracs Mount 457
Mount Grave from the Madeline Glacier
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Madeline Glacier Mount Grave Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko icicle Mount 465
On the Madeline Glacier
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Madeline Glacier Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko serac seracs Mount 468
On the Madeline Glacier
Age Glacier Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Madeline Glacier Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko Mount 487
Mount Syme
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Madeline Glacier Mount Syme Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko
Juvenile kea (Nestor notabilis), Leader Creek
climbing darran mountains fauna fiordland mount tutoko mountaineering nestor notabilis new zealand tramping tutoko kea wildlife
Master cairn builder (kea, Nestor notabilis), Leader Creek
cairn climbing darran mountains fauna fiordland mount tutoko mountaineering nestor notabilis new zealand tramping tutoko kea wildlife mount 515
Enjoying the scrub on the bluffs below Turners Biv
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Turners Biv Tutoko abseil abseiling scrub Mount 517
Leader Creek
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Leader Creek Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko pool Mount 525
Leader Falls
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Leader Creek Leader Falls Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko Mount 539
View up Leader Creek. The 'X' shows the location of our campsite at the toe of Mount Madeline's western ramparts
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Leader Creek Mount Madeline Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Turners Biv Tutoko Mount 542a

Nick Neynens
on January 12, 2012
Awesome trip, congratulations. I too see this peak all the time and still long to climb it!
Your photos are a great resource, cheers
Bob McKerrow
on January 9, 2012
Wonderful photos. Thanks for sharing. You were lucky with the weather. I got stuck up the head of Leader Creek for 6 days in 1970, and we were engulfed in a massive flood. I would like to discuss using one or two photos on my blog on my Great Grandfather James McKerrow who explored large parts of Fiordland. The blog is: jamesmckerrowsurveyor.blogspot.com