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

Trip map. 1 grid square = 1km. Left click on map then select "Sizes -> Original" in bottom right corner of screen to view full size
At Homer Hut, all ready for departure
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Homer Hut Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko climbing gear pack Mount 013
Tutoko Valley: Grave Couloir and Paranui Peak
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Grave Couloir Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Paranui Peak Tramping Tutoko Tutoko River Tutoko Valley Mount 016
Tutoko Vally river flats, looking south to Mt Underwood
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Tutoko Mount Underwood Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko Tutoko River Tutoko Valley Mount 022
Tutoko Valley, below the junction of Leader Creek
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko Tutoko River Tutoko Valley Mount 030 Edit
Whio or blue duck (Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos), Leader Creek
Blue duck Climbing Darran Mountains Fauna Fiordland Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos Leader Creek Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko Tutoko Valley Whio wildlife Mount 036
Whio or blue duck (Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos), Leader Creek
Blue duck Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos Leader Creek Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko Tutoko Valley Whio wildlife Mount 057
Leader Creek and the Age Glacier. The route to Turners Biv follows the diagonal spur at centre right
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Leader Creek Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko Tutoko Valley Mount 058
Lunch spot at the top of Leader Falls
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Leader Creek Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko Tutoko Valley Mount 066
Route through the bluffs below Turners Biv
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Leader Creek Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Turners Biv Tutoko Tutoko Valley Mount 075a
The bluffs south of Turners Biv, Leader Creek
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Leader Creek Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Turners Biv Tutoko Tutoko Valley Mount 079
View down Leader Creek
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Leader Creek Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko Tutoko Valley Mount 084
Climbing through the bluffs below Turners Biv. OK, this picture really doesn't show the verticality of the terrain!
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Leader Creek Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Turners Biv Tutoko Tutoko Valley Mount 093
Turner Pass and the western ramparts of Mount Madeline
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Madeline Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko Mount 097a
The south face of Mount Tutoko at dusk
Age Glacier Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko Mount 103
Looking across the Tutoko Valley to unnamed peak 1934m on the south ridge of Mount Grave
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Grave Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko Tutoko Valley Mount 105
Looking across the Tutoko Valley to unnamed peak 1934m on the south ridge of Mount Grave
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Grave Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko Tutoko Valley Mount 115
Campsite at the 'Rock of Discomfort', 200m below Turners Biv. The south face of Mount Tutoko above
Age Glacier Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Leader Creek Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko camp campsite tent Mount 121
View down Leader Creek and into the Tutoko Valley from our campsite near the 'Rock of Discomfort'
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Leader Creek Mount Grave Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko Tutoko Valley Mount 124
Campsite at the 'Rock of Discomfort', 200m below Turners Biv. Turner Pass above
Age Glacier Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko camp campsite tent Mount 132
Below the Madeline icefall
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Leader Creek Madeline Glacier Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko glacier serac seracs Mount 135
Mount Tutoko south face
Age Glacier Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Turner Pass Tutoko Mount 139
Looking up to the towring séracs of the Madeline icefall. We retreated and took a longer but safer route
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Madeline Glacier Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko glacier serac seracs Mount 143
Mount Tutoko south face
Age Glacier Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko Mount 148
Our route up the south face of Mount Tutoko
Age Glacier Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko
Approaching our second campsite at the toe of Mt Madeline's western ramparts
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko Mount 159
The Sheerdown Hills and Mount Elliot from our campsite below Mt Madeline
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Ada Mount Elliot Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Sheerdown Hills Tramping Tutoko Mount 169
Campsite at the toe of Mount Madeline's western ramparts
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko camp campsite tent Mount 179
The exposed ramps below Turner Pass, giving access to the south face of Mount Tutoko
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko serac seracs Mount 182
Séracs on the south face of Mount Tutoko
Age Glacier Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko glacier serac seracs Mount 197
Mount Christina
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Christina Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko Mount 200
The ice cap near the top of Mount Tutoko's south-east ridge
Age Glacier Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko glacier serac seracs Mount 224a
View south from the upper slopes of Mount Tutoko
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Christina Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko Mount 225
On the upper slopes of Mount Tutoko. Mount Madeline behind
Age Glacier Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Madeline Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko Mount 231
On the upper slopes of Mount Tutoko's south face
Age Glacier Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko Mount 234
An ice flake bridges a massive crevasse near the top of Mount Tutoko's south face
Age Glacier Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko crevasse glacier Mount 239
On Mount Tutoko's summit ice cap
Age Glacier Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Madeline Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko Mount 249
View into the Tutoko Valley from the summit ridge of Mount Tutoko. The Takitimu Mountains are on the far left horizon, Mount Titiroa just left of centre image, Mount Irene and Coronation Peak on the far right
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko Tutoko River Tutoko Valley Mount 250
View from the summit ridge of Mount Tutoko: Llawrenny Peaks, Mount Grave, Mount Pembroke
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Llawrenny Peaks Mitre Peak Mount Grave Mount Pembroke Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko Mount 258
View from the summit ridge of Mount Tutoko: Mount Pembroke, Grave Couloir, Paranui Peak, Ngapunatoru ice plateau
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Grave Couloir Mount Pembroke Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Ngapunatoru Pass Ngapunatoru Plateau Paranui Peak Tramping Tutoko Mount 269
Panorama from the summit ridge of Mount Tutoko
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Grave Couloir Llawrenny Peaks Mitre Peak Mount Grave Mount Parariki Mount Pembroke Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Ngapunatoru Pass Ngapunatoru Plateau Paranui Peak Tramping Tutoko Mount 273a
Panorama from the summit ridge of Mount Tutoko
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Grave Couloir Llawrenny Peaks Mitre Peak Mount Grave Mount Parariki Mount Pembroke Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Ngapunatoru Pass Ngapunatoru Plateau Paranui Peak Tramping Tutoko Mount 273b
Approaching the summit of Mount Tutoko
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko Mount 291
Almost there!
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko summit Mount 298
On Fiordland's highest point
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko summit Mount 304
Donne Glacier Lake. Mount Aspiring and the Forbes Mountains above
Climbing Darran Mountains Donne Glacier Fiordland Forbes Mountains Mount Aspiring Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Tramping Tutoko Mount 316
View into Stickup Creek and Lake Iceberg. The Skippers Range at centre image, between Lake McKerrow (left) and Lake Alabaster (right)
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Lake Alabaster Lake Iceberg Lake McKerrow Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Skippers Range Stickup Creek Tramping Tutoko Mount 322
Jaz is all smiles on the summit of Mount Tutoko
Climbing Darran Mountains Fiordland Mount Tutoko Mountaineering New Zealand Ngapunatoru Pass Ngapunatoru Plateau Tramping Tutoko Mount 331

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