The Footstool, 6 - 7 September 2014

After an unusually dry August, we took advantage of the settled snow conditions to climb the Couloir Route on the east face of The Footstool (2764m, grade 3-). We found a mix of sugar snow and solid ice in the couloir, good spring snow on the Main Divide route, and mid summer conditions with wide open crevasses on the glaciers.
On Saturday we drove from Dunedin and walked up Stocking Stream to Sefton Bivvy, which we were lucky enough to have to ourselves.
On Sunday we climbed the ridge above the bivvy then crossed the upper Tewaewae Glacier to gain the Couloir Route, which we climbed to the summit of The Footstool. We descended the Main Divide route and the Eugenie Glacier to return to Sefton Bivvy and to the village.
Party: Jonas Meerstetter, Hanna Axén, Kathryn Vollinger, 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.
Mount Sefton and The Footstool from the summit of Mt Wakefield (2003). Footstool route topo: Couloir Route on left, Main Divide Route on right
The Footstool 000a Climbing Couloir Route Eugenie Glacier Main Divide Route Mount Cook National Park Mountaineering Mt Cook National Park Mt Sefton New Zealand Southern Alps The Footstool Tramping route topo
Mount Sefton and The Footstool above the Mueller Glacier Lake
The Footstool 002 Climbing Mount Cook National Park Mount Sefton Mountaineering Mueller Glacier Mueller Glacier Lake New Zealand Southern Alps The Footstool Tramping
Sefton Bivvy - route topo for winter access
The Footstool 003a Climbing Mount Cook National Park Mountaineering New Zealand Sefton Biv Sefton Bivvy Southern Alps The Footstool Tramping
The bluffs below Sefton Bivvy from Stocking Stream. The Footstool is top right, with the couloir left of the summit
The Footstool 004 Climbing Couloir Route Mount Cook National Park Mountaineering New Zealand Sefton Biv Sefton Bivvy Southern Alps The Footstool Tramping
Walking up Stocking Stream. Mount Sefton is at centre image
The Footstool 005 Climbing Mount Cook National Park Mount Sefton Mountaineering New Zealand Southern Alps Stocking Stream The Footstool Tramping
The team en route to Sefton Bivvy
The Footstool 007 Climbing Mount Cook National Park Mountaineering New Zealand Sefton Biv Sefton Bivvy Southern Alps The Footstool Tramping
On the winter route to Sefton Bivvy
The Footstool 009 Climbing Mount Cook National Park Mountaineering New Zealand Sefton Biv Sefton Bivvy Southern Alps The Footstool Tramping
On the winter route to Sefton Bivvy
The Footstool 011 Climbing Mount Cook National Park Mountaineering New Zealand Sefton Biv Sefton Bivvy Southern Alps The Footstool Tramping
On the winter route to Sefton Bivvy
The Footstool 017 Climbing Mount Cook National Park Mountaineering New Zealand Sefton Biv Sefton Bivvy Southern Alps The Footstool Tramping
The Footstool - couloir is left of the summit. Picture is taken looking up, which makes it all look less steep than it actually is
The Footstool 019 Climbing Couloir Route Mount Cook National Park Mountaineering New Zealand Southern Alps The Footstool Tramping
Mount Sefton east face
The Footstool 020 Climbing Mount Cook National Park Mount Sefton Mountaineering New Zealand Southern Alps The Footstool Tramping
Mount Sealy and the Annette Plateau from Sefton Bivvy
The Footstool 023 Annette Plateau Climbing Mount Cook National Park Mount Sealy Mountaineering New Zealand Southern Alps The Footstool Tramping
At Sefton Bivvy. The Mount Cook Range behind, from Turner Peak and Ball Pass (far left) to Mount Wakefield (just left of the moon). Mount Blackburn is on the far right
The Footstool 028a Ball Pass Climbing Kaitiaki Peak Mount Blackburn Mount Cook National Park Mount Cook Range Mount Kinsey Mount Mabel Mount Rosa Mount Wakefield Mountaineering New Zealand Sefton Biv Sefton Bivvy Southern Alps The Footstool Tramping Turner Peak
At Sefton Bivvy. The Mount Cook Range behind, from Turner Peak and Ball Pass (far left) to Mount Kinsey (far right).
The Footstool 029 Ball Pass Climbing Kaitiaki Peak Mount Cook National Park Mount Kinsey Mount Mabel Mount Rosa Mountaineering New Zealand Sefton Biv Sefton Bivvy Southern Alps The Footstool Tramping Turner Peak
At Sefton Bivvy
The Footstool 033 Climbing Mount Cook National Park Mountaineering New Zealand Sefton Biv Sefton Bivvy Southern Alps The Footstool Tramping
Jonas and Hanna climb the last pitch on the Couloir Route. The large cornice above was a bit too much like a sword of Damocles - I did not like it
The Footstool 038 Climbing Couloir Route Mount Cook National Park Mountaineering New Zealand Southern Alps The Footstool Tramping couloir
Kat high up in the couloir. Lake Pukaki in the background
The Footstool 041 Climbing Couloir Route Mount Cook National Park Mountaineering New Zealand Southern Alps The Footstool Tramping couloir
Kat leading the last pitch on the Couloir Route
The Footstool 043 Climbing Couloir Route Mount Cook National Park Mountaineering New Zealand Southern Alps The Footstool Tramping couloir
Kat, you're always moving too fast... Approaching the summit of The Footstool
The Footstool 044 Climbing Mount Cook National Park Mount Sefton Mountaineering New Zealand Southern Alps The Footstool Tramping
Hanna and Jonas leave the summit of The Footstool. The Copland River valley below
The Footstool 045 Climbing Mount Cook National Park Mountaineering New Zealand Southern Alps The Footstool Tramping Westland National Park
Kat on the summit of The Footstool. Lyttle Peak and Mount Copland behind
The Footstool 046 Climbing Lyttle Peak Mount Cook National Park Mount Copland Mountaineering New Zealand Southern Alps The Footstool Tramping Westland Westland National Park
Mount Sefton from The Footstool
The Footstool 047 Climbing Mount Cook National Park Mount Sefton Mountaineering New Zealand Southern Alps The Footstool Tramping
Aoraki / Mount Cook from The Footstool. Mount Hicks on left
The Footstool 049 Aoraki Climbing Mount Cook Mount Cook National Park Mount Hicks Mountaineering New Zealand Southern Alps The Footstool Tramping