Waddington NW Summit

Track From Griff. Description: The route avoids almost all climbing difficulties by ascending to the head of the Dias Gl on the SW side of the Waddington massif, crossing to the N side of the mountain and then ascending the long slanting Angel Gl, which plummets down the N flank of the NW peak. From a camp on the Dais Gl, ski up the far West side of the Dais Gl and traverse NE up into the basin at the head of the glacier. The key to the whole route is the Dias Couloir, which is the obvious W snow gully that climbs N from the head of the glacier at GR406942. Kick steps up the 40 degree gully for 200m to join the long NW ridge of Mt Waddington immediatyely E of Councillor Pk at 3320m. Continue E up the snowy section of the ridge on skis for about half a kilometre to a flat shoulder immediately W of the next steep section of the NW ridge. Skirt around the N side of the shoulder at about 3400m and cross a bergschrund to descend about 100m into the slanting basin of the Angel Gl. Switchback for 700m up the 30 degree glacier to the base of teh NW peak, staying well back from the huge ice cliffs that plummet from the N margin of the glacier. Cross the large bergschrund at the head of the glacier and climb easy snow slopes to the col immediately W of the NW peak. The final snow pyramid is a short snow climb. This a bold, challenging ski ascent that can only be attempted in good weather with stable avalanche conditions. It requires solid mountaineering and route finding skills. Difficulites are few in good conditions but depend on snow conditions in the couloir, the condition of the bergschrund that must be crossed to access the Angel Gl, snow bridges on the final bergschrund at the top of the Angel Gl and snow conditions on the summit knob. Experienced parties have completed the ascent in 10 hours return from a camp on the Dais Gl in good conditions, but some parties have taken twice as much time.