Baarb - Mar 21, 2016 9:43 pm Date Climbed: Feb 12, 2016
Exciting times
Did this from Lyell Peak to Mt Bealey rather than the other way. Personally I'm not sure I'd want to down climb the Lyell Peak end as it needed some committing moves to get up on to the ridge proper from there and there didn't seem an alternative work around either like at "the crux" on the Mt Bealey end (i.e. you can sidle round the left/NE side). As the first bit from Lyell Peak seemed the hardest, had to go up and over that first ridge section and the second before thinking about an escape. However it got easier from there anyway so kept going. Looked like you could skip out this whole ridge if you wanted to and stay on the west/south side lower slopes before cutting back and heading up Mt Bealey so one could (possibly) do the loop without anything too challenging. Made the traverse with a friendly Austrian lawyer/insurer/mountain guide I'd run in to on Mt Avalanche. Whole circuit took 10 hours or so inc. 1 or more hours of chatting!
Baarb - Mar 21, 2016 9:43 pm Date Climbed: Feb 12, 2016
Exciting timesDid this from Lyell Peak to Mt Bealey rather than the other way. Personally I'm not sure I'd want to down climb the Lyell Peak end as it needed some committing moves to get up on to the ridge proper from there and there didn't seem an alternative work around either like at "the crux" on the Mt Bealey end (i.e. you can sidle round the left/NE side). As the first bit from Lyell Peak seemed the hardest, had to go up and over that first ridge section and the second before thinking about an escape. However it got easier from there anyway so kept going. Looked like you could skip out this whole ridge if you wanted to and stay on the west/south side lower slopes before cutting back and heading up Mt Bealey so one could (possibly) do the loop without anything too challenging. Made the traverse with a friendly Austrian lawyer/insurer/mountain guide I'd run in to on Mt Avalanche. Whole circuit took 10 hours or so inc. 1 or more hours of chatting!