Mt Earnslaw and O’Leary Peak, March 2013
Occasional Climber > See Images > See New Zealand – South Island > Aspiring National Park > Mt Earnslaw and O’Leary Peak, March 2013

4WDing up the Rees River at dawn


The old Earnslaw Hut (950m)


Inside Earnslaw Hut


View south down the Rees River, from about 1,100m


View north east, up the Rees Valley


The East Peak of Mount Earnslaw, from just above Kea Basin


The East Peak of Mount Earnslaw, from just above Kea Basin


View south, down the Rees Valley


View south down the Rees Valley, from about 1,200m


View south down the Rees Valley, from about 1,200m


On to the scree above Kea Basin, at about 1,300m


View north east, from about 1,400m


View north east, to Mount Aspiring (right skyline)


In to the rock slabs and snow fields, at about 1,600m


Ascending westward towards Birley Glacier and Wright Col


View north east to Mount Aspiring, from about 1,800m


Ascending Birley Glacier, with Earnslaw East above


On Birley Glacier at 2,200m, near Wright Col (2,264m)


Approaching Esquilant Bivy (2,200m). Pluto peak (2,480m) at left


Esquilant Bivy, Pluto Peak and Throne room


Looking up to the East Peak of Mount Earnslaw (2,830m)


View west at sunset, from Esquilant Bivy


Esquilant Bivy and Earnslaw West (2,820m) at sunset


Pluto Peak at sunrise, from Esquilant Bivy


Sunrise view to Earnslaw West (left) and Pluto Peak


Earnslaw West and Pluto Peak, at sunrise


Above Wright Col, at the beginning of the route to the summit of Earnslaw East


Accessing the scree slopes on the north face of Earnslaw East


View back to Esquilant Bivy, from about 2,300m


Cairn spotting in a world of rock


Ascending the north face of Earnslaw East


View west at about 2,400m. Mount Tutoko (2,723m) is on the left skyline


Ascending steep rock at about 2,600m, with Mount Aspiring on the north eastern skyline


View west to Mount Tutoko and Pluto Peak, from about 2,700m


At about 2,800m, just below the summit of Earnslaw East


Earnslaw East summit view, north east to Mount Aspiring


On the summit of Earnslaw East (2,830m), looking west to Mount Tutoko (2,723m) and Mount Madeline (2,516m)


From left - Mount Madeline and Tutoko on the skyline. Pluto Peak centre foreground


View south, along the south face and Glacier to the West Peak (far right) of Mount Earnslaw


Summit view east, with Mount Aspiring far left


Summit view of Mounts Madeline and Tutoko


Commencing the descent of Earnslaw East. The east face is at right and O'Leary Peak (2,570m) is the black mound above and right of the climber. Beyond O'Leary Peak is Sir William Peak (2,610m)


View north. O'Leary Peak is left


On the descent, with Mount Tutoko and Pluto Peak


Finding the route down through bluffs. Mount Aspiring is on the skyline right of centre


The crux of the route up Earnslaw East


Descending the crux


View north west, with Esquilant Bivy bottom right


Summit view south from O'Leary Peak (2,570m) to Eanslaw East (2,830m, left) and Earnslaw West (2,820m, right). The route up Earnslaw East is all left of the snow field between the East and West peaks. Mounts Madeline and Tutoko are on the right skyline


Dead goats on the summit of O'Leary Peak.


Mount Tutoko (2,723m, right) and Mount Madeline (2,536m, left), from the summit of O'Leary Peak


The access point to O'Leary Peak, from above Wright Col


Pluto Peak, sunlit at dawn


Wright Col at dawn


Descending Birley Glacier


Mount Aspiring, on the descent of Birley Glacier


Below Birley Glacier, looking back to Earnslaw East


View south along the Rees Valley, from above Kea Basin


Earnslaw East and the Rees Valley, from above Kea Basin


Earnslaw East and Kea Basin


The larger of two rock bivouacs, near Kea Basin


View west from the Rees Valley at 500m, with the 175m Lenox Falls and east face of Mount Earnslaw above. O'Leary Peak is far right

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