Distance: 3.9 km (4.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, hard - Moderate-hard terrain
Altitude: 978m to 2070m. Gain: 1092m. Loss: 24m . Gradient: 17 deg (Steep)
Skills: Snow / ice (5/7) - Occasional rivers (3/6) Winter - Iceaxe/crampons (4/7)

Unmarked route, hard (8/9)
Unmarked route, no clear geographic features to follow

Primary, unmapped (2/5)
Route not on maps, but is principal access to hut or along range / catchment

Steep (difficulty: 5/5)
Steep climbs of >1000m

Moderate-hard (difficulty: 4/5)
Tall, walkable scrub / large rocks, occasional waterfalls or gorges in rivers

Snow / ice (difficulty: 5/7)
Scramble with snow/ice sections, ice axe & crampons required

Occasional rivers (difficulty: 3/6)
Occasional rivers - impassible after heavy rain

Iceaxe/crampons (difficulty: 4/7)
Ice axe and crampons required in winter

This is the Remote Huts route to Ivory lake hut. It involves significant climbs on loose rock / hardpack and one section of serious exposure which 'may be problematic for some'. It proved impassable for me in ice/rimed conditions in June, though looked more possible either without the ice or with some snow cover.

From Top Tuke Hut, follow the river upstream for about 1km. You are aiming to climb the south branch of the Tuke from the fork about 1.5km above the hut. However, a waterfall makes that hard, so it is easier to head up the dry channel starting 1km from the hut that cuts off the corner. A second waterfall 300m up the south fork can be easily passed on the true right.

About 500m above the main forks the creek splits in 3. For pt2084 / Ivory Lake take the fork climbing SE - the spur to its south providing good travel past initial waterfalls. After 150m or so a basin opens out north of the creek and it is possible to cross and climb onto the spur north of the SE branch of the Tuke. Follow this spur up until onto rock/scree. A dry gully approaches the spur from the north before swinging SE parallel to the spur. Drop into this gully and climb good snow-chutes / gravel chutes at its head to reach gentler basins which lead in turn to the junction between the Sawtooth Ridge, the ridge leading to Mt Beaumont, and the ridge leading to pt2084.

Follow the ridgeline SE to pt2084, dropping to a slight saddle. This is the crux of the route. A 5m downclimb is necessary if following the ridgeline, on crumbling rock over a vast fall into the upper Price. A rope is recommended, but good anchor points are sparse - parties returning via the same route report leaving the rope in place for their return.

A second option is to drop onto faces SW of the saddle and sidle the steep face above bluffs below on permanent snow/ice. From here parties either return up the couloir to the saddle itself and climb pt2084, or - where snow permits - bypass pt2084 and ascend direct to pt1870. However, the face SE of the saddle sees no direct sunlight in winter and is likely to be hard ice if no snow cover is present. As with the ridgeline route, an unarrested fall would probably be fatal.

3-5 hrs Top Tuke Hut to pt2084

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The reverse route is not described here and the descent is made tricky by difficulty identifying the correct spur / chutes to drop into the upper Tuke. Traversing to Mt Beaumont and descending the cairned spur to Top Tuke may be a safer option.

2-3 hrs return via SE fork of Tuke with correct navigation

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

No description