Routes
Huts / campsites
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DOC Land
Altitude: 1450m to 1743m. Gain: 194m. Loss: 339m . Gradient: 13 deg (Moderate)
Skills: Prolonged scrambles (4/7) - Streams (2/6)
From the saddle between Pt1663 and Mt Nox ascend easy slopes onto Pt1663. Easy ridge line travel leads along to a steep climb up onto Pt1732. There's some nice looking camp sites up here between Pt1732 and 1760 by tarns nestled in little bowls on the ridge.
The descent off 1760 starts easy enough, but as the ridge drops down to the saddle beneath Minos Peak it rapidly bluffs out. There's a very steep route on the northern side of the ridge line, involving a couple of short airy down climbs between ledges. Once past those, scree slopes dropping to the southwest provides easier travel down onto the saddle. Standing on the saddle looking back up, the route back up onto 1760 is out of sight on the northern side, and it is not obvious how you get up there!
Descend northeastwards then eastwards down the valley draining the Lake Unknown side of the saddle, a small stream not on the topomap leads the way down. The stream descends steeply down into the basin holding the tarn on the map at the head of the western inlet of Lake Unknown, flinging itself off some small waterfalls. Bluffs ring the basin so keep to the south of the stream and pick your way down steep slopes to reach the tarn. There's great looking camp spots here.