Distance: 6.5 km (10.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, hard - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 1390m to 1787m. Gain: 711m. Loss: 934m . Gradient: 15 deg
Skills: Prolonged scrambles (4/7)

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

minor (5/5)
A viable route, not widely used

Unknown (difficulty: 0/5)
Not specified

Easy-moderate (difficulty: 2/5)
Tussock / river-gravel / open bush / cut track

Prolonged scrambles (difficulty: 4/7)
Scramble, frequently on exposed ridges, spurs, faces

Unknown (difficulty: 0/6)
Not specified

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

This is probably not the best route; consult Canterbury-Westland Alps for an alternative (probably better) route. At the time, we had no route information and took what seemed the 'right' way. Traverse the snow and tussock slopes until they stop. Climb (some pack hauling and belaying) through a short rock band to reach gentler scree/snow slopes. Traverse NW to reach the flat area below the col (camp to this flat area took 6 hours); initially this is straightforward past a 'big' rock to the major stream draining Mt Lambert. A cairn on the ridge above this stream inspires confidence. We then made a high level traverse across three steep gullies using ice axes in the tussock, before easy slopes to the flat area.
The unnamed col is straightforward followed by easy slopes towards the col between pts 1809 & 1936m. The ridge and area around pt 1809 is covered in large rocks. The descent to the Lambert Tops is down easy tussock slopes and stream beds. Lambert Tops is open tussock travel.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

No description