Hamilton (The Mountain…)

Steve Dowall on Pitch 5 West Face of Hamilton, Bonney Glacier below

In the second week of January Steve Dowall and Tom Wilson walked up the Tasman to a high camp in the Bonney Glacier. From there they completed a possible new rock route on West Face of Mt Hamilton (3025m). The climb dog-legged up the face through 9 pitches of generally good rock, 2 of choss. Crux grade about 15. The pair topped out late, and in the growing darkness were unable to pass the final pinnacles on the ridge to the summit, so an unplanned bivy ensued. Resuming the following morning, the summit was reached and they descended to camp via the North West Ridge.

Conditions on the lower Tasman moraine seem to have deteriorated, with the previously large flat areas on the true left now seeming quite jumbled up. On the walk out we crossed to the true right after leaving the white ice, towards Cinerama Col and down close to the Ball Glacier - this seemed to offer better travel.