When heading up the Cass River, one of the first sights that catches the skier’s eye, is the bold and obvious line on the Faraday Glacier, Mt Hutton. Elegant and exacting, the route beckons and entices.
The crux of the route is steep (close on 50 degrees) with sustained fall line skiing and a long run out. The Faraday is south facing, and so the snow can take a long time to soften in spring, when searching for corn conditions.
I hear that the route used to be more moderate, and more commonly skied. Glacial recession has seen a steepening of the Faraday Glacier, and it is now firmly in the ski mountaineers’ realm.
Access from Memorial hut is straight forward and quick. Allow around an hour to the snowline.
For other routes in the Cass Valley see The Scorpion via Lady Emily Hut, The Liebig Range loop , Falcon’s Nest and The Needles, and Mt Hutton via Huxley Glacier . For Glenmore Station access and hut bookings in the Cass valley read here.
R.Raynes & T.Wilmott late September 18
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