Doable in a morning from Tasman Saddle hut, we nipped up while skiing out from Kelman before a early pm heli pick up at the white ice in September 2018. Gets blasted by the sun and makes for some great corn skiing, but don’t leave it too late as the loose wet risk starts increasing. There are several couloirs on the North face of Darwin, and we skied the lookers right line. Increasingly the crux is getting through the bottom section which often isn’t filled in and is bare rock. But once you’re through this bottom section its heroic couloir skiing, consistent 40 degrees for 600m up to the summit snowfield, with another 200m or so to the summit.
Approach
Just underneath Tasman saddle hut, you can access the start of the line within 10 minutes from the hut. The ski down from Kelman is almost as fast but if your going back up is a bit more of a slog. Works well as a morning hit on the way out before an afternoon heli pick up. Follow the glacier south of Tasman saddle hut – the section to the North has some cool seracs you can pick your way through, or stay south and blast straight down.
Climb
Super straightforward, just boot up the ski line. The first part was a little thin so we had to cut out to the lookers right and then dog leg back in to the main body of the couloir. Depending on the year an alternate entrance could go directly below the main couloir, or in the second couloir to the lookers left. Took us 2 hours to get to the top of the couloir.
Ski
Pretty dreamy. We turned round at the top of the couloir because it was getting too hot, would be good to get back up there and ski the line from the summit! The couloir is way wider than it looks from the glacier, and was perfectly softened up meaning we could open it up and absolutely hoon it down the line in less than 5 minutes. One of those descents where you can’t help whooping high fiving and fist bumping every time you regroup! Is pretty similar in steepness and width to Elevator chute in the Remarkables, around 40 degrees, but a lot longer. Because of the dog leg there is a bit of exposure at the bottom so don’t get too carried away.
Once we got back onto the glacier it was absolutely baking, so the tops came off and we hung out in the sun eating the last of our food and drinking the last of the goon before the heli came in to pick us up. Epic morning mission and perfect way to round of a week up the Tasman!
Peak Exposure 