24/05/2026
BACK COUNTRY CUISINE ADVENTURE //
📍 Malte Brun // Zach Preston
"Climbing Malte Brun requires a bit of walking. This was Liv’s first time up the Tasman, which helps to mask the gruelling slog of nearly 30km each way of moraine.
As this was my 5th time on the Tasman, I fondly remembered all the loose moraine, shifting terrain, and vert to come. Despite that, there’s something I love about going out there.
We descended from Ball Shelter down the infamous ‘Garbage Gully’, which is the loose name given to the easiest-looking descent down the moraine.
Once down, we made our way up the Tasman Glacier and made a bivvy site just before Darwin Corner. The next day saw a 5am start to climb up the moraine wall to access the Bonnie Glacier.
An overnight freeze meant travel was fast, and we started up the Bonnie Rib just after sunrise. Malte Brun offers some of the best and most exposed alpine scrambling in the country. It’s obligatory to get a shot of the famous cheval on your way up.
Whilst we expected summer conditions, recent snowfall had left a layer of unconsolidated snow on top of the thin scree on the West Ridge at about 3000m.
Having already completed the best of the climbing, we decided to turn back 60m below the summit and save that part of the climb for our next time out here later in the season.
The best part of walking out of the glacier is that you find all kinds of things, including old climbing gear, overturned monitoring stations, and a few ice caves.
The cherry on top was that this time, Liv and I decided to start this trip with mountain bikes. Whilst they’re a slog to ride up, the sweet downhill out of Ball Road on the way out is the best possible way to end the trip."
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