F-Knob, Ocean Peak, Xenicus
- Mike Morelli
- 7 days ago
- 4 min read
Date:Â July 5 - 7, 2025
Location: Serpentine Range, Mount Aspiring National Park, Glenorchy, Otago, New Zealand
Total Trip Distance:Â 23.19 mi / 37.3 km
Total Elevation Gain: 9,661 ft / 2,945 m
Trip Duration: 3 Days
Team:Â Rob Fraser
Field Notes: For F-Knob, start from Routeburn Falls Hut and head West until you reach the first bridge. A ground trail initially heads south, bypassing the bluffs to the east and ending near a group of tarns. Gain the North East Ridge and follow directly to the summit. To get to Ocean Peak, follow the obvious ridge line heading West, sidling difficulties on the north. For Xenicus, start from Falls Hut and climb above the hut into the valley. Cross the Route Burn, and head straight up a gully that eventually ends at 1,500 meters. Sidle around the South East Ridge on the Eastern side, gaining the ridge at 1,800 meters.
Rating:Â I, 1+
It's been a long while since I got stuck into a proper summit. June didn't provide much in the way of weather and I found myself skinning up Coronet Peak for fitness most of the time. May was filled with tramping, and April I was in Dunedin surfing.
The last big trip in the hills was March 20th, when Alex and I did a speedy one-day ascent of Mount Tyndall. Work has also been busy, so when I saw three days in a row of perfect weather, I knew I needed to be outside for all of them. My soul was burning for it.
We still need another good storm to properly open up some bigger ski touring/mountaineering days, so I left the sticks at home and wandered up the Routeburn. There are quite a few peaks there I haven't managed to climb yet, and the area is jaw-dropping.
I walked in to Falls Hut on a beautiful Saturday afternoon and was surprised to see about twenty other hikers there. I didn't mind the company - we are all there for the same reason, and I was grateful that someone had put in the effort to stoke the fire.
I planned to climb F-Knob and take the ridge line over to Ocean Peak. Then on Monday morning, Rob was to meet me at Falls Hut, and we were going to climb Xenicus. I knew there wouldn't be a ton of snow up there, but I was surprised to see how little there actually was.
In fact, I didn't put crampons on until twenty meters below the summit of F-Knob. The ascent was easy enough, although steep, and it was surreal to be high above the valley floor.
The weather conditions were absolutely incredible. Sunny, low cloud in the valley, and the faintest breath of wind. Although these summits don't even touch two thousand meters, the scenery has got to be some of the best in the Southern Alps.
I put my crampons on for the final twenty meters and front-pointed to the summit. From here, I looked over to Emily Peak which Alex and I had done earlier in the year. The temperature was rising so I kept moving towards Ocean Peak, following the easy ridge traveling West.
At Point 1820, the snow was getting quite warm and I knew I needed to get over to Ocean Peak sooner rather than later. The climbing looked tricky over this section, so I followed a ledge system at 1700 meters that took me to a small basin just below the summit. From here, I booted up a gully to join the South West Ridge.
I climbed higher until I met an awkward step that forced me onto the face. With exposure below, I front-pointed up to the summit. My eyes were drawn towards the wild peaks of Fiordland, especially Tutoko. Knowing it was only getting warmer, I left the summit quickly and made my way down.
Back at the hut, I immediately started boiling water as the hut was entirely devoid of the sun and was cold. I did my best at starting a fire with damp wood and coal, and after hours of work, wondering why the hut wasn't warmer, I was dismayed to find out that there were windows at the top of the hut that were open the entire time.
By seven thirty, I crawled into my sleeping bag and called it a night. For the two nights I slept at Falls Hut, they may have been the best back-to-back nights of sleep I've ever had in the backcountry. I slept soundly, only waking up occasionally.
Rob arrived at half past seven and I made him a coffee as promised. We started back up the Routeburn track, crossed the River, and headed north up through low scrub. Travel was not difficult by any means and we were glad to hit the snow. It was awesome having Rob up here - he's super fit, grounded, and has a great mindset.
At 1,500 meters we sidled around to access the South East Ridge of Xenicus. It looked very straightforward, minus one little cruxy section. We cramponed higher, swapping places when the person in front needed a break.
We arrived at the crux just below the summit and it wasn't ideal. There were sections of ice in a short gully with plenty of exposure off to our left. This is why conditions are almost everything in the mountains.
We were both keen and tackled the crux, being diligent with our placements. At the summit, we congratulated each other, snapped a photo, and then headed back down. The crux required extreme care, and I wish I had a second tool. However, with patience, it was managed just fine.
At the bottom of the climb, Rob busted out a few of his girlfriend's homemade cookies, and I can confirm it was a borderline religious experience. Thank you, Daisy.
We made quick work back to Falls Hut where we swapped mountain boots for hiking boots, and then continued on to the car park. It was a hell of a day and a hell of trip - and I celebrated with some much-needed Indian food back in Queenstown.
Happy days...