Distance

3.4 km to summit

Elevation

2,162 m start

Vertical

768 m gain

Time

3 hr 30 min to summit

My first trip after appendicitis surgery. Picked a relatively short objective with low elevation gain to make sure my legs can handle it after 2 months of inactivity.

Mt. Arethusa is a great scramble for a shorter day. Crux is a Class 4 chimney downclimb with plenty of good handholds. There are many more exposed sections between the crux and the summit but the exposure is not the kind of that gives you adrenaline rush. Pretty manageable for anyone without vertigo issues. There are 2 traverses near the summit below the ridge crest which require very careful foot placement, and that's it.

Having read lots of horror stories about the Kasne's alternative descent, we decided to go back the same way.

Route name

Southeast Ridge

out-and-back
Obstacles

routefinding, no water source, rockfall/loose rock

Key gear

helmet