The Sceptre

Follows a striking plum line couloir up the west face of Victoria Peak. Typically you wouldn't expect to find a great rock climb in a gully but this route is a definite exception. It is clean, has solid rock, excellent protection and best of all is a long, aesthetic beeline to the summit of a dramatic alpine peak.

P1- Gain the base of the gully either direct if the snow cone is high enough, or take a right-trending shallow corner. Steep moves to reach a wide ledge (5.8)
P2 - Scramble right over wide ledges to the base of a short, steep wall.
P3 - Climb up the wall and over several short steps (5.7)
P4 - From here the gully narrows and the route climbs the back wall on excellent rock. Climb a series of short steps
P5 - Climb direct up excellent face to a belay ledge (5.8)
P6 - Climb a water polished corner or cracks to the left to reach an alcove (5.7)
P7 - Stem out of the alcove and climb up a corner and then direct (5.8)
P8 - The couloir narrows to a chimney above the belay, head left up a steep wall to reach a gully with some loose rock (5.8)
P9 - Climb the gully direct to a steep step and exciting moves up a corner slab.
P10 - Climb more slab and then up blocky ground to gain the crest of the upper west ridge.
Scramble up the top part of the west ridge to the summit and descend the regular route down the south face.

No fixed gear, standard trad rack.