In 2022, I climbed Mt Philistine for the first time. We took the route that goes directly through Warnocks Bluff, a well-trodden and even vaguely marked path heading straight up through the bluffs. This section is undoubtedly the most challenging part of the climb. In 2025, I led a CTC party up the mountain again. While we used the same route through the bluffs on the ascent, we descended via a much easier path, which runs a couple of hundred metres north of the direct route. I am now convinced that this northern route is the best and easiest way up to Mt Philistine. Below, I’ve described this route in detail, along with some pictures to help identify it.
- We left Christchurch at 6:30 AM and started walking around 8:30 AM from the Otira Valley car park.
- The route to Mt Philistine initially follows a well-trodden track to the Otira Valley bridge. From there, the path is unmarked. The route leads diagonally along the southern slope of a prominent moraine wall, and there is a reasonably visible track from the valley floor.

- And a view of the moraine wall from the Otira Valley bridge:

- Once on the moraine wall, we followed the track up to the base of Warnocks Bluff and went straight up. While manageable, this section is quite exposed and has a high risk of rockfall. It only takes about 10 minutes to reach the top, and I’ve completed it three times – twice ascending and once descending. However, there is a much better route than the direct ascent. This alternate route, which we took on the descent, skirts the base of the bluffs approximately 200 metres north before heading up. Once you pick up the track at the base of the bluffs, it’s well-marked with rock cairns. The photo below shows the approximate location of the track as seen from the top of the moraine wall:

- This northern route through the bluffs has a few steep, easy scrambly sections near the top, but it is on solid rock and has significantly fewer serious fall hazards compared to the direct route.
- Once above the bluffs on a prominent terrace, the route continues through another series of bluffs via gently sloping grassy slopes. This section is sporadically marked with rock cairns and pretty cruisy.

- The next stage crosses a boulder field filled with sharp, large rocks, and it is unmarked. However, navigation is straightforward, as the summit is visible from this point.

- The final stage is a steep scree slope that gradually becomes steeper. Just before reaching the ridge, there’s a small rocky chimney to navigate and some loose, bony scree. Fortunately, there’s a rock wall nearby for support. Once on the ridge, it’s an easy stroll to the summit.
- Overall, the trip is enjoyable and achievable for an average tramper. There’s no significant exposure, unlike on Mt Aicken or the Avalanche-Bealey traverse. However, some navigation skills are necessary to get through the bluffs and stay on track. We wandered off a couple of times and quickly realised we weren’t on the route when we got bluffed out. If you have a GPS device, download my GPX file below—but make sure to follow the northern route through the bluffs, as we did on the descent!
Stats: 9.6 km, 7h 10min, 1250 m ascent. The route on NZ Topo Map
Participants: Michal Klajban (leader, scribe, GPX), Cage Cardon, William Steel, James Killick, Igreta Sinanaj, Jimmy Philpott, Etienne Borde, Andrew Ecker, Alan Ross, Mark Nicholls, Safka Dowding
Tramped on 19th January 2024.
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Map
Max elevation: 1943 m
Min elevation: 888 m
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