NEW ZEALAND

The expeditions we have carried out in New Zealand include:

Four climbers on Aoraki / Mount Cook
Four climbers on Aoraki / Mount Cook

Aoraki / Mount Cook

The Summit Ridge
Aoraki / Mount Cook

 

Location: Mount Cook National Park, South Island

Height: 3,750 meters (12,303 feet) - New Zealand's highest peak

Difficulty: NZ alpine grade 3/3+ (of 6)

Length of Trip: Allow 7 days

Cost: US$2000

Description:
Aoraki / Mount Cook is the focus point of the central Southern Alps, in the South Island of New Zealand.

Although you may only need 4 days to climb Mt Cook, you should allow for 7 as the weather and snow conditions are unpredictable.

The standard Linda route is 12 - 20 hours long, ascending and descending over 1600 meters (5000 feet) between Plateau Hut and the Summit. The route comprises much glacier travel, steep snow, ice and alpine rock climbing before low angled ice on the Summit ice cap.

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Mount Aspiring

Location: Mount Aspiring National Park, South Island

Height: 3033 meters (9951 feet)

Difficulty: route dependant

Length of Trip: Allow 3 - 5 days

Cost: US$1000

Description:
Mount Aspiring lies close to Wanaka, and 150km south of Mount Cook. The standard routes are the North West ridge (NZ alpine Grade 2+ (of 6)), the Ramp (Grade 2+ / 3) and the South West ridge (Grade 3+).

Summit day, from either Bevan Col or Colin Todd Hut is between 12 - 15 hours long. The North West ridge route has rock lower down, but the Ramp and the South West ridge are snow and ice.

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Mount Tasman

Tasman Sunrise
Sunrise on Mount Tasman

Location: Mount Cook National Park, South Island

Height: 3,400 meters (11,500 feet) - New Zealand's second highest peak

Difficulty: route dependant

Length of Trip: Allow 6 days

Cost: $US2000

Description:
The second highest peak in New Zealand, Mount Tasman is a beautiful ice climb, five peaks north of Aoraki / Mount Cook in the central Southern Alps. Allow 6 days from either Pioneer Hut on Fox Glacier or Plateau Hut on Tasman Glacier - or east - side.

The west side route, (rh skyline in the picture), is New Zealand alpine grade 3+/4 (of 6). It comprises glacier travel, steep snow and exposed ridges and faces on snow or ice, before the spectacular summit ridge. This route takes 12 - 20 hours return.

The east side route from Plateau Hut, which is NZ alpine grade 4, comprises glacier travel then a steep, narrow ridge with a rock buttress to Mt. Silberhorn. From here a world class ridge leads to Tasman summit. This route also takes 12 - 20 hours return. A client who had has climbed all the European 4000m peaks said "This ridge beats them all."

Haast, Lenderfield and Tasman.
This route goes up between Haast (left), over Lendenfeld (centre), to climb Tasman's (right) skyline ridge.

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Mount Tutoko

Location: Fiordland National Park, South Island

Height: 2746 meters (9010 feet)

Difficulty: NZ alpine grade 3+ (of 6)

Length of Trip: 12 - 18 hours

Cost: US$1000

Description:
Mount Tutoko, the monarch of Fiordland, is located close to beautiful Milford Sound, in the south west of the South Island.

The Ngapunatoro Glacier and South East Ridge routes both demand good skills and previous New Zealand alpine experience.

South East Ridge is climbed from Turner's Bivy or a higher snow camp. Turner's Bivy is accessed by a short helicopter flight from Milford Sound, or a day's foot travel up Tutoko Creek. Extensive glacier travel is followed by three rock buttresses interspersed by snow ridges.

The Ngapunatoro Glacier, or North West Ridge, is all rock in the late season and mixed rock, snow and ice earlier on. It is climbed from a snow camp, accessed by a short helicopter flight from Milford Sound.

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New Zealand: Aoraki / Mount Cook | Mount Aspiring | Mount Tasman | Mount Tutoko
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