Join us for a 12 day expedition experiencing the Sacred Ancestors Mount Aspiring and Äoraki / Mount Cook.

These peaks are located in two different national parks and are protected by the Ngai Tahu (NZ Maori Tribe).

Mount Aspiring (3027m/9928ft grade 3+ SW ridge) is the only 3000m peak outside of Mount Cook National Park. It is called the Matterhorn of the South. On this program we guide the Classic South West ridge and the North Buttress, these are more technical routes guided on a 1:1 basis only. If conditions prevent us from climbing this route, the NW ridge can be accessed from the Bonar glacier by climbing up what is referred to as The Ramp. This involves up to 8-9 pitches of climbing on a snow / ice ramp which leads onto a ridge climb to the Summit snow cap. This involves snow and ice terrain up to the summit. Depending on conditions, your guide will usually short rope you up this.

Äoraki/Mount Cook (3763m/12,342 ft. grade 3 Linda Glacier route) is the highest point in Australasia. It is a serious mountain and not to be underestimated due to it’s comparatively low altitude. It is comparable in length and difficulty to Arguille Verte in Chamonix, France. The Linda glacier is the most common and easiest ascent route to the High Peak. The base hut for this ascent is Plateau hut (2200m). The climbing route ascends the Linda Glacier which is relatively straight forward apart from route finding through crevasses. At various points the Linda Glacier is threatened by ice fall from seracs. It is not a place to daddle!

From the top of Äoraki/Mount Cook, the view reveals a unique alpine setting. To the north: mountain upon mountain stretch beyond view. To the east: icefalls tumble to the valley floors, ultimately draining to the Pacific ocean. To the south are more peaks, ice plateaus and distant lakes, while to the west vast neves crack and plunge into valleys clad by dense rainforest, en route to the Tasman Sea. This is some of the most spectacular and challenging alpine terrain in the world. The Äoraki/Mount Cook region has peaks that rise from valley floors that sit at 700m, to well over 3000 metres above sea level. This is a deceptively large vertical gain, and one commonly underestimated. The peaks are sharp and steep, providing classic snow arêtes, ice faces and rock buttresses. They are flanked by fast moving, temperate glaciers which offer perpetually changing conditions, and are battered by ferocious weather systems which keep the best meteorologist guessing. The climbs and adventures to be found here will challenge and test the climber in many ways, but the rewards to be had cannot be categorized.

Sample itinerary

* Package includes, air access, meals and energy snacks, technical equipment, hut and landing fees, guide fees, and 12.5% Goods and Services Tax.

1		Easy scramble. Use of rope generally only for glacier travel.
2		Steeper trickier sections may need a rope.
3		Longer steeper sections generally. Use of technical equipment necessary. Ice climbs may require two tools.
4		Technical climbing. Knowledge of how to place ice and rock gear quickly and efficiently a must. Involves a long day.
5		Sustained technical climbing. May have vertical sections on ice.
6		Multiple crux sections. Vertical ice may not have adequate protection. Good mental attitude and solid technique necessary. May require a bivvy on route and be a long way from civilisation.
7		Grade 7 and beyond is possible but not yet established in the region.