CLIMB NZ'S
HIGHEST
PEAK

The most commonly guided route is the Linda Glacier and North-East Ridge from Plateau Hut. This is a long and serious climb, usually taking 15-18 hours, return. The height gain is approximately 1,700m/5,500 ft from Plateau Hut.

Probably around 80% of all ascents (and 90% of descents), both guided and recreational, use the Linda Glacier route. The Linda Glacier is the most straightforward route and offers the best chance to reach the high peak. The Linda Glacier route is always challenging, and not to be underestimated.

The Linda Glacier is relatively low-angled. Up to the Linda Shelf, there is an objective hazard from ice cliffs on Mt Silberhorn and rockfall off Mount Vancouver. A steady and efficient pace must be maintained to minimise risk.

To reach the Linda Shelf the “Gun Barrels” must be traversed, and on the shelf itself, the “Mini Gun Barrels” crossed. Both areas are subject to danger from falling ice debris. Steady, rapid movement is required in these places.

You will normally be moving together with your guide until the Linda Shelf steepens. The last 50 to 100 metres is pitched climbing, on 40° to 45° ice up to the base of the Summit Rocks. We try to be at this point just after dawn.

The Summit Rocks are normally iced up but can be a rock climbed in the mid-late season, or in dry conditions. Three or 4 pitches are belayed to the summit ice cap.

Conditions on the ice cap vary, from soft snow/ice to solid “boilerplate” ice. This section to the summit can be time-consuming, and always requires concentration and care. Usually, it is only necessary to belay short sections.

After 8-10 hours of climbing the view is indescribable, stretching for hundreds of kilometres up and down the Alps, to the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean.

The descent (by the same route) usually takes 7-10 hours. The descent requires concentration and good crampon technique down the ice cap. Your guide will lower you through the Summit Rocks.

Speed through the Gun Barrel section is essential, as warmer temperatures will soften the snow, increasing the risk of avalanches and rockfall.

Mountaineering proficiency is only gained experientially - by practice. Being physically fit and determined are necessary qualities for climbers, but only extensive crampon “mileage” in serious glaciated terrain will provide the necessary training for a safe ascent.

If you have Aoraki as a potential future goal (or any other serious glaciated mountain), there are plenty of ways to gain experience. Depending on your existing experience, we are happy to advise a suitable strategy.

The essentials are:

1. A solid grounding in the basics. Start with a comprehensive instruction course - for example, the Alpine Skills Course (ASC) - to give you the base competencies. Something to build on. Alternatively, come with a friend, and we can build a Private Instruction course for you.
2. Development. Build your experience on other peaks. Follow up a course with an Ascents Program, a Mount Aspiring Expedition, or a Technical Mountaineering Course (TMC). Climb with a friend or join a club (the NZ Alpine Club, for example) to gain the required mileage.

During any training with Alpine Guides, your guide will advise you on potentially suitable follow-up objectives, or specific areas of training to work on, and if they think you are ready for the challenge.

Take Your Time With Training

We recommend taking your time to develop your skills over at least 2 or 3 climbing seasons. We see a tendency for goal-oriented people to try to compress training and experience development into one season. However, in reality, this is rarely a successful strategy.

Common Guest Issues we Experience

Outside of weather and route conditions (which we cannot control), here are some reasons why some guests have struggled on Aoraki Mount Cook.

Our recommendations around training and experience attempt to mitigate these issues, and allow for the best chance for a summit attempt.

• Lack of mountain fitness. Mountain fitness is developed over time, with long days carrying moderate loads. High cardiovascular fitness is important, but cycling and running do not provide the same kind of conditioning as climbing.
• Not appreciating the scale of terrain and risk involved. Feeling overwhelmed and not able to deal with the degree of exposure.
• Unfamiliarity with the dynamics of local weather and conditions. Conditions can be extremely variable, even over the space of a day; from boiler-plate ice to soft post-hole snow. Experience with exposure to a range of climbing conditions is vital.

We use aircraft for access to and egress from the Grand Plateau. A climb to Plateau Hut is a strenuous exercise of 1.5 days. The route options are limited to 2 difficult climbs that can only be attempted in good weather.

Flying in makes the best use of available good weather. Because this does not allow your guide to determine your fitness, a “training” climb (the Anzac Peaks, for example) may be attempted before Aoraki Mount Cook. This is at your guide’s discretion and ensures our standards of safety are maintained.

These special conditions are in addition to our standard booking terms and conditions:

• A period of 6 days is covered in the cost. If you achieve the summit earlier, you have the option of retaining your guide and completing another climb or returning to Aoraki Mount Cook village. Additional climbing will be at the discretion of the guide, based on your ability and the prevailing conditions. No refund is due if you choose to finish early.
• Extensions to the package may be possible (depending on your guide’s work commitments) — this will be an additional cost of NZ$995 per day, which includes food and hut fees. You can select this when booking.
• If the period is involuntarily extended (for example being held at Plateau Hut by a storm), the cost is an additional NZ$795 per day.
• It is not possible to cancel your booking for a refund due to changing route conditions. An alternative objective will be proposed. All itineraries are subject to change around weather and mountain conditions.

Once you have made your booking we strongly advise buying travel insurance, to cover you for unexpected cancellations, or other misadventures on your travels.

Travel insurance cancellation policies will protect you from losing the deposit for your trip if you have to cancel unexpectedly.

Insurance specifically for mountaineering activities is optional. New Zealand's Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) system extends to all visitors to New Zealand and includes cover in the event of an accident.

Any travel agent, or insurance broker (even your credit card provider) can assist with standard insurance, including insurance for trip cancellation.

The New Zealand Alpine Club can provide insurance coverage for their New Zealand and Australian members visiting NZ.