Among the celestial visitors were four sons of Raki who were named Ao-raki , Raki-roa , Raki-rua, and Raraki-roa . They came down in a canoe which was known as Te Waka o Aoraki. They decided to return to their celestial home, but the karakia which should have lifted the waka back to the heavens failed and the canoe fell back into the sea and turned over onto its side. The waka listed and settled with the west side much higher out of the water that the east. Aoraki and his brothers clambered on to the high side and were turned to stone. They are still there today. Aoraki is the highest peak and his brothers are the next highest peaks near him – Rakiroa (Mount Dampier), Rakirua (Mount Teichelmann), Rarakiroa (Mount Tasman).
To Ngāi Tahu, Aoraki represents the most sacred of ancestors, from whom Ngāi Tahu descend and who provide the iwi with its sense of communal identity, solidarity and purpose. The ancestor embodied in the mountain remains the physical manifestation of Aoraki, the link between the supernatural and the natural world.
The tapu associated with Aoraki is significant to the tribal value, and is the source of the power over life and death which the mountain possesses. Standing on the very top the the mountain denigrates it's tapu status, and climbers are encouraged to stay off the true summit.
Aoraki / Mount Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand. Its height, as of 2014, is listed as 3,724 metres (12,218 feet). It sits in the Southern Alps, the mountain range that runs the length of the South Island. Aoraki / Mount Cook consists of three summits: from south to north, the Low Peak (3,593 m or 11,788 ft), the Middle Peak (3,717 m or 12,195 ft) and the High Peak. The summits lie slightly south and east of the main divide of the Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana, with the Tasman Glacier to the east and the Hooker Glacier to the southwest.
Despite its modest height relative to other mountains internationally, to approach Aoraki from 700 metres above sea level is involves technically challenging climbing with a high level of glaciation. Its level of difficulty is often underestimated and can change dramatically depending on weather, snow and ice conditions. The climb crosses large crevasses, and involves risks of ice and rock falls, avalanches and rapidly changing weather conditions. The approach is often avoided by helicopter due to difficult travel and route-finding. Aoraki has claimed the lives of 70+ climbers since the first ascent in 1894 by New Zealanders Tom Fyfe, Jack Clarke and George Graham. The climbing season traditionally runs from November to February, and hardly a season goes by without at least one fatality.
The Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai (DOC) runs the Aoraki Mount Cook Alpine Rescue Team (AMCART) and the Visitor Centre at Aoraki Mount Cook Village. DOC maintains an intentions system which national park users are encouraged to use, to aid in search and rescue. Intentions can either be filled out at the Vistors Centre in the foyer, or sent via e-mail to mtcookvc@doc.govt.nz
Mountain conditions can be found by calling the Visitor Centre, Alpine Guides Ltd, or on various conditions pages spread throughout social media. The Mountain Safety Council runs a website with public avalanche forecasting and public observations.
Places
Type | Name | Alert |
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Face | East Face | |
Face | Endeavour Buttress | |
Face | Sheila Face | |
Pass | Earle’s Gap | |
Face | Hooker Face |
Routes
Reference | Title | Grade | Length | Pro | Quality | Alert | Operations |
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Aoraki Mount Cook Grand Traverse, V,3+ | V,3+ | 0m | |||||
A ‘GT’ involves traversing Low, Middle and High Peaks (or vice versa) of Aoraki/Mt Cook. The section from Low Peak to Porter Col involves some rock, whereas the rest of the traverse is ice (and this can be hard, especially in winter). The ridge line from Low to High Peak is New Zealand’s highest and most exposed mile providing the most spectacular and famous traverse in the Southern Alps. In its day it was regarded as one of the most impressive achievements in world mountaineering. |
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Bowie Couloir, IV,3+ | IV,3+ | 0m | |||||
Climb the prominent gully between the Bowie and Zurbriggen Ridges, following the right variation couloir at the top to meet Zurbriggen Ridge, then continue to the summit. Involves steep gully climbing.
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Bowie Ridge, V,4,14 | V,4,14 | 0m | |||||
The full buttress is not recommended as a route to the summit unless you plan on bivouacking.
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Bowie Face, IV,5+,18 | IV,5+,18 | 500m | |||||
The Bowie Face is the relatively neglected steep rock face on the right side of the Upper Bowie Buttress. A route of 10 pitches ascends the left/ centre of the face.The route starts from the upper Linda Glacier and then follows a narrow chimney , which is often iced up, (crux 18). The rock is excellent with more potential further R. |
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4.29 | 4.29Linda Glacier, IV,3,3 | IV,3,3 | 0m | ||||
This is the most frequently climbed route on Aoraki / Mt Cook, and the easiest descent route from High Peak. However, climbers must be aware that a large portion of the Linda Glacier—from below Teichelmann’s Corner as far as the Linda Shelf—is exposed to frequent ice/rockfall from multiple directions. This worsens during warm conditions and after rain or snow. The length of the climbing season of the Linda Glacier varies significantly—some years it’s cut off in December; sometimes it hangs in until February. Find out what it’s like before your trip from people who’ve been there recently. From Plateau Hut, weave a route through the crevasses all the way up the Linda Glacier. At the head of the glacier, under the prominent icecliffs draining the summit ice cap (the ‘Gunbarrels’), traverse left across the Linda Shelf to join Zurbriggen Ridge at the base of the Summit Rocks. The Summit Rocks are a 180m high triangle of rock separating the Linda Shelf from the upper ice cap. There are two gullies bisecting the lower rocks; the left-hand gully is a popular way to avoid the lowest rocks, if the upper schrund on the Linda Shelf can be crossed easily. The right-hand gully (‘Bryce’s Gully’) is not recommended due to falling rocks and rime. Climb the rocks near the crest. This involves steep scrambling with a few short steep steps (crux grade 8, but often iced up). You will see some bolted anchors, spaced every 20–30m, but there are also several options for natural anchors. Three to four pitches are typically required. Once above the Summit Rocks follow the ice cap to the summit. The easiest way to get onto the summit ridge is usually to traverse from the North East Arête up and west to the top of the North Ridge, but the layout of schrunds will dictate this. The North East Arête and North Ridge converge at a point that is a few metres lower than the main summit, which is 50m further south along an exposed ridge. Climbers are asked to respect the wishes of Ngai Tahu by not standing on the very top (refer to the Introduction). The Linda Glacier is the most common descent route from Aoraki / Mt Cook. Bolted anchors have been placed in the summit rocks for abseiling (March 2017). Do not trust these anchors implicitly. With freeze/thaw effects, some of the rock they are anchored to may loosen, causing them to fail. Check to make sure you are personally happy with every anchor you abseil from. The bolts were placed such that one 60m rope is sufficient to get down, although a 50m rope is usually fine with a bit of easy down-climbing in places. Clean up any loose sling or cord you find—it’s unsightly and unsafe. On a busy day with lots of climbers, try to avoid climbing under the abseil line—there are several route options. This will lessen the risk of bottlenecks and rockfall, making everyone’s day quicker and safer. For parties wishing to climb from a higher base than Plateau Hut, the flat section of the Bowie Ridge, between the lower and upper buttresses, provides a relatively safe (but exposed to the weather) bivvy spot. Access it from the Linda Glacier above Teichelmann’s Corner. On the first known attempt to climb Aoraki / Mt Cook, Emil Boss, William Green, and Ulrich Kaufmann climbed to within about 50m of the summit via this route in 1882, after voyaging from Europe to New Zealand and spending a few weeks bashing through scrub past Lake Pukaki and establishing a camp on Haast Ridge. George Mannering and Marmaduke Dixon, using the same route, reached a similar point in 1891. Both parties were turned back an hour before dark by a wish to avoid benightment, but nevertheless the 1882 party spent a cold night out in rain at the base of the summit rocks. Mannering and Dixon managed to return to the Haast Bivouac Rock at 2:45am on their attempt. |
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4.30 | 4.30Gunbarrels (Left side), V,4 | V,4 | 0m | ||||
The left side of the Gunbarrels has been used as a ‘short cut’ to the summit from the upper Linda by various parties. This is also the route used by Tony Dignan and John Fantini in Jan 1987, not the mixed rock and snow terrain to the right of the Gunbarrels as previously reported.
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3.68 | 3.68North Ridge, V,4+ | V,4+ | 0m | ||||
From the upper Sheila Glacier head up the rib to the left of Fyfe’s Gut - the narrow couloir directly below the saddle. It is possible to climb Fyfe’s Gut but watch for dangerous stonefall. The route comes out above Green Saddle. Then up three prominent steps on the North ridge, the last and more difficult ‘Beare Step’ being turned via either a steep hand traverse or an abseil into a couloir on the Sheila Face. It is also possible to bypass the 'Beare direct' by a rock variation on the face to the left at about Grade 14 (Whimp/Tweedie). A classic route used for the first ascent of Aoraki/Mt Cook. It was descended by at least four parties on early ascents but this is not recommended. Green Saddle can also be accessed from the Grand Plateau: Ascend to Green Saddle from the Linda Glacier (schrunds can be problem late in the season). First ascended from the Linda Glacier by Harry Ayres, Oscar Coberger, Dec 1951. |
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3.76 | 3.76Earle Ridge, V,3+ | V,3+ | 900m | ||||
Above Earle’s Gap, follow the broad ridge on mostly poor rock. At about 3200m the ridge flattens out before meeting the final headwall. Depending on how iced the rocks are, either climb up steep ice gullies directly above or traverse left and use the Sheila Face exits, or even further left to the top of the North Ridge.
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4.31 | 4.31Gunbarrels (Right side), V,4+ | V,4+ | 0m | ||||
Descended by Andrew Lindblade, Athol Whimp, winter 1997
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4.25 | 4.25Bowie Ridge Lower Buttress, IV,3+,11 | IV,3+,11 | 0m | ||||
Climbed from its toe in the Linda Glacier, or from the névé below the Bowie Couloir. Not quite as difficult as the Upper Buttress.
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4.26 | 4.26Bowie Ridge Upper Buttress, IV,4,13 | IV,4,13 | 0m | ||||
Can be approached from either the upper Linda Glacier or from a subsidiary gully from Bowie Couloir. The upper buttress comprises good rock. Then traverse a spicy ridge with gendarmes to join the top of Zurbriggen's Ridge beneath the approach to the summit rocks.
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