Information
Climbing In New Zealand
Aotearoa/New Zealand by Bren Whelan
“The land of the long white cloud”, is the Maori name for New Zealand (NZ). Flying high above the Southern Alps you gain a sense of understanding of this translation. As the long line of snow capped peaks snake their way in a sinuous and alluring fashion below, you can’t help but want to get amongst them.
Aoraki, Rakiora and Tititea names such as these will mean very little to most, but when translated into Mt Cook, Mt Tasman or Mt Aspiring interest levels should be stimulated!
Mountaineering on NZ highest peaks and our own Emerald Isle are undeniably linked. This is due to the fact that in 1882 William Green, an Irish clergyman, travelled there, intending to climb Aoraki (Mt Cook) meaning “the cloud piercer”. Green’s attempt on the peak failed 50metres below the summit. With night fall approaching the party turned back in the face of a fearsome northwest storm. Green felt that he had as good as climbed the mountain. However other mountaineers with aspiration of achieving the first ascent had their own opinions.
Adventure central…
With over 225 peaks above 2300metres and some 360 glaciers, the longest of which is the Tasman Glacier (29km). NZ has earned a reputation as the “adventure sports capital of the world”. But as the wise man once said “be careful when you go in search of adventure, because sometimes it is easier to find than you may wish!” This is especially true if you are considering venturing into the Southern Alps.
The weather…
This is an area of highly changeable weather and the extremes define the region. Such as winter conditions in summer, rains that wash out roads and northwest storms that peel the roofs off houses.
NZ is an isolated landmass that is surrounded by hundreds of kilometres of ocean. Normally moisture laden winds from a westerly quarter are blown across the massive Tasman Sea. When they encounter the jagged Southern Alpine chain they unload with full force.
Weather forecasting here is notoriously difficult. Rules of thumb don’t tend to work in these mountains; sometimes witchcraft and intuition can be more useful. On average, in summer, there is about one good day in three in the high mountains. But don’t despair if the mountains are closed as there are many excellent rock-climbing venues throughout the islands.
When to go…
The seasons are reversed in the Southern Hemisphere so their summer is our winter etc. And remember it’s the classic South Faces that you climb down here! Good summer months can be December to March.
However this is an unpredictable mountain arena so expect anything!
In winter the weather tends to be a little more stable and long fine periods are not uncommon. Climbing during June to September is a very serious undertaking. This requires excellent equipment plus a sound understanding of avalanche conditions.
Temperatures…
Sunburn is a major problem because of the relatively clean air and the thinner ozone coverage in this part of the world. This problem is exacerbated on the glaciers and at altitude. Dress smart, wear light colours and long sleeves. Use peaked caps and wear a neck scarf. Eye protection and plenty of sunscreen are a must in order to stay comfortable!
These higher temperatures also have a major effect on the condition of the snow pack and glaciers. Bear in mind that if the previous winter did not produce a lot of snow, then the crevasses will be a lot more open and the snow bridges less extensive. As the summer temps soar and the solar radiation further breaks down the glacial cover, travel in the high mountains becomes much more difficult.
Many NZ guiding companies only operate on Aoraki via the Linda Glacier (the normal approach or exit route, Grade 3/PD) from December to January. This is because the crevasses become open and extremely treacherous to navigate. There is also the problem of prolonged exposure to the massive seracs of Silberhorn, Vancouver and the Gun Barrel. These constantly threaten mountaineers with aerial bombardments at every stage and from every direction!
Respect and excellent judgment are required when you climb in these mountains. Another tricky spot to watch out for is the crossing of the Linda Shelf. You may have to cross this slope once or twice during an ascent.
The Shelf always requires caution. Many Guides and mountaineers will use a planned bivouac during descent in order to allow some re-stabilization of the snow pack in this or other critical areas.
A stable geological environment..?
The stature of these peaks may not compare with other well known and much more frequented areas. Aorkai is only 3754m, Mt Tasman 3497m and Mt Aspiring 3033m. But they certainly have an interesting geological make up!
In December 1991, as many climbers prepared to depart Plateau hut for an attempt on Aoraki, the top 10 metres of the summit separated from the rest of the mountain and travelled down the East face to the Grand Plateau at 2100m, passing within 300 of Plateau hut. The 80,000 tones of debris continued up over the Anzac Peaks, 2528m. It then fanned out over the Hochstetter and Boys Glacier, continuing down to the Tasman glacier at 850m. However the journey did not stop there. It then travelled across the width of the glacier (2km) and climbed back up the hill on the far side gaining another 500m. It finally came to a stop at 1400m and measured 3.8 on the Richter scale. Amazingly no one was injured and funnily enough no climbers left the hut that night!
One of the predominant rock types is greywacke, which is sandstone. It is a hard but brittle rock and is generally grey in colour; however it can be pinkish, orange and red in colour – all indicating good rock.
Argillite on the other hand is the ugly sister. It is a mudstone and typically black or brown and green. It has a slate like appearance and shatters…very easily. New Zealand climbers politely call it “weetbix”.
NZ does have an undeserved reputation for poor quality rock. This isn’t reflective of the area or the whole country. So don’t be put off by the rumours, just choose wisely where you intend to climb.
Avalanches and the Snow Pack…
Summer or winter the snow cover is extremely varied in these mountains. If you feel as though you have plenty of European summer or Scottish winter snow pack analysis experience, please don’t make the first big mistake of overestimating the snow pack or more importantly your ability to evaluate it!
The NZ snow pack is unpredictable at times. So much so that it has caught out and killed many experienced guides and mountaineers. New Years day, 2004 a party of 3 guides and 3 clients were swept off Mt Tasman by a small avalanche. 1 client and all 3 guides died; including Paul Scaife one of NZ’s most experienced guides. The snow pack shows no mercy to those who don’t read the signs of instability. It deserves your ultimate respect. Don’t let “summit fever” cloud your better judgment!
Remember most avalanche victims trigger the avalanche themselves!! Avalanche transceivers are a common piece of equipment for both summer and winter mountaineers in NZ and so too is the ability to use one!!!
Alpine huts…
The high huts are managed and serviced by the Department of Conservation (DoC). The New Zealand Alpine Club (NZAC) also owns a number of huts throughout the mountains. You receive a fifty percent discount with a reciprocal rights card, normal price before discount is $10 NZ.
These huts differ from the European huts. There are no guardians or cooked meals available. Kerosene stoves were once provided, but have now been removed for safety reasons. Most huts tend to have the other essentials such as pots, pans, mattresses and blankets etc.
If you intend to use an alpine hut then your first point of call should be the local DoC office. They will know how many beds are available, take a note of your intentions and will have an up to date weather forecast.
These offices also provide plenty of other excellent information on the local area.
Every evening at a set time DoC broadcast via a radio service the latest weather forecast to all the huts in the local area. They also try to ascertain the names and location of all the parties sleeping in or near the hut. A radio is provided in each of the main alpine huts, as well as clear instructions on how to operate it.
Aircraft…
Ski planes and helicopters are used heavily in the Southern Alps for access and egress. Many of the walks into the popular huts are major undertakings when carrying food and equipment.
Aircraft offer the luxury of scenic flights, fresh food and fresh legs! Plenty of newcomers waste good breaks in the weather tackling the tricky approach route to the hut, instead of the climb! When weighed up against the cost of a flight and the fact that you can bring ten days of food, flying can be a real winner. Of course aircraft are affected by the weather! The local companies offer an excellent and very professional service.
East coast entry…
A good staging post and entry point into the Southern Alps is Mt Cook village (on the eastern side of the range). Check out Charlie Hobbs excellent new café “The Old Mountaineers” and tell him I said hi! There is very little in the way of shopping available, so stock up in Christchurch, which is around 4 hours away or Twizal, 50mins. Christchurch also has a good selection of outdoor shops for specialist equipment, maps and guidebooks.
Accommodation options in the Mt Cook village range from a basic NZAC hut to a Youth Hostel right through to the world famous Hermitage Hotel.
If you can’t get into the mountains then rock climbing is available close by at Sebastopol Bluffs. The climbing is either single or multi-pitch and the routes tend to be bolted. A little further down the road is an awesome area called Twin Streams.
Eastern Promise…
From here you have a few good choices that will allow you to get acquainted with the mountains.
The Muller Hut and the Annette Plateau area can be reached within 4 hours walking and offer amazing views of Aoraki. Unfortunately the ease of access attracts a lot of walkers. The approach is via a steep but tame path. Nonetheless it is a good area for gaining fitness and acclimatization.
If you would prefer more glaciated terrain, then take a flight into Tasman Saddle and Kelman hut. Ski planes are generally used for this trip and cost between $430 and $860 (Cessna 185 or Pilatus Porter) which will take either 3 to 6 climbers plus gear. This area offers an excellent range of climbing and should allow you to get to grips with the NZ alpine scene.
The Plateau hut area is where most climbers will start their assault on Aoraki. The hut holds around 35 climbers and is located underneath the Eastern faces of Aoraki and Mt Tasman. It’s an awesome situation!
If you intend to climb Aoraki via the Linda Glacier, Zubriggans (Grade 3+/Diff) or the classic East Ridge (Grade 4+/TD) then this hut makes an ideal base. The Maori people consider the summit of Aoraki to be a sacred summit. Therefore many climbers will only climb to the point known as the “Chandelier”, which is about 50m below the true summit.
Helicopter flights cost around $820 and can take 4 climbers plus gear. For $350-$700 you can take a ski plane, which can take 3 to 6 climbers plus gear. Planes depart from Mt Cook Airport and helicopters from Glen Tanner a little further down the valley. Please note that, depending on glacial conditions ski planes, maybe unable to land at either Plateau or Tasman Saddle.
Plateau is also the starting point for the Symes Ridge on Mt Tasman. In order to reach the start you need to negotiate the “Mad Mile”. This can be like a game of Russian roulette with seracs as bullets!
Dixon and Silberhorn are also approachable from Plateau hut. These are both very nice mountains. However they also have some serious objective hazards, but what doesn’t in NZ! Walking out from Plateau is a major undertaking. If you really must do it, then going via Cinerama Col is the best option. The route description and photos of this and other routes are posted in the hut.
West coast pleasures…
You can also enter the Southern Alps from the Western side, but not for an ascent of Aoraki. This is a good side to climb Mt Tasman from and there are also some safer type peaks over this side. The best base is Fox Glacier, but make sure and arrive fully stocked up! NZAC have a hut in the village, there’s a DoC office, eating joints and helicopter companies! Walking from the west (sea level) and climbing a peak is an extremely serious undertaking. Flying from this side is cheap! Average costs are around $470 for a helicopter holding 5 plus gear. Pioneer and Centennial are the best huts to head for. Pioneer is the starting point for the excellent North Shoulder route on Tasman (Grade 3+/Diff), plus a host of other great climbs. When the forecast is favourable this can be a very popular hut and with only 14 beds it fills very quickly.
Grading and Equipment…
For rock climbing, NZ uses the open ended Ewbank system which goes from 1 to 31 at present. Very Severe comes in at 13 to 16 or Hard VS at 16 to 19, For mountaineering routes the system is from 1 to 7, but they also tag on a plus or minus to help further define the grade (Tres Diff is 4+). If you are ice climbing then the WI water ice grade is used.
You’ll find that most of the usual equipment works fine here. There are, however, some new additions such as the “Snow Pig”. Buy one of these plus a snow stake and carry them with you all the time (except in the villages!). Snow shoes are easier to manage than skis and transceivers are always a good idea! Don’t bother bringing a “dead man” as they tend to fail in the NZ snow pack with alarming ease! A word of advice on compasses, purchase a new one when you arrive and read the map key for information on magnetic variation etc.
These mountains are as serious as you want to make them. Climb wisely and savour the delights of this antipodean paradise!
Useful Websites…
www.searchnz.co.nz - This will find anything!
www.mtcookskiplanes.co.nz – Provides up to date costs etc.
www.helicopter.co.nz – Information on flying from the East or West.
www.doc.govt.nz – Dept of Conservation.
www.mcewings.co.nz – Large shop located in Christ Church.
www.outsidesports.co.nz - order maps, guidebooks online and they’ll ship then to Ireland. This is also an excellent Queenstown based store check it out! Another great store is Alpine Sports in Queenstown.
www.independentmountainguides.co.nz - Excellent mountain guiding service in the Queenstown area.
www.viaferratenz.co.nz - Excellent day out in the Queenstown area!
www.nzmga.co.nz - Info and links.
www.met.co.nz - NZ weather service.
www.bom.gov.au - An excellent weather site.
www.nzac.co.nz - NZ Alpine Club.
www.avalanche.co.nz - Needs no explanation!
www.alpinismski.co.nz – Excellent New Zealand guide.
www.mtcook.com - Charlie Hobbs awesome site.
Guide Books
Aoraki/ Mt Cook by Alex Palman (NZAC 2001) ISBN 0-9597630-1-5
The Mt Aspiring Region by Allan Uren & Mark Watson (NZAC 2000) ISBN 0-9597630-9-0
South Island Rock by Ivan Vostinar & Tim Wethey (2000)
ISBN 0-473-0781-2
