The highest peak in New Zealand, Aoraki Mount Cook is truly Himalayan in size, protruding 3,000m from the valley floor. It is an impressive and massive peak with five sides, six faces and seven main ridges and the challenge it presents should not be underestimated.
Aoraki Mount Cook is a popular objective and we ascend via the classic Linda Glacier route. The climbing is strenuous and of moderate technical difficulty; the summit is one of the most satisfying and exhilarating in Australasia.

We fly into the new Plateau Hut, and base ourselves here for our summit attempt. We follow the Linda Glacier which steepens to moderately challenging ice-climbing, followed by a couple of pitches of steeper rock and mixed climbing through the summit rocks. The angle then eases a little as we focus on the summit ice cap for the final push to the highest point in New Zealand! The climb takes 16 to 22 hours and to get the best of the conditions we schedule our departure for around midnight.  

There is no easy route to the top and gaining the summit is a significant achievement. When weather and time permit we may elect to climb over two days, with a bivouac halfway up the route to give ourselves a good start for the following morning and time to soak up the high-alpine ambiance.