New Zealand climbing
Mount Cook climbing
Southern Alps. New Zealand. Climbing Mount Cook, 3754 m.
Altitude: 3754 m
Program category: Mountain Climbing
Difficulty: high (SPECIAL SKILLS ARE REQUIRED)
Duration: 14 days / 9 days using Ski-plane
Season: December - February
First climb: George Grekham, 1894
Program price from: 3900 Euro
- 24.01.22 - 14.02.22mini group, special conditions 3900 EURO booking
New Zealand. Southern Alps. Climbing Mount Cook via Linda Glacier
Mount Cook, the highest mountain in New Zealand is located not far from the Western coast of the Southern Island. Despite the comparably decent altitude (3754 m), Mount Cook represents significant interest for mountaineers, as rather technically difficult, beautiful and interesting object for alpine ascensions. Besides, the beauty of the natural landscapes of New Zealand is recognized around the world. The region Mount Cook became the scenery for the famous serial "The Lord of the Rings", as well all the mountain scenes of the climbing blockbuster "The Vertical Limit" also were taken in New Zealand. The territory of more than 700 thousand hectares around Mount Cook is the New Zealand National Park and specially protected by UNESCO as a part of the "World Heritage".
Mount Cook has the second, older name - Aoraki. In translation from Maori language that means "Piercing clouds mountain". At the time of the conquesting of New Zealand, in the XVIII century, still existing natives believed that the sons of gor Raki - the Heaven Father, got the gods anger and were turned into stone thus becaming these mountains. The modern name Mount Cook was given to this mountain by the Europeans in 1851, in honor of the captain James Cook, who made many significant geographical discoveries in the Southern Hemisphere.
First time the ascension of Mount Cook was succesfully done on December 25, 1894. Three New Zealand climbers - George Grekham, Jack Clark and Tom Fyfe climbed the Summit of Mount Cook by the route nowadays known as North Ridge of Mount Cook.
This 14-day program "Climbing Mount Cook, New Zealand" was developed for the people who have no illisions about what they can expect in the mountains. Climbing route of Mount Cook is technically difficult, requires a discipline, coherence, good physical form and possession of practiced skills in belaying and dealing with different types of mountain terrain. Regardless your climbing experience, we recommend passing the MCS AlexClimb Cours of general physical preparation and Cours of Mountain Technique (advanced level) before participating in this program.
The First Principle of MCS AlexClimb
The First Rule, by which we are guided in the development of our mountain programs - is safety. Professional Guides lead the group, the highest quality certificated equipment and the most modern navigation equipment are used. This guarantees the highest possible level of your safety in the mountains, which is the most important side of our work.
Program Schedule
The AlexClimb New Zealand climbing schedule (Climbing Mount Cook 2021):
Guided ascent of Mount Cook (3754 m) by Linda Glacier route
Difficult Climb, Top level
Day 1 - International flight to Christchurch, New Zealand, hotel accommodation ***
Day 2 - Adaptation, sightseeing and rockclimbing training not far from Christchurch
Day 3 - Drive to Mount Cook village, hotel accommodation ***
Day 4 - Drive to the beginning of the Mount Cook route, overnight in the tent
Day 5 - Climb the glacier to the Boys Pass, overnight in the tent
Day 6 - Climbing the Mount Cook Plateau via the Saynerama Pass, overnight in the hut
Day 7 - spare day
Day 8 - Summit Day. Climbing the Summit of Mount Cook by the classic route via the Linda glacier, descent and overnight in the hut
Day 9 - spare day
Day 10 - spare day
Day 11 - Descent from the Mount Cook Plateau, overnight in the tent
Day 12 - Descent to the Mount Cook village, hotel accommodation ***
Day 13 - Drive to Christchurch, hotel accommodation ***
Day 14 - Return International flight
There is a possible faster version of the Mount Cook climbing program with approach to the Gand Plateau of Mount Cook by ski-plane - it reduces the lengh of the program and physical loads of getting to the Mount Cook Grand Plateau Hut, but reduces the quality of acclimatization. This version of the program entails additional costs for airfare. Prices and con conditions - here
Prices and conditions
The price of the MCS AlexClimb mountain climbing program "New Zealand. Climbing Mount Cook 2021":
From 3900 Euro - private program for 1 participant at the 1:1 guide/client ratio
The final cost of climbing Mount Cook depends on the following factors:
- your actual mountaineering experience (the possible program format depends on this),
- guide / client ratio - 1:1, 1:2, 2:1
- the need for additional services (porters, cook),
- dates of the program
* Using the ski-plane or helycopter for getting to the Mount Cook Grand Plateau will rise the total price of the Mount Cook climbing program for 300 - 500 Euro. Details on the Mount Cook Ski Plane service you can read on the web-page of Mount Cook Ski Plane
You have to be ready for:
- Climbing the route of the high difficulty. The risk and physical load levels are high enough;
- Camping life in the field conditions;
- Cooking your meals by yourself while climbing mountains;
- Carrying a 20-25 kg backpack;
- Air temperature can be down to -20°C on the altitude higher than 2000 m;
Conditions: previous climbing experience, good physical form, the Brief AlexClimb course of mountain technique (Advanced level) is recommended before the trip.
The price includes: Professional MCS AlexClimb mountain guide services, rent of the communal equipment (ropes, belaying and navigation equipment, cooking gear), hotel accommodation, transfers from the point of the beginning of the program to its end (Christchurch), using the communal basic medical kit, food for outdoor part of the program.
The price does not include: International or domestic flight expenses to and from the point of the beginning of the program (Christchurch), obligatory climbing insurance, rent of the personal equipment, food and drinks while being in cities, using the satellite phone.
Maximum group capacity: 3
Guides: 1
Detailed conditions and limitations on the program "New Zealand. Climbing Mount Cook" can be read in the Offer section
Our Principles
AlexClimb Rule #1 - Safety First
From the very beginning of our activity, here nearly 16 years, the first Principle of work of School of mountaineering and rock-climbing of MCS AlexClimb is the Safety Priority. On the basis of this Principle all process of training is based, all programs and rounds are developed and carried out only within this main principle. We consider that at professional approach to development of programs, at personal discipline and correctly put motivation - occupations by mountaineering and rock-climbing are COMPLETELY safe. And from the return - all troubles and accidents in our sport come from nonprofessionalism, from ignorance or neglect by elementary standards of safety, from irrational motivation, from revaluation of own forces and opportunities. All these prerequisites we COMPLETELY EXCLUDE in our work - ours Rock-climbing, Ice climbing and Mountaineering are based on one Principle - the Safety Priority. In rock-climbing, mountaineering and ice climbing, the Priority of Safety of MCS AlexClimb-is your personal security and comfort irrespective of, than we are engaged - we train muscles and we work technology of the movement in the sports hall and on the rock climbing wall, we make the way through snowstorm to top or we relax on golden sand of the Caribbean beach after hot day of trainings on rocks. The Safety priority - the main credo of School of mountaineering and rock-climbing of MCS AlexClimb.
AlexClimb Rule #2 - Leave No Trace
Closely interacting with Nature, working with the active programs in mountains, woods, lakes and rivers, we perfectly understand the importance of carefull and respectfull bahavior towards the Nature, for its resources. From the very beginning of our outdoor-activity we adopted rules of Leave No Trace technique - the standard of behavior of the person accepted in all the civilized world in relation to environment and especially - to the wild nature. After all on the relation of people to the nature near which they exist, itself can draw dalekoidushchy conclusions on the relation of these people to... Where and as we didn't travel - we don't reserve any garbage, we try to reduce whenever possible our influence on environment to a minimum. We clear earlier zagryazyonny tourist parking of the left garbage, we take out and we take out to utilization places that to us other people left there. We consider that only thus, at personal individual consciousness of each citizen, each tourist, climber or autotraveller, we will be able to keep the nature surrounding us in its state, natural, suitable for life, - in it pledge of the healthy future for ourselves and our children.
