Hochstetter Dome
Difficulty
Duration
4 Days
Season
All year round
Gearlist
PRICE FROM $4,400 NZD
Join a 4-day guided mountaineering trip to one of the 'classic' snow and ice summits in the Mount Cook alpine area. The peak was first climbed on 27 March 1883 by Austrians Robert and Anna von Lendenfeld, with NZ porter Harry Drew. Today it is a popular training climb on our Alpine Skills Courses.
At 2,834 metres, Hochstetter Dome is a perfect introductory guided ascent for climbers with some basic mountaineering ability. The peak is located at the head of the Tasman Glacier in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park. We fly in and base the trip from one of 2 mountain huts - Tasman Saddle or Kelman Hut.
Hochstetter Dome guiding package
Prices from May 2024
1 person, NZ$7,750
2 people, NZ$4,400 per person
Scheduling and Booking:
Each trip is run on request. The start date is privately arranged to suit your travel plans.
Please contact us to enquire about guide availability. Advance bookings are essential
Your guiding package includes:
Guide and National Park fees
All meals from lunch day one to lunch day 4.
Flights in and out of the mountains
Hut fees
Free use of a range of technical equipment
Local accommodation for any nights necessary during the trip
Alpine Guides Technical Manual
Check-in at Alpine Guides office in Mount Cook Village.
Please read our booking Terms and Conditions.
Experience and conditions
Experience Required
Hochstetter Dome is not for inexperienced climbers. The climb is straightforward, but it takes place in serious glaciated terrain. You need to have spent time on crampons, and be comfortable with self-arrest. Your experience can be through personal climbs or guided instruction courses.
Minimum experience should be similar to the completion of our Mountain Experience Course, or similar
Competence with crampon and ice axe skills is essential
Glacier travel skills are helpful but not essential
Seasonal Climbing Conditions
Summer (mid-October – April) in New Zealand offers the best conditions for alpine climbing and is the best time for introductory-level mountaineering.
Winter (July - October) is an excellent time for more experienced alpinists. Hochstetter Dome can be climbed in snowshoes. Experienced backcountry skiers and snowboarders have a fantastic bonus - a 1,000-metre descent from Hochstetter Shoulder down into the Tasman Glacier!
Read more about seasonality, weather, and snow conditions here.
route description
Hochstetter Dome, 2834 Metres
Hochstetter Dome is located at the head of the Tasman Glacier in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park. We base our trip from either of 2 convenient mountain huts - Tasman Saddle or Kelman Hut.
The ascent is 500 vertical metres of moderate, but straightforward climbing, taking around 6 hours for the return trip. Confident crampon and ice axe skills are essential for a safe summit.
The mountain has 2 'peaks' separated by a breathtaking 500-metre traverse. We can approach the peak by either the southeast or northwest ridge. More experienced guests may also be able to climb Mount Aylmer (2,699 metres), and make a full traverse from east to west.
Winter alpinists who are strong skiers/snowboarders have the bonus of a 1,000 vertical metre ski run from Hochstetter Shoulder down onto the lower Tasman Glacier.
Climb Description
Hochstetter is classed as a “straight-froward” NZ Alpine grade 1 peak. All climbers will travel roped for glacier travel, and negotiation of crevasses is a feature of the climb as summer progresses. The slopes are moderately angled, around 30 degrees at their steepest. However, good footwork is required if conditions are firm (icy), as there can be considerable exposure at times.
We leave the hut after a civilised breakfast, and take lunch on the summit. From there (on a clear day), there is a beautiful view out to the temperate Westland forests and the Tasman Sea. Below you is a 1,400-metre drop into the Whymper Glacier and Whataroa Valley!
Total return from Tasman Saddle Hut is approx. 5-6 hours. Add another hour if you are based at Kelman Hut
Vertical ascent from Tasman Saddle Hut, approx. 500 metres.
Other Objectives and Options
If you summit early there may be an option to climb one or more additional peaks (depending on the time available, weather, snow conditions and your ability). These can include: Mt Aylmer, Peak 9144 (2,699 metres), Mt Abel (2,688 metres) or Mt Annan (2,934 metres).
Ice climbing in the amazing seracs and ice caves of the Darwin ice fall is a great way to test your crampon skills - or try something new.
“Ascent of the Hochstetter Dome” [March 1883]. [Drawn by] F.Schell [Melbourne, Picturesque Atlas Publishing Company, 1886]. Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.
Itinerary
Every Hochstetter Dome trip is unique, due to weather and mountain conditions. When dealing with a dynamic environment it is best to take a flexible approach to build an itinerary. Your guide will work around the prevailing weather and conditions, to get the most from your time.
Use the following itinerary as a rough guide. Weather, conditions, and your experience will dictate how your trip is organised.
Day One
Meet your guide, discuss plans, check and prepare gear
Fly into your hut from Mt Cook airport at the first opportunity
Head out for a reconnoiter and practice crampon skills and self-arrest
Day 2
Practise crevasse rescue
1st summit window, or further instruction
Day 3
2nd summit window
Or, climb another objective, or ice climbing
Day 4
Last summit window, with an alpine start
Or ice climbing
Pack and fly out
We aim to have you back in Mount Cook Village by late afternoon on the final full day.
A 25% deposit is required to secure your booking
