MOunt TAsman
6 day Guided Ascent
Difficulty
Duration
6 days
Season
October to January
Gearlist
PRICE $10,900 NZD
Rarakiora - "The Long Unbroken Line"
Mount Tasman sits alongside Aoraki Mount Cook, on the Main Divide of the Southern Alps. Sculpted by the weather, Mount Tasman's summit is a beautiful and sinuous peak. It is one of the most striking ice summits in the world.
Every ridge to Mount Tasman's summit requires excellent technique, concentration, and commitment. All guided routes are on snow and ice, featuring steep faces and exposed airy ridges. Mount Tasman is a serious ascent for experienced mountaineers.
The level of commitment required by the guide and guest cannot be overstated. A guided ascent of Mount Tasman is only available to returning guests who meet our prerequisite criteria.
All bookings for Mount Tasman are made on a request basis, after consideration of previous experience. There are no set departures. Please use the contact form here or get in touch directly to discuss the options available.
Rarakiora Mount Tasman Guiding Package
Our guiding package is designed to give the best possible chance of climbing Mount Tasman.
6-day Package
Mount Tasman is only available only to returning guests who meet our prerequisite criteria.
Price: NZ$10,900 per person
All trips begin at 08:30 AM on day one and finish at 5:00 PM on the final day.
Check-in at Alpine Guides office in Mount Cook Village, or by arrangement at Fox Glacier.
Please read our booking Terms and Conditions.
How to Book
All Mount Tasman reservations are made on an “on-request basis”. Please contact us with your background and a potential preferred start date, and we can take it from there.
What’s Included:
Professional NZMGA/IFMGA mountain guide on a 1:1 basis
All meals and snacks from lunch on day one
Aircraft flights in and out of Pioneer Hut
Hut fees and National Park fees
Local transport
Accommodation in Mount Cook Village/Fox Glacier (if required)
Technical equipment
ExperiEnce Required and HAzards
Mount Tasman is suitable only for returning Alpine Guides climbers who have been on serious mountain terrain before. Familiarity with different cramponing techniques is essential for a safe ascent.
Prerequisites:
Been on an Alpine Guides’ guided mountaineering trip within the last 2 years
At least 10 days on crampons within the past 2 years
Experience on 50º to 55º ice with two tools and sustained front-pointing
Ascents of other alpine peaks involving snow and ice (NZ Alpine 2 to 3)
Rope and belaying skills
A high level of aerobic fitness - able to carry an 8 kg backpack 1,000 vertical metres in 2.5 hours
If you have questions about the experience required please contact us.
Hazards
Mount Tasman is a technical peak. The guided route is generally not exposed to serious objective danger. However, in some seasons ice cliffs can cut off the North Shoulder.
An attempt on Mount Tasman is a major commitment for both the guide and the participant. The guide's primary concern is always for your safety. Your guide's appraisal of your competence and the route conditions will determine whether the climb can be attempted, or an alternative ascent considered.
Additional Booking Conditions
These special conditions are in addition to our standard booking terms and conditions:
A period of 6 days is covered in the cost. If you achieve the summit earlier, you have the option of retaining your guide and completing another climb or finishing the trip. Additional climbing will be at the discretion of the guide, based on your ability and the prevailing conditions. No refund is due if you choose to finish early.
Extensions to the package may be possible (depending on your guide’s work commitments) — this will be an additional cost of NZ$995 per day, which includes food and hut fees. You can select this when booking.
If the period is involuntarily extended (for example being held at Pioneer Hut by a storm), the cost is an additional NZ$795 per day.
It is not possible to cancel your booking for a refund due to changing route conditions. Alternative objectives may be proposed. All itineraries are subject to change around the weather and mountain conditions.
Route Description
North Shoulder Route
NZ Alpine Grade IV, 3
Season: mid-October to January
This approach is based at Pioneer Hut, at the head of the Fox Glacier. The route involves glacier travel to Marcel Col, then short-roping or pitching up Mount Lendenfeld (a 3,000-metre peak in its own right), before descending to Engineer Col (normally reached by sunrise).
From here is where there may be an ice cliff across the ridge crest, then on to moderately steep ice gullies on the Plateau (eastern) face, where Syme Ridge joins the North Shoulder.
The North Shoulder is then pitched (4 - 5 pitches) and followed by short-roping, and pitching along the ridge. You need a head for heights, with a drop of 1,200 metres down to the Grand Plateau.
The last pitch ascends a knife-edge exposed ridge to the summit. The descent is by the same route. Total time is typically 15 to 18 hours return to Pioneer Hut.
Alternative Climbing Options
Flexibility of goals is important. After you book we will keep you informed if (in the unlikely event) conditions change so much that a climb may not be possible.
If snow conditions, weather, level of experience, or fitness preclude an ascent with an acceptable safety margin, your guide will recommend an alternative venue for your trip.
There are many other spectacular ascents to be made in the region. The following list
Tasman Glacier area - Mts. Walter, Green, Malte Brun, Elie de Beaumont, Aiguilles Rouge
Fox Glacier area - Mts. Haidinger, Lendenfeld, Mount Tasman
Franz Josef area - Minarets, Mt. De La Beche
Start Location OPtions
We will discuss the best location to meet with your guide. If starting at Wanaka or Fox Glacier your guide will bring through your required rental equipment. Air access from the West Coast to Pioneer Hut is more reliable than from the Aoraki Mount Cook Side of the Main Divide.
Option 1: Start at Mt Cook Village
You can meet your guide at Alpine Guides’ office in Mount Cook Village. Choosing this option runs the potential risk of a delayed start if it is not possible to fly across the Main Divide from Mt Cook Village to Pioneer Hut.
Option 2: Start at Fox Glacier
Meeting your guide at Fox Glacier is recommended. It maximises the potential time with your guide and cuts out at least a half day of road travel from your 6-day expedition.
Option 3: Start at Wanaka
We can arrange for your guide to meet you at Wanaka, bypassing our base at Mount Cook. From Wanaka, you will drive with your guide to Fox Glacier township before flying to Pioneer Hut. The drive to Fox Glacier and return to Wanaka must be done within the 6 days booked with your guide.
