Aoraki/Mount Cook - Caroline Face

Standing nearly 2,000m tall, more than half the total altitude of Aoraki itself, the Caroline Face is the largest, and arguably most impressive, alpine wall in all of New Zealand. With massive seracs and tormented glaciers, it has a handful of routes up, and has been skied for the first time only in 2017. Not unlike the Miage face of Mont Blanc, the main challenge lie not in the technical difficulties but in the commitment required to safely move across such a huge alpine face and its objective hazards.

Route List

1: La Perouse, South Ridge, V, 4, B. Barrack, M. Gill, 1960

2: La Perouse, East Face Direct, V, 3+, H. Leitner, E. von Terzi, 1962

3: Nazomi, South Ridge, III, 3, C. Burrows, W. Croll, 1955

4: Plato Goes to Japan, IV, 3+, T. Billington, P. Stephanus, 2004

5: Nazomi, Northern Arête, IV, 3+, D. Ball, D. Herron, P. Houghton, F. Page, R. Tornquist, 1959

6: Hillary Ridge, V, 3, R. Adams, H. Ayres, E. Hillary, M. Sullivan, 1948

7: Denz Route, VI, 4, B. Denz, 1972

8: Aoraki Grand Traverse, V, 3+, F. du Faur, P. Graham, D. Thomson, 1913

9: Caroline Descent, B. Briggs, T. Grant, E. Mosetti, 2017

10: The Clit Route, VI, 4, J. Glasgow, P. Gough, 1970

11: A Jump to the Left, VI, 4, A. Darragh, R. Starmer, 1988

12: Hewitt-Searle Descent, R. Hewitt, D. Searle, 2019

13: Aoraki, East Ridge, V, 3+, D. Bryant, L. Mahan, 1938

14: Jones Route, VI, 4, Jones, 1973

15: Right Side, V, 3

16: Zurbriggen Ridge, IV, 3+, M. Zurbriggen, 1895

17: Bowie Ridge, V, 4, P. Conaghan, R. Cox, 1962

18: Anzac Peaks, South Ridge, II, 3