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.

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Route List

1: La Perouse, South Ridge, V, 4, B. Barrack, M. Gill, 01/1960
2: La Perouse, East Face Direct, V, 3+, H. Leitner, E. von Terzi, 01/1962
3: Nazomi, South Ridge, III, 3, C. Burrows, W. Croll, 12/1955
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, 01/1959
6: Hillary Ridge, V, 3, R. Adams, H. Ayres, E. Hillary, M. Sullivan, 01/1948
7: Denz Route, VI, 4, B. Denz, 11/1972
8: Aoraki Grand Traverse, V, 3+, F. du Faur, P. Graham, D. Thomson, 01/1913
9: Caroline Descent,B. Briggs, T. Grant, E. Mosetti, 10/2017
10: The Clit Route, VI, 4, J. Glasgow, P. Gough, 11/1970
11: A Jump to the Left, VI, 4, A. Darragh, R. Starmer, 01/1988
12: Hewitt-Searle Descent,R. Hewitt, D. Searle, 11/2019
13: Aoraki, East Ridge, V, 3+, D. Bryant, L. Mahan, 01/1938
14: Jones Route, VI, 4, M. Jones, 12/1973
15: Right Side, V, 3
16: Zurbriggen Ridge, IV, 3+, M. Zurbriggen, 03/1895
17: Bowie Ridge, V, 4, P. Conaghan, R. Cox, 02/1962
18: Anzac Peaks, South Ridge, II, 3

Sources

• “Aoraki Tai Poutini, A Guide for Mountaineers,” Rob Frost, NZAC, 2018

• “Seeking the Light,” Gavin Lang, Potton & Burton, 2022

• “Skiing the Caroline Face: The First Descent of the Giant Southeast Face of Aoraki/Mt Cook,” Tom Grant, AAJ, 2020

• “Aoraki Mount Cook, A Guide for Mountaineers,” Alex Palman, NZAC, 2001

• ClimbNZ

• New Zealand Alpine Club

• Summitpost

• Dave Searle

• Ross Hewitt

Updates

Mar 21, 2024: First version published.

Feb 6, 2026: Reprocessed base image to have less contrast and more natural colors. Minor graphic design update.