New Zealand Hiking and Trekking » Mt Aspiring Glacier Expedition

Mt Aspiring Glacier Experience

This is your chance to experience one of New Zealand's most famous glaciers.

This multiday Glacier expedition explores the magnificent Bonar Glacier. We supply all the technical gear, all you need are a good pair of boots and a spirit of adventure. New Zealand's glaciers are spectacular, but very few people ever get to visit the catchments of these vast oceans of snow.

If you have ever wanted to travel on ice a thousand feet thick or safely explore towering columns of ice, this is the trip for you. The magnificence of this region speaks for itself. It is however a demanding trip and requires previous outdoor experience and a good fitness level. It is an opportunity to discover the grandeur of the alpine regions and develop an approach to the mountain environment.

Mount Aspiring itself is a majestic peak and the only peak over 3000 metres outside Mount Cook National Park. The Mount Aspiring National Park is renowned for its wonderful mixture of remote wilderness, high mountains and beautiful river valleys. It is a walker's paradise and a must for mountaineers. The views are endless and unforgettable. The park is part of Te Wahipounamu - Southwest New Zealand World Heritage Area. Mount Aspiring National Park straddles the southern end of the Southern Alps.

Rifleman, bellbird, South Island robin, yellow crowned parakeet, mohua (yellowhead), tomtit, South Island fantail and New Zealand pigeon are common bush birds. Towards evening, native bats and moreporks (small owls) may be seen and heard. Blue ducks and paradise shelducks live in the valley.

Mount Aspiring is often referred to as the ‘Matterhorn of the South'. The local Maori people have several names for the peak, ....`Tititea' which means Glistening Peak and `Te Maakahi o Tuterakiwhanoa ' which comes from the traditions of the Waitaha people and describes the wedge(maakahi) of a legendary figure, Tuterakiwhanoa who used it to shape landscapes.

Logistics

Duration: 3 days

Grade: Hard

Price : NZ$ 1,250 per person. (Minimum 2 persons) The price includes; Qualified Guide and permit fees, all trip related meals and energy foods, hut fees, equipment, and 12.5% NZ Goods and Services Tax. Additional expenses are for rental equipment required such as climbing boots.

Access : Walk in and walk outGuide Ratio: 1 guide 4 clients (max)

2010/2011 Trek Dates: