Dieter on Mt Elie de Beaumont. Photo by Jamie Robertson
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Objective: 3000 | Details for summer 2012/13

Objective: 3000 is a climbing course for one or 2 participants. The focus of this course is to climb one specific and significant peak in the Southern Alps. Peaks include Mount Aspiring, Mount Dixon and Elie de Beaumont.

The aim of Objectve:3000 is to work hard on the specific skills required to make your chosen summit. The maximum guide to participant ratio is per 2 per guide.

Objective: 3000 peaks - choose your objective

The course lengths allow time for access and egress from your mountain venue, instruction, and to make a push for the top.

Who is Objective: 3000 for?

  1. Those who have not done any significant alpine climbing for some time. You need to refresh your skills, and spend some time back on crampons.
  2. Those who may not necessarily plan to do any further mountaineering - at least not in the near future.

Objective 3000: is not a replacement for the range of skills you will develop on a broad-based mountaineering course, like the Technical Mountaineering Course.

What You Will Learn

What you cover on your course will depend on your party’s previous experience. There are a number of basics that we cover to ensure a safe ascent. Courses will usually focus on the topics below:

  • Snow and Ice Climbing
  • Abseiling, belay techniques and anchor systems
  • Glacier travel and crevasse rescue
  • Route finding
  • Introduction to hazard evaluation
  • Equipment, what to bring and how to use it
  • Trip planning and preparation
  • Knots and hitches for mountaineering
  • Hut management, food preparation, cooking

Pricing and Inclusions 2012/13

Valid from: 1 May 2012 to 30 April 2013

All prices are per-person, in New Zealand Dollars

Particpants 7 days 8 days
1 person NZ$5,250 NZ$5,900
2 people NZ$3,150 NZ$3,550
  • The maximum guide to client ratio is 1 guide to 2 participants
  • For trips with 3 or more participants at least 2 guides are required

The price includes all of the following:

Not Included

Cost of flight out of mountains. See Egress From The Mountains for more details.

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Experience Required

Participants considering Objective:3000 must have the following:

  • Basic rope/rock climbing skills
  • High Level of aerobic fitness
  • Previous crampon/ice axe use to at least a level similar to completion of the Mountain Experience Course ›

Booking for Objective:3000

Your guide will work around your travel plans (subject to availability). The first step is to contact us with your proposed dates ›

“Walk-in” and short-notice enquiries usually cannot be filled. We recommend making reservations well in advance.

Reporting Details

Unless otherwise arranged, the trip will start at 08:30 at Alpine Guides shop in Mount Cook Village, and finish at 17:00 on the last day of your trip. A morning start makes most effective use of time, allowing you to fly into the mountains by lunch time.

Alternatively, we can arrange to start at 13:30, and finish at 12:00 noon on the last day, to better fit in with public bus services ›

With a 13:30 start it is less likely you will fly into the mountains on the first day. Please double-check that you choose the right start time on your booking form.

If you arrive in Aoraki/Mount Cook on the day before your trip begins, your guide will probably not be available. Our office staff will be happy to answer any questions you have. Your guide(s) will look after equipment rental, and other gear requirements at the start of your trip. This takes on average 2 hours.

More information about transport to Mount Cook ›

Mountain Huts

Most often (if not camping/bivying for a specific objective) you will be based out of one of a number of mountain huts maintained by the Department of Conservation or NZ Alpine Club.

Read more about mountain hut living conditions ›

Trip Daily Organisation

Every Objective: 3000 program is unique. We will develop a general plan for your trip, but when dealing with such a dynamic environment it is not realistic to plan rigid itineraries. Your guide will work around prevailing weather and conditions, to get the most from your time.

At the start of your trip your guide carry out an equipment check, and discuss in detail the outline for your trip. You will fly into the mountains at the first opportunity.

Instructional days will begin at around 07:00. When climbing on good weather days, and for the objective peak you may have “alpine starts” - as early as 03:00. Most day's activities will have you out for 8 to 10 hours, and 10 to 14 hours on summit day.

During poor weather you will be busy with rope skills, theory, and practical - using instruction venues close to the hut. You also have the option to just relax – it’s your trip.

We aim to have you back in Mount Cook Village or Wanaka (for Mount Aspiring) by late afternoon on the final full day.

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Egress from the mountains

Two means of egress are available at the end of the course: walking or flying out. Flying out is the most common choice. Please - ALWAYS BUDGET FOR A FLIGHT OUT, even if you want to walk.

1. Flying out at course end

Almost all courses fly out of the mountains. It maximises time spent on climbing and instruction and avoids an extremely arduous trip that must be done inside the course time.

The cost of flying out is ADDITIONAL to the course fees.

Range of costs possible:

  • 1 person: NZ$300 to NZ$950
  • 2 people: NZ$160 to NZ$400

Typical average cost:

  • 1 person: NZ$400 to NZ$520
  • 2 people:NZ$200 to NZ$260

For more details please read about air transport ›

2. Walking out at course end

Walking out may be the most physically demanding part of your course. If you walk out this must be done inside course time. It may not be possible for your party to to walk out due to conditions, weather and fitness.

Your guide is the final arbiter on whether a walk out will go ahead.

Read more about walking out ›

Equipment and Clothing | Objective:3000

Download the equipment checklist for Objective:3000 (.pdf 200 Kb) ›

Please let us know what gear you need to rent - including any equipment supplied free of charge.

Choosing your clothing | Seasonal Variation

Our gear lists cater for all eventualities. Sometimes you may not require everything on the equipment list. Weather and conditions when your trip starts will help determine what is needed.

Temperatures, weather, and snow conditions will vary. The program is designed to work around these changes. Read about Weather & Snow Conditions, Summer and Winter ›

Questions about clothing and gear? See the Equipment & Clothing Guide to gear for mountaineering in New Zealand ›

 

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Objective: 3000 peaks

Mount Aspiring (3,027 metres)

Mount Aspiring/Tititea is the highest peak outside of Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park. Its dramatic horned peak has attracted climbers around the world for over a century.

Courses for climbing Mt Aspiring are run from Colin Todd Hut. This can be a busy location during the summer, so our parties often carry a tent.

We also offer Mount Aspiring as a 5-day guided “Expedition” package. The package does not allow time to cover any in depth instruction.

See the Mount Aspiring package detailed notes for information about the NW Ridge Route, and about walking/flying out from Colin Todd Hut.

Mt Elie de Beaumont (3,109 metres)

Mount Elie de Beaumont sits right on the Main Divide at the head of the Tasman Glacier. As well as good technique, reaching the summit requires skill with route-finding and glacier travel.

Normally in best condition early in the season, Elie de Beaumont is climbable by anyone with a good level of fitness, a head for heights and some experience on snow and ice.

While it is not "too steep" at any point, glacier access is often quite broken up. Climbers need to be good on their feet, and able to climb in and out of crevasses efficiently. The usual route is via the Anna Glacier, either directly to the summit (when conditions allow) or via the saddle under Mt Walter.

The peak offers one of the of the most striking vantage points in New Zealand; Mount Cook, the Tasman Sea, and the temperate forests of the West Coast.

Tasman Saddle Hut is an exceptionally good instruction site allowing for easy access by air, and options to walk out, if time, weather, and fitness allows.

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Mt Dixon (3,004 metres)

Mount Dixon is often overshadowed by Tasman and Cook close by, but it is a great 3,000 metre peak in its own right.

Mt Dixon has 2 guided routes on it – the “voie normale” which is the East Ridge, and the more technical South East Ridge.

Early in the season direct access to the upper East Ridge (Grade 2+) simplifies the route, with just 3 pitches of steep snow/ice up to the more moderately angled main ridge. A mix of pitching and moving together is usually required from there, depending on snow conditions.

Later in the season this route can require a longer approach from lower down the ridge. Either way, it is a classic snow and ice climb with a rewarding summit.

The South East Ridge (Grade 3-) offers a more technical ascent, with steeper pitches and more mixed climbing. The route can be varied according to conditions. It will suit climbers with more experience and confidence than required for the East Ridge.

Mt Haidinger (3,070 metres)

There are several excellent routes on Mount Haidinger, close to Pioneer Hut, and these do not require a very early alpine start. Several of the routes require technical expertise on rock and/or mixed rock and ice. However, the rock is sound, and none of the routes are very sustained.

The “standard” route is up the moderately angled snow face to the west of the Main Divide. A bergschrund part way up this face can cause some difficulty later in the season, but can usually be bypassed (if required).

On the Main Divide ridge, an airy but "easy" walk leads to the steep section guarding the summit. There are two pitches of sustained, exposed, and quite steep mixed climbing before pulling straight up on to the summit. With just a short technical section, this is fairly easily reversed with anchors left in place on the ascent.

Other routes of high quality include the steep snow on the West Face route which bypasses the west rock buttresses. The rock buttresses themselves offer excellent rock, up to grade AU16 depending on the route. For those with good alpine rock skills these provide superb climbing.

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The Minarets (3,040 metres)

The Minarets used to be climbed from De la Beche Hut (removed) until access to the hut became more arduous on the growing moraine wall. Now the more common (and interesting) way to climb is via the steep snow of the North West face from Centennial Hut.

Easy access up the Franz Josef glacier nevé leads to a moderately angled snow slope, which still requires some care. Usually there are at least a few pitches before reaching the plateau between the two peaks. Steeper snow slopes guard the last approximate 100 metres to the twin summits.

Egress from Centennial is by air, or walking out to Mount Cook Village. Walking out is a demanding trip of 2 days on foot, usually staying over-night at De la Beche bivvy site.

The route out is either over the Minarets and down De la Beche Ridge, or through Graham Saddle, and the Rudolf Glacier. Route conditions, weather, your fitness and when you summit will help dictate which is the best egress option at the time.

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