Genís Zapater Bargués, Alastair Mcdowell complete Aoraki Traverse in New Zealand in 26 hours

Last November mountain guides Genís Zapater Bargués and Alastair Mcdowell teamed up for the very first time to climb in just over 26 hours what has been described as the "ultimate alpine activity in the New Zealand Alps", namely the complete traverse of the country's highest mountain, Aoraki - Mt Cook.

Starting from and returning to the Hooker Valley, this is also referred to as the Grand traverse, or the Three Peaks Traverse. It was first completed in January 1913 by Freda Du Faur, Peter Graham and Darby Thomson and at the time their ascent was heralded as a ground-breaking achievement in world mountaineering. Rated 70° - M3 - IV, it involves 55km, 4,500m+ elevation gain. Access is through the moraine, then past the lake, and finally the glacier of the same name, Hook, to reach the base of the West face. This is a vast, 2,500m, high wall that leads to the 50° summit ridge. The descent involves 5 rappels of 30m to the Linda Glacier, then another 3,000m of descent down the glacier and finally the moraine of the Tasman Glacier to return to the village.

Writing on his Instagram handle, Bargués explained "For me, Aoraki/Mount Cook was a mountain that had been capturing my attention for a long time. At 3,700 meters, it is the highest mountain in all of New Zealand and one of the tallest in the Oceania region. Beyond its height, its beauty lies in its difficulty, exposure, commitment, and unique morphology—a pyramid traversed by large glaciers broken between the Tasman Sea, its tall and vertical neighboring mountains, and the frozen rivers forming the bed of the valleys that separate them.

Alastair Mcdowell is one of the best alpinists and mountain athletes in New Zealand today. A talented, versatile, competitive guy of my age, he has extensive mountaineering experience in the New Zealand Alps. I called Alastair to share a rope with him just 10 days before taking the plane to head back home.

I told him that what would bring me the most joy would be to climb Aoraki/Mount Cook from the village, as tradition dictates. He proposed an even grander plan: to undertake the famous Three Peaks Traverse from the village and back without stopping. It's an activity that the New Zealand alpine bible labels as 'the ultimate alpine activity in the New Zealand Alps.

It was an extraordinary experience — a nearly 60 km activity with over 4,600 meters of positive elevation gain and about 24 hours of snow, ice, and rock, armed only with ice axes, crampons, a bike helmet, and a 30-meter rope for rappelling.

The west face of Aoraki/Mount Cook is a face of snow, rock, and ice with almost 2,500 meters of positive elevation and difficulties of 70°, M3, and IV° on rock, where speed was crucial, especially during the descent via the Linda Glacier, which had to be completed within a specific timeframe.

It was a gratifying activity where physical fitness, technique, and determination were the key ingredients that this activity demanded."

Writing on his account after the traverse, Mcdowell stated "There are only so many mountains worthy of such punishment. But for Aoraki it’s always worth it."

 

 

 

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