A beautiful valley walk to a remote hut
New Zealand's Matterhorn : Classic Routes on Mt Aspiring
Aoraki/Mount Cook might be higher but Aspiring is possibly the most aesthetic mountain in Australasia. Here's how to climb it!
Images
![Kea 1.JPG](https://fatmap-digitiser-assets.imgix.net/7f0435c3-4ac7-45eb-a24b-ad77486e6675?w=328&h=250&fit=crop")
Kea in Mt Aspiring National Park
![Mt Aspiring 2.jpg](https://fatmap-digitiser-assets.imgix.net/3a590cd0-c04d-4009-87cd-cd225e127645?w=328&h=250&fit=crop")
Mt Aspiring
![Mt Aspiring.JPG](https://fatmap-digitiser-assets.imgix.net/977d49e9-3a38-49b4-b884-c17921fcb81f?w=328&h=250&fit=crop")
Mt Aspiring from Bevan Col
![Kea at Colin Todd Hut Mt Apsiring.JPG](https://fatmap-digitiser-assets.imgix.net/32c30a98-0b08-4699-be5d-c23755cb3ea0?w=328&h=250&fit=crop")
Description
The highest peak in New Zealand outside the Aoraki/Mount Cook range, Mount Aspiring is, by any standards, a beautiful mountain. At first glance it appears impenetrable but upon closer inspection there are amenable ways up the peak and the 2 most popular routes are described here.
Both routes involve long hut approaches and then some serious mountaineering, but this is New Zealand alpinism - there are no gimmes! The most popular route on the mountain is the Shipowner/North West Ridge from the Colin Todd hut and it's described in this guidebook, as is the approach to the hut. If that route sounds a little too easy for you, the other line described here - the South West Ridge - is a much longer and tougher challenge which will test even the strongest of teams.
Whichever route you choose to take, climbing Aspiring is a huge achievement and one which any climber would be proud of. The same can be said of Aoraki/Mount Cook, and we've got a guidebook to that most famous of peaks too!
Adventures
An amazing hut to hut adventure
The classic ascent of Mt Aspiring
Rainforest and glaciers