South West Ridge - Mt Aspiring 2009
By Magnus Hammarsal
Mt Aspiring was first climbed on 23 November 1909. So if we were going to climb it to celebrate the centenary the pressure was on. Ever since I did the NZAC snow-craft course, I fancied climbing Mt Aspiring. So when Jes Michaelsen suggested the trip it was easy to agree. To do the mountain justice we decided to climb the argubly most stunning line; the South West Ridge (3+).
We packed a week’s worth of food and climbing gear into our packs and set off from the road end walking to French Ridge Hut. Reaching the hut the only other occupants, fellow Aucklanders Miles and Edwin, quickly offered us a brew.
The next morning we woke to howling winds and snow, but didn’t mind the rest. With the weather forecast to improve another party turned up in the evening and a fourth the next morning, all heading for the same route.
It was all on! We set off up the Quarterdeck over the pass onto Bonar glacier, stopping to confer with the guided party ahead of us, we agreed that the glacier seemed well filled in. We carried on across the glacier to bivi at the foot of the ridge. Jes was all up for roughing it but I’m not too keen on sleeping cold and as it started snowing again we were both quite happy to dig a snow cave.
As promised, the next day was a gorgeous blue sky day but a keen south easterly whipped across the ridge. Keeping just a couple of meters to the left we stayed out of the worst. With mixed ten and two pointing in good conditions we were gaining ground on the guided party in front as they started pitching. We only just caught them as we traversed left to the bottom of the ice gully at 2900 meters or so.
By the time we had a drink and set up a belay they were out of our way again. The ice wasn’t quite vertical but certainly steep for a few meters at the start of the pitch. With a snow slide approaching 1000 meters down the west face below (incidentally the route of the original ascent) I felt it prudent to put in an ice crew to protect the belay before heading up.
The ice was straightforward so I moved quickly up the first bit, but then mucked around getting a further piece of protection in and an anchor set up in softish ice above. By the time I was ready to bring Jes up he felt like an ice block. The ice hardened again and after a further three pitches of unrelenting front pointing up the summit ice cap we stood on the summit ridge. We unroped and a hop, skip and a jump later we stood on top of the mountain. Beautiful blue sky views all around with Mt Cook standing out to the north.
It was late morning by the time we headed down the North West Ridge still undecided whether to go down the Ramp or an alternative route. Getting to the crossroads the snow on the Ramp, though soft, still seemed nice and dry so we set off down it following the footsteps of the previous parties. Well aware of the Ramp’s reputation as a bit of a slippery slope we carefully down climbed. Slowly but surely we got down to the Bonar again for a well earned rest in the afternoon sun.
Tired, but happy we crossed the glacier back to our camp, roped up this time. We considered staying at the bivi another night but the hut was calling. We waited for the sun to set, hoping that the snow would harden up as it got colder. No such luck though, the 900 vertical meters back down across the Quarterdeck and French Ridge took us longer than it had taken getting up; the snow was terrible. We ‘post holed’ our way down the by now well trodden slope in the dark. “Alpine start tomorrow, Jes?” I wondered. I’m sure you can imagine the answer...