MT COOK GRADES

The Mt Cook system was first used by Hugh Logan in his The Mt Cook Guidebook (1982). Grades currently go from 1 to 7 with + and – variations. Factors determining the grade are (in descending order of importance): technical difficulty, objective danger, length, and access.

1. Easy scramble. Use of rope generally only for glacier travel.

2. Steeper trickier sections may need a rope.

3. Longer steeper sections generally. Use of technical equipment necessary. Ice climbs may require two tools.

4. Technical climbing. Knowledge of how to place ice and rock gear quickly and efficiently a must. Involves a long day.

5. Sustained technical climbing. May have vertical sections on ice.

6. Multiple crux sections. Vertical ice may not have adequate protection. Good mental attitude and solid technique necessary. May require a bivvy on route and be a long way from civilization.

7. Vertical ice/rock which may not have adequate protection. Rock grades in the high 20s (Ewbank). Climb may be in remote area. May require a bivvy on route.

There is a new Mt Cook grading system detailed in the latest edition of the Aoraki/Mt Cook Guidebook. This new system combines a ‘Seriousness Grade’ with a ‘Technical Grade’ to further include the factors besides the technical climbing that affect a climb’s difficulty. You can find out more about the new grading system at the following link to ClimbNZ’s FAQ page under ‘Grading’: https://climbnz.org.nz/faq

SOURCE: https://climbnz.org.nz/faq