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Story: National parks

Climbing Aoraki/Mt Cook

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Climbing Aoraki/Mt Cook

A professional mountain guide helps a client reach the top of Aoraki/Mt Cook in December 2005. Out of respect to the wishes of Ngāi Tahu, who regard the mountain as sacred, no guided party sets foot on the true summit, which is 50 metres from this point.

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Alpine Recreation

by Gottlieb Braun-Elwert

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How to cite this page

Nancy Swarbrick, National parks – Western and central South Island parks, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/14455/climbing-aorakimt-cook (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Nancy Swarbrick, published 2 March 2009, updated 1 August 2015.