Twenty-year-old Dave Manning has soloed the Caroline Face on Aoraki–Mt. Cook in New Zealand. The 6,500-foot southeast (Caroline) face is the biggest and most dangerous side of the 12,316-foot peak, threatened by ice fall and avalanches nearly throughout its length.

Manning visited the peak twice before succeeding on the climb in November (spring in New Zealand). Starting just after midnight, he followed the Caroline Glacier to the Clit Route, the first route up the face, climbed in 1970. Dogged by poor snow and ice conditions on the upper mountain, he reached the ridge under Cook’s middle peak at 7 p.m. and spent the night on the summit before descending.

Read Manning’s full account here.

Date of Ascent: November 2007

Sources: Mountainz.co.nz, Summitpost.com

Comment on this story