MOUNT COOK NEWS - FREDDY GETS HIS FIX

*Photo by Marty Schmidt

On Sunday Nov. 27 Aspiring Guides guide Fredrico Varengo made the first ski descent (to our knowledge) of the East Face of Mnt. Cook. Freddy, an  IFMGA qualified guide from Italy, climbed the Linda Glacier on his first trip up Mnt. Cook. The way down included a right turn just below the summit ice cap. His route took him pretty much straight down untill traversing left and joining the Zubriggins Route just above Grand Plateau. This was just a warm up.

The next day skiing off the summit of Mnt. Tasman.  Again a first and what a route down. Unlike Mnt. Cook which was "easy" now Freddy opted to climb the route he intended to ski.  Ascending below Engineer Col to about elev. 3000m he traversed to the other side of Syme Ridge and proceeded up and diagonal to the summit.    It was this improbable route that he skied back down.  Describing the maze of schrunds and ice blocks below engineer Col as "horrible" Freddy was very happy to reach the safety of the Grand Plateau.  I am not an authority on this sort of thing but as far as I know this is the first ski descent of  Tasman. Anyone mad enough to claim this route before?

Photo of Mt Tasman by John Mletschnig   Oct. 2008