Lendenfeld Peak
- Mike Morelli
- Nov 2
- 3 min read
Updated: Nov 18
Date: November 3, 2025
Location: Fox Glacier, Main Divide Range, Westland National Park, New Zealand
Total Trip Distance: 7.82 mi / 12.58 km
Total Elevation Gain: 3,327 ft / 1,014 m
Trip Duration: 9 hr 27 min
Team: Kevin Reid, Emilie Agnew, Louis Halpin, Ella Hartley, Patrick Hartley
Field Notes: A straightforward climb from Marcel Col. I think the biggest issue would be navigating the crevasses on the Heemskerck Glacier in the dark. The upper pitch on Lendenfeld doesn't get steeper than forty degrees, but we did find hard ice at times.
Grade: III, 2
Buzzing off a fantastic climb and ski of Glacier Peak — and a so-close attempt on the summit of Douglas — we were keen for more of the high stuff.
We had our eyes set on climbing Mt. Tasman. Realistically, that wasn't going to happen with six people. But we knew Lendenfeld would make a fantastic summit and another three-thousand-meter peak.
The group decided on a 2 a.m. departure from the hut, which pretty much solidified in my mind that Tasman was not a realistic objective for the day. Still, I was super happy to climb Lendenfeld and get some valuable beta for a future attempt at Tasman.
We skinned off into the night again, headlamps cutting through the dark, though at times I left mine off because of the full moon. There’s something magical about skinning across the glaciers under towering, snow-capped peaks, illuminated by moonlight.
There was some debate about how to navigate the crevasses since we weren’t sure of the exact route in the dark. Patrick had been through the area just yesterday but couldn’t remember the line he’d taken. I opted for the left-hand side; the group leaned toward the far right. In the end, we took the right-hand option, which proved to be the right call. We were able to skirt around the crevasses and use ski crampons to make travel as efficiently as possible.
We finally got into a groove and got closer to Marcel Col. The contour lines on the map don’t properly show how steep the lower part of the Heemskerk Glacier actually is. Not steep enough for crampons and ice tools — but steep enough that ski crampons were definitely needed.
Near the top of Marcel Col, the slope steepened again, becoming extremely icy with chicken heads everywhere. We had a few issues with ski crampons and dropping gear, but eventually everyone made it safely to the top of the col.
After a quick break and a bit of reorganizing, we headed up the east ridge of Lendenfeld — just in time for one of the most spectacular sunrises I’ve ever seen. Climbing next to Kevin, the alpenglow lit up the entire range. It was such a special moment that I kept stopping to take photos of him as he climbed.
It was quick work from the col to the summit, and we enjoyed an unbelievably calm morning with bluebird skies and warm sunshine. We ended up hanging out on the summit for a couple of hours — eating, relaxing, soaking it all in.
I couldn’t help staring over at the North Shoulder of Tasman, which looked to be in absolutely incredible condition. Some days you hold 'em, some days you fold 'em.
It was awesome hanging out with the whole crew — Kevin, Emilie, Patrick, Ella, and Louis. Everyone was buzzing atop the peak. Ultimately, like all trips, we began our descent. We down-climbed back to Marcel Col, clicked into skis, and made a somewhat icy but fun descent down the glacier.
At ten in the morning, we bypassed a Japanese couple on the lower part of the glacier. They had a long way to go, up and down, in the blazing sun. It was no surprise that I saw the Japanese climber the next day with duct tape all over his face. He spent some time in the oven.
Regardless...
Happy days...
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