Minarets
- Mike Morelli
- Nov 4
- 3 min read
Date: November 5, 2025
Location: Franz Joseph Glacier, Main Divide Range, Westland National Park, New Zealand
Total Trip Distance: 6.5 mi / 10.4 km
Total Elevation Gain: 3,555 ft / 1,084 m
Trip Duration: 6 hrs
Team: Kevin Reid, Emilie Agnew, Louis Halpin, Ella Hartley, Patrick Hartley
Field Notes: For the West Face of Minarets, climb the snow slopes between De La Beche and Minarets. The slope gradually steepens to 40 degrees. Although we had great conditions, there can be large schrunds on this face throughout the year.
Grade: III, 2+
The good graces of the weather continued, and after we attempted the northeast face of Mt. Humdinger, we skinned over in the afternoon to Centennial Hut for attempts on Minarets and Aurora Peak.
We woke up to another beautiful day in the Southern Alps. God it was good to be out here.
We left at sunrise, dropped down from the hut across the Chamberlain Snowfield, and made a quick approach to the west face of Minarets.
Initially, we used ski crampons to ascend the initial section before reaching a flatter area where we switched to crampons and ice axes. The West Face is a sustained 40-degree climb up the face, and the team made quick work of it.
We topped out on the ridge between De La Beche and the twin summits of Minarets. I watched two climbers whom I’d met in the hut, drop in to a 1,000-meter-plus ski descent of the Ranfurly Glacier.
We continued higher and arrived at the first summit on Minarets, just 9 meters below the true summit. We hung out for a few minutes, took photos, soaked in the mind-bending views, and then walked over as a team to climb the higher summit.
At the top, we lounged around taking photos, eating food, and enjoying the bliss of another 3,000-meter peak. It’s astonishing when you look around from these summits: in every direction, hundreds — no, thousands — of snow-capped peaks. In every direction, a classic route. And in every direction, an unclimbed line waiting for someone to take a shot at it. All while the ocean sits within reach to the west.
Eventually, we decided to head down. We returned to the top of the west face between Minarets and De La Beche and got ready to drop in.
Patrick, being the best skier in the group, went first. I watched him sidestep down the icy crux, make two jump turns, and then zip out of sight. I admired his ability to ski so proficiently in what I would soon discover were absolutely terrible conditions.
I was next. I sidestepped down through the icy choke and called up to the others, “You might want to consider down climbing this.” I’m not sure anyone heard me — the wind likely swallowed my voice. Once past the crux, I stared down the face: a 40-degree icy slope ending in a massive crevasse at the bottom. A slip here wouldn’t be nice.
I sideslipped the first section, preparing mentally for a jump turn. But I couldn’t commit. The slope was steep and I simply didn’t trust my edges in conditions this icy. Had it been corn or good snow, different story. But sometimes it’s better to put your ego aside, stay in control, and get down safely. So I did exactly that. I sideslipped the entire face, and I’m not ashamed to say it.
When I met Patrick at the bottom, we had a good laugh and waited for the others.
The rest of the team followed, and long story short — there were some moments of real tension, but everyone got down safely. At the bottom, you could hear two distinct sounds - laughter and very deep sighs of relief.
We skied the lower portion of the face, where the snow was “slightly” better, but the true treat of the day — besides the summit — was the few-hundred-meter descent down the Chamberlain Snowfield, in which corn was harvested.
By now, the sun was blazing. So we regrouped, de-layered, and made the final hundred-meter climb back to Centennial Hut, where we relaxed and took (except Ella) a cold bath in the snow.
Another fantastic trip.
Happy days...
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