What to wear
I feel the cold quite badly but thanks to constant movement and the windless conditions, I was fine. I wore merino leggings, softshell pants, gaiters, stiff tramping boots, and on top: two long-sleeved merino tops, a short-sleeved merino top, then a combination (depending on the temperature at the time) of soft shell jacket, hard shell jacket, and a belay jacket (a thinner, synthetic version of a down jacket).
You also need ice axe, crampons, and the experience and knowledge of having used them on snow before.
Timing
We started at 7pm and finished around 3.15am, doing a slow to moderate pace to avoid the sweating/cooling cycle. The moon doesn’t shine down the Mangatepopo Valley until a bit later, but a headlamp does the job until you climb…