Specialized Alpine Climbing Course

NZ$ exchange rate

Included:

• IFMGA/NZMGA certified mountain guide
• National Park fees
• Hut accommodation
• Local accommodation for any nights required during the course
• Free transport (Tekapo - Mt. Cook return)
• ALL meals (including snacks & energy bars) for the duration of the course
• ALL technical climbing equipment - this saves you up to $100 compared with other guiding companies!

Meals and accommodation before/after the course are NOT included.

Green : Minimum reached - guaranteed departure.
Orange : Only 4 or fewer places available.
Red : No availability.

Instruction topics

• Steep snow and ice climbing - front-pointing and ice tool techniques
• Alpine rock climbing
• Advanced rock, snow and ice anchors
• Advanced rope techniques - eg. moving together on ridges and running belays
• Glacier travel and advanced crevasse rescue
• Improvised rescue techniques
• Safe route selection and terrain analysis
• Whiteout navigation
• Mountain weather and forecasting
• Snow shelters
• Avalanche hazard management
• Environmental awareness

Several of these topics can be covered indoors if bad weather confines you to the hut.

Ascent options

We aim to improve your proficiency while challenging you technically in the terrain. Any summits attempted will depend on the ability of participants, weather, snow and ice conditions. This may even be a 3000m peak (most of these are only "in condition" early season (November- mid-January)), but ascents take second priority to skill development.

Specialized Alpine Climbing Course photos.

↑ Kelman Hut

Choice of venue

The venues we choose for our Specialized Alpine Climbing Courses are usually Kelman Hut, at the head of the Tasman Glacier, Pioneer Hut high on the Fox Glacier or Centennial Hut on the Franz Josef Glacier Nevé. Venue can be decided on after discussion between you and the guide to determine your requirements and taking into account hut occupancy, weather and snow conditions.

Public huts

Kelman, Pioneer and Centennial Huts are public huts that cannot be booked and work on a first come first served basis. Climbers must carry their own sleeping bags and personal equipment to the huts, and a share of the following items, which Alpine Recreation provides: food, stove, fuel and cooking utensils.

We can bring your skill level up to standard, but you need to prepare yourself fitness-wise. If you have not used crampons, ice-axe or a rope before, then you are recommended to start with our Introductory Mountaineering Course. If it's been a few years since you did a course or used crampons and ice-axe, we recommend refreshing your skills on our Intensive Mountaineering Skills Course.

Required

• very high level of fitness (as a minimum, you should be able to climb 300 vertical metres per hour over untracked terrain with at least 12kg in your pack and be able to sustain that for at least 6 hours)
• alpine climbing experience using crampons and ice axe (eg. a previous climbing course - our Intensive Mountaineering Skills Course is ideal preparation)
• rope management skills (eg. rock climbing, abseiling)

Recommended fitness training

• regular exercise or a fitness training programme, eg. uphill walking with a 12kg pack on; weekend hikes of at least 4 hours; jogging (off-road/cross-country if possible for good footwork and coordination), cycling - anything aerobic, giving you a good heart-lung workout
• indoor climbing/rock climbing is recommended for improving and maintaining arm strength and developing psychological preparation for exposure.

Check-in Time

8am on the first day. Meeting point is at Alpine Recreation's Edelweiss Lodge, 8 Erebus Place, Lake Tekapo. If you have requested a pick-up from your accommodation, please be ready for pick-up at 7:50am.

First Day

You'll meet your guide and once everyone in the group has arrived, your equipment will be checked. No extra cost for any gear you need to borrow - from boots to helmets and technical gear. Your guide will discuss the current mountain weather and avalanche forecasts with you, before the final choice of venue is made.

Drive to chosen airport. Fly in to one of the high alpine huts. We usually arrive at the hut before midday. The afternoon is spent getting familiar with your new playground and beginning instruction on your choice of mountaineering techniques.

Subsequent Days

The guide will ascertain what needs to be taught by assessing your skill level with crampon and ice tool techniques, snow and ice anchors, belaying methods, etc.; working towards the goal of climbing one or more major peaks in the vicinity.

Last Day

The final day can be spent on instruction or a short ascent followed by a flight out, or the day can be used to walk back to civilization.

Walking out from any of the venues is not easy and can only be done by very fit groups. It is occasionally spread over the last two days of the course. Walking out is by no means a waste of time as it allows you to put into practice many of the things you have been learning and allows you to experience the full range of mountain terrain. However, most participants opt to fly out in order to maximise use of good weather for climbing.