New Zealand Mountaineering Courses

COMBINED COURSE SPECIAL - Combine your Introductory Course with an Intermediate Course for 12 days in our Southern Alps and pay only NZ$4100 per person.

» 2-4 participants per guide, up to 8 with 2 guides.
Individual bookings welcome. If you end up being the only person on a trip you will have the option of changing to another date or a full refund.

» 4 days NZ$1350; 5 days NZ$1620; 6 days NZ$1890.
Prices are per person. NZ$ exchange rate.

» 5% returning client discount, if you have been on an Alpine Recreation trip before.

» Group discounts (prices are per person):
3-5 participants: 4 days NZ$1280; 5 days NZ$1560; 6 days NZ$1800. Book minimum 3 persons to qualify.
6-8 participants: 4 days NZ$1200; 5 days NZ$1460; 6 days NZ$1700. Book minimum 6 persons to qualify.

» Prices valid until 30 April 2011.

» Included: guide, hut accommodation, all food & transport ex Lake Tekapo, all climbing equipment including crampons, ice axe, helmet and boots, National Parks concession fees, 12.5% GST.

» Optional climbing manual covering course material is available for purchase for NZ$20 before/after the course. A letter certifying course completion is available on request.

» Meals and accommodation before/after tour are NOT included.

» Caroline Hut is the only guide/operator-owned mountain hut in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park and is available for the exclusive use of Alpine Recreation parties. It provides a high standard facility for professional instruction.

» The hut can be reached in 4-6 hours' walking from the road end (no aircraft required) and is located at 1800m, so right up on the mountain, with no time wasted with relocating from one venue to another.

» As we are not using public huts there is no risk of overcrowding, facilities are clean and hygenic and you have a guaranteed bunk. Camping consumes a lot of time, so by overnighting at a hut you can get underway faster in the mornings and spend more time learning skills.

» The quality of instruction is enhanced by the hut being outfitted with comprehensive climbing equipment and instruction aids, including a solar-powered laptop which can be used to complement field instruction.

» Caroline Hut is fully equipped with firewood, gas, solar lighting, satellite phone, Department of Conservation radio, sleeping bags and non-perishable food. A wood-fired stove means there are good heating and drying facilities.

» More Caroline Hut photos...

» Participants on an Introductory Climbing Course will learn how to:

• be safe in the mountains - develop risk awareness and learn risk avoidance
• develop good cramponing techniques and ice-axe skills
• "read" a glacier and the general terrain for safe and efficient route selection
• climb on rock, snow and ice using appropriate techniques
• understand weather maps and interpret early signs of changes

» For climbers who already have considerable rock experience the focus will be on snow and ice skills.

» Optional topics include: navigation, avalanche awareness and emergency survival skills.

» If weather confines you inside, Caroline Hut makes a good classroom as it is warm and cozy and well equipped with instruction material - there is still much that can be covered on a hut day and your guide will keep you busy. There is also the option of walking out a day early and going rock climbing at one of the local crags.

» Participants for an Introductory Climbing Course need to be/have:

• above average fitness
• extensive hiking, tramping, backpacking or bushwalking experience
• capable of sustained walking over steep, rugged, untracked and very exposed terrain
• able to hike or climb at least 8 hours in a day without difficulty
• secure-footed, well-coordinated with good balance
• no fear of heights

» Rock climbing experience is an advantage, but is not essential. You do not need prior mountaineering experience.

» FIRST DAY:
8am gear check at our office, 30 Murray Place, Lake Tekapo. Any items of equipment that you have been unable to provide yourself will be provided free-of-charge. Good leather climbing boots are available if you do not have your own. All technical mountaineering equipment is provided (helmets, harnesses, slings, carabiners, rope etc.) but you are welcome to bring your own if you have them.

Drive to Mount Cook (about 1 hour), and the end of the Tasman Glacier. You walk up the old Ball Hut Road, parallel to the glacier. From the Ball Shelter site you climb 850m/2800ft up the Ball Ridge to Caroline Hut at 1800m/6000ft, perched right opposite New Zealand's highest ice face, the Caroline Face of Mount Cook.

As the hut is fully stocked we only need to carry some fresh items of food (e.g. bread, fruit, vegetables, meat) and our personal clothing and equipment.

After reaching the hut there may still be time to practise some knots.

» MIDDLE DAYS:
Snow and ice instruction on the Ball Glacier or near Ball Pass. For rock climbing and abseiling practice there is good quality sandstone on Ball Ridge near Caroline Hut.

Practise various kinds of belays and anchors, and how to select a good route. Good cramponing techniques are emphasized, likewise knowing different methods of self-arresting and choosing the right methods for the conditions. You can be lowered into a crevasse and climb out again, practising steep ice climbing with front-pointing. Weather assessment will be covered. For climbers who already have considerable rock experience the focus will be on snow and ice skills.

» LAST DAY:
You have the choice of testing your skills by crossing Ball Pass, or receiving more instruction before returning to Mount Cook village via the Tasman Valley. Return to Lake Tekapo, arriving at 6-7pm. Those electing to continue with an Intermediate Course can stay overnight at Unwin Hut (NZAC) at Mt. Cook (own cost), or return with the guide to Tekapo.

» EXTENSION:
Combine your Introductory Course with our Intermediate Course to extend yourself with more advanced climbing with a 1:2 guide-client ratio. This will give you 12 days in our Southern Alps, qualifying you for the special combination price, NZ$4000 per person for the two courses.

» The 4 day course is for trampers or hikers who want to sample mountaineering. The 6 day course is for those who intend to go beyond the basic skills of mountaineering.

» 4 or 6 days of introductory mountaineering include a climb of Kaitiaki Peak 2222m/7290ft or Turner Peak 2341m/7680ft, and are sufficient to teach the basic skills of mountaineering. However, technical skills alone do not make a good mountaineer. This is why this course places emphasis on developing your abilities to anticipate potential hazards, to identify areas of risk and how to minimise them. The course introduces you to the skills needed to cross snow slopes safely and to attempt non-technical peaks.

» Anybody who wants to get into serious alpine climbing should start with our Introductory Course to get a thorough grounding in the basics and ensure good crampon and ice-axe skills are developed at an early stage, before going on to our Intermediate Course. Those who have done a mountaineering course but have had a few years since using the skills learnt are recommended to use this course to update with modern techniques before launching back into more advanced climbing.

» Why go with Alpine Recreation?
Read information about us and what sets us apart.

» Equipment:
Alpine Recreation provides all mountaineering equipment, including boots. A detailed equipment list will be sent at time of booking. Outdoor clothing and packs can also be provided at no extra cost if necessary.

» Accommodation pre-/post- tour:
As our equipment check takes place at 8am on the morning of departure, you need to book accommodation in Tekapo the night before. After the tour, it is recommended to overnight in Tekapo again, or in Mount Cook. Accommodation options in Tekapo.

» Insurance:
In case of accident New Zealand's Accident Compensation scheme (ACC) will cover the majority of costs (about 80%) involved with evacuation and injury treatment, even for visitors to New Zealand. However you still need ordinary travel insurance to cover such things as your cancellation if an injury prevents you taking part on the trip, or a close relative suddenly becomes ill; and medical insurance in case you become ill. More information re Accident Compensation. The New Zealand Alpine Club provides a good mountaineering specific travel insurance.

» How green are we?
Alpine Recreation reduces its carbon footprint and environmental impact through such things as:

- restricting group size
- using fuel efficient vehicles
- minimising use of vehicles and aircraft
- recycling, re-using, composting, avoiding "consumerism"
- minimal impact huts
- bulk buying of food supplies
- promoting conservation of native flora and fauna
- supporting community efforts to encourage appreciation of the natural environment

For details please refer to our Environmental Care Action.