Where Nature Thrives, and Adventure Awaits
Explore the Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana with Wānaka Mountain Guides.
Our small local team of established guides deliver leading personalised guiding and instruction across mountaineering, ski and splitboard touring, rock climbing, and trekking activities.
Mountain Ascents and Trips
Trekking and Heli-hiking
Ski and Splitboard Touring and Avalanche Courses
Mountaineering Courses
Stay Connected with Nature!
Get in touch with our team so we can share advice and guide you in the right direction to help you experience New Zealand’s unique mountains and achieve your alpine goals.
Josh Llinas
00:57 16 Mar 24
Had an amazing trip with these guys. Tim was incredibly helpful and responsive with organising the trip. I did the grand traverse in March. Jules was my guide and he was fantastic. You can tell how much he enjoys guiding people. We moved through the day at a good pace. Safety was excellent. Thanks guys for a great day and lots of memories
katporter1
06:48 15 Mar 24
Don’t hesitate to book with this crew! Had the pleasure of doing the Grand Traverse of the Remarkables with Jules. Professional, highly skilled, and excellent customer care. An incredible way to explore the lesser seen parts of NZ!!
Harrison Murray
22:54 21 Feb 24
Awesome day out doing the Remarkables Grand Traverse with Steve and Ryan from Wanaka Mountain Guides. They were great blokes, super friendly and patient, technically proficient and knowledgeable, and a high commitment to safety so I felt confident all day. An amazing trip, and definitely would use them again for my next NZ adventure!
Terence Donnelly
04:29 20 Feb 24
We recently had Steve and Ryan guide us on the Remarkables GT. It was an excellent day and really lived up to the hype. Both guides were experienced and very technically proficient so it meant that everything went smoothly. There was also some quality kiwi vs aussie banter which was entertaining. I'll definitely be back for more mountain adventures!
Rebecca Aitchison
07:15 13 Feb 24
I went for a day learning about anchors/lead climbing etc with my 8 year old daughter who has taken to climbing. Ryan (our guide) was fantastic, he made it work for the both of us and had no issues helping my daughter so she could belay me! Through his kind, enthusiastic and knowledgable approach to climbing, he gave my daughter the confidence to tackle lead climbing as well. She was so proud of herself. I would highly recommend this company, and will be back at some point to take it to the next level once we work on what we have learned so far.
Sarah Iraheta
04:39 23 Nov 23
We had a great day rock climbing with Pet in Wanaka! She took my husband and I out to hospital flats to climb and was very friendly and a great climber. Since we only had one day in Wanaka for climbing, we wanted a guide to take us to good spots so we could be more efficient, and she was great! She gave us several options along the way and kept us safe. Definitely knows her stuff. Would highly recommend this company if you’re looking for either a group guided experience or a private one!
Mountaineering
These are just a selection of the adventures possible in our backyard of Mount Aspiring National Park and the Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana of New Zealand. Get in touch early so we can share advice and guide you in the right direction to help you achieve your mountain goals.
Ascents
Guided ascents of the classic peaks of New Zealand including Aoraki / Mount Cook, Tititea / Mount Aspiring, Mitre Peak, Mount Brewster, and the Remarkables Grand Traverse. Short four-day expeditions, or off-the-beaten-track adventures throughout the Southern Alps.
Mount Aspiring Climb
Climb Tititea / Mount Aspiring, our local mountain / maunga. One of New Zealand’s most aesthetic and classic peaks and perennially popular. Its prominence makes it visible from many areas around Lake Wānaka. It offers multiple classic routes and is many an aspiring mountaineer’s first 3000m summit.
Rock Climbing
Guided rock climbing and instruction at local Wānaka crags and alpine rock of the Southern Lakes region and the Darrans mountains. For individuals, private groups, or families.
Trekking and Heli-hiking
Heli-hiking
Helicopter-accessed alpine hiking. Day and overnight trips to glacier camps, alpine huts, or luxury mountain chalets. Visit remote locations deep in the Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana and pristine alpine experiences.
Multi-day Trekking
Our favourite mountain trekking journeys through our backyard of Mount Aspiring and Fiordland National Parks. Taking in mountain views, forests, rivers, glaciers, and alpine passes. Gillespie Pass, Rabbit Pass, Siberia Valley, and Matukituki Valley.
Glacier and Snow Heli-hiking and Overnight Experiences
Helicopter-accessed alpine hiking and glacier trekking. Overnight trips to glacier camps, alpine huts, or luxury mountain chalets. Visit remote locations deep in the Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana and pristine alpine experiences.
Ski and Splitboard Touring
Ski and Splitboard Touring
Group or private ski touring trips. Helicopter access to more remote regions of our local mountains. Including multi-day trips to high glaciers or Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, Whare Kea Chalet, and the private huts of the Cass Valley. All-inclusive guided ski and splitboard touring packages.
Ski and Splitboard Touring Courses
Ski and splitboard touring courses from introduction to advanced including specialist instruction in glacier ski and splitboard touring and ski mountaineering.
Avalanche Courses
Avalanche skills courses provide the skills to keep you safe on your ski and splitboard touring adventures in the backcountry. These New Zealand Mountain Safety Council-endorsed courses are run as day trips from Wānaka or staying overnight in the mountains.
About Wānaka Mountain Guides
We are proudly owned and operated by certified NZ mountain guides and utilise a small team of locally based, established guides who have extensive knowledge of playing and working in the New Zealand and worldwide mountains. For more information visit Our Story.
The meeting point for trips and courses is our base in Albert Town, Wānaka. If you require accommodation the night before or after a trip, it is possible to book extra nights at our comfortable next door Kea Lodge.
We’re proud to have joined the ranks as a Love Wānaka Impact Partner – committing 1% of our business’ proceeds to support local environmental efforts. This means that every time you book a trip or course with us, you’re helping to protect and regenerate of the environment at the heart of our home.
Our trusted friends and supplies
We collaborate with the following local businesses and organisations in the delivery of our trips and courses:
