Mountaineering Courses
Mountaineering courses are available for all levels of previous experience. These offer opportunities to develop wide ranging skills throughout the seasons for the New Zealand mountains and overseas. Mountaineering and alpine climbing require an often lengthy apprenticeship. After completing an foundation or intermediate course and consolidated these skills on some of your own adventures, we recommend choosing from our range Specialist Courses based on your future mountain goals. We also offer short local-based instruction in rock climbing, technical rope skills and rescue, ski and splitboard touring.
Get in touch for customised private instruction to suit your own objectives and work directly with some of New Zealand’s most experienced mountain guides and instructors.
Summer Courses
Summer Mountaineering Skills Course
5 days: November to April
The definitive intensive mountain-based instruction for alpine climbing and mountaineering skills. These will develop the skills to tackle your own mountaineering objectives in New Zealand’s big glaciated terrain and high alpine conditions.
Advanced Alpine Mountaineering Course
All year
Once you have covered the basics and consolidated these skills on a number of self led mountain trips supplemented by specific skills developed on some of our specialist courses, the Advanced Alpine Mountaineering Course provides guidance to small groups or climbing partnerships to develop those skills and refine strategy and tactics for bigger and more technical objectives.
Private Instruction Courses
All year
Customised private instruction in any area of mountaineering for small or large groups. Get in touch with you requirements and aspirations. With an extensive knowledge of the mountains, we can suggest a variety of options to suit individual goals.
Specialist Summer Courses
Once you have already done a mountaineering course and consolidated these skills on some good adventures, we recommend looking at our range of specialist courses. This approach is the best way to focus on specific skills (although there is always some overlap between the courses)
Alpine Rock Climbing Course
1-3 days, December to April.
Increase your speed and safety on your own alpine rock climbing objectives and be able to plan and manage mountain routes, avoid potential issues, and problem-solve out of the most common emergency situations. Instruction is run on the alpine rock of the Remarkables or the crags of Wanaka and Queenstown.
Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue Course
1 day: All year
This short local 1 day course covers the planning and roping skills required to plan and carry out glacier trips. It is suitable for trans-alpinists, glacier trekkers, mountaineers, and ski and splitboard tourers.
Winter Mountaineering Courses
![Wanaka Mountain Guides [] Ski Mountaineering Courses](data:image/svg+xml;nitro-empty-id=NTQyOjMxMTY=-1;base64,PHN2ZyB2aWV3Qm94PSIwIDAgMTAyNCA3NjgiIHdpZHRoPSIxMDI0IiBoZWlnaHQ9Ijc2OCIgeG1sbnM9Imh0dHA6Ly93d3cudzMub3JnLzIwMDAvc3ZnIj48L3N2Zz4= "Mountaineering Courses 6")
Ski Mountaineering Course
5 days: September and October
Develop skills including crampon and ice axe use, glacier travel, crevasse rescue, multi-pitch climbing, abseiling, and avalanche awareness to undertake the Southern Alps classic ski mountaineering objectives. Ski or splitboard touring provides easy access to spring summit objectives and big descents.
Remarkables Winter Mountaineering Course
4 days: July – August
Based in the Remarkables and covering snowcraft, roping and alpine climbing skills for alpine ascents. Day trips to local rock climbing crags and the Remarkables with a bivi or camp at Lake Alta
Specialist Winter Mountain Courses
Our range of specialist courses focus on specific skills (although there is always some overlap between the courses)
Wye Creek Ice Climbing Course
4 days: July and August
The Upper Wye Creek basin provides the Southern Lakes most reliable and accessible ice climbing venue. A range of crags that are suitable for all levels of previous experience. Fly in access allows a comfortable winter camping experience to learn the skills for climbing steep ice, multi-pitch leading and descent.
Avalanche Skills for Mountaineers
1.5 days: July – September
Mountain Safety Council Avalanche Skills for Mountaineers is focused for foot-based mountain activities. Providing a framework to plan trips, recognise the potential avalanche hazard, and safely manage risks whilst undertaking alpine climbs and tramps. The course also provides instruction in the latest companion rescue techniques.
![Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue Course [] Wanaka Mountain Guides](data:image/svg+xml;nitro-empty-id=NjUwOjE1NTI=-1;base64,PHN2ZyB2aWV3Qm94PSIwIDAgNjcyIDUwNCIgd2lkdGg9IjY3MiIgaGVpZ2h0PSI1MDQiIHhtbG5zPSJodHRwOi8vd3d3LnczLm9yZy8yMDAwL3N2ZyI+PC9zdmc+ "Mountaineering Courses 10")
Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue Course
1-2 days: All year
This short local 1 or 2-day course covers the skills required to plan and carry out glacier trips. It is suitable for trans-alpinists, glacier trekkers, mountaineers, and ski and splitboard tourers.
Also see
![Wanaka Mountain Guides [] Mountaineering Courses](data:image/svg+xml;nitro-empty-id=NjgzOjE2MTQ=-1;base64,PHN2ZyB2aWV3Qm94PSIwIDAgNDYwOCAzNDU2IiB3aWR0aD0iNDYwOCIgaGVpZ2h0PSIzNDU2IiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg== "Mountaineering Courses 11")
Rock Climbing and Vertical Rescue Course
1-3 days: All year
Progress your rock climbing skills with instruction at levels of experience to safely pursue your own climbing or mountain goals. Learn skills for sport climbing, trad climbing, techniques and tactics for multi-pitch and alpine climbing, and vertical rescue.
![Ski and SplitboardTouring [] Wanaka Mountain Guides](data:image/svg+xml;nitro-empty-id=NzA5OjU2MQ==-1;base64,PHN2ZyB2aWV3Qm94PSIwIDAgNDYwOCAzNDU2IiB3aWR0aD0iNDYwOCIgaGVpZ2h0PSIzNDU2IiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg== "Mountaineering Courses 12")
Ski and Splitboard Touring Courses
We offer group or private touring courses for skiers and splitboarders. Beginner to advanced. Set yourself up to plan and safely undertake your own backcountry trips.
Our team of certified mountain and ski guides are committed to mountain education and sharing our knowledge of safe and enjoyable backcountry travel. Their experience demonstrates significant industry experience and practical knowledge in fields including instruction, guiding, ski patrol, and avalanche forecasting. This ensures that participants receive industry-leading instruction covering the latest techniques.
‘Thank you again. That was an awesome day out and I really appreciated how generous [our guide] was with his time and knowledge. [He] crammed in more than I thought possible in a day.’
— Megan, Remarkables Alpine Rock Climbing Course
‘[Our guide] did an outstanding job of creating building blocks of learning – e.g. around crevasse rescue – so each of us was able to assimilate the learning involved at a rate that was appropriate for each of us. He also very skillfully managed and created situations where we could test ourselves at a level at which we were comfortable, without specifically calling this out. Tim is exceptional as a guide. Tim brings a number of qualities to guiding which are very difficult to teach and which make him stand out to me.
— Ruth, Summer Mountaineering Course
‘Thank you for your patience and good humor. Pretty much everything I did last week was new and challenging and generally way outside my comfort zone. But despite having by far the least experience of the group you managed it in such a way that I never felt I was too much of a drag. I could not honestly say I enjoyed everything as I was doing it but I am really pleased I did do it and I am looking back with great fondness on the week.
— Duncan, Summer Mountaineering Course