Remarkables Alpine Rock Climbing Course

The Remarkables Alpine Rock Climbing Course courses the skills to 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. Courses are run on the crags of Wānaka with day or overnight trips to the alpine rock of the Remarkables mountains near Queenstown.

Location

Wanaka Mountain Guides [] Alpine Rock Climbing Course

The course is based at the local and easily accessible Wānaka single and multi-pitch crags. and the alpine rock climbing and classic ridge traverses of the Remarkables near Queenstown.

The alpine rock climbing skills syllabus can be covered over three days or a customised shorter refresher can be provided for those with previous experience.

Wanaka Mountain Guides [] Alpine Rock Course

If conditions allow, it may also be possible to camp or bivi for a night at Lake Alta. This his requires carrying in your overnight gear for an hour or so to the campsite.

The culmination of the course is usually an ascent of the summits of Single or Double Cone or the Classic Remarkables Grand Traverse.

Alpine Rock Climbing Course Syllabus

Familiarity with ropework is important for all areas of alpine rock climbing and mountaineering. From simple pitching and abseiling to safeguard short sections of a route, or for emergency rescue use. Rock climbers and mountaineers should first be familiar with the fundamental building blocks and tools before then expanding their skills in more complex situations. General rules of keeping it simple and neat apply to all stages.

The Remarkables Alpine Rock Climbing Course can be tailored to the participant’s previous experience. Private courses with low ratios are great ways of developing a climbing partnership for bigger rock climbing and mountaineering objectives such as the Grand Traverse of the Remarkables, late season ascents of Tititea / Mount Aspiring, and in the Darrans.

Visit our Downloads page for course resources.

Syllabus includes:

  • Equipment selection.
  • Placing traditional protection on the crags and in the mountains.
  • Multi-pitch skills including tactics for climbing in a pair or three.
  • Anchor configurations, belaying, stance management, and techniques for protecting the anchor for multi-pitch climbing.
  • Descent and abseiling systems.
  • Ropework for scrambling and ridge traverses including shortening the rope, simulanteous climbing, security and speed considerations.
  • Vertical upwards and downwards rescue including, escaping the system, load transfers, lowering, raising

Shortened private courses can be tailored to individual goals.

Prerequisites

Wanaka Mountain Guides [] Alpine Rock Climbing Course
Wānaka Mountain Guides - Alpine Rock Climbing Course

Participants should have some previous rock climbing or mountaineering experience.

Wānaka Mountain Guides - Alpine Rock Climbing Course

Participants require experience roping, and with knots such as Figure-8, Clove Hitch, and Italian Hitch.

Alpine Rock Climbing Course Details and Pricing

Duration: 1 to 3 days
Maximum ratio 1:2
2025/26 Dates:

Get in touch to arrange private dates from November to April.
2025/26 Price:
3 days: $1590 per person for 2 people.

Includes: GST, guide fees, compliance costs, technical equipment, and transport from Wānaka.
Excludes: Lunch, snacks and dinners, accommodation in Wānaka, rock shoe hire (if required). Rock shoes can be hired from MT Outdoors.

See Also

Rating: 5 out of 5.

‘A great knowledgeable instructor. He made sure each participant understood the material. Friendly and made you feel comfortable asking any questions. I would highly recommend [the guide] and would love to be a part of another one of his instructional courses.’

Tom, Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue Course

Rating: 5 out of 5.

‘[Our guide] was an outstanding teacher. Very patient, knowledgeable, and an excellent communicator. The course was engaging and I learnt loads! We spent a day at the Wānaka crags to get our rope work sorted and then moved onto the snow on the second day to put all our skills to work. [I’m] feeling more confident now, and highly recommend this course to anyone interested in crevasse rescue.’

Danielle, Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue Course

Rating: 5 out of 5.

‘[Our guide] was really knowledgeable but also very realistic and sensible regarding what we needed to know and focusing on the common and more simple things. He was very patient with us when at times we got a bit muddled! He was a fantastic instructor.’

Biz, Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue Course