Group Trips and Courses
Group trips allow individuals to team up with others for a cost-effective way of getting into the mountains. Our scheduled group trips and courses are available to join as well as for private bookings.
Mountaineering and Climbing
![Wanaka Mountain Guides [] Group Trips and Courses](https://timstewardnz.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/20160109_101032.jpg?w=1024)
Summer Mountaineering Course
5th – 9th February 2024
4th – 9th March 2024
The definitive intensive mountain-based course 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.
Mount Earnslaw or Mount Brewster Ascent
12th – 115th February 2024
Develop your rope and rescue skills to grow your confidence on the rock and in the mountains. The topics covered will increase your speed and safety on your own alpine rock, multi-pitch, and mountaineering objectives and help problem-solve and manage any emergency situations that may arise.
![Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue Course [] Wanaka Mountain Guides](https://i0.wp.com/wanakamountainguides.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/p1200750.jpg?resize=672%2C504&ssl=1)
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. Courses can be tailored to comprehensively cover or refresh previous skills.
![Wanaka Mountain Guides [] Mountaineering Courses](https://i0.wp.com/wanakamountainguides.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/P1030320.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1)
Remarkables Mountaineering Course
3 – 4 days: All year
Based in the Remarkables and covering 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.
Group Trekking
Gillespie Pass Trek
8th – 11th January 2024
22nd – 25th January 2024
19th – 22nd February 2024
The Gillespie Pass trek is classic journey through the heart of the Mount Aspiring National Park. Traversing between the Young, Siberia, and Wilkin Valleys. The crossing of the pass traverses past the formidable ramparts of Mount Awful. The trip finishes with a descent into the Wilkin Valley and an exciting jet boat ride out
![Wanaka Mountain Guides [] Rabbit Pass](https://i0.wp.com/wanakamountainguides.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/P1090528.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1)
Rabbit Pass Trek
19th – 22nd February 2024
The Rabbit Pass Trek is a classic and challenging route right through the heart of the Mount Aspiring National Park. The pass is guarded by the formidable Waterfall Face from the Upper Wilkin Valley and a technical descent into the head of the East Matukituki Valley.
Winter
![Wanaka Mountain Guides [] Avalanche Courses](https://i0.wp.com/wanakamountainguides.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/20230722_121324.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1)
Avalanche Courses
1.5 days to 4 days: July – September
Avalanche skills courses provide the skills to keep you safe on your ski and splitboard touring adventures in the backcountry. These NZ Mountain Safety Council-endorsed courses are run as day trips from Wānaka or staying overnight in the mountains.
![Wanaka Mountain Guides [] Ski Mountaineering Courses](https://i0.wp.com/wanakamountainguides.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/IMG_20200920_085403.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1)
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.
![Wanaka Mountain Guides [] Ski Mountaineering Courses](https://i0.wp.com/wanakamountainguides.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/20221019_081856.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1)
Ski Glacier Ski Turing Course
5 days: September and October
Travel to the glaciers of Aoraki / Mount Cook or Westland National Parks to learn the ski touring and splitboarding skills to safely explore the remote glaciers and peaks. Helicopter into a base at a high alpine hut for days of fresh terrain
![Wanaka Mountain Guides [] Ski Mountaineering Courses](https://i0.wp.com/wanakamountainguides.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/P1000665-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1)
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 from beginner to advanced. Fly in access allows a comfortable winter camping experience.
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. Courses can be tailored to comprehensively cover or refresh previous skills.
‘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 skilfully 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 humour. 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