Mountaineering Courses
Mountaineering courses for all levels and aspirations or mountain activities. Short locally based instruction in rock climbing, technical rope skills, and alpine rock climbing and scrambling or multi-day mountaineering and ski mountaineering courses based at alpine huts on high glaciers. Get in touch for customised private instruction and work directly with some of NZ’s most experienced mountain guides and instructors.
![Mountaineering Courses [] Wanaka Mountain Guides](https://timstewardnz.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/20160109_101032.jpg?w=1024)
Summer Mountaineering Course
5 days: November to April
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.
Private Instruction
All year
Customised private instruction in any area of mountaineering for small or large groups. With an extensive knowledge of the mountains, we can suggest a variety of options to suit individual aspirations.
![Wanaka Mountain Guides [] Mountaineering Courses](https://i0.wp.com/wanakamountainguides.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/20220424_120602.jpg?resize=4608%2C3456&ssl=1)
Technical Rope Skills Course
1-2 days: All year
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.
![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.
![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.
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 [] 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.
Avalanche Skills for Mountaineers
1.5 days: July – September
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.
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 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