Technical Rope Skills Course

The Technical Rope Skills Course develops your rope and rescue skills to grow your confidence rock climbing and in the mountains. The topics covered will increase your speed and efficiency on your own alpine rock, multi-pitch, and mountaineering objectives and provide self-sufficiency to problem solve and handle any emergency rescue situations that may arise.

Location

The course is based at the local and easily accessible Wānaka single and multi-pitch crags. There are also options to do day trips to the alpine rock climbing and classic ridge traverses of the Remarkables near Queenstown.

The full technical rope skills syllabus can be covered over three days or a customised shorter refresher can be provided for those with previous experience.

Technical Rope Skills Syllabus

Familiarity with ropework is important for all areas of mountaineering. From simple pitching and abseiling to safeguard short sections of a route, for travelling over glaciers, or for emergency rescue use. 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.

Visit our Downloads page for course resources.

Syllabus includes:

Equipment selection.
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.
Big wall techniques including rigging and ascending fixed lines, equipment and hauling.
Vertical upwards and downwards rescue including, escaping the system, load transfers, lowering, raising
Abseiling techniques with an injured patient.
Glacier travel, crevasse self and companion rescue hauling systems.

Shortened private courses can be tailored to individual goals.

Prerequisites

Participants should have some previous rock climbing or mountaineering experience.

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

Details and Pricing

Duration: 1 to 3 days

2023/24 Group course dates:
1st – 3rd December: 1 place left!
2nd – 4th February 2024: places available

Can’t make these dates? Get in touch to arrange private dates all year.

2023/24 Price:

3 days: $1390 / $990 / 790 per person for 2 / 3 / 4 people.
1 day: $890 / $490 / $350 / $290 per person for 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 people.

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

Maximum ratio 1:4

‘[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

‘[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

Technical Rope Skills Course

Location

Technical Rope Skills Syllabus

Prerequisites

Details and Pricing

See Also