HOW DOES IT WORK?

• The objectives of this course are to equip participants with the same skills they would learn from two of our other courses:
  • All material from our Essential Navigation Skills course
  • All material related to movement through alpine terrain and basic avalanche hazard awareness from our Essential Alpine Skills course
  • This course does NOT try to cover everything contained in our Transalpine Skills Courses, nor does it aim to teach skills related to alpine camping.
• We’ll aim to undertake extended day trips from Queenstown, but depending on the forecast we may travel further afield for an overnight trip if that would enhance learning objectives. As much as possible we’ll focus on alpine skills during better weather; navigation skills during the poorer weather.
• We’ll organise group accommodation at a self-contained venue in Queenstown (included in the course cost) which will have beds for everyone, comfortable facilities, and a fully equipped kitchen for you to prepare your own meals.
• When we first meet, your instructor will go through everyone’s personal clothing and equipment to help fine-tune what actually gets taken into the field, to find the right balance of having everything you need and nothing more. We have plenty of spare clothing and equipment available if you need to borrow something – see below for a link to the gear list.
• We’ll supply all alpine equipment (ice axes, crampons, helmets, avalanche transceivers, shovels, probes, and trekking poles) and if the course requires camping then we’ll supply high quality tents and cooking equipment.