Transalpine Skills | Mountain Journeys

TRANSALPINE SKILLS COURSES

OCT & DEC 2024

These are the courses that put everything together, giving you the skills for off-track mountain exploration and giving you plenty of opportunity for practice. You won’t find any other courses like these.

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Two types of courses are available.

The ‘Standard’ 6-day Transalpine Skills course covers snow skills, route planning, navigation, campsite selection, meal planning, trip strategy, river crossing, equipment choices, and much more. Participants need a moderately high level of fitness, and prior experience undertaking multi-day tramping trips, but do not need prior experience using alpine equipment.

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The ‘Advanced’ 7-day Transalpine Skills course includes the above topics and also includes rope skills specific to transalpine trips, such as glacier travel, basic anchors, and tricks for dealing with short steep steps. Participants must already be familiar with how to travel in alpine terrain using ice axe and crampons, and must have a high level of fitness.

“This course really exceeded my expectations! I loved it. This trip has given me the confidence to explore more wild places and get out more. It was a very safe teaching environment and both Rob and Jane are excellent teachers with a wealth of knowledge. They were very attentive and hard working throughout the whole trip. I can’t imagine any better!”

“It was fantastic to spend the time with people that are so passionate about the outdoors. Rob and Jane were easy to get along with and explained things clearly and concisely. I think it was great to have both a male and female guide on the trip. The comms in the week leading up to the trip were excellent, it was great to have trip members’ input into decisions.”

“Both Rob and Tarsh were great – they complemented each other very well and both had much to offer. I learnt a lot! The course was a great balance of learning and fun banter. The plan for our trip was adapted as the course progressed, working with our strengths and growth points to get the best possible learning and enjoyment.”

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STANDARD 6-DAY COURSE

Dates and Location TBC

Maximum of 6 participants

Cost: $2975 per person

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ADVANCED 7-DAY COURSE

Dates: 13-19 Dec 2024

Location: Fox Glacier

Instructors: Rob Frost and Scott Barry

Maximum of 6 participants

Cost: $3475 per person

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Course cost includes:

Accommodation. Our base for each course will be a basic club lodge in Arthurs Pass or Fox Glacier with showers, a full kitchen, and bunks in a shared room (you’ll need your own sleeping bags and towels). We may only spend one night at the lodge if the weather is good enough for us to do a multi-day journey, or we may stay a few nights at the lodge while poor weather passes, doing day trips to cover the required skills.
Alpine equipment. We can provide crampons, ice axes, helmets, harnesses, and avalanche rescue equipment for anyone who needs them.
Tents and cooking equipment. We’ll provide high quality 2-3 person Hilleberg tents for use during our journey, along with stoves, pots, and cooking fuel.
Some meals and hot drinks: We’ll provide two group breakfasts and any group dinners not covered by the shared meals provided by each participant. We’ll also provide soups, tea, coffee, hot chocolate, and herbal tea for the entire course.
You’ll need to organise your own lunches/snacks for the entire course, most of your own breakfasts, and one shared group dinner – we’ll provide more information to help with this.
Courses will finish at 4pm in Arthurs Pass and Fox Glacier. You’ll need to arrange your own transport to return home from there. We’ll put all participants in touch with each other pre-course to help with carpooling.

Required Clothing and Equipment

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To book your spot on the only courses of this kind available in Aotearoa…

Click Book Now and fill out the Sign Up form.
Transfer payment for the course using the details at the bottom of our T&Cs page. Bookings are not confirmed until payment in full has been received.

…or send us a quick message via our contact page to let us know you’re interested.