Table of Contents
Ice Climbing Experience (ICE) | Details for winter 2012
This course is an introduction to water ice climbing. The ICE strikes a balance between instruction of climbing techniques and their practical application - in realistic situations. While the emphasis of the course is on technical ice climbing, you will also gain an awareness of different types of alpine terrain, weather, avalanche forecasting, and survival skills in a winter environment.
We take advantage of the frozen waterfalls and seeps that form in shaded valleys around the Aoraki/Mount Cook area. You will spend several nights camping out in order to access the ice climbing venues in the region.
Expect to be climbing on water-ice, graded from 2-4. Some of these routes may be multi-pitch.
Aircraft access is used to optimise the climbing time available and to reduce heavy load carrying. All accommodation in the mountains will be in tents, camping expedition-style in high alpine valleys.
What you will learn
Because your camping location is in the backcountry, basic avalanche theory and rescue will be covered as part of the syllabus.
Instruction topics include:
- Equipment, what to bring and how to use it
- Trip planning and preparation
- Ice climbing (and climbing on snow)
- Use of technical ice tools
- Knots and hitches
- Mountain weather and forecasting
- Belay techniques and systems
- Ice, snow, and rock anchors
- Abseiling
- Rope techniques
- Avalanche hazard evaluation
- Route finding
- Mountain navigation
- Emergency shelters and procedures
- Camp management, food preparation
Price and Inclusions | winter 2012
Cost: NZ$1,990 per person
The course cost includes:
- Guiding fees
- Alpine Guides technical manual ›
- All meals (including snacks and energy bars)
- Helicopter flights in and out of Bush Stream ›
- Local transport ›
- A range of technical equipment ›
- Camping equipment
- Local accommodation for any nights necessary during the course (and final night)
- One day weather contingency ›
Maximum and minimum bookings
All ICE’s are limited to a maximum of 4 participants. The maximum guide to participant ratio is 1:4.
Minimum bookings
We guarantee to run the course you are booked on, with the following modification:
- One person only: we shorten the course to 4 days
The course content remains unaffected by these changes and participants will enjoy instruction ratios of 1:1, which allows the course syllabus to be covered more quickly, with close personal attention.
Reporting Details
All ICE courses begin at 08:30 and finish at 17:00 on the final day. Please report to Alpine Guides shop in Mt Cook Village ›
Check transport options to Mount Cook Village ›
Weather Contingency
A one-day weather contingency is built into the course (at no cost to you). Please allow some flexibility in your travel plans to allow for this.
How the contingency works: If we face a particularly bad weather forecast when you arrive to start the course, we can take the option of rolling the start date back by one day. This allows us to take best advantage of upcoming fine weather, and your time.
Private Courses
Ice climbing courses can be arranged throughout July for groups of 2 or more people. This option allows you to choose the dates, duration, and tailor the content to your specific requirements. Contact us for information on pricing ›
Experience Required
All participants must:
- Have multi-pitch rock climbing experience - be able to second to grade AU 15
- Have a high level of aerobic fitness ›
- Be used to carrying a backpack
Prior alpine (snow and ice) mountaineering experience is not essential, but preferred.
You also need to be enthusiastic, and keen to learn new skills. Lastly, you will need to not opposed be to a bit of "cold comfort", tent camping during winter.
Course Daily Organisation
When dealing with a dynamic environment it is not realistic to plan fixed day-to-day schedules. Instead we work around prevailing weather and snow conditions to provide the most comprehensive coverage of all course topics.
After meeting your teammates, and an equipment check, you fly in at the first possible opportunity. Expect to be in the mountains for up to 4 nights of the course.
Instructional days will begin around 08:00. The day’s activities will have you out for about 8 hours. Your guide will attempt to maximise fine weather and good conditions.
Poor weather will be used to cover more theoretical aspects of the syllabus, or to take advantage of instructional sites close to the camp.
We aim to have you back in Mount Cook village by late afternoon on the final day.
Course Venue
The location of choice is at the head of Bush Stream. This 14 kms from Mount Cook Village. To efficiently use time and save heavy load carrying we use helicopter to the head of the valley.
Base camp altitude will be at around 1,200-1,500 metres - about 4 hours by foot from road access. This area has only been recently explored for ice climbing.
There are 18 named routes; 6 on the south side of the valley and 12 on the northern side. Route grades range from water ice 2 to water ice 5.
To maintain the state of the valley we carry out all waste at the end of the course.
Bush Stream is part of a high country pastoral lease. Parties seeking to climb here need to seek permission from the run holders at Glentanner Station ›
Technical Ice Climbing Reference
Not required reading, but we recommend:
“Ice & Mixed Climbing: Modern Technique”, Will Gad, The Mountaineers Books, 2003 ›
Equipment and Clothing | ICE
Download the equipment checklist for the ICE (.pdf 200 Kb) ›
Please let us know what gear you need to rent - including any equipment supplied free of charge.
Choosing your clothing and equipment
Our gear lists cater for all eventualities. Sometimes you may not require everything on the equipment list. Weather and conditions when your trip starts will help determine what is needed.
Always pack for cold conditions on the ICE course. A 4-season sleeping bag, down jacket, and heavy grade thermal layers are required.
Ice Axes for ICE
Choose a short technical axe. Either straight or curved handles, around 50 cm length with a re-curved pick is ideal. For example Black Diamond “Viper”, DMM “Fly”, or similar.
Crampons for ICE
"Foot-fang" style technical crampons (e.g. DMM "Terminator", or Grivel "Rambo 4") are appropriate for this course. Bring them if you have them. General purpose 12-point crampons (with longer fangs) e.g. Grivel G12 are also adequate.
