Photo by Trevor Streat
Print this page

Winter Mountain Skills Course | Details for winter 2012

The 4-day Winter Mountain Skills course is based out of the serious alpine setting of Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park. The course is designed for trampers/hikers who want to learn the skills to travel safely on foot above the snowline in winter – and to be able to cope should best laid plans unravel...

Winter presents new challenges for those who choose to venture into the backcountry. Familiar territory can quickly transform under a deep blanket of snow. Unexpected storms can leave you blinded and exposed to energy sapping, and potentially fatal cold.

Will the route you expected to take be safe? Will that slope avalanche? Can you get to the next hut before dark? What happens if the weather closes in and you can’t navigate your way out?

What You Will Learn

Safe enjoyment of the winter backcountry depends to a large measure upon good judgement, technique, and your equipment. Our guides will help you develop skills by spending time and training in the high alpine environment.

By the end of the course you will have the skills and confidence to travel above the snowline during winter. You will better understand when not to go, and to increase your survival chances should the situation turn bad.

Topics include:

  • Equipment & clothing for winter - what to bring and how to use it
  • Axe, crampon, and snowshoeing technique
  • Route finding & terrain traps
  • Snow shelter construction
  • Mountain weather forecasting
  • Navigation
  • Introduction to snow safety and avalanche assessment
  • First Aid/dealing with hypothermia

Skills you should have after the course:

  • Confidence travelling on snow using snow shoes or crampons
  • Ability to construct emergency snow shelters
  • Self Arrest
  • Avoid /treat hypothermia
  • Identify avalanche risks
  • Navigation in a white-out
  • Use an avalanche transceiver

^ Back to Top

Prices and Inclusions | winter 2012

Cost: NZ$1,600 per person

The course fee includes:

Maximum and Minimum Bookings

Winter Mountain Skills courses 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 3 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 courses begin at 08:30and 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 ›

Private Courses

If the course format, or the dates do not work for you - contact us about arranging a private course.

Private courses can be arranged at any time over the winter months (July - October) for groups of 2 or more people. You can choose dates, duration, and tailor the content to your specific requirements (subject to guide availability).

Contact us for information on pricing ›

Experience Required

Previous alpine climbing experience is not required.The most important prerequisite is a high level of aerobic fitness. You also need to be enthusiastic and keen to learn new skills. A solid hiking/tramping background is ideal.

^ Back to Top

Course Venue | Winter Mountain Skills

A number of venues are available for the course location. If conditions are safe for travel on foot the location of choice is Mueller Hut, at 1,830 metres in the Sealy Range above Mount Cook Village. Being close to our base in Mount Cook Village, along with all the advantages of a modern mountain hut make it an excellent location to work from.

Other venues are available approximately 1.5 hours by road. Road travel costs to local areas are covered in the course fees.

Read more about mountain hut living conditions ›

Course Daily Organisation

The course is designed to work around changing weather and snow conditions, so no 2 Winter Mountain Skills courses are the same.

This course is about dealing with bad weather scenarios, so we will be able to get into the mountains in all but the worst weather. The hike to your mountain venue will involve instruction in snow safety and route selection.

During the course you cover map reading and navigation topics, study mountain weather, basic snow safety, avalanche awareness, and avalanche rescue. Some theoretical topics can be covered in the evenings, or indoors if the weather does not allow travel outside.

Time will be spent on construction of show shelters. You can bivvy overnight in a snow shelter, if you wish (and conditions allow). This is entirely optional.

Your guide will provide cooking stoves and fuel. Each person is expected to carry a share of food and cooking equipment, and to assist with preparing meals. We will provide eating utensils.

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 bad weather forecast when you start the course, we can take the option of rolling back the start date by one day. This will allow us to take advantage of upcoming fine weather, and make the most your time.

Footwear for Winter Mountain Skills

Winter Mountain Skills requires fully-shanked alpine boots. If you do not own appropriate boots we have these available to rent.

Read more about the correct boots for your Winter Mountain Skills Course ›

We have a range of crampons, which fit practically all boots.

Equipment and Clothing

Download the equipment checklist for the Winter Mountain Skills course (.pdf 200 Kb) ›

Please let us know what gear you need to rent - including any equipment supplied free of charge.

Choosing your clothing | Seasonal Variation

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 Winter Mountain Skills course. A 4-season sleeping bag, down jacket, and heavy grade thermal layers are required.

Temperatures, weather, and snow conditions will vary. The program is designed to work around these changes. Read about Weather & Snow Conditions, Summer and Winter ›

Questions about clothing and gear? See the Equipment & Clothing Guide to gear for mountaineering in New Zealand ›

^ Back to Top