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Advanced Alpine Skills

Advanced Alpine Skills participants on an exposed face

"Excellent Course, good food & guide-client ratio, will recommend to others." Steve Harris, February 2006.

Taking it further

Advanced Alpine Skills will take you a pitch above our Technical Mountaineering Course. This a climbing course for experienced alpinists, run at a very low 1:3 guide to client ratio.

Emphasis is placed on instruction taking place on the mountain, and in the course participants making decisions - under the close supervision of their guide.

We will get you on to routes and peaks that will challenge you, but also allow you to learn new skills and hone your technique. Routes climbed will normally be NZ Alpine grade 2 to 3+.

Who is it for?

The 7-day AAS meets the needs of two types of climbers:

1. Solid alpine experience - but little or no formal instruction
2. Previous climbing course participants needing to refresh and extend their technical knowledge

After the course you should be competent in climbing and moving over serious alpine terrain, have sound knowledge of the latest rope skills and modern climbing techniques.

two climbers pitching on a ridge, crevasses below

Instruction topics include:

Snow and ice climbing: a workshop on steep ice climbing techniques
Alternatives for snow, ice and rock anchors
Glacier travel and advanced crevasse rescue
Rock self-rescue: a day spent looking at escaping the system, abseiling with an injured partner, hauling systems etc.
Alpine rock climbing
Advanced rope techniques, such as ridge travel and running belays
Avalanche hazard evaluation
Whiteout navigation
Emergency shelters

Experience required:

High level of fitness
Alpine climbing experience - at least the level of our Technical Mountaineering Course
Rope skills (e.g. rock climbing, caving, abseiling)