Learn With Alpine Guides
Instruction Course Program
Your Path to Adventure
Alpine Guides began as NZ’s only professional mountaineering or “climbing school”. Today our courses offer comprehensive pathways to learning. You can join at any level, with the right prior experience.
An instruction course is the best way to start your adventures in the mountains and to develop the best and safest techniques, learning from our qualified, professional mountain guides.
A Complete Mountain Education
Rather than focusing on purely technical skills, we teach awareness of all mountainous terrain, weather, and snow safety on every trip. This makes for a more complete "mountain education".
Summer (late October to April) in New Zealand offers the best time to learn and develop mountaineering skills in the high alpine zones. Winter (July - early October) is the time to hone specialised techniques, (ski touring, for example, or for a general introduction to travel above the snowline.
All Alpine Guides Courses Feature:
Small group sizes
Low guide: participant ratios
Professional qualified mountain guides
Fresh food
Technical gear provided free of charge
NZ Alpine Club member discounts
Our Instruction Courses
You can choose your trip by the relative challenge level.
Achievable Adventure
Avalanche Awareness Training
A 1.5-day Mountain Safety Council Certified introduction to avalanche safety. Based from Methven in Canterbury.
Moderate Mountaineering
Alpine Skills Tune-up
A one-day refresher for rope and rock skills. Available as an add-on prior to your Alpine Skills Course.
Mountain Experience Course
Our 5-day introductory-level summer course. A comprehensive introduction to general mountaineering in non-glaciated terrain.
Mountain Skills Course
A 3.5-day introduction to essential winter mountain skills, for trampers and hunters.
Challenging
Self Rescue Workshop
What if things go wrong? Essential self-rescue techniques on our 2-day workshop for rock climbers and mountaineers
Glacier Training Course
A 4-day refresher specifically focused on glacier travel and crevasse rescue systems.
Alpine Skills Course
A 7-day immersive introduction to alpine climbing in serious glaciated terrain. This course is designed to kick-start your big mountain exploits.
Mt Aspiring Skills and Summit
A 7-day course with the objective of climbing Tititea, Mt Aspiring 3,033 metres.
Expedition Training Course
Prepare for your Seven Summits mission. Six days of expedition training in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park. The focus is on general skills and camp management.
Himalayan Climbing Course
Cut your mountaineering teeth on the course that teaches big mountain skills in the home of big mountains— the Himalayas.
Tough
Technical Mountaineering Course
Our premier alpine instruction course, for experienced climbers. An intensive 10-day program. Your route to independent climbing in glaciated terrain.
Customised
Private Instruction Course
Our incredibly flexible instruction and guiding package for 2 or more participants. Create a tailored mountaineering “course” or private “guiding” trip.
