mountain skills Course (msc)
Difficulty
Duration
3.5 Days
Season
June to October
Gearlist
PRICE 1,600 NZD
Join Alpine Guides for 3 and a half days of mountaineering instruction. This course covers the skills needed to travel safely above the snowline. We run this course from June to October which gives you the chance to gain experience in snow travel and how to be comfortable in changeable winter/spring mountain conditions.
Based out of an alpine hut, high in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park, the Mountain Skills Course is for outdoor people (such as hunters and trampers) who want to build a solid skill base for safe mountain travel and be able to prepare for their own alpine missions.
Learnings & Outcomes
What you will learn
Equipment and clothing for winter conditions
Mountain weather
Ice axe and crampon technique
The basics of avalanche safety and rescue
Route selection and navigation
Emergency shelters in the snow
Dealing with hypothermia
Simple rope systems and anchors
Outcomes - what comes next?
After the course, you should be able to:
Travel confidently in the snow
Choose a safe route in the mountains
Identify avalanche terrain
Avoid /treat hypothermia
Survive an unexpected overnight camp
Plan your own trip above the snowline
Schedule and Specifics
Price: NZ$1,600 per person
| Course | Dates |
|---|---|
| MSC 1 | 27 - 30 June |
| MSC 2 | 11 - 14 July |
| MSC 3 | 10 - 13 Aug |
| MSC 4 | 05 - 08 Sept |
Winter 2024 Schedule
All courses start at 01:30 PM on day one and finish at 5:00 PM on the final day.
Check-in at Alpine Guides office in Mount Cook Village.
Please read our booking Terms and Conditions.
What’s Included
Professional NZMGA/IFMGA mountain guide on a 1:4 basis
All meals and snacks from dinner day 1 to lunch day
4
Hut fees and National Park fees
Local transport
3 nights accommodation
Wide selection of free technical equipment
Maximum and Minimum Bookings
Maximum Bookings: All courses have a maximum of 8 participants. The maximum guide-to-client ratio is 1 to 4.
Minimum Bookings: We require at least 2 participants to run this course.
If you are the only person booked there is the option to cancel for a full refund, rebook for another course, or we can run the course on a 1:1 basis with an adjustment of fees. We will advise well ahead of the course start date in this case.
Private Courses
Private courses can be arranged at any time from June to October. Ideal for a small group of friends. We can tailor the program to meet your specific objectives.
NZAC Discount
New Zealand Alpine Club Members can receive a 10% discount on this course.
Check with us before booking, with your membership number, and we can supply a promo code.
ExperiEnce Needed
No mountaineering experience is required. This trip is designed for “outdoorsy” people, such as hunters and trampers who want to gain experience in challenging, winter conditions.
A high level of fitness is important. You need to carry a pack (of up to 15kg) uphill for around 4 hours.
Background in regular tramping or hunting is ideal training
A sense of adventure, and willingness to learn as part of a team
Itinerary
Our courses are designed to work around changing weather and snow conditions, so each MSC is unique. Here is a typical course itinerary.
Day 1, 1:30 pm start
Meet your guide and team at Guides Base. Introductions and a review of the plan in light of current weather and snow conditions. You will learn about the basics of weather forecasting, as well as essential gear and clothing for winter conditions. Check and pack gear and food, and assign rental equipment. Each person is expected to carry a share of food and cooking equipment and to assist with preparing meals. All utensils and cooking equipment are provided. You will spend the night in Mt Cook Village.
Day 2, Alpine Start
Early morning you will ascend to Mueller Hut, looking at route finding and navigation on the way. In the afternoon you will focus on avalanche safety, identifying avalanche terrain, and practising rescue skills. Spend the night at Mueller Hut.
Day 3
You will start the day with snow skills, safe use of crampons and ice axe, including self-arrest and techniques to suit the terrain. Applying these skills to terrain and route choice. In the afternoon you will cover additional techniques for safe travel including simple rope systems such as using human and terrain anchors and setting up a handline and belay. To finish your (big) day you will learn how to make an effective emergency shelter in the snow and discuss strategies for camping. Second night at Mueller Hut, or bivy in your emergency shelter!
Day 4, Alpine Start
You will be up early (alpine start) to venture further into the Sealy Range to put your skills into practice, with the possibility of an ascent of Mt Oliver or Kitchener. In the afternoon you will pack up your gear at Mueller Hut and descend to Aoraki Mt Cook Village. Back at base, there will be a chance to unpack, return rental gear and debrief your course. Finishing up around 5 pm.
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 we start the course, we have the option of starting (and finishing) one day later. This will allow us to take advantage of the best weather and make good use of your time.
HUts - YOUr Mountain Accommodation
Course Venue
Mueller Hut, at 1800m in the Sealy Range above Mount Cook Village, is the venue of choice.
This is close to our base, and has all the advantages of a modern mountain hut, making it an excellent location to base the trip from. During winter, the area around the hut provides a variety of terrain well suited to learning different skills for mountain travel.
Close by the hut are Mt Olivier (1,933 metres) and Mt Kitchener (2,042 metres)
The focus of this program is on learning to cope with mountain weather, so we will hike into the mountains in all but the worst weather.
In the unlikely event that conditions are not safe for us to venture into the heart of the Southern Alps on foot, we will relocate further east. There are several suitable venues approximately 1.5 hours drive from Aoraki Mt Cook Village. Any travel is included in the course fees.
A 25% deposit is required to secure your booking
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