Mountain Experience Course

Start your Mountaineering Journey

The Mountain Experience Course (MEC) is the perfect entry point for aspiring mountaineers.

This course is built for those ready to move beyond the hiking trails and into the world of peaks, snow, and alpine camping.

Master the foundations: Learn to travel and camp above the snow line under the guidance of experts in the heart of the Southern Alps. We focus on providing a foundational mountain education that sets you up for a lifetime of adventure.

Flexible by design, the MEC operates out of Mount Cook Village. We don't stick to a rigid map and course structure. Instead, we are guided by the dynamic mountain conditions and weather to find the perfect venue for your specific course. This makes every MEC a one-of-a-kind experience.

Course Highlights

‍Smart Access: When possible, we use cost-effective ground access to reach our venues.‍
Fully Equipped: All technical climbing gear is included in your fee.‍
Skills-based and peak-focused: Move beyond the basics with a focus on climbing a peak and alpine pass crossings.

trip level

Moderate

guide ratio

1:4, 2:8

duration

5 Days

season

October - January

Group Size

Min 2 / Max 8

start location

Alpine Guides' base, Aoraki Mount Cook

start and finish time

8:30 AM (first day) 5:00 PM (last day)

mountain Access

On Foot

price

NZ$2,695 per person

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Mountain Experience Course group roped together as they ascend a snow-covered slope during training

What You Will Learn

Equipment, what to bring, and how to use it

Alpine camping/bivvying/snow shelters (if conditions allow)

Snow skills: including using crampons, ice axe and self-arrest

Avalanche awareness

Map reading/navigation

Weather forecasting

Basic first aid

An intro to rope and rock climbing techniques

Climbing on alpine snow, ice, and rock

Awareness of terrain/route finding
‍

Depending on the course venue, some glacier travel may be involved - along with relevant instruction.

Trip Schedule

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Price List

Group Size

Price

NZ $4375

NZ $2675 per person

NZ $2100 per person

NZ $1775 per person

gear list

Trip Profile

Know before you go

Plan Your Trip

What's Included

included

Professional NZMGA/IFMGA mountain guide on a 1:4 basis
All meals and snacks from dinner day 1 to lunch day 5
Hut fees and National Park fees
Local transport
Four nights accommodation
All technical equipment
Alpine Guide's Technical Manual

Other Info

Skills you need

The MEC is a "boots-on" experience. We swap classroom lectures for real-world application, meaning your best asset is a solid base of aerobic fitness.

The Essentials

Experience - a background in bushwalking or trekking is ideal. You don't need previous climbing or alpine experience.
Fitness - you should be comfortable moving over uneven terrain for several hours.
The "Pack Factor" - you must be able to carry a pack (up to 15 kg) for 4–5 hours continuously.

Expect to learn by "doing." Every day is spent in the alpine environment, gaining knowledge through direct experience rather than a whiteboard.

trip specific

Camping Essentials

For camps or bivvies you need: A good quality sleeping pad. A lightweight 3-season sleeping bag and sometimes (but not always) a bivvy bag. We supply tents and bivvy bags, if required. We rent sleeping bags. We also provide cooking stoves, fuel, and utensils. Each person will be expected to carry a share of food and cooking equipment and to assist with preparing meals.

Minimum Numbers

‍These courses require a minimum of 2 participants.
If you happen to be the solo sign-up, you've got options: a full refund, a change to a different date, or a bespoke 1:1 session with a tailored fee. We’ll keep you posted well ahead of time so you can plan accordingly."

Other Info

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.

The MEC's strength is its flexibility

Dynamic mountain weather and conditions makes fixed itineraries impractical. The MEC is designed to work around changeable weather and snow conditions.

Village Section

After meeting the team, you'll get an introduction to the area and plans for the week. We move on to the gear room, issue gear and discuss what to use, what works well, what doesn't, and how to pack for the mountains.

Outside options can be:

1. Climbing Mt Sebastopol: moving on loose terrain, scree slopes, ridge travel.

2. An introduction to ropes and climbing instruction, including rope handling skills, abseiling and learning basic knots and hitches.

Alpine Section

The MEC’s alpine venues can include Mueller Hut, Mount Barth, Ball Pass, Sefton Bivouac, Twin Streams, Whale Stream, and Barron Saddle, among others.

These areas provide a range of alpine terrain with opportunities to train and climb peaks on snow, ice, and rock.

Most locations are either within walking distance or can be reached after a short drive from Mount Cook Village.

Mueller Hut area - allows access to the Annette Plateau, with peaks like Annette (2,235 metres) and Mount Sealy (2,557 metres) close by.

Alpine Section, cont.

Barron Saddle - A remote mountain venue at the head of the Mueller Glacier.

Twin Streams - The Ben Ohau range is renowned for great alpine rock and allows access to peaks like Mount Dark (2,496 metres).

Whale Stream - With Dun Fiunary peak (2,500 metres) is also in the Ben Ohaus, this location offers a great mix of hiking, rock climbing, scrambling and long ridges.

Mount Barth - A glaciated peak (2,456 metres) in the Ahuriri Valley, just over 1.5 hours south of Mount Cook. This offers a great location for snowcraft, bivvying and ridge travel.

Seasonal Snow Variation

MEC's use locations over a range of altitudes (750m to 2,100 m). At these elevations, there is a mix of permanent and seasonal snow.

Snow cover and depth encountered will vary with the location, time of year and major prevalent weather patterns (like La Niña/El Niño).

In "early season" courses, October to mid-November, you can expect snow underfoot, from approx. 1,600 metres. There will be less exposed rock, less distance to travel to reach snow instruction venues and less exposed hard ice.

During the course, we will include map reading and navigation topics, study mountain weather, and look at basic snow safety and avalanche awareness.

Mountain Experience Course (MEC)

The Mountain Experience Course (MEC) is the perfect entry point for aspiring mountaineers.

Know before you go

The MEC's strength is its flexibility

Go one-on-one with a guide

Trips Worth Checking Out