The last couple of weeks have been most enjoyable for a number of good outings. Iris was checking out the latest flowers, berries and other fauna & flora subjects: with Christy from the US a quick trip around Diamond lake loop track, also called Rocky Mountain, 775 m with incredible views:

Christy taking in the views at 775 m altitude

one of the best half day excursions near Wanaka

Snow berries, sweet and delicious, gaultheria crassa var.

then off to visit Fern Burn hut in Stacks conservation area in the Motatapu valley, Remarkables next and another visit to Rob Roy glacier cirque with Jean & Bart from the US. Keas in the air,  avalanche activity and bird watching plus more edible berries on the treks were all part of great little missions.

The scheduled courses are closed for the rest of the NZ summer but private trips are available to realise your dream adventure in the Southern Alps. Be it a guided ascent of a special peak or an alpine climbing instruction course for beginners or intermediate-advanced mountaineers. If you are keen, get in touch for us to help you organise it.

The Epic mountain biking race second half of April will be chief Gary’s last mission before European summer activities will take over his schedule. Until then though, there is some more fun in the mountains: next week, a 5 day trip with Australian lady Michelle who is coming back for more alpine beauty and experience, ice axe, crampons and helmet etc are ready.

The Southern Alps of New Zealand offer beautiful terrain for alpinism adventures

As a private mountaineering instruction course is starting, the countdown for the

Intro to Alpinism 20-25th Feb. $ 2426 pp

booking deadline is approaching. This is the last week to reserve a spot in this summer’s scheduled beginners alpine climbing course. Learn with a qualified mountain guide how to have a lot of fun safely in the mountains:

Technical Mountaineering Skills for all your Alpinism Adventures

send an email for further details, the sooner the better and the latest by 3rd of Feb.

Sign on before the 3rd and your ‘home stay night in the climber’s bunk room’ at the Alpinism & Ski base is free of charge for the night before the course

Safety is important out there. Here is a site about being SMART on adventures which is advertised by the Department of Conservation.  My thought: if you go out there and stay in mountain huts for your alpinism missions, be it alpine climbing, hiking or bird watching, you might as well give the local DoC office your intentions. At least that way there is an indication of how many people stay in the huts … a long subject, so be smart and stay safe.

Diamond lake Rocky Mountain 775 m altitude, views over lake Wanaka on a guided walk, 3-4 hrs return

learning to place ice screws on a climbing course

End of the month, two fit fellas will be arriving from Aussie to go on an intermediate-advanced climbing course with mountain guide Gaz.  The NZ weather looks to have settled into a more settled state of play and alpine conditions look excellent for the 10 day specialized mountain training.

If you are  looking for a climbing course we have  two sceduled courses comming up:

• Intro to alpinism    -    6 days  20th-25th February
• Total Alpinism         –   7  days  04th-10th March

If you are an individual or a group looking to have a week of private mountaineering instruction, just get in touch and we can see if we can fit around your schedule.

This morning Iris headed   off with one other friend to do some personal trekking in the Greenstone/Caples/Steeple creek area.  The weather is perfect for 3 days, which is how long they expect to be out there.

Guided trekking , hiking or walks with Iris is the perfect way to enjoy time whilist staying in the Wanaka area. When Iris gets back from this personal trek, she’ll catch her breath as she has a person arriving for some guided trekking over a couple of days.

You can look forward to some photos of flora, fauna and classic Southern Alps landscapes in a few days.

Come and enjoy the wealth of local knowledge trekking guide Iris knows

Here some memorabilia of Alpinism during the last decade: youtube legendary Doug Ball who spent considerable time climbing with mountain guide Gary Dickson aka Gaz from January 2006 until August 2009.

Doug Ball, 79, on Mt Aspiring, New Zealand

Doug at 80, climbing a few peaks over 4000m in a week in Switzerland

Doug climbing high above the Dossenhütte, Kingspitze in the back ground

Doug had climbed Mt Cook Aoraki with his wife Peggy and many other peaks, but never Mt Aspiring. He got thwarted twice while climbing with Gaz because of conditions and weather but third time lucky and for a brief time he was considered the oldest climber to have sumited. He must have been an inspiration … more

Based at Centennial hut for some more alpine climbing

He sent us these lines just recently …”I use a slide show of my mountaineering photos as a screen saver so that my memories are not lost but are refreshed every day. Alpinism and Ski certainly made an enormous difference to my life. What would have become of me if I had just thrown in the sponge after Peggy died?  I have so much to thank you both for and am not likely to ever forget it.”

keep going strong Doug

Cameron hut and Mount Cook lillies - giant buttercup

Magnificient views on the Rob Roy glacier track

Keas, welcoming you to Rob Roy glacier cirque

Beginning of January and the weather has been outstanding here for at least three weeks, fantastic for all sorts of walks and hiking adventures. Iris has been on her guided trekking excrusions to Rob Roy a couple of times and privately for personal recreation, hiking to Cameron hut and Breast Hill. For more recreation, the Alpinism & Ski team has climbed Sharks Tooth in the Matukituki valley with friends Gordy and Katrin. Also on the program a few sailing excursions on lake Wanaka, perfect alternative to the mountains. Want to join us for some fun? just ask!

Climbing up and up towards Shark's Tooth with brilliant views of Mt Rob Roy

Be it an ascent of one of the beautiful peaks in the Southern Alps or a mountaineering instruction course to learn/refresh alpine climbing skills, Alpinism and Ski  offers you our  diverse range of mountain guiding services. From short and easy rock climbing on the local Wanaka crags, trekking, hiking and walking around the local hills or  to more full on and week long missions on the glaciated terrain, just get in touch to help you organize your next trip.

The youngest and smallest having fun on the rock

A future rock climbing star in the making?

Yesterday, Riverside next to the Motatapu river near Wanaka provided a fantastic venue for an introduction to the sport of rock climbing for long time client and friend Phil melchiors Grand sons. It was  also a lovely spot  for a family picnic and ‘refreshing’ plunge in the water.

Snow and ice techniques on a mountaineering course

crevasse rescue on an instruction course

pitching up a ridge on an alpine instruction course

The New Year is approaching fast and the last few weeks have brought us excellent weather for adventures in the Southern Alps.

We have two mountaineering courses on the program, one for beginners and the other for intermediate to advanced mountaineers keen to brush up, renew and confirm their alpine climbing skills to stay safe in the mountains while having fun, here the details:

• Intro to Alpinism, 6 days from 20 – 25th February 2012, $ 2426 pp
• Total Alpinism, 7 days from 4 – 10th March 2012, $ 2830 pp

One of those mountaineering instruction courses could be just right for you, so don’t hesitate and get in touch for more details.

For now:

HAPPY NEW YEAR