Colin Todd hut
A variety of huts, a combination of high alpine and tramping accommodation plus some amazing rock bivvies. The collection of photos so far only includes huts on the South Island. The majority of mountain huts in New Zealand do not have a hut warden and trampers and mountaineers need to carry in their own cooking gear e.g. stove, fuel, pots, plates, etc.. You can pay the hut fees to DoC – Department of Conservation – or the NZ Alpine Club. Continue reading 'Mountain huts in New Zealand'»
Colours are changing and the first frost has come and gone. In one month we’ll be sorting ourselves from our base in Switzerland to go ski touring. But the next few weeks left here bring some exciting moments with the Wanaka Easter airshow, Autumn Art School and the Epic Mountain Bike race around lake Hawea. Talking of races, our friend Simone just won the Gold Rush, she’s looking for sponsoring to pursue her racing career, so if you have what it takes to sponsor a worthy person, check her out here
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.
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
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Alpinism & Ski, Alpinism adventure, Alpinism in Europe, Alpinism in New Zealand, Alpinism Wanaka New Zealand, climbing, climbing in Switzerland, climbing Mt Aspiring, Europe, Mount Aspiring ascent, mountain guiding NZ, mountaineering, New Zealand Mountain Guides, NZ, Switzerland, Wanaka New Zealand
Typical NZ Spring storms are coming through and just last week we had fresh snow all around the mountains near Wanaka. October ended with our ski touring team coming out of Tasman Saddle hut, a successful Copeland pass alpine trekking traverse and a Mount Cook climb that could not eventuate because of the full on weather and avalanche dangers. IFMGA mountain guide Sean Brooks with mountaineer Rob had an interesting time at Plateau hut with the wind keeping them awake during the nights spent up there. Chief mountain guide Gary Dickson sat out the storm with VIP team Phil, Bill, John and Geoff and they managed a good number of excellent ski turns in the surrounding areas for the next couple of days, finishing with a splendid ski down the Tasman Glacier. However, they witnessed lots of avalanche activity too. NZMGA mountain guide Pete James with Darrin were also in the area, waiting in Mt Cook village for the weather to clear enough. After they saw the Chamoix bar windows blown out and the storm finally calming down, they were able to cross the Main Divide and here some photos (all by Pete James) telling more:
Climbing up towards Copeland Shelter
The shelter and Copeland pass behind it
Darrin on the Copeland Pass, Mt Cook Nat. Park
Mountain guide Gaz, occasionally on different missions and challenges like Search and Rescue
It was an interesting start to the month of May with a weather change after days and weeks of a just gorgeous autumn. Still, between the rain storms, a team of keen mountaineers managed to fly up into the mountains of the main divide, for a 9 day instruction course. Iris with Austrian visitor Birgit had a day out up the Matukituki vallley and Rob Roy glacier cirque. Edible coprosma berries everywhere, beautiful fungi and a few keas high up having fun were part of the outing.
Nature display while on a guided trek: Purple pouch fungi, Thaxterogaster porphyreum, growing in native silver beech litter
At the Alpinism & Ski base, thoughts are slowly turning to the ‘Climbing in Europe’ season, followed by ski touring back here in New Zealand in September and October.
From beautiful Spring days to more stormy cold fronts. Driftwood, pine cones and dry fire wood as well as newly insolated wall and roof, we can’t complain. Ski touring for a week will keep Gaz busy shortly while Wanaka gears up for another Wanakafest this month. Already there is mention of the next Challenge competition and the Festival of Colour. Today there even was a compost seminar offered. Definitely never boring here! so, see you soon?
wool bats, pink bats, different prices, same goal
chief guide Gaz assisted by Cam, the Alpinism & Ski base improvements are never ending...
Iris' playground while renovations at home are happening
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