About our guided back country ski/snowboard touring

During September, October and depending on conditions even into November, Alpinism & Ski offer week long ski touring adventures into the high alpine world of Mt Cook or Westland National Parks. Enjoy the pristine winter world with the safety and experience provided through one of our mountain & ski guides.

With the bitterly cold months of mid winter gone, you enjoy longer spring days, warm sun and brilliant 'corn' snow on the sunny aspects and often powder snow in the shady aspects. Experience the wilderness and grandeur of the Southern Alps with a week long ski touring trip into the high alpine neves.

Your options for a ski touring adventure

• A start to your ski touring career could be a single or multi day ski touring and backcountry snowboarding adventure around Wanaka and Queenstown.
• Or, mix discovery and enjoyment in the Alps while learning/improving touring and find some challenging off piste downhill runs to further your skills.....
• Organize your own team and book a private ski tour tailor made just for you.

We can help you achieve your ski touring and backcountry snowboarding objectives and perhaps ignite a touring passion.

Scheduled ski touring trips:

we also offer 6 day trips that are run to specific dates. This allows individuals to book on with other like minded enthusiasts to share the fun and cost.

Pre-requisites for our ski touring adventures in NZ

If you are a strong intermediate skier, get around all the runs on your favorite ski field, got yourself reasonably fit over the winter and have a sense of adventure plus a desire for winter wilderness, then this is the sport for you. ‘Fat’ touring skis have made a huge difference for people going backcountry and help with balance and skiing ability in 'off piste' conditions. For snow boarders, with a split board you too can experience the magic of the alpine backcountry.

Logistics (NZ Government tax increase from 1.Oct. 2010, thank your for understanding our price adaption scheme)
Price in NZ $ and per person, incl. GST, New Zealand's goods and service tax of 12.5 % From 1st Oct. 2010 GST is 15 %	1 person 2 people 3 people 4 people 6 days 4350 4460 2500 2570 2050 2100 1730 1780 7 days 4850 4980 2900 2980 2250 2310 2000 2050 September cheduled 6 day trip $ 2365 pp, special conditions may apply depending on numbers
Length of trip:	6 - 7 days
Difficulty	strong intermediate
Season:	late winter/spring, Sept.-Nov.
Price Includes:	Guide fee for 6/7 days, hut fees, transport Wanaka-Mt Cook village or Fox glacier return, accommodation during trip days, high quality food, party technical equipment e.g. rope, stove, fuel etc.
Price doesn't include:	Personal clothing and equipment, flights in and out of mountains, personal rental equipment. The flight cost can range from NZ$250-450 up to NZ$900 for a flight in, depending on flying conditions and loadings of the day. More about flights

Whatch our ski touring video on youtube

 

Scheduled 6 day tours 2010
I from Sun 19-Fri 24 Sept.
Special price $ 2365 pp

II from Tue 5 - Sun 10 Oct.
III from Sun 17 - Fri 22 Oct.
Price $ 2430 pp

Not available: last week in October 2010

Ski Touring Clients say

"Thanks so much for your guidance, your management of my safety...It was outstanding fun. You were the ultimate professional and I never felt my safety compromised for a moment. Coupled with that (and this is always the hard part) I also never felt that my enjoyment and freedom was unnecessarily curtailed by your safety requirements"
Bill Day, Wanaka, Sept.08

"I would like to thank you both again for looking after me while I was there. You did a great job because I had a great time...".
Mick from Oz, after his third trip with Alpinism & Ski Wanaka, October 2007

Ski touring Images

Click on thumbnail to bring up larger image and slide show

Guiding Qualifications

To become an internationally fully qualified alpine guide takes approximately 5-7 years of training and assessment. Kiwi guides are trained and assessed through the New Zealand Mountain Guides Association (NZMGA) which is overseen by the International Federation of Mountain Guides Association (IFMGA).

 

2010 ski touring season
only a few months away