3 DAY QUEENSTOWN MOUNTAINEERING COURSE
3 day mountaineering & climbing course based on the Remarkables mountain range.
The Queenstown Mountaineering Course is a 3 day climbing course for climbers wanting an introduction to mountaineering.
Our Queenstown Mountaineering Course is based on the Remarkables, a perfect venue for introductory mountaineering. The Remarkables offer everything from easy snow slopes through to steep & technical snow, ice, and rock climbing.
For this course you will be based in your own accomodation in Queenstown. Each day you will travel a short distance to the Remarkables mountain range that is directly above Queenstown – this is New Zealand’s most accessible mountain range. The Remarkables offer easy access to a wide variety of instruction venues and climbing objectives.
We believe at Queenstown Mountain Guides that the best way to learn climbing skills is by climbing. With 3 days there is enough time to make an ascent of the Remarkables Tower or Single Cone and learn skills. This will be an exciting and action packed 3 days.
COURSE SKILLS SYLLABUS
- Modern climbing technique
- Rope skills and belaying
- Abseiling
- Climbing knots
- Ice axe use
- Self arresting
- Belaying/rope skills
- Cramponing
- Rock climbing
- Ice climbing
- Avalanche awareness and avalanche rescue skills
- Snow anchors
- Rock anchors
LOCATION
Remarkables mountain range, Queenstown.
MEETING POINT & TIME
8.00am. Queenstown Mountain Guides office. Unit 403, 875 Frankton Rd, Queenstown.
ITINERARY
This is based on a past 3 Day Queenstown Mountaineering Course. Every day in the mountains is unique. Different weather and conditions, and the time of year that you do the trip will have an affect on the daily itinerary. Each day the guide will assess the weather and conditions and make a plan to get the most from the day.
Day 1
Meet at the Queenstown Mountain Guides office at 8.00am and discuss the plan for the trip. From here it is a 30 minute drive to the top of the Remarkables Ski area road. From the vehicle it is a 30 minute walk to get to Lake Alta, this area is a perfect instruction venue for the first day. We spend our day working on basic snow craft skills. After the basic snow craft lesson we will learn about anchor building and belaying a lead climber and the seconder.
Day 2
The focus of day is rope work, belaying, and anchor building. The goal is to learn by doing and as part of this day we plan to climb an alpine route so you can see these skills in action. A possible climb on this day is the Telecom Tower or Single Cone. For strong climbers you will have the opportunity to lead on snow, ice and rock.
Day 3
The best way to learn mountaineering and climbing skills is to move through mountaineering terrain. The goal for day 3 is to climb a route on Single Cone. On this day you will have a chance to put the skills you have learnt on the previous 2 days into use under the guidance of your instructor.
3 DAY MOUNTAINEERING COURSE
GROUP COURSE DATES
- 22nd – 24th June 2024
- 13th – 15th July 2024
- 17th – 19th Aug 2024
- 14th – 16th Sept 2024
- 19th – 21st Oct 2024
- 16th – 18th Nov 2024
This trip is available as a pre-organised group trip as well as for private bookings.
BOOK A GROUP COURSE
PRIVATE COURSE
| People | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 days | $2,450 | $1,495 | $1,395 | $1,295 |
INCLUSIONS
TRIP NOTES
Experience required
For this trip, the minimum requirement is that you have an intermediate level of fitness and an interest in learning mountaineering skills. No previous mountaineering experience is required.
Clothing & equipment
Climbing in the New Zealand mountains requires that you have high quality equipment and clothing due to the extremes of weather we experience. Please ensure you look carefully at our equipment checklist. At the start of the trip your guide will go through your equipment and make sure that you have everything that you need for the trip. Please organise to have your extra equipment stored at your accomodation for the duration of the trip.
It is important that you keep as close as possible to the equipment checklist. The focus is on ensuring that you have the equipment you need, but also on keeping your pack as light as possible. If your guide is meeting you at your accomodation for the start of the trip it would be helpful if you have all your equipment and clothing organised and laid out in a logical fashion so they can check that everyone has the right equipment and clothing for the trip.
Accomodation during the trip
To organise accomodation in Queenstown we recommend www.booking.com here you will find a wide range of accomodation depending on your preferred style and budget. The cost of accomodation in Queenstown is not included in your trip.
Daily trip logistics
Every day in the mountains is different with changing weather, snowpack, and access conditions. When you book your trip with Queenstown Mountain Guides we will discuss your goals for the trip and the general plan. When you meet with your guide on the first morning of your trip your guide will discuss with you the weather forecast and current conditions and make a final plan for the trip. It is best to be flexible so we can ensure that you will make the most of your time with us.
From Queenstown it is a 30 minute drive to the top of the Remarkables Ski area road. From here the high alpine climbing areas are easily approached. We like to think of the Remarkables Mountain range as the southern hemispheres equivalent of Chamonix and the easily accessed climbing.
Guide to participant ratios
We operate at a maximum ratio of 1 guide to 4 participants when alpine climbing in the Remarkables.
A fantastic week with Mike after our plans changed due to Sth Island weather. As there was just the two of us Mike as able to adapt his training methods to address our needs, strengths and weaknesses and helped us improve across the board. Mike is a very experienced climber and guide and helped bring our skills up to the level we wanted to be able to climb higher and harder technical ascents. It was also a highly enjoyable week with quite a few laughs and a lot of fun.
I highly recommend QMG to anyone who wants a flexible, intuitive, experienced guide to help you improve your skills and get the ascents you want. We will definitely be climbing with you again. 🙂