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Partner up with a guide for a week of climbing. If you have some mountaineering experience and are keen to advance your alpine skills by climbing a variety of routes that are conducive to your experience level, this is an ascents programme with an emphasis on skills progression. We'll aim to head for a few summits, and concentrate on expanding your skill base for the climbing you want to do. Either way, with the Summit Week option you can secure a guide for seven days, and use this extra time to learn more advanced climbing skills geared towards your own goals and aspirations.
All venues are situated within the main divide of the Southern Alps and offer
similar challenges and rewards to any climber. They all consist of high alpine
glacier neves with surrounding peaks and a variety of mixed climbing routes,
allowing us to select those most suited to your experience level.
As well as the more widely known peaks you may choose to climb within this
week, these places offer great subsidiary peaks, and are ideal for sharpening
up on glacier travel technique and other alpine skills.
We can customise an itinerary for you – depending on your
aspirations and skills.
A range of peaks to aim for depending on your aspirations :
- Mt Sefton --- grade 2+ (West ridge)
- Mt Lendenfeld --- grade 2 (from Marcel Col)
- Mt Haidinger --- grade 3 (West ridge)
- Minarets --- grade 2
- Mt Aspiring --- grade 2 (flight surcharge for 1:2 ratio)
Our 1:1 guide ratio applies for our technical climbing venues; alternatively a 1:2 guide ratio allows you to develop a climbing partnership on less demanding, but rewarding routes.
Click here to see photos of this program.
Logistics
| Duration |
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7 days fly-in (plus 1 days weather contingency) |
| Cost |
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NZ$ 4,600* / person (1:1) or NZ$ 2,950* / person (1:2) |
| Access |
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Fly-in, fly-out *(flight out extra) |
| Guide Ratio |
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1 guide : 1 client or
1 guide : 2 clients |
| Prerequisites |
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No previous mountaineering experience necessary for easier peaks. Good fitness and endurance. |
| Weather contingency |
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A great bonus. These two days could apply to the START of your trip (day one could be delayed up to two days) |
| Accommodation |
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Hut or tent or bivy |
| More info |
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Summit week trip information PDF (340KB)
Equipment list
Skills questionnaire
Registration form
Detailed equipment list
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* Package includes, air access, all meals and energy snacks, technical equipment, hut and landing fees, guide fees, and 12.5% Goods and Services Tax.
Instruction based curriculum
The emphasis of our instruction courses is on learning and developing the essential skills, which include:
- trip planning
- equipment considerations
- snow and ice climbing
- anchors
- belaying and rope skills
- glacier travel techniques
- alpine rock climbing
- route selection & navigation
- weather analysis and forecasting
- avalanche awareness
- camp management
- crevasse and alpine rescue
- emergency shelters
Comprehensive course notes are supplied, which will assist in your trip planning, equipment selection and purchase advice, what you can expect to be doing on a day to day basis, and much more. A reasonable standard of fitness makes any mountain experience more fulfilling.
Standard grading system for alpine routes in normal conditions
| 1 |
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Easy scramble. Use of rope generally only for glacier travel.
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| 2 |
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Steeper trickier sections may need a rope. |
| 3 |
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Longer steeper sections generally. Use of technical equipment necessary. Ice climbs may require two tools.
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| 4 |
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Technical climbing. Knowledge of how to place ice and rock gear quickly and efficiently a must. Involves a long day.
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| 5 |
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Sustained technical climbing. May have vertical sections on ice.
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| 6 |
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Multiple crux sections. Vertical ice may not have adequate protection. Good mental attitude and solid technique necessary. May require a bivvy on route and be a long way from civilisation.
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| 7 |
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Grade 7 and beyond is possible but not yet established in the region.
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