Organizer:
NATHAN GIANG
Date/Time:
Date(s) - Thursday 02 April, 2026 - Tuesday 07 April, 2026
12:00 am
fitness
hiking
skills workshop
Hello adventurers 🏔️
Putting out an EOI for a 5-day guided mountaineering course in NZ over Easter 2026 (roughly 2-6 April, dates/provider TBC depending on numbers). This is to see if we can hit minimum numbers before locking anything in. Expect to close this EOI in about 2 weeks.
Note: If we move ahead, you’d need to be ready to put down a deposit by the end of this month to secure dates with the guide company.
🧗 What you’ll get
By the end of the course, you’ll have a solid understanding of being part of a mountaineering team, attempt NZ Grade 1–2 routes, and do guided ascents on more technical terrain.
💰 Cost breakdown (rough estimate) – Total: ~$5,000 AUD
1. Mountaineering course – ($2,700-3,200: Example provider: Aspiring Guides ~NZ$3,150 pp – 1 guide:4 people). Includes guide(s), heli drop-off to mountain, hut/tent accommodation, all meals/snacks during the course, avalanche safety gear, technical climbing & glacier equipment, terrain fees, and transport from Wānaka. $1,000 per person deposit at the time of booking, and full payment is due 45 days prior to your trip’s commencement.
2. Flights (Syd↔ Queenstown) – $700-1,000 AUD
3. Queenstown ↔ Wānaka transfers – ~NZ$100 pp for a group of 4 (private transfer, split across the group)
4. Extra costs – $200–600 AUD (approx.) for Food & accommodation in Wānaka before/after the course, plus any personal gear you don’t already have.
💪 Fitness & experience expectations
Multi-day trekking experience carrying a 10kg+ pack (huts or camping)
Comfortable with heights and alpine weather
6–8 hrs moving per day, 500–1,000m ascent/descent
Some rope familiarity helpful (not mandatory)
👉 Registering interest
If you’re keen, please leave a short note on: your multi-day trekking experience, rope familiarity (e.g. from climbing or canyoning) and interest in building up mountaineering experience.
No commitment yet. This is just to gauge numbers. If there’s enough interest, I’ll confirm dates and next steps.
