Thread: Recommendations for mountaineering/alpine course for hunters?

Looking to do a mountaineering course to learn the basics of navigating alpine terrain. Looking for fundamentals such as use of ice axe, crampons and some general knowledge path selection/weather awareness in alpine environment. This would be a course for a hunter with no previous mountaineering experience.

I have had a dig online and found courses by Canterbury Mountaineering Club (all booked out for the year :0), Outdoor Education NZ and alpineguides.com.

Anyone had experience with these or recommend any others? Just looking to have the neccessary skills/confidence for winter hunting, particularly for tahr.

TIA

Some tramping clubs may do courses. Alpine club may do some, assuming there is an Alpine club in chch. Outdoor education NZ should be ok.

The NZ Alpine Club has lots of courses and cheap compared to a lot of other options, membership is about $100 a year https://alpineclub.org.nz/

There is nothing really magic about crampons and ice axes. If you can’t get on a course then spend a day or so just “playing” with them. There are probably a few videos on YouTube showing how to walk in them.
The big one with crampons is you need your sole flat to the slope to make sure all the points are in the snow. This can take a bit of getting use to. You also need to swing your legs a bit so you don’t snag the points in your gaiters etc.
if you wear crampons you MUST have an ice axe in your hands. This is because if you slide with just crampons it is very hard to stop yourself.
The ice axe is held in your up hill hand and used like a walking stick. Swap hands when you change direction to keep the axe in your uphill hand. If you slip push the axe down into the snow and grasp the shaft of the axe near the snow surface. This should stop you sliding further. You must have a leash from the axe to your wrist to make sure you don’t drop it.

Self arresting.

Without an axe roll onto your stomach and then do a push up, pushing your toes into the snow slope. On softish snow this will work, but not very hard snow/ice.
With an iceaxe while sliding on your back hold the axe across your body with the head of the ice axe near one shoulder so the pick of the axe is facing away from the body and the end of the shaft near the opposite hip. On the hand holding the head of the axe have palm over the top of the axe and the thumb under the axe head. When sliding on back, feet first, roll towards the axe head and into your stomach. Keep your feet up, this will stop your crampons digging into the snow and flipping you over.
Once on the stomach lean onto the shoulder where the axe head is and pull up with the hand holding the base of the shaft. This will push the pick into the snow.
If you are sliding on your stomach head first hold the axe out infront of you and off to one side. Put the pick into the snow to slow you down and pivot around the pick so that you end up feet first. Then lift the pick out and replace by your shoulder and self arrest.

The mountain safety council website might have some videos on how to do it.

DONT wear crampons while practicing self arresting, the chance of stabbing yourself is high. Also wear a helmet, a bike helmet will do.

Cheers stug for all the info, appreciate it

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