No 783, April 2015
Vertigo
Nomelandsfjellet – first pitch on Gammel Vei – 12 pitch route (grade 4+ (Norwegian) about an Ewbank 16,
326m) - Kevin Patterson
Newsletter of the New Zealand Alpine Club - Wellington Section
www.facebook.com/nzacwellington Twitter @NZACWellington
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Section News
Twitter
Don’t forget that NZAC Wellington is now on Twitter. Follow us on @NZACWellington to be
kept up to date with section nights, trips, instruction and more.
May Section Night
Our May section night will be held on Wednesday 6 May at 6pm at the Southern Cross when
Max Olsen will be presenting to us on his experiences in the Milford area.
"The Milford track is one of the most popular and accessible mountain destinations in New
Zealand, but step off it and you will find yourself in some of the wildest, steepest, and most
unfrequented country around. Max will speak about the lure of this rugged Milford country and
will cover a number of trips that he has, with others, undertaken in the area over the last five
years. Such trips include two new routes between the Arthur and Transit Rivers, ascents of the
Lady of the Snows, and a recent first ascent of an (as yet) unnamed peak above Poison Bay."
The Southern Cross venue and new time for section nights is proving to be a popular choice so
come along, buy a drink, have some nibbles and enjoy the evening.
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Upcoming Trips, Courses and Events
Wellington Section Trips
The following is a starter for 10 for section trips and courses for the year. Please indicate your
interest in leading or participating in these trips by emailing the committee at
[email protected] and the committee will then proceed with firming up details
around dates, etc.
Club Trips
Friday May 1 – Sunday May 3
Sunday May 10th
Queen’s Birthday Friday May 29 - Monday
June 1
June
Thursday August 13 - Sunday August 16
September
Labour Weekend Friday October 23 Monday October 26
Mid October
November
November / December
Rock climbing based at TASC lodge at Tukino
(Ruapehu)
Family Trip - local climbing (Wellington)
Mt Paske (Nelson Lakes)
Ice climbing/mountaineering TASC lodge at
Tukino (Ruapehu)
Remarkables Ice and Mixed Climbing Festival
(Queenstown)
Weekend Ski Tour Lake Angelus (Nelson
Lakes)
Arrowsmiths - Cameron Hut (Inland Mid
Canterbury)
Ski touring from TASC lodge at Tukino
(Ruapehu)
Te ao Whekere (seaward Kaikouras)
Family Trip TASC lodge at Tukino bivvy near
crater (Ruapehu)
Snowcraft courses
If you're interested in attending one of our snowcraft courses this winter or if you know of others
who are keen, the course description, gear list and application form are included later in this
newsletter.
Friday June 26 – Sunday June 28
Friday July 17 – Sunday July 19
Friday July 24 – Sunday July 26
Friday August 7 – Sunday August 9
Friday August 21– Sunday August 23
Intro Snowcraft course at Tukino (Ruapehu)
Intro Snowcraft course backup / trip weekend
at Tukino (Ruapehu)
Basic Snowcraft course at Tukino (Ruapehu)
Basic Snowcraft course at Tukino (Ruapehu)
Intro / Basic Snowcraft course trip weekend at
Tukino (Ruapehu)
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Australian Section Annual Climbing Meet 2015
Monday 29 June – Sunday 5 July
Mt Arapiles, Victoria, Australia
For details have a look at https://alpineclub.org.nz/system/files/Annual%20Climbing%20Meet
%202015.pdf
National Indoor Bouldering Series
The NiBS is a fun, all-abilities series of bouldering events held at climbing walls around New
Zealand between May-August every year.
Bouldering is a type of rock climbing, usually up to about 4m using pads for protection instead
of ropes. Because it doesn't require lots of gear and technical instruction, it doesn't matter if you
are new to climbing or a boulder boss, you'll have a great time!
Dates for 2015 are as follows:
Round 1 : The Roxx, Christchurch 23 May
Round 2 : Hangdog, Wellington 27 June
Round 3 : Extreme Edge, Hamilton 1 August
Round 4 : Extreme Edge, Panmure 12 September
For more details : http://nbs.org.nz/
Wellington Section Trip to the Remarkables Ice and Mixed Climbing Festival
(Queenstown)
So what’s this festival all about?
 Bringing together a huge cross section of climbers from around NZ and the world.
 Beginners get to rub shoulders and share the rope with the top winter alpine climbers in
NZ.
 Clinics, competitions, races and social gatherings advance and promote modern mixed
climbing.
 Showcasing the new and existing route potential on NZ’s most accessible multi-pitch
winter training area, the Remarkables.
 Sharing local knowledge and forming new climbing partnerships. Fundraising for the ECC
Expedition Capital Fund.
 See more at: http://www.iceandmixedfestival.co.nz/#!/about/
The Wellington Section is organising a trip down to Queenstown for this festival. The plan is to
catch the ferry to Picton late on the night of Wednesday 12 August and do an all night ‘mission’
drive to Queenstown. We will do our own climbing in Queenstown on Thursday 13 and
Monday 17 August. We will take part in the festival activities on Thursday night, Friday,
Saturday, and Sunday (13-16 August). There will be another all night drive back on Monday 17
August and an early morning ferry back to Wellington in time for a late work day.
We are planning to stay in cabins at Frankton motor camp which is not too far away from the
festival headquarters in the Queenstown Event Centre.
General admission to the festival is $80 if you take part in no courses, and the cost of taking
part in the various clinics for NZAC members varies from $100 for the snow craft course to $250
for chicks and picks (limited to 8 participants). The courses are held over 2 days (Friday and
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Saturday) and represent excellent value for money. As a result, places are limited so it is first in,
first served.
The Wellington section will help out with funding for this trip to cover transport and festival
entry fees. Once we have a car/van load organised we will look to book accommodation and
transport.
Contact Eric Duggan (e - [email protected], m - 021 350 161) to book your place.
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Trip Reports
From the Sea Stacks of Scotland to the Via Ferrata of the Dolomites
Kevin and Kristeen Patterson and Christine Latimer
This story is about a 4 month trip we did across Europe which covered a number of rock climbing
areas. Firstly we briefly touched on the great granite walls of the Setesdal Valley in Norway in June.
Norway is a mostly empty country where you can legally free camp pretty much wherever you like.
But given the often inclement weather most choose to pay for indoor accommodation which aren’t
cheap! We did view the best part of 100km of sheer, clean granite walls up to 400m high lining the
Setesdal Valley. This valley runs up the middle of the southern part of Norway, and while hundreds
of lines have been bolted and documented in the local guidebook, there are literally thousands of
unclimbed routes here.
We went for a brief foray on the first easy pitch on one of the 10 pitch routes and found it
delightful. Typical Tuolumne (Yosemite) hand/finger jamming moves brought back memories of
our USA trip. We did, at a minor level, suffer the ‘Alaska curse’ however – mosquitoes!! At this
latitude (59 degrees north), it is light 24 hours a day, and there are no frosts to kill the little
blighters off. But, as we were about to find out, there are worse insect curses than mosquitoes.
Off to Britain and the Peak District – the home of gritstone climbing. The Peak District lies in the
‘high country’ (read 400-600m in altitude) between Manchester and Birmingham. And gritstone is
a kind of weathered sandstone with exceptional frictional properties. Many of these routes are
single pitch, hard to protect classics. There are no bolts here!
This is the home of Don Whillans and Joe Brown, legendary rock climbers who, in the 1950’s and
1960’s with Chris Bonnington, displayed their talents on previously unclimbed, hard routes in the
Alps, Pakistan and Nepal. At The Roaches there are a number of their classics – particularly on the
Valkyrie buttress. Don Whillans even has a BMC hut dedicated to his memory. The age of some of
these routes goes back over 100 years. You don’t just come here to climb, you come here to
breathe history.
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Peak District, Raven Rock Gully – not quite
brave enough to go on lead yet!
We initially found the climbing hard, with many pumpy moves required on even low graded
routes. But after a while, like all places, you accommodate the style required. In the case of
gritstone it is ‘trust the friction’. I particularly favoured the delicate balancy routes such as
Dorothy’s Dilemna (5a E1, like an Ewbank 19). But got a bit challenged by Raven Rock Gully [Left
Hand, 4b, like an Ewbank 16] which I found brutal with extreme jamming and bridging required.
Then off to Scotland and the multi-pitch sandstone of the Highlands and Islands. Many of these
routes are relatively remote, requiring either a 2 hour drive or a 2 hour walk in from our base in
Aviemore. We were lucky to enlist the help of Russell Shanks who lived there. Russell and I had
climbed Earnslaw 2 years ago so it was a great reunion. And that is one of the great things about
British climbing – the number of contacts I already had, made this a marvellous catchup trip.
So Russell took us up for a 2 hour walk into the Cairngorms where we had a crack at a 4 pitch
classic The Clean Sweep (4c, 4a, 4c, 4b, about an Ewbank 17 for the 3 rd crux pitch). And what a
classic it was! The first pitch was right in your face with a runout slab halfway up. But it was the 3 rd
pitch which I gratefully led which was long (45m) and totally sustained at the grade (4c). It took me
an hour to nail it! You can’t beat the setting for this climb, fantastic mountains all around, a lake
below us, and unusually nice warm weather.
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The Clean Sweep (4c) – The Cairngorms – getting onto this unprotected slab
and then running it out was quite challenging, and that was just the first pitch!
After the Cairngorms we went ‘sea stacking’. Sea stacks are isolated outcrops or pinnacles of rock
that have become separated from the mainland and are surrounded by water. So you have to
swim to them to go climbing. Not an enticing prospect in Scotland where sea water temperatures
often hover around the 10C mark.
The first one we picked on was the Old Man of Hoy (5 pitches, 5b crux). At 125m it is the highest
but technically is not a sea stack at there is still a 5m high landbridge to the mainland. It is on the
island of Hoy, part of the Orkneys at the top of Scotland and is in an area boasting the highest
cliffs in the UK.
Old Man of Hoy – the one on the left that is
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The descent from the mainland down to the base was another matter. It was difficult, very steep,
slippery and frankly quite terrifying! Once we got to the base the first pitch went very quickly, but
the rock was not stable with a number of loose stones being ‘tested’. The fulmars (birds) also took
to dive-bombing us with some limited success. The second pitch, while straightforward, was a
crumbly nightmare. With the very real prospect of our rope jamming on this down/up chimney
pitch we had well failed to reach the ‘enjoyment benchmark’ so we bailed.
The Old Man of Stoer (5a, 4 pitches)
A few days later we nailed a much more pleasant prospect on the NW coastline – The Old Man of
Stoer (5a, 4 pitches). This was a genuine seastack although it is possible to get across to the base
at low tide without getting wet which we did. This was 4 great pitches of relatively solid sandstone
(solid being a relative term here). The third pitch was the most challenging (4c).
All up 2 hours saw us to the top, and it was easy to rap off with lots of slings in place. When we did
topout we did watch in dismay as the tide swallowed up the space between the stack and the
mainland. “Crikey, we’re gonna have to swim for it!” I said to Chrissy. When we got down I did
swim across and set up a down sloping line so that Chrissy could ride it over and stay dry. As she
clipped on the line it sagged a bit. “Do you think it will be OK?”. “Yeah, no problem” I said, so she
let go. The line sagged alright but she nearly made it across the water….I guess when you set up a
Tyrolean you’re not supposed to use a dynamic rope!
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Our escape from the Old Man of Stoer - guess what
happens next?
We headed off to the Cuillins in Skye for some more, but it was the end of 2 weeks of 28C fine
weather days and it was time for the return of the midgies. The midgies are a minute biting flying
insect that makes your life miserable. They breed in the damp peat bogs of the western highlands
and vast clouds of these insects descend on you in the evenings driving you indoors. Combined
with the return of persistently rainy days in late July we bailed for the continent and the Alps of
Austria and Italy.
The middle of August saw us in the Tyrol climbing Germany’s highest peak, the Zugspitz (2950m),
on the Austrian border. Now you can shell out 50 euro and get a gondola to the top. But what is
more fun is to take the Via Ferrata. The VF (Via Ferrata, or in Italian “Iron Road”) is a system of steel
cables and iron rungs bolted onto rocks to make climbing easy. It is literally “mountains with
handrails”. You clip into them with a carabiner and sling attached to your harness. Most of all it is a
very social way to rock climb as your climbing partner is usually only 5-10m away and easy to chat
to.
The Zugspitz was a long climb, a 1000m climb/hike up to a hut (more like a hotel) which we stayed
in overnight. Then 700m on the VF to the top. But it was a relatively easy VF, so we didn’t actually
clip in although most others did.
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Via Ferrata on the Zugspitz
On the other hand a few days later in Berchtesgaden on Grunstein, we did the hardest VF of the
trip, an overhanging and exposed grade E – quite hard on the arms. We definitely clipped in for
that one. The weather was a little wet for this one as well, but it makes for a great B plan when rock
climbing isn’t possible which was for more than half the time for the 2 months we were in the Alps
So onto the main event of the trip – The Dolomites!! These are a sting of limestone peaks in
northern Italy near the Austrian border. There are a large number of easily graded multi-pitch
peaks in the Ewbank 14-19 range (and harder if you want them) with easy access. We arrived in
poor weather however, which had been the theme of the past few weeks. So after 4 days and with
the forecast still looking poor we’d had enough and bailed to the beaches of Croatia 500km away
for a week of 28-30C days and the warm waters of the Adriatic.
East Face of Piz Popena Basso above
Lake Misurina (Dolomites)
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Upon our return we got 5 straight days of better weather which enabled us to nail 8 peaks! We
overdosed on a rock climbing Dolomiti extravaganza. First up was Cinque Torre, a 5 peak 200m
high outcrop between Cortina and the Falzereggo Pass. My favourite was the SW face of the West
Tower - Via delle Guide", Dallamono/Ghirardini, (alpine grade IV)- a whipper 4 pitch route which
Chrissy loved. I found the exposure going through the roof on the first pitch was terrifying. I think
it went at about an Ewbank 17.
Cinque Torre
The next day we did Hexenstein – an excellent 7 pitch route (Sass Di Stria, South Rib, grade IV+).
Quite polished so a little tricky, and although we had no trouble finding the start we did go a little
off route on the third pitch. Everywhere you go on these routes you often find 70-80 year old
pitons, meaning you carry a minimum of rock gear. The rock of the Dolomites was reasonably solid
but, as a lot of the routes had been around for a while, they had had a lot of traffic. And traffic on
limestone tends to polish it to a patina, reducing its frictional properties to around 10-20%.
Subsequently, while I would rate the Dolomites as one of the most outstanding places in the world
for background scenery, it struggles to compete on rock quality. History here is outstanding, much
remains of WW1 trenches and fortifications and the area is well documented. You can explore
tunnels that were dug through the mountains during the war to place tonnes of explosives in an
effort to break the stalemate of trench warfare. For 4 years the frontline barely moved as both
sides rained down artillery shells on the trenches killing tens of thousands. Much of the legacy of
the VF’s derive from the access requirements of troops to man and maintain their mountain
positions.
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After 5 days the weather turned cold and …. it started to snow!! It was only early September so we
thought this was unseasonal. But one day of snow turned into another week of cold wet weather
with a poor outlook. We did climb/hike most days, but only on the VF’s. It was too cold to rock
climb. So we bailed to the lowlands and Lake Garda and what was possibly the best spell of rock
climbing for the entire trip.
High on Tofana (3300m) and the snow keeps coming brrrh!
Lake Garda is Italy’s largest lake (it’s about the size of Lake Taupo). It’s surrounded by 1500m high
peaks and vertical limestone walls almost as high. Rock climbing is centred around Arco, a town of
less than 10000 people and more than a dozen climbing and hiking shops! So switched on are the
Italians that even the local tourist information centre has a 30 page free rock booklet covering
200+ routes with colour topo’s on a dozen local crags. Arco often hosts competitions usually of a
world standard.
The weather was warm (22-26C days), dry and still for 12 days while we climbed and cragged and
VF’d dozens of routes in the surrounding valleys. One crag, Placche di Baone, is a lovely multi-pitch
rock slab with a dozen 3 pitch routes on it that offers some excellent frictional climbing in the
French 5a-6a range (Ewbank 16-19). Also of interest is that it offers climbing for the blind, with the
routes having very close bolting (less than a metre) plus route descriptions in braille at the base –
tres inclusive!
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Arco Walls – so well developed they’ve even built a
platform belay station
The ‘mountain routes’ are usually well bolted, so little rock gear is needed. Monte Colodri (adjacent
to Arco) is to be avoided – it’s polished to heck. But there’s plenty of good multi-pitch routes
further up the valley at places such as Parete Zebrata. This was a great crag with a nice
sloping/expanding face which meant you could climb routes as short as 150m at the left end,
going up to 700m at the other end. Most of them are in the 15-18 range so pretty much perfect
for us. And it’s all with a 15-30 minute walkoff to the left.
One of the best mountain crags we finished on was Parete San Paolo which offers up a range of 710 pitch challenges each with a lot of variety. My favourite was Helene, an excellent 7 pitch grade
VI route. The first pitch was a little intimidating, followed by 2 hard pitches of slab climbing – nice!
I took a fall on the overhang 5th pitch while attempting to clip. It was too polished for a good
handhold. But that’s part of the local ‘environment’.
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Chrissy on the crux slab on Helene`
And that pretty much sums up European climbing. We had weather challenges, rock quality
challenges, hell, even tide challenges. You just get used to it, adapt and carry on. That’s what going
to different places is all about. You’ve either got the spirit, or heck, you’re just a sports climber!
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Notices
American Alpine Club – International Climbing Meet 2015
27 September 2015 – 3 October 2015
Location: Joshua Tree National Park, California
Organiser: Carol Kotchek [email protected]
The American Alpine Club would like to extend an invitation to participate in the annual
International Climbers' Meet (ICM). The ICM is held the week of Sept 27th - October 3rd, 2015 in
Joshua Tree National Park, California. The goal is to host a diverse group of climbing abilities from
a multitude of countries, and American Alpine Club members from all parts of the U.S.A.
Event Details:
Cost:
Application and fee received by July 20th: $435 USD per person.
Application and fee received after July 20th: $485 USD per person
Your fee includes:
• Seven nights and six days camping at Joshua Tree Lake Campground (campground includes:
showers and WI-FI).
• Six days of three organic meals catered by Sierra Gourmet Catering
• Six days of climbing in world renowned Joshua Tree. Climb with participants from around
the globe and knowledgeable locals
• Evening entertainment includes slide shows, films, trips to hot springs, and the Star Show by
Southern California Astronomy
• For those who take the bus from LAX airport to Palm Springs, pick up Sept 27th
For more information, schedule of evening events, and application go to:
http://www.americanalpineclub.org/p/internationalclimbersmeet
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New Style NZAC cap
A limited stock of a new-style NZAC cap with BizCool fabric is available for $20 for members :
https://alpineclub.org.nz/product/nzac-cap
Tukino Lodge Manager required
The Tukino Alpine Sports Club is looking for a hut warden for the coming winter, from midJune/early July to early October. For more details click here:
https://alpineclub.org.nz/news/2015/tukino-lodge-winter-lodge-manager-required-2015
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Snowcraft Course Information
Introduction to Snowcraft Course
The purpose of the Introduction to Snowcraft course is to provide an introduction to travelling in
low-angle alpine terrain where snow and ice may be encountered but rope protection is not
required for safety. It is designed for individuals who have little to no experience in an alpine
environment and focuses on personal preparation and movement on snow.
The course covers an introduction to:
• Personal : Fitness, clothing, food and equipment
• Environment : Weather, terrain, snowpack and avalanche
• Travel : navigation, on snow travel with and without crampons, use of ice axe, step cutting,
self-arrest
• Shelters : type and use
• Emergencies and what to do
On completion, the participant will be able to :
• Identify personal fitness, clothing, food and equipment requirements
• Identify alpine terrain features
• Recognise the main weather characteristics that affect travel, the snow pack and avalanche
conditions
• Travel on snow in low-angle terrain with an ice axe and with or without crampons
• Identify possible emergency situations and response
Basic Snowcraft Course
The purpose of the Basic Snowcraft course is to provide fundamental alpine skills for travelling in
low-angle alpine terrain up to 30º where a rope may be required for protection. It is designed for
individuals who have limited experience in alpine terrain and are looking for an entry-level course
in mountaineering. It develops on for the core lessons taught in the Introduction to Snowcraft
course and introduces the use of ropes, harnesses and anchors required for protection when
travelling in steeper terrain.
The course covers a developing understanding of:
• Personal : Fitness, clothing, food and equipment
• Environment : Weather, terrain, snowpack and avalanche
• Travel : navigation, on snow travel with crampons, ice axe, ropes, harness and anchors
• Shelters : type and use
• Emergencies and what to do
On completion, the participant will be able to :
• Correctly fit a harness
• Demonstrate a fundamental understanding of risk management through awareness of
alpine hazards including surface conditions, avalanche danger, terrain factors and weather
• Tie appropriate knots for alpine use
• Set up a belay according to current accepted practice
• Set up snow anchors
• Use a rope effectively
• Demonstrate an understanding of weather in an alpine environment
Page 18
•
•
•
Establish an emergency shelter in the alpine setting and begin to understanding the
requirements of emergency management
Have a basic knowledge of avalanche phenomena
Familiarity and basic use of avalanche rescue equipment
Introduction to Snowcraft Course Plan
Pre course evening 1. Location: Bivouac Wellington
Will cover: Logistics, Equipment, Course information, Logistics, Weather,
Outstanding issues. Duration 2 hrs
Friday Evening
Welcome to TASC
Equipment
Review weather
Saturday
Weekend Briefing
Prepare to go out
Avalanche transceiver session
Situation awareness and moving in terrain.
Steeper Slopes
Emergency Shelter
Self arresting
Combining and applying lessons
Return to lodge
Days debrief
Saturday Evening
Avalanche Safety
Navigation
Climbing video or additional session(s) if requested
Sunday
Cramponing
Step Cutting
Self Arresting reinforcement
Combining and applying lessons
Return to lodge
Course debrief
Depart Lodge (15:00)
Note: This is subject to change. Actual course content will be determined
according to weather and other factors on the day of the course
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NZAC Wellington Section
WINTER INSTRUCTION COURSE
STUDENT REGISTRATION FORM 2015
Email: [email protected]
The New Zealand Alpine Club is
a non-profit, voluntary
Organization that runs rock and
alpine instruction courses and
activities, to foster safety and
enjoyment in natural areas.
Please print all information
MY CONTACT DETAILS
Full Name:
Date of Birth:
Mailing Address:
NZAC member
My Contact Numbers
You must be over the age of 18 at the start of the course
Membership Number:
(home)
(cell)
(work)
Email: (this will be given out to fellow
students/instructors)
NOTE: because of the Health and
Safety in Employment (Adventure
Activities) Regulations 2011;
to do the course you need to be a
current NZAC Member
MY NEXT OF KIN DETAILS (OR PERSON TO CONTACT IN AN EMERGENCY)
Note: not anyone under the age of 18 (and yes I have told them that I am doing the course )
Full Name:
Relationship:
Contact Numbers
(home)
(cell)
(work)
WHAT I HOPE TO GAIN FROM THIS COURSE
MY CLIMBING, TRAMPING OR OTHER RELATED EXPERIENCE (previous courses)
ARE THERE ANY MEDICAL CONDITIONS WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT?
1.
Allergies; Medications; Medical conditions; Physical problems
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HOW DO YOU RATE YOUR LEVEL OF FITNESS?
1
Couch potato
2
City bound walker
3
Bike/run/tramp
4
Something in between
5
10 day tramp!
HOW WOULD YOU RATE YOUR ENTHUSIASM FOR OUTDOOR ACTIVITY?
1
2
3
4
5
Sitting outside a café is
my outdoor activity
Spend every minute out
of the city
MY CLIMBING EXPERIANCE IS JUDGED AT: (Tick one, 1 low, 10 high)
1
2
3
4
Very little
5
Some Tramping
6
7
8
Some Rock Climbing
9
10
Some Alpine Climbing
MY FOOD PREFERENCES / REQUIREMENTS
HOW DID YOU FIND OUT ABOUT THE COURSE?
COURSE PAYMENT
Registration fee
$250.00
Includes:
1.
Accommodation for two nights at Tukino Lodge
2.
4WD transfer from Ruapehu carpark to Tukino Lodge
3.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner on Saturday, breakfast and lunch on Sunday
4.
One course evening before the week-end covering gear and mountain
environment
This fee does not include transportation to Tukino Lodge carpark. Car pooling will be
organized at the pre-course evenings.
Do you require
crampons, ice
axe, and
helmet?
Yes
TOTAL
$20.00
A pair of well-fitting crampons, an appropriate size helmet, and an appropriate length ice axe
is compulsory equipment for this course. You can come with your own if you have them or
we can rent this for you. We will discuss this on the theory evening on 30 July 2014.
A transceiver is compulsory avalanche safety equipment for the course. You can
come with your own if you have one or you can rent one from Bivouac.
No
$
By registering for this course you are entering into a contract to pay the full cost of the course. No refunds are available if you
subsequently withdraw.
A deposit of $100.00 should be made with your enrolment to secure your place on the course. Demand is high, and places
cannot be reserved for people who haven’t paid yet.
Please send this form via email to ([email protected])
Please indicate below how you will be making your payments
2.
by electronic banking
Bank Details: Wellington Section NZAC A/C: 01-0505-0688816-00 Particulars: SC2015 Code: Deposit Reference: Your
Name Please email details of payment to [email protected] and [email protected]
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DECLARATION
I know that the natural environment and climbing activities can involve risks. While recognizing that the course organisers and
instructors are doing their best to manage these risks, and agreeing to accept their direction whenever required, I accept
personal responsibility for my own actions and safety.
I understand and agree that to participate on the Snowcraft course that I shall be a current member of the NZAC
Signed:
Date:
Note: All instructors are volunteers and give their time to the Winter Instruction course.
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NZAC Wellington Introduction to Alpine - Clothing and Equipment list
Personal Clothing – warm, windproof & waterproof outdoor clothing
Base-layer (next to skin)
 2 pairs of thermals (long sleeved top and long john bottoms - polypro or merino)
 3 pairs thermal socks (wool/merino – no cotton)
 underclothes
 1 pair shorts
 2-3 pairs polypro thermal gloves
 1 Warm Hat (wool or fleece) and/or a balaclava (polypro or fleece) – must be able to fit under your
climbing helmet
 1 sun hat / cap
Mid-layer
 1-2 Long sleeved polar fleece tops (medium weight)
 1 long-sleeved polar feece top or wool jersey (heavy weight)
 1 fleece or thinsulate vest (optional)
 1 down jacket (or an extra fleece top/wool jersey)
 2 pair Gloves / mittens – wool/fleece
 1 long sleeved short (nylon)
Outer layer (shell)
 Waterproof jacket with a hood and over trousers (waterproof and windproof)
 1-2 pairs over gloves/mitts (windproof)
Personal Equipment
 60+ Litre pack with plastic bag liner
 1 pair sturdy tramping boots (¾ shank) or mountaineering boots (leather or plastic)
 1 pair gaiters (knee length)
 1 pair Sunglasses with retainer strap
 1 pair Goggles (or spare sunglasses)
 1 Ice Axe (walking axe )
 1 pair Crampons (Make sure they fit and match boots; should have anti-balling plates)
 Climbing Helmet
 Avalanche Transceiver
 Avalanche Probe (if possible)
 Snow Shovel (if possible)
 Sun block and lip block
 Drink bottle and/or hydration bladder (1.5L minimum)
 Personal First Aid kit
 Personal medication
 Compass
 Torch / Headlamp and spare batteries
 Thermos (optional - recommended)
 Multi-tool (or pocket knife)
 Watch
 1 notebook & pen & pencil
 Thermos (optional but recommended)
 Bivvy bag and sleeping mat (optional)
Other personal equipment
 Warm Sleeping bag (4 seasons)
 Personal Toiletries (+ear plugs)
 Hut clothes e.g. long trousers/fleece pants, and shoes e.g. slippers/crocs
 Personal food (including snacks)
 Camera (optional)
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NZAC Wellington Basic Alpine Course - Clothing and Equipment list
Participants on the Basic course will require all gear listed above for the Introduction course plus
the following :
 Harness (sized to fit over additional clothing and wet weather clothing
 Carabiners x 6 (with screw gate)
 Snow stake
 Slings x 4 (2 long, 2 medium / short)
 Belay / abseil device (ATC or Reverso)
 Prussic loop x 3 (2 short, 1 medium)
Page 24
Last year we raised almost $500.00 that went to our Club Development Fund – please help us
better that amount this year!
Order your new Entertainment™ Books and Entertainment™ Digital Memberships from NZAC, and 20% of your
Membership contributes towards our NZAC Club Development Fund.
All New Zealand and Australian books available.
Order before 14th May 2015 and you'll receive over $185 worth of Early Bird Offers which you can
use straight away.
Order at: https://www.entertainmentbook.co.nz/orderbooks/9p13998
Entertainment™ Memberships are packed with hundreds of up to 50% off and 2-for-1 offers for the best local
restaurants, cafés, attractions, hotel accommodation, travel, and much more!
Available as a traditional Entertainment™ Book -or- Digital Membership on your smartphone, your Membership
gives you over $20,000 worth of valuable offers valid through to 1 June 2016!
Page 25
Wellington Section 2015 contacts list
We are always thankful for volunteers and members stepping forward to help the section run
smoothly. If you’d like to learn more about how you could get involved, please email us at
[email protected]
Position
Name
Contact
Chairperson
Simon Williamson
021 054 7684
Co Chair
Eric Duggan
021 350 161
Secretary / Treasurer
Allan Brent
027 306 2965
Patron
John Nankervis
Other Committee Members
Mark Leslie
027 338 4458
Aviette Musin
021 0299 5390
Carolyn Ellis (Vertigo Editor)
021 574 287
Rock Drill Overseer
Kristen Foley
Any membership, Distaghil Sar Fund, or general queries should be directed to the secretary
Any media queries should be directed to:
03 3777 595
National Executive Officer, Sam
Newton
[email protected]
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