Adv 223 Yumpu

Crisp and hard snow marks the entrance to the coolest classroom ever: Mt. Aspiring National Park. or // Crisp, hard snow, fresh alpine air and
bluebird days set the scene for a week's learning in the coolest classroom ever: Mt. Aspiring National Park.
Taking a stroll on the Bonar Glacier and seeing the first glimt of the hut.
The school of mountaineering
Mountaineering season is on and privileged
as we are, we live in a country with majestic
peaks and stunning alpine scenery.
Especially on the South Island which is the
home to some 23, 3000-meter peaks. But
as mesmerizing as the mountains are, we all
know they can be challenging places to be
and must be treated with the utmost respect.
For many of us tramping is not unfamiliar
and provides us with the opportunity to
connect on some level with our unique
alpine environment.
However, if you want to step it up and
explore the more remote parts of our
country, why not strap on some crampons,
grab an ice axe and add a whole new set of
skills to your outdoor-toolbox?
A Mountaineering Skills Course can equip
you for future alpine adventures - all taught
in stunning classrooms.
To give you a bit more of a feel for
what a Mountaineering Skills Course
generally entails we have captured
the experiences of one student who
recently decided to learn more about
the art of mountaineering.
The course was hosted by Aspiring
Guides, which is a long-time mountain
guiding company that has been based
in Wanaka for over 30 years.
The course starts with a spectacular
helicopter flight from Raspberry Flat in
Mt. Aspiring National Park, and you'll
feel on top of the world as you see the
valley getting smaller beneath and the
snowy peaks getting closer.
Landing on Bevan Col marks the start
of the day in the classroom and lesson
number one is walking with crampons.
A funny, yet challenging task with lots of
practice and lots of laughing when falling
and sliding down easy slopes. Managing
a good crampon technique is crucial when
heading into mountaineering and your
guide will make sure you're getting all the
right cues.
A part of the course goes through an
ocean of ice. You’re roped up and heading
into crevasse country.
The sharp, blue and tall ice cliffs make
you wonder if you are Beyond the Wall
in George R.R. Martin’s “The Game of
Thrones”. But walking along the giant ice
pillars is truly unique, and you will have
time to enjoy the spectacular views while
having well-deserved breaks.
Your heart will surely skip a beat when
the "whumpfing" sound of a thin snow
bridge is being tested by your weight.
But as a part of the Mountaineering Skills
Course, the guide will teach you how
to rescue yourself or a team member
from these sometimes seemingless
bottomless crevasses. You will also gain
experience in glacial travel and develop
an understanding of the characteristics of
avalanche terrain.
Colin Todd Hut is one of the million-star
hotels you may ever sleep in, and one of
the fun ways to access the hut involves
climbing roughly 100 vertical meters up
a steep slope. Here you'll get familiar
with your ice axe and hammer, and after
a while, the motion of 'hook, hook, step,
step' becomes a well known rhythm.
Colin Todd has a glorious view of Mt.
Aspiring and the North-West Ridge,
which is the most popular route to summit
the mountain. Colin Todd is also known
for its feather-covered guest: the Kea,
New Zealand's only alpine parrot with
a massive appetite for outdoor gear, so
make sure to store all your equipment
inside.
An alarm from a GPS watch at 3 AM
marks the alpine start. Hot drinks and
muesli with powder milk are downed
before heading out on a pitch-black
glacier. Only lit up by narrow beams from
head torches and flickering stars above.
One of the lessons you learn in the
school of mountaineering is to catch the
curveballs the weather throws at you.
From a crisp and hard surface, the snow
turns into a thick and saturated paste
sticking to your crampons or snowshoes.
But no matter the weather, the classroom
is still open, and the toolbox of
mountaineering is growing bigger by the
hour. Practising in different circumstances
constantly will bring you a well-rounded
learning experience. As the days in the
mountains fly by, you will get sweaty
from digging pits for your snow anchors,
discover new and narrow cracks for your
rock protection, and you will sigh with
relief when your ice screw finally sits
solidly in the icewall after spending time
with an the hammer and axe.
The sun is out, making the glacier look like
a thin blanket of sparkling crystals, and you
reach for your camera to perpetuate this
magical moment in the mountains. And as
you turn your face towards the camera to
take a selfie, you face something yourself:
You're an aspiring mountaineer, and you're
looking forward to climbing some more
great peaks in the future.
36//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/#223 ADVENTUREMAGAZINE.CO.NZ 37