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Logged Experience - Climbing

Aoraki/Mt. Cook Ascent (Photo: Elke Braun-Elwert)

Logged Experience - Climbing

Logged Experience - Climbing

The NZMGA needs to see a solid base of personal mountaineering skills, knowledge and experience from guide candidates. To apply for a place on the Climb Guide Pathway, Applicants must present for consideration to the NZMGA Training Officer (TO) a mountaineering Logbook covering a minimum of three seasons of active mountaineering in both winter and summer. This is to set a solid base of personal mountaineering skills, knowledge and experience from which to launch a guides training pathway.

The Logbook should exceed the following minimum international standard:

Mixed Snow/ice Routes
These routes must be serious alpine undertakings with you in a leadership or shared leadership role. Descent is preferably by another route and not a continuous rap descent. Logbooks should show dates and partners (contact addresses may be required for verification). Some overseas routes are acceptable.

Minimum of 10 mixed snow/ice routes to include:

  • At least five Aoraki Mt Cook seriousness grade III;
  • At least five Aoraki Mt Cook seriousness grade IV or higher;
  • At least two of the grade IVs must have a technical grade of 5 or higher.
  • Ascents of major NZ peaks, at least five of which must be over 3000m;
  • Some of the routes should have height gains of at least 800m.
Examples:
  • North Ridge Aoraki/Mount Cook (V, 4+);
  • East Ridge Aoraki/Mount Cook (V, 3+);
  • Central Gully, Douglas Peak (IV, 5);
  • East Face Walter (IV, 5);
  • North Shoulder Tasman (IV, 3);

Alpine Rock Routes
Minimum of 10 alpine rock routes:
  • Crux Grade at least 13 Ewbank;
  • Approx 10 pitches (a ‘pitch’ is not necessarily a rope length) or around 250 m vertical;
  • Routes can be climbed either in mountain boots or a combination of mountain boots and rock shoes and must be protected in part by traditional protection;
  • Routes must be of ‘alpine’ character in mountainous terrain and/or on glaciers.

Examples:
  • Moir’s Mate, North Buttress of Sabre, etc. The Darrans;
  • ‘DB’Eh’, etc. The Remarkables;
  • ‘Butterfly Buttress’ etc. South Temple;
  • Ben Ohau Range, including Twin Stream;
  • ‘Moonshine Buttress’, ‘Kahu’, etc. Fox Neve etc;
  • Balfour Glacier routes;
  • Temple Buttress, Arthurs Pass.

 

Multi-pitch  Ice and Mixed Climbing
Minimum 3 Multi-pitch Ice and mixed climbing routes. They may have  low seriousness/commitment but with higher technical grades, ie ‘cragging’ style routes with straightforward or abseil descents. Difficulty grade of WI 4 and/or M4 or higher.
Examples:
  • Black Peak, Wye Creek and Bush Stream;
  • ‘Friday’s Fool’, etc. The Remarkables;
  • Temple Basin, Arthurs Pass;
  • Barnicoat, Mallory etc. Fox Neve;
  • Tukino, Ruapehu;
  • Homer Tunnel region etc., The Darrans. 
Rock climbing 
Evidence of approximately 100 days or 1000 sport and traditionally protected pitches. Multi-pitch climbing to a minimum of 18/19 Ewbank (if not included in above alpine rock routes).  

Examples:
  • 'Ravages of Time', etc. Chinaman’s Bluff;
  • Mt Somers;
  • Long Beach/Lovers Leap;
  • North Wye;
  • Wanaka;
  • Central North Island;
  • Overseas eg Arapiles AUS, Yosemite US.
Other Experience
Any overseas expeditions or climbing.
Other relevant alpine climbing/training eg SAR, Ski Patrol.

Downloads

NZMGA Pathway Application Log Template 2022

May 26, 2023
[.xlsx] (69 KB)

Contact

  • PO Box 10, Aoraki/Mount Cook 7946
  • admin@nzmga.org.nz
  • +64 (0)21 222 1022

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Who we are

The New Zealand Mountain Guides Association (NZMGA) is an internationally recognised non-profit Professional Industry Association servicing the standards and competency needs of mountain guides and the tourism operators they work for. The NZMGA regulates the quality of guiding through its training…

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