Krystle

Ever been interested about learning how to get into Mountaineering? What if I told you, its for free? Yes, FREE. Ever since getting into rock climbing I've trusted the great staff at Pinnacle Sports based in Brisbane. Pinnacle Sports hosts a number of trips both Rock Climbing and Mountaineering for all levelshowever, if your keen to get into Mountaineering then take a look at their Introduction courses they host at Mt. Ruapheu, New Zealand.

The course itself is for free and the only costs you face is getting there and accommodation. With ridiculously cheap fares to NZ, its a great deal. Over 3 days you get to experience a range of skills. After arriving at the chateau and meeting everyone, your group leaders (Fred and Ben) give you a run down over your gear and begin prepping you for whats to come over the next few days. Once you have a better understanding of what gear is needed in the cold climates you begin to get itchy feet in wanting to get out to the mountain and really experience the physical.

The drive to Mt Ruapehu is spectacular as the road winds itself through ancient rainforests. The first day is jam packed with a range of skills needed to mountaineer safely. One of the first activities was learning to self arrest which can be both fun but also daunting. Up on steep ascents, the possibility of slipping can happen and you need to be prepared to self arrest safely. Its amazing how fast you can pick up speed and the quicker you stop yourself the safer you'll be. The group chose a small hill and began practicing self arrest in multiple scenarios including falling face forward on your tummy or even head first on your back. It was a great way to hone your skills though not all went smooth as one of the group members accidentally broke his ankle.   

Next we learned about rope skills involving knots and how to ascend whilst being tied in as a team. When ascents become extremely steep it becomes a safety measure to rope in as a team so that if one slips, you have your team mates to team arrest. Afterwards we moved onto learning how to anchor in snow using a variety of methods. It may not sound much in words but your absolutely buggered by the end of the day!

Checking the weather forecast, we decided as a group that we wanted to attempt an ascent the following day just in case the weather turned on us. Up bright and early we began hiking by 6am and yep, it was still dark. We navigated the empty ski resort and practiced skills required with mountaineering. When mountaineering there are a few important things you need to consider as you can burn up a lot of energy quickly. To begin with, eating the right food is critical as I had a horrible experience on Baffin Island where I began to feel dizzy and exhausted as I didn't eat enough before hiking. Oatmeal is great source of energy for breakfast! Hydration is also important though adding an electrolyte mix, I find is a great way to keep up energy.

There are lots of techniques to learn ranging from how to ascend a peak without burning out, working as a group and even learning how to take correct steps because if your steps are wide apart, those legs are gonna burn out in next to no time. 

One of the most rewarding aspects with mountaineering is reaching the top. Not only do you get a spectacular view but you feel you've earned it through hard work.

Honestly we couldn't of asked for better weather conditions as for the brief 20 minutes we spent on the top, even the wind died off to a standstill! Now another perk with coming down, if the terrain is safe enough, is glissading! It can be tricky with crampons on because if you drop your feet they can easily catch the snow but once you learn the technique, its a whole lotta fun.

It was hard to stay awake on the drive home but I slept so incredibly easy that night!

The final day was our introduction to ice climbing. Unfortunately overnight the ice waterfall had collapsed but there were plenty of icicles about to practice placing ice screws. It amazing how much of a sweat you raise placing ice screws. The other great thing to learn about is avalanches and how to begin understanding how and why they happen. 

If your keen to get into some mountaineering feel free to give the guys at Pinnacle Sports a yell. Each July they run 4 courses and I highly recommend it if your keen to learn more!!!

Pinnacle Sports: http://www.pinnaclesports.com.au/ 

Direct Link: http://www.pinnaclesports.com.au/product_info.php?cPath=29_159&products_id=2282&osCsid=f0ed11b7ec8645c020dec62f3c2370db