New Zealand Alpine Club

31/07/2026

𝗟𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗡𝗭𝗔𝗖 𝘁-𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘀 — 𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄!

Available in NZAC Blue and Alpine Hut Red, every shirt sold helps fund our courses, trips, meets, hut maintenance, and advocacy for outdoor access.

Orders close 31 August Dispatch from 21 September

Get yours at http://alpineclub.org.nz/merch

28/07/2026

With the arrival of winter in the last week, many people will now be heading out into terrain where an avalanche transceiver is appropriate.

Click below to read a few guidelines and pointers to make sure the transceiver you are carrying is going to work properly.

With the arrival of winter in the last week, many people will now be heading out into terrain where an avalanche transceiver is appropriate. Here are a few guidelines and pointers to make sure the transceiver you are carrying is going to work properly.

27/07/2026

DO YOU WANT TO EXPERIENCE THE BACKCOUNTRY THIS WINTER?

We still have a place on our Intro to Backcountry Skiing Course in September. It's the perfect way to get a good ground in ski touring.

Head to our courses page and get your registration in so you can get a good grounding in ski touring this winter
https://alpineclub.org.nz/climbing-and-mountaineering-courses

23/07/2026

DO YOU WANT TO EXPERIENCE THE BACKCOUNTRY THIS WINTER?

We still have a place on our Intro to Backcountry Skiing Course in September. It's the perfect way to get a good ground in ski touring.

Head to our courses page and get your registration in so you can get a good grounding in ski touring this winter

Climbing and Mountaineering Courses NZAC offers climbing and mountaineering courses for all levels - from your first day on rock or snow through to advanced alpine skills.View the NZAC Course Outlines and Syllabus → Section Courses (Beginner to Intermediate)Our 11 regional Sections run courses thr...

22/07/2026

If you missed out registering for our Leading on Technical Ice Course, we have 3 places come up for our 6th-9th August dates.

The NZAC Leading on Technical Ice Course (LTIC) is designed for fit mountaineers who are able to look after themselves on 35-degree snow slopes, confidently leading traditional rock climbs, have good rope management skills and experience of camping in snow.

Get in quick, register on our website here https://alpineclub.org.nz/climbing-and-mountaineering-courses

22/07/2026

"𝘊𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳. 𝘎𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘪𝘴 𝘬𝘦𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘫𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘰𝘢𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨—𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴, 𝘵𝘰 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯!"

Get to know your crampons better by clicking the link below to an article by Gregg Beisly.

Crampons are a crucial tool for the mountaineer to master. Getting well trained in their use and being well practiced on them is key to managing the major goal of mountaineering—that is, to never fall off a mountain!

09/07/2026

𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗸𝗶 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 - Our office will be closed Friday 10th July.

Matariki is a time of reflection, celebration and preparation. This year's theme Matariki Herenga Waka (translated as Matariki, the mooring place of canoes) is all about inclusion and encouraging people to celebrate Matariki together.

For more information on the principles of Matariki, and where events are being held, you can go to www.matariki.com

03/07/2026

DO YOU WANT TO EXPERIENCE THE BACKCOUNTRY THIS WINTER?

We still have a place on our Intro to Backcountry Skiing Course in September.

Head to our courses page and get your registration in so you can get a good grounding in ski touring this winter

Climbing and Mountaineering Courses NZAC offers climbing and mountaineering courses for all levels - from your first day on rock or snow through to advanced alpine skills.View the NZAC Course Outlines and Syllabus → Section Courses (Beginner to Intermediate)Our 11 regional Sections run courses thr...

02/07/2026

EDIT: COURSE FULL
If you missed out registering for our Leading on Technical Ice Course, we have 1 place come up for our 1st-4th August dates.
The NZAC Leading on Technical Ice Course (LTIC) is designed for fit mountaineers who are able to look after themselves on 35-degree snow slopes, confidently leading traditional rock climbs, have good rope management skills and experience of camping in snow.

Get in quick to fill this place 1st-4th August, register on our website here https://alpineclub.org.nz/climbing-and-mountaineering-courses

02/07/2026

𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝗼𝗹𝘁-𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 - 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿?
In the latest New Zealand Alpine Journal, David Vass makes the case that the heart of the Darrans is the last real adventure-climbing ground in the country, and that bolting it would quietly turn it into "just another rock-climbing area, just with tougher access than normal."
It's a genuine question: Is protecting a deliberately bolt-free zone something the NZ climbing community wants? Or is that romanticising exclusion and gatekeeping some of our best rock?
David wants a real debate - and we want it in one place, not across comment threads. Read the full piece and have your say directly on the article by clicking below.

📸Richard Thomson regretting the lack of bolts, Pitch 6, Hornley Arete. Photo: David Vass

This article appears in the 2026 autumn issue of New Zealand Alpine Journal. We're reproducing it here because the intention of the author was for a broad debate on the issue of the appropriateness of bolts in the central Darran Mountains, and if protecting a space for adventure climbing is somethin...